What do you guys think of this Rule the Alabama Bass Trail has?


NO dead fish will be weighed. If you do have a dead fish, you must still bring to the weigh in for proper, sanitary disposal. Culling a dead fish is prohibited and will result in disqualification. As an example, if you have five fish in your boat and one of the five is dead, only the four live fish will be weighed.

Me I think they opening the doors for a lot of Teams to throw back dead/dying fish so they can weigh in 5,, Where most of the same guys would take a Penalty of weigh and be done with it.. Now don't get me wrong I am all for trying your BEST to keep the fish alive but sometimes you just cant help it if one swallows a hook too deep or whatever reason,, Whats your thoughts???????

hmmm I kind of agree with you a lot of guys will throw it back

I don't know someone who wouldn't throw it back... They should just do a penalty...

Yup. No way to effectively enforce it. Some will follow the honor code no matter what. However, when the penalty is that severe and there's little risk of getting caught, most are going to toss that dead one back.

It makes the post-release mortality at the boat ramp look better, but it's just covering it up.

I am sure it will be a polygraph question. So throwing one back could cost you in the long run. And there will be a lot fish that are struggling threw back. Wonder what the reasoning is behind this stupid rule?

If someone is going to cheat by culling a dead fish then they will do it whether there is a partial penalty or a whole fish penalty. I like to think the vast majority of tournament guys wouldn't. And of the ones that might cheat without moral dilemma may be dissuaded by the possibility of a polygraph. Then there are a few who are going to cheat on that and any other rule they can get away with.

I like the rule myself.

AnglerNate, I hope you know someone who has the moral character to not knowingly cheat in a tournament. If not, you need to get some new friends bud!

I weighed in a dead fish a couple years ago in a tourney on Fork. Me & my partner caught the fish early that morning and threw it in the livewell. It must've died almost instantly because when I went to look at them two hours later he was dead. It is illegal to throw a dead fish back into the lake.

I knew this and also knew I would be given a polygraph if I finished high enough.

I suppose if you can lie well enough while hooked up to a polygraph machine, go ahead...

I'm really surprised that so many people would be dishonest or think that others wouldn't follow the rules.

I, for one, would follow the rule. It's in accordance with state laws anyway (don't think you're allowed to throw back dead game fish) and the trail just goes a step further in stating it.

For those who are less honest, a 20% random polygraph of the top ten finishers might keep them that way.

It is a stupid rule and should not be supported.....if no one fishes their events....they will change it.

I think this rule is going to Open the doors to ALOT of mess,, sooner or later another Team will see the Winning Team throw back a dead fish , and then end up Winning the event.

I understand a lot of the Money winners will get the polygraph questions, but only way to make it Fare would be give every Team one,, Since its a Points system and Top 50 make it to Championship. I just see it Opening a Big Can of Worms

Those same people could cull a dead one today and avoid a penalty altogether, no? Why would someone draw the line about cheating somewhere between the two degrees of penalty?

personally I just think you either cheat or you don't, the guys who would cheat under the no dead fish weighed rule are the same ones who would cheat to avoit a half pound penalty, but maybe I am na�ve.

It's not a stupid rule because people will cheat....it is a stupid rule because occassionally fish die. Deep hooked, tongue hooked, weak/sick fish to begin with, etc..etc..etc..

If they want to promote fish care to prevent mortality rate, then DQ anyone with 3 or more dead fish. I have fished 100's of tournaments and have never had more than 2 fish die (and that was only one event) due to being deep hooked. I have had many die from being tongue hooked.

If someone has 3 or more, then they probably have livewell issues or just did not properly care for their fish. DQ them. But to not take the weight of one dead fish in a tournament is NOT going to help anything. The penalty is a good rule.

Couldn't agree with you more.

Valid point Jeff.

The only reason I like the rule is because I get sick of seeing the same guy come in with a dead fish or two at EVERY tournament.

you are right, it happens to everyone from time to time. but the half pound doesn't seem to matter enough to some people to take care of their catch or fix their equipment.

maybe that's more of a problem on the club scene than anywhere else.

I was fishing along Texoma one day around a campground. I set the hook on a fish. It came up right after the hookset and laid over dead.

The hook impaled the 12" bass through the mouth and into it's brain. Dead before it got to the boat.

If I was in a tourney what would I do...legally? and ethically?

(Side note...some kid saw me try to release it....yes...I was hoping it was just stunned. The kid yells "Hey you gonna let that go?" I said YES. He said "I'll take it!" I troll over to him and hand him the fish thinking good now this kid will take and fry him up! The kid then yells to his brother "Hey, let's cut this up and use it for bait!" I trolled away quickly!)