I confirmed this Friend on FB:
Hi Bob,
David Dudley wants to be friends with you on Facebook.
David Dudley
wasn't there some controversy over him burning other guy's fish in FL or something a few years back?
I confirmed this Friend on FB:
Hi Bob,
David Dudley wants to be friends with you on Facebook.
David Dudley
wasn't there some controversy over him burning other guy's fish in FL or something a few years back?
I think he didn't make a cut then when out to sore lip some bass in a staging area
Found it:
On The Defensive
Dudley's Harris Strategy Exposes Rules "Flaw"
Monday, February 07, 2005
Photo: Bassmaster.com
David Dudley said a flaw in the BASS rules have created a need for defense.
David Dudley earned the nickname "million dollar man" by winning the two richest bass tournaments in history. He's regarded as one of the best sight-fishermen on the tours, but he's equally known for his outspoken nature and willingness to push the limits of competition.
At the Ranger M1 tournament, for example, he used a chainsaw to cut his way into a backwater where he caught the winning stringer. At the recent Harris Chain Bassmaster, he again worked within the rules to employ a new strategy.
He said it was "defensive," but others said it was "offensive," and his strategy has sparked a heated debate that, at the very least, should lead to a rules change for the 2006 season.
What Happened
Dudley is a longtime FLW angler, but returned to the Bassmaster Tour this year after a 2-year hiatus. The FLW Tour announces its boat draws at the pre-tournament meeting, which means anglers don't know their boat draw during practice.
The Bassmaster Tour, however, uses a grid system. The grid system eliminates much of the random elements of boat draws  an angler is guaranteed an equal number of early and late flights. If an angler is in flight 12 for one tournament, for example, he knows he'll be in flight 2 for the next one.
BASS adopted the grid system to promote fairness. The problem is, an angler knows his boat draw before the tournament begins.
Therefore, Dudley knew he would be one of the last boats out at the Harris Chain. Rather than surrender the easy sight-fish in the Harris Chain canals to the first flight, he went out on the last day of practice and set the hook on a number of big fish, then released them. That would make the fish very diffcult to catch the following morning.
It's difficult to determine whether this has ever occurred in the past  although many believe it has. What's different about the Dudley affair, however, is that he freely admitted to doing it. That raised the ire of many in the field  especially those in the early flights who had planned to start on those fish.
Dudley Exposed Weakness
"Never in the sport of fishing have you had to incorporate defense," Dudley said. "Fishing is an offensive sport, but the way (BASS has) the grid set up, they've created a defensive sport.
"With that system, you know exactly where you'll be, and exactly what's going on. I was one of last boats to go out  I already knew that. There were a few canals packed with sight-fish, and if you know anything about sight-fishing, you know that the top few boats to get out are going to be the ones with big bags."
He said that's why he set the hook on those fish. "Knowing I couldn't catch them  that I couldn't get to them  I played defense. I swung on some of those sight-fish. Is it against the rules? Nope."
He said if BASS, or other anglers, want to prevent the practice in the future, the grid system has to change. "Would I have done that if there was no flaw in the BASS system? No, I wouldn't have. They need to keep the grid a mystery. If it was a mystery, I never would have done it in a million years."
Two anglers who were particularly vocal in their condemnation of Dudley were Roland Martin and Peter Thliveros.
"Roland Martin's a grown-up acting like an immature kid," Dudley said. "And Peter T. is a grown-up acting like a high-school little kid  complaining about something he should not be complaining about.
"Roland (Martin) knows all about what strategy is. A lot of the first rules of bass fishing were written for him. I'm playing the game, and the way it's set up, it creates defense.
"You know why they were so upset? Because Roland was boat 3, and Peter T. was boat 4 or 5. Those babies are sitting there crying."
Sound Strategy?
There is no rule that prohibits catching fish in practice. However, rule 5 states: "Competitors in BASS tournaments are expected to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, safety and conservation. Any infraction of these fundamental sporting principles may be deemed cause for disqualification."
Dudley does not feel his strategy is a breach of ethics or sportsmanship. "It's not unethical, it's strategy," he said. "Everywhere I pulled up  in the locks, the parking lot  everyone's saying, David, you did nothing wrong. I've gotten a million phone calls where people are saying the same thing.
"Here's an analogy. Say I went down a bank and it's muddy and I shook off five. I can't see them  I just shook them off. And Roland Martin comes behind me and sets the hook, and catches maybe one of the five I shook off. Do I have a right to complain and protest him? Do I have a right to get upset? No.
"And if the roles were reversed and I was one of the first boats out and somebody did it to me, would I get mad? No. I'd say, heck, that guy's pretty smart.
"(BASS tournament director) Trip Weldon said at the tournament meeting that said he can't stop anyone from going down the bank and catching fish. He also said the grid system won't be here next year.
"I like the grid system, because you get equal fishing time throughout the year. They just need to keep it a mystery."
He also said his strategy isn't a new one. "Everybody's been doing it for years," he said. "Since I came out in the open and said I'm playing defense, a ton of people have come up and said. 'I've been doing that  I just didn't have guts enough to say it.
"As soon as I openly said I was doing it  as soon as I took the rap  that took the pressure off people. They were like, 'Whew  David, I've already been setting the hook on these sight-fish."
For or Against
Dudley chose not to name those who expressed their support for his strategy, but of those pros that BassFan was able to reach, David Walker and Jim Bitter seemed to be the least concerned about the practice.
"Basically, he caught fish during practice," Walker said. "I've seen lots of guys do it, and I didn't understand why, but at least (Dudley) had a reason. In terms of it being a big controversy? To me, I don't think it is. I don't see the big deal in it.
"I'm sure he wasn't the only one to catch some fish in the Harris practice. But he was definitely the only one to stand up and say it."
Bitter was the runner-up at Harris. "I noticed a lot of them really condemned him, but I think there are a lot of hypocrites out there who might do it but not admit it," he said. "There was a worse travesty than that going on with me but they're not talking about that." (Bitter claimed anglers crowded him while he was leading and one angler in the Top 12 fished his area on day 3.)
Thliveros, who won the tournament, had this to say. "I just think it shows what kind of person (Dudley) is  obviously, not a sportsman. All's fair when it comes to love, war, and fishing I guess. What comes around goes around, and I hope he gets stung one day the same way. Someday someone will meet him in a parking lot and teach him a lesson.
"It's just not an ethical thing to do. Call it "combat fishing," or chess or poker or trying to be three moves ahead of the others, but I call it unsportsmanlike. I think he should have been DQ'd on the sportsmanship rule. We're trying to elevate the sport  not play bush leagues."
Larry Nixon, who finished 5th at the Harris Chain, told BassFan, " It's a bunch of crap  the whole controversy. I don't understand anybody having a problem with a man wanting to catch a fish. There's no rule against it. I saw a few that looked like 10-pounders that I wanted to catch, but you feel kind of stupid when you pick up a rod and everybody looks at you funny.
"Heck, sometimes you need to know if they'll bite or not. I don't have any problem with it."
Todd Faircloth led day 3 at the Harris Chain, but finished 3rd. " I don't really have a comment about it, but I talked to (Dudley) about it a little bit, and I can't really blame him," he said. "He knew he was in the 12th flight and wouldn't have a shot at those fish. That's what's wrong with the system: it's on a grid, so you know what flight you're in at the next tournament.
"To be fair, and to keep stuff like that from happening, they should have a "mystery grid"  have it where you'll fish all the flights through the year  but you don't know when you'll fish each one."
Notable
BASS tournament director Trip Weldon was unavailable for comment or clarification. BassFan will post his comments as soon as he can be reached  specifically, whether the grid system will change this year or next, and whether BASS will disclose boat order during the Bassmaster Classic practice.
BASS reaffirmed its position that Dudley broke no tournament rules, and there was no grounds for a DQ.
I can see both sides of the argument there - guess I guess i'll have to think about it for a while
"Success is never owned, it is rented, and the rent is due every day."
He Broke no rules , But he's a Jack Wagon for doing what he did
Of Note:
He finished 96th in that event
96 DAVID DUDLEY LYNCHBURG, VA 11.13
I like his comment on how some fo the RULES in BASS are there because of Roland
At one time Roland(and couple others) were carrying Extra fuel with them for long runs.......which later stagged the next one.
Another guy at table also recalled a time the Roland strategically placed 5 Gallon cans of Gasoline along his route on lake.........because bass boats back then did not have 60+ gallon tanks.....and he needed extra gas to get to and from the area.....I beleive it was at LOZ when this occured or Table rock......I dont recall.....anyway.......Rule was you could NOT set foot on bank unless it was an Emergency.
As I fished the BASS event back in 2004.......I remember hearing SOO many stories about Roland.......Amazing
he didn't do anything wrong and therefore they should shut the hell up. when we used to have our wed. night tx, some guys would pre fish all day long and they fished the areas that other people fished. we voted and no one saw any harm in it, but our areas didnt yeild the fish they had.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by War Eagle1 »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">he didn't do anything wrong and therefore they should shut the hell up. when we used to have our wed. night tx, some guys would pre fish all day long and they fished the areas that other people fished. we voted and no one saw any harm in it, but our areas didnt yeild the fish they had. </td></tr></table>
Hence Milford Sucks
but you wasn't fishing for 1000's of Dollars and you wasn't doing it for a living, you was fishing for the fun of it mainly....
what fun? there are really only about 4-5 spots on that lake......and everyone who fish it much knows em. RJ and tim have few areas of there own (that they already know each others anywaygo figure) but other than that........YEP
how bout if your fishing a tournament and you get to your spot , only to find someone there, they get pissed ,cause your there also , but come to find out after I pulled away another boat comes and the hole sitter lets him have that area, yep some people have their own hole sitters, had this happen in oklahoma alot, most of the time they are hole sitting for a person in another tournament, next time we had that happen and when we would not leave we had the hole sitter on one side of our boat and the tournament guy on the other side , but I did manage to get a 6lb bass right in front of them , made my partner Kevin smile
Had that Happen a couple years ago at a Mr Bass Tx on Cedar Bluff
Modified by bigfishingstud at 7:20 PM 1/24/2011
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Hydrilla Gorilla »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I confirmed this Friend on FB:
Hi Bob,
David Dudley wants to be friends with you on Facebook.
David Dudley
wasn't there some controversy over him burning other guy's fish in FL or something a few years back?
</td></tr></table>
You can "unfriend" anyone, and they'll never know.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by ICTChampion202 »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
You can "unfriend" anyone, and they'll never know.
</td></tr></table>
Thats what I was going to say. Just delete him off your friend list. Simple.
hmmmm.......RJ and place of his own in the same sentence.......you mean behind the docks in his aquarium??????
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by IMX844 »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">hmmmm.......RJ and place of his own in the same sentence.......you mean behind the docks in his aquarium??????</td></tr></table>
I only fished that place in one event all year.....and it was the last one...
Reply With Quote
