Matt Herren DQ’ed

[rid 05 198]

Of all the rules, info rule is the worst. " It was won over there", ya but he didn't tell me with a west wind only...
Walleye guys just laugh at this.
For more fun to watch fishing, I say put in the "buoy rule", so you can watch guys fight about that.
"buoy rule"; ...A “marked fishing area” is defined as a 50-foot diameter area around a marker buoy placed by the contestant on the same day of competition. The contestant placing the buoy must remain within the marked area and may leave only to play and land a fish. When limited out or not fishing, the buoy must be picked up. A “marked fishing area” may be navigated through if it restricts access to other fishable waters.
HA.

[mossie3]

If you see angler you don't like getting gas beside you blurt out you caught limit of bigguns skipping green pumpkin jigs under docks.

[188Musky]

Yes, and everyone is good with that inequality...as long as it's an inequality of fishing skill and knowledge, rather than other outside factors.

Sure, no outside factors…

…And 19 year old Trey McKinney qualified for the Elites with absolutely no “outside factors”?

Don’t collegiate anglers, many of whom have qualified for the Elites, actually have coaches, and even multiple coaches?

What do you think these coaches are telling them, how to tie knots?

[Poppin' Frog]

He got dq’d because we were talking on Tuesday about how he was spending all his time practicing down south. That’s where he spent his practice and all the tournament. I wasn’t thinking and made a comment hopefully this one doesn’t get one north in deep creek like a tournament that my buddy had fished the previous weekend just as a general comment talking fish. He never went there to look and went right back and put in at Astor the next day. I have fished opens and understand off limits periods but we talk fishing daily and I just wasn’t thinking when I said it. Polygraph examiner asked if he had received any information and told them I had said it on accident but never went in that direction(70 miles the exact opposite is where he went in practice and the tournament). That flagged it as soliciting for information and dq’d him. The rule states soliciting while trying to gain a competitive advantage so I don’t understand how mistakenly being told something and not pursuing the information or using it for any gains can fall into a disqualification.

I don't understand this at all. So if I walk past a group of Elite anglers eating breakfast before blast off and say out loud, "They're catching them good in Hickory Creek". They all get DQ'd because they heard me say it even though they never went there? Am i understanding this right?

[Jeff Hahn]

Sure, no outside factors…

…And 19 year old Trey McKinney qualified for the Elites with absolutely no “outside factors”?

Don’t collegiate anglers, many of whom have qualified for the Elites, actually have coaches, and even multiple coaches?

What do you think these coaches are telling them, how to tie knots?

Any and every rule is useless without enforcement. In particular, it's most important to increase the certainty of getting caught if a rule is to effectively deter potential violators. A TD should have complete discretion to administer a polygraph to anyone they choose. If there are rumors, the TD should address them quickly with a polygraph to either catch the violators or dispel the rumors as fiction. I have no doubt that some Elite competitors knowingly violate the No Info rule. But, in doing so, they should be risking a lifetime ban if they are caught. Remember, it only takes a very few people getting caught and punished to deter others who might have a propensity to violate the rules.

Widespread rule violations are the kind of thing that Ray Scott and Harold Sharp decided to stamp out in order to make fishing tournaments an above board sport. You think that either of them would put up with the shenanigans that we've seen the last few years? They would have sent the rule violators packing with a lifetime ban. If rules are not enforced strictly and uniformly, then a sport has no integrity.

[206champion]

I don’t see how you should be dq if you over hear people talking if you didn’t solicit the info that’s crazy if so you should have to walk around with ear muffs on . It’s almost impossible to enforce that rule .

[Mark Perry]

BASS seems to have zero consistency in rules enforcement.

I'm confused on how you fine an Open angler but DQ an Elite angler for the same violation. Also confused why the other Open anglers in same event was DQd but no mention of his name ir a press release. Just one on the guy that was fined.

Meanwhile you have an Elite angler that once again had an infraction but he only gets docked 30 minutes of fishing time.


Someone make it make sense please.

[c rig]

Does anyone actually believe that all of these guys that room together aren't sharing info?

Does anyone believe that none of these guys aren’t getting info?

Remember, “publicly available” means a random obscure website can contain info for those who know the web address.

[Meadows]

Been saying for awhile now that BASS management and PR “team” is absolutely clueless.

[Dennis S.]

My understanding is that BASS randomly selected #25 and #40 for a polygraph. Sometimes unfortunate coincidences happen. I do not think Matt Herren was guilty of any cheating. We could probably twist many things into questionable ethics if we took the time for it. I think Matt was a victim of circumstances. I really hate this happened. There is no proof of a man cheating yet so much of the fishing community is accusing him of it. We need to lighten up...............

[188Musky]

Any and every rule is useless without enforcement. In particular, it's most important to increase the certainty of getting caught if a rule is to effectively deter potential violators. A TD should have complete discretion to administer a polygraph to anyone they choose. If there are rumors, the TD should address them quickly with a polygraph to either catch the violators or dispel the rumors as fiction. I have no doubt that some Elite competitors knowingly violate the No Info rule. But, in doing so, they should be risking a lifetime ban if they are caught. Remember, it only takes a very few people getting caught and punished to deter others who might have a propensity to violate the rules.

Widespread rule violations are the kind of thing that Ray Scott and Harold Sharp decided to stamp out in order to make fishing tournaments an above board sport. You think that either of them would put up with the shenanigans that we've seen the last few years? They would have sent the rule violators packing with a lifetime ban. If rules are not enforced strictly and uniformly, then a sport has no integrity.

The topic of our conversation is not anglers cheating or rule violations. However, if you’re going to bring up the founders of B.A.S.S. tournaments, I’d point out that Ray and Harold never instituted a no-information rule.

The topic is the no-information rule itself, which is completely subjective, unenforceable, totally contradictory to the essence of fishing, and totally contradictory to the reality and mechanism of qualifying for the Elites.




In fact, since the goal seems to be this utopia of equality and integrity, the policy should be an honest discussion of all patterns, strategies, spots, topography, recent and past tournament successes, etc. at pre tournament meetings and during the days of tournament.

An all-information rule, so to speak. Make sure all these super elite fishermen/contestants have all the information available so the skilled and observant prevail, and the show is everything that it can potentially be.

[THKUSTOMS]

Looks like Herren is Done with BASS per his wife’s post..

[juice780]

BASS seems to have zero consistency in rules enforcement.

I'm confused on how you fine an Open angler but DQ an Elite angler for the same violation. Also confused why the other Open anglers in same event was DQd but no mention of his name ir a press release. Just one on the guy that was fined.

Meanwhile you have an Elite angler that once again had an infraction but he only gets docked 30 minutes of fishing time.


Someone make it make sense please.

not a good look for bass at all.

[geturfishon]

I seen a post online that Matt took all his BASS stickers off his boat and it was "time for a change".

480504490_9162807473756116_8513345389593751058_n.jpg

Cheers!!

[rb]

Looks like Herren is Done with BASS per his wife’s post..

Well if that is the case I will take back my earlier comment

[WarEagle24]

I seen a post online that Matt took all his BASS stickers off his boat and it was "time for a change".

480504490_9162807473756116_8513345389593751058_n.jpg

Cheers!!

Wow!

[rryals]

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1A8oiGGFA2/

[RipNLips]

He just posted on his FB he is done with BASS and fishing the NPFL.

[Dr Phil Good]

I still think He's mad about FFS. He whined all last Year and instead of getting better over the Winter at it He was Deer Hunting instead!

[RangerBob52O]

In defense of B.A.S.S., if you get a guy that says my son accidentally slipped me a tidbit that could have been very useful information. What if you say aww shucks mistakes happen, forget about it? I would be tempted to let things slip again. You can’t look the other way when an angler outright tells you something like that.