It just a fish,seems likebwe forgot that

LOL!

why dont we figure out next how to catch a deer and cut off his antlers and then return him to wild so we dont have to harm him.... lol this is ridiculous, atleast were not eating them and are practicing catch and release willingly...

maybe we should start deer hunting with tasers, long enough to get our pic and then release it and get a replica made...

I don't know how well this will really help conservation, but I applaud their efforts in trying.

This doesn't change the way someone fishes, and in the grand scheme of things, is a very simple rule to ask their anglers to comply with.

They do, it's called a tranquilizer!

This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Sounds like something that animal rights activists have come up with.

Outlaw boat carpet!

I hate big government!

What if they strip the carpet then rhino line the deck ...

Im all for fish care. But really yall are some tree huggers!!! there are so many fish in a lake its not even funny. And frankly if I catch a legal fish im gonna do with it whatever I want to. Penalties for letting fish hit carpet or throwing them to far or hard when u release them? Really yall are crazy and I for sure won't have anything to do with supporting this. I don't let fish hit carpet if I can help it because I like my tournament fish alive. But these rules are just infringement of the rights I have as a fisherman to keep, kill, or allow to flow around on the carpet. Fish care rules are good except when they infringe on my rights as extremely as this does. Yapl guys must live in fish heaven were everything is rainbows and shad just fall into the fishes mouth. Sorry about the rant. but this [censored] annoyes me.

I guess you don't agree with weight penalties for dead fish either then right...since you have "rights"?

When you enter a catch and release fishing tournament,you surrender your "rights" that you would normally have while fishing in said tournament. If keeping and or killing fish is so important to you...don't fish tournaments that have that rule in place...simple.

There is a difference between a dead fish and a fish that touched the freaking carpet or one u didn't cradle back into the water ever so nicely. There are to many variables that go into tournament fishing to justify having such a penalty. What if u drop the fish? What if one jumps out of the live well when u open it. What about measuring the fish. That can remove slime even if it's wet. Can u even hold the fish? That removes slime. iv I got a better idea lets just fish with no hooks and just guess how big the fish are and take each others word. Give me a break. These rules are ridiculous tournament fishing is about making money and competition not about saving every darn bass from losing some slim or from dying. Frankly removing a bass putting him in a box and then driving him around then transferring him to a bag with less water then putting him in a bag with no water smushed with 4 other fish seems mean enough how could u approve that but whine about it touching the carpet or saying u released it to hard....

I have to agree these rules sou d quite rediculous. And i really care alot about fish care. I could see maybe not blatently throwing the fish down but accidents happen. Was there a bunch of guys really neglecting fish or something to invoke this?

Never heard it called "fish abuse" before. Cant remember intentionally harming anything I was not going to eat later but...did I mention I am tired of big government?