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Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Would this rule work in Walleye Tournaments???????
Inside BASS
New 'no-info' rule elevates sport
By Tim Tucker
Nov. 10, 2003
In the world of professional bass fishing, rule changes usually get very little attention.
That is not the case with the "no-info" rule introduced on Friday by BASS officials. Early reports from the anglers show that most CITGO Bassmaster pros expect the rule change to elevate the professionalism associated with the sport.
BASS officials announced that a special stipulation had been added to the 30-day off-limits period for 2004 Tour and Elite 50 events. The rule was amended to add that competitors are not allowed to receive any information about the tournament waters during that period. This will also prohibit the use of phones, marked maps and GPS coordinates used to gather information to locate fish.
For years, tournament rules allowed the pros to receive information on the tournament waters prior to the start of the three-day official practice. But many anglers had been asking BASS to eliminate this ability.
"I have told the anglers about this rule, and they are, overwhelmingly, in favor of it," BASS Tournament Director Trip Weldon said. "Anglers will have to police themselves, but they feel that if the rule is made, it will be followed. Failure to adhere to the rule will result in a stiff penalty."
The penalties for violating the rule begin with tournament disqualification for the first offense. The second offense will result in loss of eligibility for the following season.
This rule change has been greeted with enthusiasm from most Bassmaster pros. Here's a sampling:
"This is a great thing for the sport," said Paul Elias, former Bassmaster Classic champion and president of the BASS Athletes Advisory Council. "It will really raise the level of the competition. Every tournament I've ever won, I didn't have any help."
"I think it's good," Kentucky's Mark Menendez said. "I think you're going to see a different elevation of anglers come to the top. You're going to see the truly skilled anglers do their job even better. At the same time, I think you're going to see some (pros have) seasons that are lackluster in their performances.
"I have had help in tournaments in the past, and I've have fished tournaments where I had no help. I tend to do better when I haven't had any help. I won a BASS tournament with zero help. I think this will bring a little more purity to the sport. I think we need that."
"I think it's an excellent idea if it can be enforced," South Carolina's Ray Sedgwick said. "I just don't know how it's going to be enforced. We'll just have to police ourselves. It will probably take stepping on a few toes to show that they mean business. But I think it's great because we'll have to get out there and fish our own ability."
"It's probably the best rule change we've had since I've been in the sport," praised Tim Horton of Alabama, the 2000 BASS Angler of the Year. "It's really going to level the playing field. The guys that find fish are going to be able to claim to have found them and won the tournament now instead of locals putting guys on winning fish. It's the best news I've heard in years. The best thing about it is if you finish second, you know you finished second to that angler — not that angler and some other local.
"It's going to give more credibility to what we do. And I think anglers that have gone around getting information throughout their careers are going to turn into better fishermen because they're going to learn to rely on what they do.
"This will help the guys that don't get local help, like Rick Clunn, myself and others. When locals approach Rick, it looks like he's offending them. And he's not trying to offend them — he just doesn't like getting information. Now, we can finally say, 'Hey, it's against the rules. Thanks, but no thanks.'"
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Location: La Crescent, MN | I think it is a great idea. I also think there's lot of grey area there. Enforceability is a major issue, and as one angler commented that it will take one or two guys getting busted for people to sit up and take notice. I do think the penalty is high enough that 99% will not take the risk of breaking the rules.
Do I think it will work? Yeah, eventually it will. They guys that are known to break the rules but can't be caught red-handed will eventualy be run-off via other means by B.A.S.S.. But, I'm also an optimist.
Zach |
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| I like the idea. I have witnessed myself the results of a tournament change because of info a pro recieved from a local. There are more than a few pro's that actually pay people to pre-fish for them when their schedules are too tight for them to do it themselves.
You have to question one aspect of it though, what about the sharing of info between pro's? We all understand that there are "teams" that work together pre-fishing, and share all their info with one another, and in some cases share winnings. If that type of rule were to be added to walleye tournaments, what is to happen to that practice? The scope of the action by BASS was to make each man accountable on his own abilities, would walleye tournament circuits be willing to do the same?
Interesting that this comes up at about the same time as the Walleye Rankings. Those rankings would probably change drastically under the new rule, if it were to be added to our tournaments. |
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Yep, that would be a great rule to implement in all tournaments.
The best networker, or the most connected man on the planet, would have to learn how to become the best fisherman.
If he can... |
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| Lotsa info can be networked in 3 whole days. I don't see a whole lot different for the teams that do it well now. Not sure what I really think about it though. Most of the time I go fishing for myself, I'm doing it alone. And I haven't done alot of tourney's as a team, or as a boater. I'm sure this will bring alot of discussion over the next months. Or do they not take a break from bass fishing? |
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Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | I remember getting ready for a major tournament on Bago and as I was getting the boat ready for launching at a boat landing I ended up talking with a "famous" pro. Moments later I watched a small 14' Mirror Craft pull up to the landing, the driver (an old fella’) had a small conversation with the "famous" pro and then they both got into their boats. It was funny watching a $50,000 rig following an old slow row boat. But the idea that the national touring pro was receiving inside information from a local and that I had to overcome this situation wasn't humorous.
If it's enforceable, I'm all for it.
For the record, I ended up in 26th place and cashed a small check. The other guy ended up out of the money and way down on the list. It felt GOOD!
On another note, did you catch the following sentence from the article:
This will also prohibit the use of phones, marked maps and GPS coordinates used to gather information to locate fish.
I wonder what they mean by this?
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| Probably mean sharing info, either on the water via cell phone, or sharing spots on a map or GPS coords. Sounds like they want to stop a couple things. Getting advance info, Buying info, and networking. not sure where the 3 day rule stops any of this.
I remember going up to fish with my boy one day. I asked for some help from a friend, and he wouldn't share, cuz I wasn't in the tourney? Reverse rule apllied here? hehehe |
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| The BASS rule is a great way to purify the competition. The problem with many local tourneys, such as the Bago system, is most of the tourney anglers fish it all the time and it is their main body of water. The Merc and Otter would not function well with these rules, but the travelling circuits would benefit both competition and the competitors. The competitor would benefit by only having to pre-fish for three days instead of a week or more as many do. I can not see any negatives to this rule if the spirit is honored.
Take care,
Jim O |
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Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Shep,Shep, Shep,
I didn't really know you very well then BUDDY. For all I knew you were a spy from the posse  Sure, give ya' info on the fish that I WAS on, and before I know it some "famous" national touring Pro is sitting on my spot.
If anything, you should have been proud of me for not playing the network game
Weren't you one of the guys that posted about taking pride in finding your OWN fish? |
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| hehehe, Just giving you the raspberries, Dennis! hehehe Besides, I don't think they fished that tourney. And they know the water already, I'm sure they wouldn't even have bothered to ask me.
Heck, I'll take all the help I can get! And it'll stay with me, 'cept for the other boats watching me slay em! I do take pride when I develop a pattern on my own, or with minimal info. Especially when it pans out like the muskie deal has for me lately. Good for the kids, too! |
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| Want to eliminate the controversy completely? Eliminate prefishing altogether. The major circuits are generally a three day event, let the fishermen figure out the bite on their own. When you have 3 or 4 of the top anglers working together in a tournament it's not really different than having three guys playing together at a ten seat poker table. It's very hard, almost impossible for the individual to compete with them. I'm all for it!
Rob |
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| Jim has a good point, in that it should help cut some of the expenses by reducing the number of prefishing days expenses. If you can't prefish it, you probably won't be getting there so early. |
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Location: La Crescent, MN | Rob, interesting point, but don't you think with NO prefishing at all the temptation for, and reliance on, outside info would be even greater? Would it be more of a test of who's the best guesser?
Zach |
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | What is being proposed is, to me, unenforceable. I am not for it simply because of that. If I thought it was an enforceable rule, then I would be for it. And, as for limiting prefishing and working together, that wouldn't be enforceable either. You would have to have someone in another fisherman's back pocket 24/7, and I don't think there are tournament circuits who would like to do this. Personally, I do not have a problem with group fishing either. More power to the guy or guys who can put together the winning pattern, either on their own or with help. |
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| I find this very intriguing! As I know some of these "networkers" pretty good, How would the RCL fair when you switch partners during the "show" Wouldn't this be considered sharing info, or what happens to all the prefishing in general that brings in big dollars to communities wouldn;t this then be illegal unless of course you prefished by yourself? Now I know a few that offset their expenses by pairing up with others to prefish but in this case it would also be wrong, Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea in concept if everything is considered. But where in the heck would the next generation of tourney anglers come from? huuuuummmmmmm?
Good Luck
Tyee |
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Hmmmmmmm? 
Not sure about that Tyee. Amateurs would still be courted to become the next generation, even if they weren't allowed to prefish or discuss fishing spots with their draws.
Since no one here has much ability to influence the tournaments in which we fish, don't believe it matters much how each of us thinks about it.
But consider this (enforcable or not, jerry), wouldn't it be a sweeter victory should one have pre-fished and done the thinking for him/herself and winning first place in this fashion? Just as a hypothetical?
Edited by Rick Larson 11/18/2003 7:46 PM
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Location: Oshkosh, Wisconsin | I don't mind networking during pre-fishing, but a no share rule would be way too difficult to enforce. I understand that BASS is trying to eliminate the "home-field" advantage.
What I would like to see is a total and complete ban of cell phones when on the water. I have seen tournament anglers keep in contact during Otter Street when the rules expressly prohibit it. Require marine band radio's if safety is a concern. I have watched a couple of anglers talking on their cell phones during tournament hours, then drop their equipment in the bottom of the boat and take off for a new spot. |
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Location: Rhinelander | It is very tough to police a no communication rule. I remember seeing some pretty creative stuff over the years when anglers are confronted with a no cell, no radio communication rule. Hand signals, little flags on the stern light, a certain hat for a predescribed pattern, area, or bite. Motor trimmed up means one thing, down another. Creative! Before GPS and Loran, I saw duck decoys, plastic sea gulls, and more creative items out on small spots, just floating there tied to a bit of cord. One boat drops it, another fishes the area and picks it up. Everyone else drives right by.
The bass world has tried for over 30 years to restrict, limit, and control the flow of information both on and off the water. In my VERY humble opinion, this rule is as much for public consumption as it is fro fair play. |
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | Very well put, sworral. I couldn't agree more. |
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| Brad B, If you were fishing in the tournament, why did you not turn them in, write down boat numbers. That is exacly why this would not work. |
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Your right vexilar, its unenforcable. But those who cheat will figure a way to do it regardless of the rules, so it doesn't matter in any event. I'm sure in this have-to-have-a-network-to-succeed enviroment, there are plenty who think they could never win without it.
I'm just stuck on this fantasy-land idea that everyone entered would go and do their own pre-fishing, and then one of them goes on to win a tournament, without any help whatsoever.
Now that would be a tournament fisherman worth believing in!
Edited by Rick Larson 11/25/2003 10:45 AM
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