And the saga continues. Once again anglers are taking advantage or blatantly ignoring the rules of their sport. Major League Fishing has brought to light a controversy that took place at the Stage 6 tournament on Lake Cayuga, New York. Four anglers have been under investigation for alleged cheating by not following the rules for “sight fishing.”
On Wednesday June 21st, Major League Fishing (MLF) announced that they were investigating accusations that four anglers may have violated sight fishing rules. For those that have no idea what sight fishing is, it’s a technique where anglers visually see a bass sitting on a bed looking to spawn and will try and entice these bass into biting their lure. But one very important rule must be followed. If you are sight fishing, you are required to hook the fish inside the mouth. If the fish is hooked outside the mouth, the fish is considered an unofficial catch and must be returned to the water immediately. This rule is in place so that anglers don’t go out trying to catch fish by snagging them.
Some analysts think it’s immoral or unethical to fish for bass on beds, but it’s not that big an issue since the MLF Bass Pro Tour is a catch and release format. Meaning, as each fish is caught, they are weighed, recorded, and released immediately.
But here’s what the accusations are. Some anglers were not following the protocol when they brought their catch on board the boat. Anglers who are sight fishing are required to show their on-board Marshall (an observer who weighs and monitors each fish caught, making sure anglers follow the rules) that the fish is hooked inside the mouth. If not, it must be released and is considered an unofficial catch. But in this event, some anglers were being discreet and hiding their fish as they brought them on board the boat so that the cameras nor the Marshall could see how the fish was hooked. They would just unhook the bass and proceed to weigh it without confirmation it was hooked inside the mouth.
MLF officials are now having to go back and review video footage of the four anglers in question in order to make sure the rules were followed. If they find rules have been violated, then MLF officials will have to decide to what extent they should be punished. This is where things could get a little weird and revealing. MLF has got to come down hard on this if they find violations were made. No longer is a slap on the wrist a strong enough punishment for violating the rules.
Could it be extensive punishment like suspension for the next event or even worse….suspension for a full season? The best way anglers will get the message that cheating will not be tolerated is to hit them in their checkbook. But disqualifying their days catch and dropping them in the standings a few places is not strong enough. A message needs to be sent that will make anglers think twice about cheating. Yes, I said cheating! Since its inception, MLF has basically turned a blind eye to certain violations. Just like NASCAR, drivers are always trying to push the envelope and dabble in the grey area of the rules. Bass tournaments are no different as anglers are always looking for an advantage over their competitors. Due to the amount of money involved in today’s bass tournament world with thousands of dollars up for grabs, anglers are thinking outside the box and looking for any type of loophole in the rules they can find in order to be successful or gain an advantage.
But now the time has finally come for anglers to be held accountable for their actions. While 98% of the anglers do a great job of self-reporting and holding each other accountable, it’s the other 2% that need to be made an example of. With the increase in live prime time TV coverage and national exposure, it’s important to preserve the integrity of the sport and show the anglers and their fans that rule violators will not be tolerated.
I hope MLF officials will come down hard on the angler or anglers if rules were violated. Nothing will bring the sport down faster than anglers who insist on cheating. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and always read and follow the rules for any tournament you’re competing in.
Steve Graf
Angler’s Perspective
