Record Striper Rejected By Igfa, Angler Loses Out On $1 Million -

[Phil Lilley]

After an agonizing two-month wait, angler Rodney Ply finally learned that his fish is not worth a million dollars.

Ply’s rollercoaster fish ride began … well, two months ago when he pulled a freshwater striped bass that weighed more than 68 pounds from Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas on Feb. 18. Ply’s fish was so large that it not only shattered the state record by more than four pounds, it also qualified for a $100,000 prize. Ply had entered Mustad Hook's "Hook-a-Million" contest where state record fish qualified for a $100,000 winning, and $1 million for world record fish. Ply tried to have his fish weighed on a certified scale and verified by an official game and fish commission witness but his every attempt was met with rejection and or excuses (read the full story about Ply's record striper). Failure to have the fish weighed and witnessed meant no state record and no shot at 100K. Read More click link below-

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/gone-fishin%E2%80%99/2012/08/record-striper-rejected-igfa-angler-loses-out-1-million

[Jerry Rapp]

please keep us posted Lilley as the law suits continue. There has to be more to the story. Somethings just didn't make sense in the article.

[oneshot]

please keep us posted Lilley as the law suits continue. There has to be more to the story. Somethings just didn't make sense in the article.

Sounds to like someone don't want to let lose of some money.

You know if I was to win this money with less of a fish than this there is no way I would keep it.But that's just me.

oneshot

[dennis boatman]

...or he did not follow the rules to the T...

[Feathers and Fins]

Rejected by IGFA also as a world record A-rig is not a lure IGFA will acknowledge.

[gotmuddy]

I wonder why he couldnt find any certified scales?

[Fishin Hodge]

The whole deal was a mess from what I understand and the situation completely botched by the AGFC. Given the situation and the size of the fish, I believe the AGFC should have done everything possible to get a certified scale to the fish, or at least know the location of the certified scales capable of weighing this fish.

The fish was loaded up and drove all over the place while Ply, the guy that fished with him, and a warden from what I understand drove around and looked for a scale large enough to weigh a 60+ pound fish. Apparently a lot of them do not have that capacity of weight or size. The fish was said to have weighed 68 pounds on an uncertified scale on the Peel Boat Dock. It was said the scale was verified by the boat dock owner after the fact and it was weighing accurate. The three people who were said to have verified 68 pounds on this scale were Ply, Whited, and the Peel boat dock owner. Are they lying?

The fish undoubtably regurgitated some shad, but loosing 10 pounds over the matter of a few hours is a bit of a stretch to me, but that is what was said to have happened.

It is my opinion the fish should not get the record. You have to go on the weight the fish registered with a certified scale with the appropriate officials present. It is also my opinion the AGFC botched this and should have done a much better job getting a possible world record weighed.

There are some questions surrounding some previous Arkansas state records, the scales on which they were weighed, and the people that must be present to verify the weight. It really brings a lot of question to some past records to me and the blame squarely falls on the AGFC. They like us to follow the rules, but all to often don't follow the rules themselves.

[laker67]

This is what I know about IGFA, they will allow you to have the scales certified but you have to pay for it. You have 60 days to do this. It sounds as if it was disqualified by the use of the A rig, before the scales became an issue.

[taxidermist]

No way did the fish puke 10 lbsof shad! Ever big striper that comes in gets its stomach contents looked at. the largest one this year 56lbs (so far) had three rainbow trout in it. All three in different stages of digestion. One rainbow pretty well fills the fishes stomach and the other two were further down in the dig tract. Yes this fish came from the Jimmie Creek area.

[kwall]

all about the money folks!