At least it's a start! http://www.bassmaster.com/news/wellman-not-fishing-classic

Now that seems more like it

good start.

The power of the internet.

I feel bad for the guy that finished 2nd in the last Northern Open. If Wellman would have been DQ'd he would be in Shreveport for the Classic.

very true.

That's great! I wish B.A.S.S. would make another "exception" and allow the second place angler in the Northern Open to fish the Classic, rather than just having the spot go away.

This will make the third of nine Open berths into the Classic that is unfilled.

I still say those spots should go back to the Elites.

My hat is off to B.A.S.S. and Mr. Wellman for their mutual decision.

Is that enough?

We can thank Ray Scott for dropping the hammer on Wellman

That spot should go to 2nd place guy. Wellman needs to go away from any tournament fishing forever. He is a cheater. No one can ever trust him again. While it's a step in the right direction, BASS had to be forced into this move. They are trying to cover their arsses.

i agree fouz...it's a good start...but not enough...well wait..there's no co-anglers in the Elites so...i guess he can't buy any fish so i guess it's ok.

The simple fact of the matter is, Wellman would have agreed to any form of polygraph to clear his name if he was innocent. It's not that complicated, Stois had already offered, and if I remember correctly pay for it out of his own pocket.

I think BASS is just doing this to try and save face at this point. It's become a PR nightmare for them.

All BASS has to do is require Nate Wellman to take a polygraph and if not, face the consequence of banning him from BASS tournaments altogether. PAA and FLW would follow suit based on that evidence. If he's telling the truth and just joking (yeah right), he could clear his name. If he's not, he gets banned and get's what he deserves. What's so difficult about this process for BASS and Wellman to understand?

I am all for filling the spots but not from the Elites but by dropping down in the opens or to the Angler of the year in the opens. Those spots are for the open qualifiers not the elite series guys.

PAA already banned him for life. They're the only one of the three trails that enforce their rules without prejudice, 100% of the time.

Tim, I'm not necessarily opposed to your idea, either.

My reason for saying those spots should go back to the Elites is this...they were taken away from the Elites to develop more interest and participation in the Opens.

I don't know if that has happened or not. Obviously, two of the three spots are gone because the anglers who won those Open tournaments jackpotted them, rather than fishing all three.

It seems logical to me that if the spots were taken from the Elites and given to the Opens (which I think is a great idea, btw) that those spots should go back to the Elites if not filled from the Opens, so that we have a full field in the Classic.

Going down in the Opens would accomplish the same thing, though. I agree with you on that.

The Open guys have just as much right to be in the Classic as the Elite guys. I know the Elite is the premier trail but each trail should have its own qualifications for Classic spots. If there is a default for some reason in the Elites or the Opens, that Classic spot should stay within the same trail. It is not fair to the Open guys who are trying to make it to the big show to have their spots going back to the Elite trail. Open guys incur entry fees, and travel expenses just the same.