Question on dead fish rule

Let’s say you’re fishing a 3-fish tournament and unfortunately during the course of the day one of your limit dies. If possession limit is 5 just legally speaking, what’s the thoughts on “culling” the dead fish? Before anyone gets excited, no not culling in the sense of throwing it back, obviously you still keep the fish that has died,, but would you consider it ok to catch that 4th fish so you weigh in 3 live ones? What if the “4th” fish was larger and would have culled the dead one had it still been alive?

Not at all trying to start a s**t storm, or launch any tirades about how fish shouldn’t die, fact if the matter is unfortunately it can happen. Just legitimately wondering what the opinions on this are as I’ve personally never really heard it addressed. My take is if I killed the fish then I’d take the hit and count that as part of the bag. But I could also see both sides of the argument. Thoughts from those more experienced or who have maybe seen this addressed before?

That would be called cheating...

This

For the sake of the tournament you'd still be culling a dead fish whether you're throwing it back to your livewell or back to the lake, so I don't think this would be on the up in most tournaments.

Depends on the tournament possession rules. I have fished a 2 man team tournament where the rule was 5 fish weigh in but possession rule was Sate Law i.e. up to 10 fish. Dead fish were not weighed.

Well Honestly if rules do not mention a possession limit of 3. technically there is nothing to stop you. ethically it would be wrong.

I would think the rules in most cases would handle this.

Wouldn't do it bro. Same thing happened to me on Fork once and we took the hit. We had a good chance of winning the event but a fish I hooked in the tongue died in the box. So we took the half pound penalty.

It would depend on the language in the rules of the tournament. What you have described would be perfectly legal as far as the state is concerned in most cases, but it would almost certainly be frowned upon if not considered cheating by the tournament officials even if it's not explicitly described in the rules.

In the tournaments I host, that would be considered possessing more than the allowed bag limit and would result in a 1.0 pound penalty and culling the largest fish of the bag out, based on the language in my rules.

Interesting line of discussion though.

In Fishers of Men team
Tournaments you can have a dead fish that is not part of your limit.

Who cares what the possession limit is. It doesn't matter in this case. The fact that you are culling a dead fish one be cheating. I have never heard of a tournament trail allowing you to cull a dead fish. I just don't see how possession limits have anything to do with this scenario.

I thought it was State Law that you can't cull a dead fish... I get the limit thing but once you put it in your livewell that is possession..

Depends on the tourney rules. Theres a jackpot once and and one team would always bring in huge limits, well they were using live bait, there was no written rule against it.

I think the deal here is you are intentionally gaining an unfair advantage by culling the dead one with the live one. End of story

If it's a 3 fish tournament you shouldn't have more than 3 in the boat

He is not really culling a dead fish, he is keeping it, so he is legal in the state of Texas. Cannot poses more then 5 for 1 person. But the only question is what does the tournament rules allow. Obviously most of us would think 3 fish limit means u can only have 3 in the boat at anytime.

I would check that individual tournament's rules. If it's a working man's event they may not have a set of written rules. I still think the OP did the right thing by releasing the fish he felt was questionable.

In most events I've fished, the rules state, "Teams may keep no more than 5 bass total in the boat/live well at any time during the tournament hours"

Bass Champs: "The limit will be FIVE (5) Bass per team. Any Contestant who possesses more than the tournament limit at any time will have their catch for that day disqualified"

Pretty clear to me.

HANGEM HIGH I SAY!!!!

In our tournament, it would be against the rules.

Culling:
5 Fish Tournament - No team may have more than five fish in their possession at any time during official tournament hours, except during the culling process whereas six fish are allowed. While one team member is culling the other team member may fish, however both anglers cannot resume fishing until culling has been completed and team possesses only five fish.
3 Fish Tournament - No team may have more than three fish in their possession at any time during official tournament hours, except during the culling process whereas four fish are allowed. While one team member is culling the other team member may fish, however both anglers cannot resume fishing until culling has been completed and team possesses only three fish.

What if I filet that fish that's dying, put it in the cooler, then catch my third? Are the filets still counted as a fish?

Depends on the tournament. I have know some tournaments that allowed possession greater than the amount allowed for weigh-in. In that case, you could do it - no problem. Put in on ice and eat the dead one later.

Appreciate the thoughts, I’m with all of you on 3 fish being a 3 fish total limit. I’ve been in the situation before as well and did what everyone else has done and bit the bullet and counted the dead fish as part of my bag. Was just thinking about it on a drive home the other day, if the dead fish would have been culled had it been alive, is that necessarily a bad thing or cheating if you’re within your legal state possession limit?

Random thoughts of a bored fisherman on a long drive home from the lake and figured I’d see what everyone else thought lol

This question should be for the TD that you are fishing with, all opinions here are mute because the final say is with the TD. Most clubs strictly prohibit the culling of dead fish. Personally I would take the hit and live with it. This is not a rant it is your responsibility to read and understand the rules for every club or tourney that you fish.

I'm not sure I understand; are you asking about culling a clearly doomed, but still technically alive, fish before you get stuck with it when it dies?

If the TD counts any form of faint movement as "alive" at the weigh-in table then that should be the same standard when deciding if it's permissible to cull it on the water, in my opinion.

This brings up another question......if you stick a fish in the toungue or its profusely bleeding all over your boat and you know the fish will die, at what point is it still cool to release it? Are you allowed to cull it while its taking its last few breaths?

I dont fish tournaments, I just need to know.....

I'm checking your boat at the next tournament you fish with us! If I find a baggie, filet knife, cutting board or even blood on your carpet, you're DQ'd!

In our club deal you can keep the dead fish and not weigh it. We do a 5 fish team limit and the a 3 fish individual for AOY standings. So during the tournament one guy might have 5 fish or 5 bigger fish than the other guy. One might die and the partner catches something that could take its place in the bag. It just depends on how the tournament goes. Just depends on the rules.

I dont think dead fish should he allowed to be weighed in at all. Just my own opinion and I have had a fish or two die on me in tournaments.

I had to weigh in a dead fish once and didn't like it worth a dam but rules are rules. I don't like Maxine Waters either but laws are laws. Don't know if it's proper or legal but would like to see some changes in that rule.

I think it is a state law as well. It can't depend on the tournament rules, unless you state the tournament rules trump TPWD regulations. Most tournament rules have the catch all statement "Must abide by state game laws", etc... That right there means no dead fish culling, being a TPWD rule.

I know you guys are probably joking but it is a law that you cannot fillet a fish in the boat while out on the lake.

Nobody commented on this guys question so here is another.

What if you're fishing a 5 fish tournament and you have 3 in the box, you catch your fourth, it's decent sized, bleeding like heck but still very alive, you decide to make a judgement call and toss him back for fear that it may die in your live well later costing you a dead fish. Acceptable?

I wish I could remember which Bassmasters tournament I watched online where I saw a pro catch a fish and immediately throw it back b/c he stuck it in the tongue. Makes me think that is totally legal.

I remember seeing that too, I think it was Zaldain who did it.

Acceptable in my opinion.

I've seen Ike release one of his larger fish (at the time) that he was afraid would die and he wouldn't be able to cull later.

It is 100% acceptable.

Once a fish dies in my livewell, its my obligation to weigh that fish and accept the penalty.

Agreed

.....afraid he will die & WILL DIE are 2 different things .....
I say release the fish while it is still alive and give it a fighting chance to swim off and recover ...... if it doesn't then it just becomes part of nature's food chain ..... turtle food

If a tournament rule states no culling of dead fish, then you are stuck with it for weigh-in. That fish can not be culled in anyway shape or form once it dies. No explanation or argument would be accepted by me if I'm the TD.
How you handle that situation, prior to the fish dying in your live well is your decision. If it isn't dead, then it can be culled, but one must be careful to understand the moral as well as sportsmanship aspects of the rules too.