Bassmaster Elite Culling

Just watched Brock Mosley fishing next to Patrick Walters fishing off-shore, cull a fish. The fish just floated on the surface and couldn't go down, like it had an expanded air bladder. Rather than fizz the dam fish, he says, "sucker won't go down, oh well its still alive thats all that matters", meaning he was still with in the rules of his tournament to cull that fish. I thought these guys were supposed to promote the sport in a positive manner. I'm no tree hugger and I'm also not a pro, and even I know how to fizz a fish. It appeared that fish he culled had no chance at survival with out fizzing and neither pro gave a carp!

Does this really surprise you? Doesn’t surprise me a bit. I didn’t see it, but if it happened word for word like you said it did - I’m not surprised.

Fizzing a fish takes a few minutes and perhaps neither felt it was worth their time away from the tournament to do that.

But having said that all fish floating on the surface due to barotrauma do not necessarily die. Eventually they will recover and swim down and away. That is if they don't go into shock from a very hot sun in pretty hot water, wear themselves out trying to turn over, are run over by a boat, eaten by an eagle, commorant, turtle, gar, flathead or an otter.

I'm sure the young fellers are regretting doing it and will loose a lot of sleep. OR NOT.

Also I am also not a tree hugger. But I do know how to fizz a fish and can easily teach anyone. Even BASS PRO.

"If the gills move at all or you can stick a finger in the throat of the bass and feel it move then throw it back and its in gods hands. Turtles gotta eat too." These are exact words from a Texas Game Warden I asked this question a few years ago.

In this instance if it was a fish he culled form his livewell it should have already been fizzed.... that leads me to believe he likely isnt one of the anglers that actually utilizes proper fish care to begin with.

It is sad but not surprising.

I don't care to see them throw them in the boat and let them flop around.

It’s a fish.

Not a unicorn

That poor sea kitten.

I get that its just a fish, and I also get that a few of you tournament fish and probably would do the same judging by your responses. I just figured guys that are fishing at the highest level would respect the resource a little more, I guessed wrong.

It's no big deal
If it was a high school angler then it would be a big deal

Winner!!!

I saw Jay Yelas using the puncture style cull beam!!!

I am sure he will get a scolding for that .

I filleted about a dozen last year. They were excellent.

Rest in Grease guntersville

You'd hate to hear how many I fillet a year lol

fished Guntersville for years and never caught a fish deep enough to require fizzing nor have I ever heard of anybody fizzing fish on guntersville….maybe a place down near the dam deep enough but it's more likely the fish in this case was just injured from being caught which sometimes happens and fizzing was not needed nor would it have helped.....

They should of been using plastic hooks how dare them

Exactly! PETA gets closer every year.

it ain't PETA it is just respect for the resource! If you can do it take 30 seconds and do it. If you can't learn to do it you have a problem. .

Would it have been better if he would have chopped its body up in pieces and through it back in the lake