JHoss

My mistake. Thank you for pointing that out. I'd love to know and I don't get why it's still such a tightly held secret unless there's a NDA or something legally binding. I'd be all for this. But what would stop a guy from swapping chips or just manually entering waypoints off a piece of paper after it was wiped? If they could figure out how to do that and enforce it, it would be great. I think MLF had a format for a while where anglers didn't know which lake they were on until the day off? I'd be all for those rules, thought I'm not sure how it would work with Chamber of Commerce sponsorships and whatnot.

It definitely goes both ways. I'd agree the average person reads rules to comply, but others definitely read them to look for gray areas to exploit. There are "KVD Rules" and "Wheeler Rules" in both BASS and MLF rulebooks because those guys would try find gray areas they could exploit. Not necessarily anything wrong with it if no rule is broken, but proof that even the most highly respected guys in our sport will read a rule book to look for an advantage rather than compliance. If they're doing that, then other's are certainly looking for gray areas to exploit in the current rules. I see no downside to it. I like that they're trying new things and making corrections when they don't work. I really like when a replay review shows an umpire how badly they blew a call. BASS did that to an extent when they adjusted the no entry fee deal after anglers expressed frustration.

Isn't this exactly why they've been testing electronic strike zones and are allowing replay review of balls and strikes this year? Seems like the major sports organizations learn from their mistakes, albeit rather slowly. One of my main points on this thread is that BASS learned nothing from past scandals that they swept under the rug (i.e. Tony Christian). They have a prime opportunity to be better and at least share with their field of anglers why certain punishments have varied for breaking, essentially, the same rule. When Jaden Parrish got fined, BASS announced that he had received information but it didn't impact his results. That's why he was fined $4,000 of his $13,542 in winnings for finishing 5th out of 234. I just don't get how they can say his info didn't help his finish when he finished 5th? Meanwhile Herren got DQ'd for information that, by all accounts out right now, he didn't use by fishing in an entirely different area.

I remember seeing the footage of Ray Rice hitting that woman. I was pretty young at the time, so I don't remember if there was a potential cover up before it came out, but at some point it all came out. But the actions of an athlete outside of their league is a whole different topic than an athlete cheating within their league. I can see how in some cases, the legal system may not be willing to release all the info. Nothing a league could do there. The first things that came to mind for me were Deflategate and the Redskins scandal. Both of those were well publicized and I think the NFL even brought in the feds to help figure out the Redskins deal if I'm remembering correctly.

It's a shame our country is coming to it. Far too many people feel entitled to things they have no claim to. I live on 4.5 acres as well, and it's mind boggling to me how some neighbors feel entitled to let their pets and livestock roam and forage on my land. I can confidently say, I would not have been as generous as you've been if I owned your place. Do you know if any of the hunters have had success? Seems like a lot of people on a small tract unless they're just using it to access another piece.

I don't recall an instance in my lifetime where the NFL swept a cheating scandal under the rug. Everyone that I've heard about was addressed publicly and punishments explained. Perhaps more importantly, I never have any chance of playing in the NFL. I do have chance to fish in a BASS Open. So it's very reasonable for me to care more about how a league is run if I may be a part of that one day. The way that BASS has handled a number of issues this year would push me to fish with another organization if I was making that jump right now. I don't see any problems with the way we're all communicating on this thread. Everyone's being civil. You'll never see the perspective of the other side if you don't talk to the other side.

This is the next thing I'm listening to. I saw that Feider said anyone who reads the rules is looking to cheat and he may not be wrong. There's plenty of anglers who are displeased with how it was handled. "Belief without evidence is a sign of irrationality." Seems irrational to assume BASS is handling this correctly without any evidence being put out there.

I used to tell the wife I was stuck in traffic on the way home from work so I could hit the neighborhood pond for 20 minutes on my way. I'd always have a rod or two rigged before they went in the car with whatever I thought would play that day. I'd throw pack of spare plastics (maybe a spare hook and weight in that pack of plastics) in my pocket and go. Keep it simple with the gear you bring and be ready to cut it short if you break off everything.

Should they be transparent to their anglers and their members? I say yes. If I fished the Open on Rayburn and missed out on money because a guy in the top 10 violated the no info rule and only received a fine, I'd sure want to know the details an the why. Some people will go to another organization if they continue to disagree with the way BASS is handling things. Not everyone will share that mentality, but if a decent percentage of their anglers get fed up with it and leave, BASS would crumble. I don't disagree that Scott is nothing special in that field of anglers, but he is Roland Martin's son, which is why I'd consider him a golden boy of sorts. He was groomed for this and set up for success by his dad. He's got a substantial following with his TV shows and what not and is making far more from those and sponsors than he is from winnings. I think it's safe to say that he helps BASS more than being on the Elites helps him. As far as the rumors, the only way to nip that in the bud is to officially address them. Otherwise, we're just waiting on the storm to pass and people to forget.

It's important to note that $60k when he first started fishing was equivalent to $135k today. That's not as much as I would expect from the GOAT, but I also don't know many people who would turn down $135k/year to fish every day. Drew Gill has won almost $350,000 this year alone. So there's certainly guys who can make a great living on tournament fishing, but they're very few and far between.

That's part of what irks me. I was one of the one's who said what a class act Scott was for self reporting and how he handled it. But if I'd known the story coming from Scott and BASS wasn't true, I certainly wouldn't have supported the guy in this case. To me, it seems like they're trying to protect the image of one of their golden boys. And that comes at the sake of their credibility. It makes me question what else they've covered up for the good of their brand. All of BASS's problems here go away with one of two simple changes: 1) Punish Jaden Parrish the same way they punished Herren and Martin. OR 2) Be more transparent about what happened. Tell us why Parrish's violation was minor enough to warrant a fine when he top 10'd the event while Herren got DQ'd when he finished 44th and didn't even go near the area he was alleged to have gotten illegal info about. Tell us that Scott self reported after he learned a video was floating around outing him. Just my opinion. I'll still watch the same amount of BASS coverage this year because I want to see the best anglers compete, but I wouldn't be surprised to see BASS lose its grip on the top tournament trail over the next few years. Great analogy. And the only people who get hurt by it are the honest ones.

Kinda like when Ike got fined for yelling at the dog then BASS used that clip heavily for their promos? Wouldn't the more posts and activity you have on here, be better for you?

It's the way they handled it for me. BASS kept everything rather secretly while NPFL's was cut and dry on their stream. Speaking of double standards, BASS's double standard is the biggest issue with me. BASS slapped the wrist of an Open's angler with a $4,000 fine instead of a DQ just weeks before a complete DQ of Herren and Martin. Also, I think NPFL letting that angler keep the weight from his first two days was absolutely the right way to handle their situation. My understanding is that a lot of BASS leadership are not tournament anglers and it's shown a few times this season and offseason with their rules changes and punishments handed out for rules violations.

Any publicity is good publicity they say. Call me old fashioned, but I'd much prefer the controversy and drama be about the two guys who threw down at the ramp because one cut the other off. From the complaints about the latest MLF coverage, it sounds like Boyd DQ'd half his camera boats for half that event.

I certainly don't believe his or his son's side of the story 100%. Of course Jr is going to be loyal to his dad and not admit to something truly nefarious if it did happen. I think Crosby's being the most likely to be an honest mistake is very true. Otherwise, he's the dumbest cheater in history to try and do it on camera with an employee of the trail. We don't know if BASS knew or not, but it's on them as the tournament organization to fully investigate these things before going public. And let's say they found out later, why not release a new statement instead of helping to keep it buried? They were way too tight-lipped with the Jaden Parrish violation in the Open this year. They've kept the details of the Tony Christian cheating scandal under the tightest of wraps for decades. I'm just saying, at this point BASS has shown us their pattern of hiding ugly truths from us. It's beginning to hurt their trustworthiness and I'm not sure how long their run last with legit competition in MLF and NPFL if those organizations do it the right way.

They've allowed him to spin the story in a way that makes him look good. Even going so far as to have him on the actual broadcast for that event. Martin pushed a story about how he didn't stop someone from sharing info in his shop, when the reality is that he was asking for info. IMO, BASS should have been more transparent about that and not let him lie about it.

That tracks with BASS. Kind of reminiscent of the Tony Christian drama back in the day. To this day, only 3 or 4 people really know what happened. Really kills their credibility when this kind of knowledge is commonly out there in our community, but they sweep it under the rug. I've said on here before I like how Brad Fuller is running the NPFL and it seems like he's surrounded himself with the right kind of people. BASS and MLF could learn some lessons here.

I bought 6 piscifuns a few years ago and agreed with this until I didn't. I'm down to 1 phantom and 1 Spark that still work. 2 other phantoms catch or bind every few cranks of the handle and the 2 spinning reels (can't remember the model) had their gears rust together. On the other hand, the cheap Kastking rods and reels I purchased at the same time are still kicking.

I don't foresee an issue. My jon boat was customized by a well regarded rigger before I bought it used. He set up the 3 lithiums in the main storage compartment in the rear of the boat. I keep some tackle and supplies on one side, and the other side is reserved for any gear my coangler brings. I also keep a spare prop, safety supplies, and life jackets in the rear hatch with the fuel tank.

+1 for the senko and fluke crowd. I usually keep the wacky rig close by and with a footish of line out so I can just pick it up and throw.

Where can I see the Scott Martin video? I've heard rumor of it multiple times now, but didn't know it was out there somewhere. @AlabamaSpothunter Based on what I know about them all, I'd agree with you on Scott Martin. I clearly haven't seen the video yet, but it seems to be the only case of an angler intentionally breaking a rule.

I get the info side of this and agree with y'all he could've gleaned valuable intel from knowing if his roommate was getting bit or not. But I'm looking at it as the most common question/pleasantry exchanged between folks on the water. Also, I would like to think that cameraman are sort of like league officials. A league official in any other pro sport is going to not answer that question instead of answering and the athlete getting DQ'd. A linebacker in the NFL could ask a ref what play the other team was going to run, but that ref would never answer if he did know. It's probably time to give the folks employed by these leagues a course on what they can't discuss with anglers too. I did not realize at the time of posting that the NPFL let him keep his weights from day 1 and 2 and the points he earned for the event from those weights. That was the perfect way to handle this IMO. @Team9nine and @AlabamaSpothunter, who's DQ was most deserving? Herren, Martin, or Crosby?

I doubt that would be enough to limit your casts to 8-10'. You'll have some line twist from doing it wrong, but it shouldn't twist enough to cause that many issues. Also, if you did it wrong and want to fix the twist without unspooling, cut off your lure, open the bail, and let the line trail out behind your boat until the spool is empty. Let it drag for a couple minutes, then reel it in with some tension and you'll be set again.

That was on a trout, not a blue gill. ETA: I see that it's widely reported as a blue gill, but from what I understand, he caught it on a live trout. But it's illegal to use live trout as bait in Japan as it is in many other places so he's claimed it to be on a swim bait and a blue gill over the years.

He's 22 years old. He's only had so many hours in his life to work on his craft and I would imagine a lot of that has come in the last 5 years... which is about the same timeframe as FFS. I'd say he was smart to spend the bulk of his time focused on FFS seeing as it's made him one of the best anglers on the planet. Now that he's mastered scope, he can focus on rounding out his game with some shallow techniques and still have a great shot to Top 10 every derby he enters while he's "learning". I doubt he'd be at the same place in his career if he spent as much time practicing flipping or cranking as he spent with FFS.