If a fish is hooked outside of the mouth during a professional tournament I think it should not count . Release the fish immediately.
Seems to be a lot caught with a jerk bait while using ffs.

Have you ever used a jerkbait? I caught a few this week that looked like they hit a prop on their side.

Olds just can’t stand seeing the young guys win, first its FFS and now it’s foul hooking fish.

Yes I have . I said in a professional tournament.

Have you never had a fish slap at a crank bait and get hung in the side? Feels just like a bite FFS or no FFS. Have you ever caught a fish on the stick of 1000 needles aka the jerk bait? Fish slap those and get hooked from head to tail sometimes.

The problem is you can not have FFS on your boat and they still do that.

So you're thinking along the logic of the A-rig? They banned the use due to the extra hooks and damage it caused fish.

Dumb, just like all those monster California fish caught on Swimbaits long before FFS that guys had to release because of California’s state law.

I agree, while what Hamner did in the Classic was not as dishonest as what Mike Long did or even Jeff Sprague did rules need updating in the future making some of the fish he caught as non scoreable, weigh-able, can't add to your creel whatever you want to call it

Glad you think you hold yourself to a higher standard...I, however, will continue to follow the rules.....

Making a mountain out of a molehill. Mentioning Hamner in same sentence as Mike Long is laughable.

It wasn’t dishonest in anyway whatsoever. You guys are hilarious.

I believe that is the law in California. Maybe you can move there?

I’d say if the fish is hooked in the vicinity of the mouth, the fish was trying to eat the bait.

The A rig and double fluke were banned because they are designed to catch multiple bass at a time.

I think every angler, tournament or fun fishing, would like to see the hook of their bait situated squarely in the fishes mouth when they go to land a fish. Its obvious that doesn’t always happen for various reasons.

No tournament angler is going to just throw a fish out because it wasn’t hooked where he would prefer it to be hooked.

Ron Nelson foul hooked several below a dam on lay lake at the recent redcrest, on camera he said he didn’t like it, and that he would prefer to have them hooked in the mouth. But he weighed them because he wasn’t breaking rules and he was there to win. I believe he was using a jig/minnow rig.

If the rules change, the anglers will change, and everyone will get over it. Hamner and Nelson weren’t sight fishing or breaking rules.

And don't forget they thrash around and fish. It may start in the mouth, end up under the mouth, top of head, side of head. If they were really able to snag I doubt they would all be throwing little crappie jig sized minnows on little hooks. It's just nonsense for people who don't have it and haven't used it to throw around

LW, I believe that is the law in California. Maybe you can move there? [/

Ok, I erased your initials when I just read your PM. So honestly I did not know that you needed to hide.

I was under the impression that you were a good guy with some integrity.

Sorry

I am not taking anything away from Hamner . He looks and sounds like a fine young man that won fair and square .