You make the call!

[United_Bass_._Com]

Last year during a trny a man was weighing his fish. He was asked to get the fish he wanted to be weighed for big fish. He placed the fish on the scales and it weighed #3.04. It put him at the top for big fish. He only had two fish and the total weight was #6.14. Another fisherman weighs a fish that beats his weight. So he goes to the director and says since my two fish combined was 6.14 and the fish i weighed was 3.04 that would make my other fish 3.10 and would make my fish bigger that his 3.07. He had done released his fish. They said thats right and gave him the big fish pot. The other fisherman was very upset and didnt fish any more of those trnys.


My questions are:1)Was this the right call by the director 2)How does the clubs you guys fish do it 3)Does anyone know how BASS or FLW do it.

I didn't fish this trny but was told by the guy that lost the big fish pot. I myself thing it was handled wrong. They asked which fish do you want weighed and the other guy picked that particular fish. He should have to keep the fish he weighed.

[macgyver]

I don't fish tournament, but he should have said both fish, if they were that close. He did catch the biggest fish, which is the whole point, regardless of his mistake, so I think he should have gotten it. Just my opinion though.

Lizards

[Jim_Symcox]

I have to disagree with lizards. While the math does add up, he was asked which fish to weigh for the big fish end of the competition. If the guy had them weigh the wrong fish, he's a dumb !@# for not making sure he had his fish straight. If the guy had made that call WHEN his fish were being weighed I could see it. But to have the leading weight posted, then change it after the fact I don't think is right. I don't know how other tournaments do it, but that makes the most sense to me.

[mike0062466]

That's really a tough call. A case could be made for either guy. It reminds me of my youth, when my life revolved around gambling of various types, but mostly poker.

In some games, after all cards were dealt and the betting was over, each player was held to the hand that he called. That is, if he called a pair of aces, but had a flush that he didn't see, he was stuck with the pair because that's what he called.

In other games, it was the rule that "cards talk", regardless of what a player called. To me that's a far better way to determine a winner.

I can certainly understand the anger of the guy with the 3.07 who thought he had won, but on the other hand, I think he was being a little petty, knowing that he did not have the biggest fish. You didn't say how much money was in the pot.

[BassNva]

the guy picked which fish to weigh...it's a shame he picked the wrong one.he could have asked for a courtesy weigh on both fish.
the weight on the scale for the chosen fish is what counts here.it sucks sometimes,but it's the anglers responsibility to hang onto his fish should there be a discrepency.
the TD made a bad call.i would have contested it.

[james33]

I'm with you Tom. I know every tourney I fished that I knew for darn sure which fish was the biggest in the livewell.

[Big_Drew]

There is a difference of .06 lbs. I seriously doubt anyone could see an actuall size difference unless one was actually an inch or so shorter but fatter. I recall watching weigh'ins on Bassmasters and was at a weigh in at an FLW tournament on okeechobee. There and on the show guys had two fish nearly identical...the T.D. told them to pick thier fish, and that was the one that counted. Have even seen Ray Scott have a guy weigh his other big fish and it was an ounce bigger but the guy had to stick with the one he chose. Red man I think ran the same way. The guy with 3.07 should have gotten Big Bass by the rules of the tournament. The one was suspected of being 3.10 but wasn't officialy weighed so the T.D. really screwed up.

[gammarama]

The Guy should have weighed both fish. Its his own fault that he didn't. The man that PUTS the biggest fish on the scales wins. That tournament director would have been run out of town here!! Or worse, somebody would have opened up a can of Whoop A$$ on him.

[fredhatch]

Bad decision on both. I agree, the scales are the deciding factor cut and dry. He should of weighed them before he put it up. 8)

[catfishtonyd]

Yep. He should have weighed both fish. The tournament director should have stuck to his guns. YOU picked the fish. Too bad.

[bearpaw]

In my club there is a tournament director and a weigh master. If the smaller fish is put on the scales, then he is advised to weigh each fish to make a determination.
It's the fault of everyone involved.
However, the tournament director isn't the main one to take all of the blame. This guy should have weighed both fish separately to determine the largest of the two.

Thats unless he was able to weigh in only one.
The bottum line, is that he weighed in the wrong fish, tough luck.
Thats just "my" opinion of the situation.

[eyes]

Technically, it's the fisherman's responsibility to present one of his fish to be weighed for lunker. You are not allowed by official tournament rules to weigh more than one fish for lunker. So, in this case the director overstepped his boundary, and definately made the wrong call. That other angler with the 3.07 lunker had every right to be upset, and rightfully should have won lunker in this tournament.

[bassbum]

I think that if he entered the 3.04 as the big fish, then that is the one that should have been used to determine who's fish was biggest, if his other fish was not enter it should not have been used to win.

Sandra

[gammarama]

You are so right, Sandra.
Who's official tournament rules, DSTu22? I have fished every type tournament there is and I have never heard of a rule that says you can only weigh one fish for the big fish pot.. If they are close, weigh them both. If you don't, you are just S.O.L. !

[catfishtonyd]

Yes you can't enter but one fish for big fish. There can't be but one big fish. (Duhhhh) Don't mean you can't put two on the scales to find out which of the two is the biggest. If you don't think the T/D will let you use the official scales, you better have a set of your own. Which you should have in your boat anyway if you're a tournament fisherman. If you're counting on guessing to cull fish, I want to fish against you. One less guy I have to worry about beating.

[bassmania25]

to me the call is the same as weighing a short fish by mistake, you should know better before you get to the scales which one you are going to weigh as big fish, when i cull my fish, I always put the biggest fish in with the smallest fish in one side of the livewell. there will not be a mistake on my part ever. If you chose the wrong fish let this be a learning experience for you, and if you ever do it again .......... well lets hope it wont happen again or something is seriously wrong. Scott R

[bearpaw]

Spoke with my clubs tournament director yest. ref. this subject. He stated the same as I did. The guy should have weighed in both fish to make a determination of which was the largest.
He didn't so, tough luck. It's his own fault, period.
Better luck next time, learn from this experience.

Bassnman30
Lexington, NC