I Know I Did The Right Thing As A Co-Angler

[NorcalBassin]

In late on this one... awesome job standing up for yourself. Better to lose with integrity than having to cheat to win. Would have been one thing if he'd just said,"Nice fish... wanna sell it?" and quickly laughing it off as opposed to describing how the transaction would occur and where you'd make the switch. Just dirty.

[Bass XL]

I am not going to let that happen

Good. You are the voice for a lot of us in that matter. The fact that Nate could possibly win the classic after qualifying through this sort of controversy gives me chills...what could this come to...

[preach4bass]

Good. You are the voice for a lot of us in that matter. The fact that Nate could possibly win the classic after qualifying through this sort of controversy gives me chills...what could this come to...

I agree. If Wellman wants to make this right he can humbly forfeit his spot in the Classic. This will get a lot of people off his back, and probably help him regain a little of the respect he has lost over the past few weeks from sponsors and fans.

[Gatorbassman]

If he does make it to the Classic, I hope he makes himself available for interviews on Press Day. He will be top on our list and I'm sure Glenn will ask the hard questions.

[Nitrofreak]

Why hasn't B.A.S.S. done more with this? I told them I would pay for the polygraphs and they have done nothing.

Trip Weldon called me Saturday and asked me to get the email I sent Chris Bowes notarized. When I told him I would do it on Monday as there was nothing open, he said okay.

He then called me on Sunday and said not to bother.

It was then that I asked him why, if Nate was found guilty enough to be put on probation and fined wasn't he disqualified on day three?

He said he couldn't comment.

He is the main person who can and needs to comment.

I really think Nate made a horrible mistake and I wish it would have never happened. It did. He tried to cheat and now gets to fish the biggest tournament in bass fishing.

I know I said I wanted this to end,but the more that I hear about it (via the internet) and the more people I talk to,the fact that this guy is fishing the Classic really bothers me.B.A.S.S. is trying to let this die quietly without doing what is right. I am not going to let that happen

The answer to your first question is they feel like they have punished him enough it really does not matter if you paid for the tests or not the truth is these tests are going to be inconclusive anyway so you would have done nothing but lost hard earned money there.

The harsh but simple fact of him stating that he could not comment on your situation is that it means they have done enough in this instance and the case is closed.

I agree with you and support your decision to chase this down BUT if you really want this to end then I feel its your decision and you must be the one to end it now and try not letting your emotions get the best of you, What I mean by that is this could be a long and VERY expencive action on your part and you may never be happy with the end result, I am speaking for myself but I feel like all of us are not happy with the way B.A.S.S. has carried itself and represented this sport with the actions taken but all of us are very proud of the actions you have taken.

I hope it works out for you no matter what you decide to do I also wish you the best of luck in getting the results you are after.

[ChrisAW]

I hate to bring this back up. I never had anything to say about it before, but I happened to mention this to a couple co-workers who take part in BASS Federation tournaments and have known Nate as well as his father. One knowing him well before he fished these tournaments.

From the sounds of both of my co-workers character references, Mr. Wellman is not a very deserving person. They both told me that they have a dislike for him, not because of anything he has done to them personally, but just his all around attitude and for way's he's acted in the past. They both mentioned they wouldn't think twice to believe he would have done this.

Neither had time to get into detail, and I'm not sure I need to spread around any rumors, but if what they told me was true, there will be justice for Nate.

[South FLA]

Nate Wellman will not be fishing The Bassmasters Classic!!

B.A.S.S. tournament officials and Nate Wellman have mutually agreed that Mr. Wellman will not fish any Bassmaster tournaments until March 2012. Mr. Wellman will not compete in the Bassmaster Northern Open this week in Syracuse, N.Y., and as a consequence of his withdrawal, Mr. Wellman will be ineligible to compete in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic. No changes have been made to the previously communicated penalties or the final tournament standings of the August 27, 2011 Bassmaster Northern Open held on Lake Erie. Wellman maintains his eligibility in the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series.

[rubba bubba]

I'm holding fast on my opinion, I'd no more tell than I would on someone going 5 mph over the speed limit.

What an absolutely weak analogy. How about I fix it for you.

- There's a race going on with 100 other racers

- There's $100,000 at stake to win the race

- The rules state no speeding of any kind is allowed.

- 1 individual goes 5mph over the limit but does it in a place where only you can see he did it.

To tolerate wrongdoing is simply giving approval to that behavior, plain and simple. How you can think your "tongue-lashing" would be sufficient, in essence now makes you the rule governing body since you think you can just change the rules as you see fit. Not reporting an infraction when your direct responsibility is to report infractions, makes you just as guilty. You should then be dq'd as well. How this is even remotely gray is beyond me. Unbelievable.

[SirSnookalot]

What an absolutely weak analogy. How about I fix it for you.

- There's a race going on with 100 other racers

- There's $100,000 at stake to win the race

- The rules state no speeding of any kind is allowed.

- 1 individual goes 5mph over the limit but does it in a place where only you can see he did it.

To tolerate wrongdoing is simply giving approval to that behavior, plain and simple. How you can think your "tongue-lashing" would be sufficient, in essence now makes you the rule governing body since you think you can just change the rules as you see fit. Not reporting an infraction when your direct responsibility is to report infractions, makes you just as guilty. You should then be dq'd as well. How this is even remotely gray is beyond me. Unbelievable.

Doesn't change my opinion one iota, the money involved is only a number, principal is what matters and my principal is not to be a rat, especially if I can't prove it. If someone else chooses to be one that's their business. Furthermore, in your scenario someone actually committed an infraction, in the case involved only a suggestion was made ( yeh I know it's against the rules) in a joking manner which personally I would have laughed with the guy. In addition to that, other than the statement of 1 person, there is no evidence. If your going to say something, have it on tape and be able to prove it. It ain't what you know, it's what you can prove. What if you were fishing a tournament with your brother, father, wife or best friend, would you turn them in for a statement that was probably a joke? Maybe your wife's statement was serious, we have no way to know, if it was and you do turn her in, I'd get acquainted with the couch in my living room, after she called you a RAT !

I never once said that I thought he was wrong, I only said I would have handled it differently. To me it appeared as BASS didn't really take it all that serious, the fine I believe was quite minimal, probation is nothing more than saying " we got an eye on you bud" and still awarded the first place check. The penalty invoked was most likely an appeasement, just wanting to move on and forgetting about it.

[rubba bubba]

Furthermore, in your scenario someone actually committed an infraction, in the case involved only a suggestion was made ( yeh I know it's against the rules) in a joking manner which personally I would have laughed with the guy.

In the very same sentence you stated no infraction was made (when comparing to your car scenario) and someone broke the rules. Er, it's one or the other, can't be both.

You're just taking the easy way out because you don't want to be ridiculed for actually standing up for something that might be unpopular. Heaven forbid anyone risk their comfort zone by doing the right thing. How sad.

[SirSnookalot]

In the very same sentence you stated no infraction was made (when comparing to your car scenario) and someone broke the rules. Er, it's one or the other, can't be both.

You're just taking the easy way out because you don't want to be ridiculed for actually standing up for something that might be unpopular. Heaven forbid anyone risk their comfort zone by doing the right thing. How sad.

The easy way out is to agree with everyone, as you seem to be doing, that's a comfort zone. All I said was I would do things differently, which is not a popular view, that's hard road to to take. I was not alone, I did have some members that had a similar feeling and expressed it to me. I would not report something that I considered minor, especially with no proof to back it up. There are always 3 sides to every story, yours, his and the truth. Wellman was convicted in the court of public opinion before any other statement or evidence was produced. IMO Wellman was joking but lacked the talents to be in stand up comedy, the man was leading the tournament at the time, I think, and had no real reason to cheat. The "joke" may have not be translated well and accepted as a crime as grave as murder in the 1 st degree. I'm still curious about someone turning in their wife, father, best friend under the same circumstance...........I think not.

You can make up all the scenarios that you wish, my opinion would never change, I don't tattle, except in the case of a felony, like murder in the 1st.

[preach4bass]

More often than not, when I find myself beating a dead horse, it's because I know I'm wrong but am too prideful to admit it. You admited that what Wellman did was "against the rules" (aka: wrong). This horse is dead.

[SirSnookalot]

You are absolutely right, this horse is dead, but I wasn't the one that rehashed it.

I'll say this one more time, I never said I thought the co angler was wrong, I only said I would have handled it differently.

[Grey Wolf]

More often than not, when I find myself beating a dead horse, it's because I know I'm wrong but am too prideful to admit it. You admited that what Wellman did was "against the rules" (aka: wrong). This horse is dead.

rubba bubba is the one who keeps beating this horse to death , he brought it up a month after the last post was made. just saying.

[rubba bubba]

The easy way out is to agree with everyone, as you seem to be doing, that's a comfort zone.

Spare me the BS - disagreeing with a bunch of anonymous internet posters makes you the strong guy? Yet in real life you've never turned in those who cheat, nor would have done it in this case because you know d**n well you'd take heat from your posse and that's not something you want to have to deal with. I'm not sure how you can possibly make your case any weaker but you're managing to pull it off. That's no easy feat.

[SirSnookalot]

Thank you Grey Wolf !

Would I turn someone in for cheating? There is no cut and dried answer, I need to look at each situation as it develops, being narrow minded is not one of my flaws.

Regarding the past event, In my heart I do not believe any cheating happened. I truly think there was a failure of communication. I do not believe the intent was to cheat, only to have fun and add a bit of levity to the outing. In hindsight Wellman probably should have selected another topic to display his lack of comedic skills.

As no cheating actually happened, the outcome of the tournament was not affected, my position remains the same, I would not have been a tattle -tale, how someone else reacts is their business.

The real crime committed is the public conviction based on no true evidence, Wellman was lynched before a trial took place. IMO the proper procedure should have been for B.A.S.S to make a determination before any public postings took place.

I'm not defending Wellman, only saying the situation could have been handled differently.

[rubba bubba]

You know the issue isn't whether you think Wellman cheated, the issue is whether you would turn someone in who has clearly broken a rule. You're already on record for stating twice that even though he broke the rule you wouldn't turn him in because you're not a snitch. Although now you keep trying to change the argument to that you don't think he cheated, and thus wouldn't turn him in; that has not and never was the point here, but of course you know that. You're just trying to do damage control.

[SirSnookalot]

Enough has been written already !

[J Francho]

Enough has been written already !

Then stop posting - you've made your point, and defended it numerous occasions. I hope the guys I fish with and against do not share you're opinion. This is a hot issue for tournament fisherman, not retired guys fishing off piers or in canals in their spare time - I do not expect you to understand a tournament fisherman's perspective. There is sportsmanship on the line here, along with not an insignificant sum of cash. If you can't understand why breaking the rules isn't a big deal, then agree to disagree, and move on.

[robdob]

nate wellman should die!

[robdob]

if someone try's to buy a fish.. someone who already has had rumors of cheating in the past... then he should be turned in.. there are too many guys going crazy in debt trying to make it to allow some rich punk to be using his fathers money to cheat his way to the top.

[draggin]

this reminds me of an article where guys were putting lead weights in fish for before weigh ins, and another article where they were keeping the fish in cages then going back later to get them and put them in the live well. you did the right thing