I know I�m going to regret asking this. But at what point does the 6th fish become illegal? Obviously you have to cull the smallest, so you drop number 6 into the livewell and are you now illegal? Do you have to hold number 6 in your hand and then grab the cull with the other hand? It�s [censored] like this that would make me fail a poly, overthinking the situation; but I truly don�t know the answer.

I have always understood it whether a team or solo event that as long as you are in the act of culling immediately then you are just fine. In a team event one partner can keep casting while the other partner is culling.

If it is a team event you are not breaking any law.
And unless a state has a no cull law it is legal to have that 6th fish in the livewell for culling purposes.
At any given time you cannot be fishing or moving with 6 fish in your livewell.
I was told this by a GW.
Basically you cannot retain but 5 fish. Culling is the act of releasing a fish.

This is how we do it

Don't overthink it. When #6 comes aboard start culling. I've taken dozens of polygraph tests. The guy giving the test is not trying to trip you up.

All he is there to do is establish if you are being truthful or deceptive. If you made an honest mistake just tell him upfront.

A good example would be if you started the big motor and took off without putting on your lifevest but you realized it and stopped and put it on. He will ask you up front before hooking you up to the machine if there is anything you want to divulge before starting the test.

During the test he will ask you, "Other than not putting on your PFD the time you told me about, is there anything else you are not telling me?"

WAWI I thought you threw the fish with the cull tag still in it's mouth back in the water.

I did, if anyone finds a 3 to 4 pound fish with a number 4 in it at squaw I would like my cull tag back.

I�m not sure what part GW would play in a fishing tournament�s rules interpretation. Their involvement should only pertain to federal and state law violations, contest fraud, ect. Seems like tournaments are focused on the wrong issues. Did an expired boat registration, unhooked kill switch, or unbuckled pfd cause a competitive advantage? I think the proper questions would be, did you alter your catch in any way? Did you catch your fish and adhere to off limits, and pertaining rules in accordance with tournament rules? Did you catch your fish legally during tournament hours? Did you purposely do anything illegal or against tournament rules to give you a competitive advantage ? Just an opinion.

thanks guys, about what I figured. Just wanted to make sure everyone else saw it the same way.

Thats culling time

same here.

Here�s a scenario for you pertaining to the phrase we always hear �cull when the 6th one comes in the boat�...

You�ve already got a limit of fish in the live well, and you�re throwing an Alabama Rig and catch 2 on the same cast. Now you have 7 fish in the boat. LOL.

As a tournament director, the way I view it is as long as you are in the process of trying to get back to 5 fish in your live well, then you�re legal.

Yes you're fine until you(or both of you in a team event) purposely start fishing again with 6 in the livewell. At that point, you're in violation.

Yes....as long as you are in the act of culling.

In a team event format, your saying no team member can fish when the other team member is in the act of culling a fish.