i read he was given permission to pull the plug, but apparently he had to get out of the boat to do it which was a rule infraction. not sure if true and cant imagine he doesn't have an auto drain plug. who knows.

Bruces’s can you confirm he hopped in the water for drain plug removal?

Keep in mind Birge also wanted to leave an event early and was told he would face a fine and suspension. Yet anglers caught cheating, only got a fine and no suspension.

I’ve always seen anglers jump out the boat to untangle
Fish and retrieve lures and it was only
Ever a time penalty.

You think throwing back 7 fish cost him some money?

He asked for permission, and was granted permission after TD asked if he had an auto drain plug and he said no. Once a TD makes a decision, he needs to live with it. Worst case is you call him and tell him to leave because you fubarred, but you don’t not count fish because you made a wrong decision.

Can you imagine an umpire going up to a coach in the 9th inning
and saying all those runs scored with two outs earlier in the game
don’t count because we missed a call before they scored?

I need to hear bear trap’s thoughts on this

Why do you read if you don’t care?

His mouth is full. Give him a bit and he will come up for air.

This sounds more plausible. The TD can say sure, “pull the plug”. What he can’t tell you to do is leave the boat to access otherwise inaccessible water. Pulling the plug to get under the bridge would have been fine if he could have done so without leaving the boat.

Did they change the rule about getting out of the boat, I remember reading about Avena getting out to get a fish in a brush pile or off a dock?

Well from a credible source his catch was DQ’d under “The Randy Blauket Rule”.
Uncle Randy sunk his boat to access an inaccessible area beyond a low bridge. Uncle Randy won the tournament. This was at Kerr Lake. What Randy did was considered modifying his boat. It’s been a rule on both tours ever since. Guess the official didn’t know that. Still ALWAYS the angler’s responsibility to know ALL rules.
https://youtu.be/oiPy9xCo_Vg?si=7oNafLz44ulzGUVo

https://youtu.be/cyQnbpUMvkE?si=kfwC8BYbmlIGcZT0

Lots of posts on social media on this. People close to Birge say that the TD specifically asked him if he had a remote plug or would he have to get in the water. If that's true and they DQ'd his catch after he honestly answered that question, then shame on them. If not I guess you just chalk it up to a miscommunication. Let's be honest though. He's on the MLF chit list for speaking his mind. He knows this. He knows they are after him. They are just looking for a way to punish him. That seems obvious.

Why didn't the TD know that rule? If he did, he should have advised Birge that he could not modify his boat in a way to access otherwise inaccessible water. Maybe Birge was looking for full clarification of the rule. Regardless, he asked the TD for permission and was granted permission knowing full well the intentions were getting under that bridge. To change that ruling after the fact is complete chicken s*** and why BPT is and will continue to be a clown show.

Y’all should watch that second link I posted. A wonderful walk back down memory lane.

This one.

https://youtu.be/cyQnbpUMvkE?si=kfwC8BYbmlIGcZT0