My Bad Tournament Outing

[frogtog]

Well after all the years of fishing tournaments I finally got tattooed today. We were all gather at the weigh in and one of the fisherman walked up to the director and said he had a fish on and he came unhooked at the boat, he said the fish went under the boat and came up on the other side where he caught him with a landing net. he wanted to know if he could weigh him in and director told him yes. I spoke up and told the director that the fish had to be caught with a hook. Well the director wouldn't change the call and guess how got the short end of the stick ( yours truly ) I weighted my fish and then spoke to the director about the call that he made. Didn't get no response from him. So the guy brings his fish to the scale and he beat me by.06 oz Well I got crosseyed and refused to accept 2nd place.

The guy then spoke up and said he didn't weigh that fish that he throw ed him back. This was not the case because I watched him the whole time. Was I right or wrong? And should I call headquaters?

Things that went wrong.

1- He shouldn't have said anything, at least while I was there.

2- I fill that the director should have changed the call.

3- The guy shouldn't of said he threw him back when I new different.

4- I probably shouldn't have got crossed eyed.

[NEBassMan]

You did the right thing i think.  By speaking up, now everybody knows that you won't stand for crooked competitors/directors, as i'm sure many others, if not everybody, feels the same way as you.

[crazy4bass1]

yea that wouldreally tick me off

but still hope u accepted 2nd cus 2nd is still rly good

[brewu24]

I'd a told 'em all to kiss my tail, but of course that's just me and i'm not good enough to win a tournament so i don't have to worry about it.

[ventureboat]

Ouch!!! I can't tell you what I think, my wife is sitting beside me. But my opinion....Flat out cheating, shouldn't have even netted the fish. Where's the dignity

[skillet]

I would have been p****d. You were more than right...

                           As Ever,

                            skillet

[jrhennecke]

You were robbed!  It does sound like you handled it better than I would have though.  

[Eddie Munster]

As with golf, the competitor has the obligation to act within the rules of the match and he didn't. He may have justified it to himself that day by having the judge agree with him but I guarantee you he'll feel like crap for a loooong time each time he discusses winning that tourney.

Also you should notify someone of the judge's botched call. He doesn't need to be there with judgement like that.  >

[warmer]

he had a fish on and he came unhooked at the boat, he said the fish went under the boat and came up on the other side where he caught him with a landing net.

are you sure you have the sequence right?  because this is an amazing event... i mean who has the wherewithal to be standing on the other side of the boat w/ the landing net at the ready?  this guy has some serious poise.

are you sure the fish didnt swim under the boat, jump, come unbuttoned and land in the net?

that would strike me as more of a gray area if that were the case.

in any case, i understand you are bummed.  but for my taste it would depend on the type of tournament.  if its a kick back local or club tournament, id pat him on the back and say, "great story, great catch!"  if it is a larger tournament, maybe i would have pursued it.  

we have a local tournament, and there is a jerk who stands near the scale every week and calls for a measure on any fish that is remotely close.  i mean this is a small time, fun 25-35 boat tournament.  its hot, peoples livewells are hot, and the fish stress and shrink up from time to time.  i personally think, no biggy, if they measured 14 and lost an 1/8 of an inch.  take a drop and swing away, no biggy.  but there he is shouting short week in and week out.

let me boil it down:

1: get the straight dirt on what happened.

2: dont be "that guy" (upholding the rules is not being "that guy," but delivery is everything.)

on a side note, i did have a crisis of conscience for a brief moment the other day when i was shy of a limit and a 14" fish literally jumped into my boat.  i have no idea what he was chasing, maybe the reflection off the side of the boat, but i turned around and there he was.  oh, it was mighty painful to drop him in the water.

[Infidel.]

Sounds like typical tournament politics.  Don't know if calling headquaters would do any good unless there are other people to back up what you heard.  If not it is just your word against him and you will come out looking like a sore loser.  Not that you are, that is just how I have seen things like this go down.

[CJ]

Yep Frogtog, you got the shaft. That TD is wrong and doing a bad job. That is an illegal catch and the fish should have never gone in the angler's boat. So... you won!

CJ

[fishfordollars]

The fish should not have been weighed.

[bassdocktor]

That definitely doesn't sound right. Is there anyway to file a protest? I know almost any tournament I've fished some where in the rules hthere is a section about protests. Might be worth a look. Good luck with your decision.

[Sam]

As I interpert your story, the fish came unhooked at the boat, was so tired that it drifted under the boat where the boater had time to grab the net and secure the fish.

In my club that is not allowed.

You have to have the fished hooked and 1) brought into the boat; of 2) netted by yourself or the other fisherman while hooked.

Even if the fish came unhooked 1) in the boat or 2) in the net, the fish had to be hooked when netted.

What you have described is taking your landing net and scooping up the fish out of the water, like during post spawn when the big females just sit there, under a dock or pier, and do not move.

Sorry the tournament director did not have a clue as to what to do and may I suggest you check the rules of the tournament, if any, and ask for a second opinion from someone above the tournament director, if there is anyone.

Otherwise, your protest was well deserved and delivered and you got the message to the other contestants.

I am sure they are all talking about it this week and into the future. Do not be surprised if the tournament director in future tournaments makes a clarification on this issue before the tournament.

[Sam]

By the way, if you report the fisherman to TBF or B.A.S.S. he may be suspended from any TBF or B.A.S.S. tournaments.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

[warmer]

The pen is mightier than the sword.

and...

the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

     

[frogtog]

I did filed a protest with head quarters first thing Monday morning.

I don't blame the guy that weighed the fish as much as I do the director. Seems the guy was fairly new to tournament fishing and didn't know, so he asked. So I will see what the out come is and will let you know. This is not about the money or losing. It's about the call and I just happened to be the recipient of it. When the call was made no one had any idea who had what for fish or weight. And what makes this so bad is that the TD in question has been a TD for like 25 years.

I guess my name will be mud around the tournament trail. I have always tried to play by the rules ( even I'm not perfect ) But thats what they have them for. The first thing one guy asked me is would I have protested if it hadn't knocked me out of first. And the answer to that is that I did protest before any fish were weighed. Now I think I'm beginning to hate my self for it, I hate to be the one to cause the TD to lose his job because I know that he loves to fish just as good as I do. I still have to fish a two day tournament with him in about three weeks. :-/

[Big-O]

It's a clear call, fish shouldn't have been weighed and wouldn't have been in any tournament series I am familiar with. I would go over his head for arbitration and set the record straight for future tourneys. Rules are rules and that's that.

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[Eddie Munster]

I did filed a protest with head quarters first thing Monday morning.

I don't blame the guy that weighed the fish as much as I do the director. Seems the guy was fairly new to tournament fishing and didn't know, so he asked. So I will see what the out come is and will let you know. This is not about the money or losing. It's about the call and I just happened to be the recipient of it. When the call was made no one had any idea who had what for fish or weight. And what makes this so bad is that the TD in question has been a TD for like 25 years.

I guess my name will be mud around the tournament trail. I have always tried to play by the rules ( even I'm not perfect ) But thats what they have them for. The first thing one guy asked me is would I have protested if it hadn't knocked me out of first. And the answer to that is that I did protest before any fish were weighed. Now I think I'm beginning to hate my self for it, I hate to be the one to cause the TD to lose his job because I know that he loves to fish just as good as I do. I still have to fish a two day tournament with him in about three weeks. :-/

Hey bud, YOU did not cause him to lose his job; he did. YOU were the victim (as well as anyone else in the tourney) by his botched call. Don't feel bad for standing up for what's right; it's his fault. Good job on your part IMO.

Anyway, he may not lose his job but will definitely learn his lesson and go reread the rules.

[warmer]

Now I think I'm beginning to hate my self for it, I hate to be the one to cause the TD to lose his job because I know that he loves to fish just as good as I do.

yo frogtog,

i think im the only voice of dissent on this thread.  so i have to pipe in a response to this.  there is no reason to hate yourself for this.  it is highly unlikely this guy will lose his job that he loves over one incident.  especially if he is a well respected td of 25 years.

your complaint is legitimate.  what i was inviting you to consider was... is it really worth it?  and did i lodge my complaint to him with him in the appropriate way?  and when i say appropriate i dont mean, did it follow the rules.  i mean it in a more political sense.  

as in... if your complaint or challenge were public, on something he had already ruled on then you now have pulled his ego into the mix.  and if you want a rational result, you never involve the male ego.  so to lodge the complaint, you humbly, subtly ask if he could step to the side and ask him to clear something up for you.  then you say, "i thought the rules said... explain to me how this works..." etc.  then if you are unsatisfied, you can say... "listen, no hard feelings, but this is not how i understand the rules, and after i look them over again, i may file a protest.  but i want you to know it isnt personal and i think you are generally speaking the greatest td to walk the earth."  

the value of this is that you leave him in charge, which leaves his giant ego in tact, and at the same time you get your grievance voiced and have warned that you will further pursue it.