No Info Rule

So i was looking at some of the pros on facebook posting pictures and videos of practice on Toledo Bend. I notice several of them have people commenting on their feeds about what and where the fish have been biting. Should they all call Trip and be disqualified? This is getting ridiculous. Its virtually impossible to not get any info whether you looking for it or not.

I thought the same thing!

Brandon Palinuk better not pick up a spoon or Crankbait, can't fish deep either.

"Spoon and crank bait my dude. Wear em out."

Like · Reply · 8 hrs

Will get better. Fish em deep. Lots of water this year.

Like · Reply · 5 hrs

Alton Jones has to stay away from points and rat-l-traps
I won my hs tournament a week ago throughing a chrome with blue back rat-l-trap across points and they have caught some good fish at six mile.

Like · Reply · May 8 at 10:46pm · Edited

Would that be considered public info since anyone can see it on facebook??

Yes

What if they have the other anglers blocked on their Facebook? Then it's privately shared information.

Gerald swindle might as well not even go fishing after all the tips he received on his

BASS needs to figure this out-and quick.

its public info so it does not matter and they can use it all they want

if it posted on their own face book page then it is private and there fore not public information and a rule violation. just my 2cents

What if they sent a private message via Facebook and it shows read by the anger? that would be against bass rules for receiving information therefore a DQ correct?

Fortunately some of the guys you mentioned are BASS golden boys, they're safe.

Bingo!

While Clausen violated the rule as written, I think the rule needs to be reworded. Either remove the word "receive" or clarify what receive means. As shown above in the PM FB message example, there is no way to police receiving information just by reading what amounts to an email, and because the unreliable polygraph is how it's tested. The rule can be cleaned up without causing issues like this, but I believe he did violated it, as it's written today.

Even if someone is 'blocked' from an angler's FB Page, the information is posted as public comments. They should be fine; anyone can view their pages and these comments without being logged in, as long as the page is public. Therefore, it would be publicly available information. As to PMs, or Messenger? I would assume they would want to not read PMs just in case!

Should be fine, except they might react to the question and trip the poly because of the way it's worded, hence the poor wording and reliance on a faulty technology, in my opinion. If you fail a poly because the wording of a rule is ambiguous, or the poly is an imperfect technology, you're already behind the eight ball and look guilty.

Mostly the Elite guys aren't even the ones who use their Facebook anyways... It's usually their wife or someone like that.

I bet the elite guys leave their fb public for this very reason

Although I have my issues with MLF as a legitimate competitive fishing league their rules address the specific issue of unsolicited information and a better worded (my 2 cent opinion) rule on "information". Credit to MLF on this.

Should a MLF Angler receive information that potentially gives him a competitive advantage, such as locations: baits, topography, conditions, etc., including unsolicited information, he is required to share that information with the MLF Commissioner. The MLF Commissioner shall determine whether this information should be subsequently shared with any or all other MLF Anglers.

NO INFORMATION RULE: MLF Anglers shall not pursue any action of any kind that may give that MLF Angler a competitive advantage during competition.

I like the part about sharing the information with the rest of the anglers. Seems logical for that to be the response to an angler receiving unsolicited information (although unsolicited info being barred still seems silly to me, for a few reasons).

I thought MLF was totally secret, though, meaning the anglers were not told what lake they were fishing until they arrived at the ramp.

MLF is using polygraphs for enforcement also. There is information that MLF has already polygraphed at least one angler. Getting the details may be difficult.

Haha. I bet 90% of them NEVER look at their Facebook "fan page". Usually they have a friend, or someone else entirely, setup and manage the page for them.

+1 They are not breaking any rule. And like others said, most of these guys could give a rats @$$ about their Facebook or what other sites they have. They get someone else to manage them