Palaniuk Dq'd In Elite Event

[Quillback]

We had a recent thread on tourney cheating, Palaniuk did not knowingly cheat, but he did break the rules and got DQ'd. He would have been leading after 2 days with a 6 lb. margin.

LA CROSSE, Wis. — The Day Two weight of Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, has been disqualified in the Bassmaster Elite Series event on the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, Wis.

Palaniuk had been the leader for the first two days of the event.

Friday evening after the day’s results had been published, an official, written protest presented to B.A.S.S. officials stated that Palaniuk may have been culling in Minnesota waters. Minnesota law prohibits culling from a limit of bass in state waters, or any culling in Wisconsin-Minnesota border waters.

The fishery for the event includes Pools 7, 8 and 9 of the Mississippi River, including all rivers, creeks and canals connecting to the Mississippi River.

“We discussed the protest with Brandon Palaniuk, and we determined that he did in fact cull from a five-fish limit while he was in Minnesota,” said Chris Bowes, B.A.S.S. senior tournament manager. “We recognize that he did not realize he was in Minnesota waters, and his error was completely inadvertent. In dealing with a river system like the Mississippi and its numerous channels, it’s easy to become confused about the state lines on the water.”

Bowes added, “When his mistake was pointed out to Brandon, and he was referred to a map, he acknowledged that he must have culled in Minnesota, but was not aware of it at the time.”

The penalty imposed was loss of his Day Two weight.

With Palaniuk’s second-day weight of 19 pounds, 3 ounces disqualified, he fell out of the Top 50 cut. Bill Lowen, formerly in 51st place, moved up into 50th place, and will advance to Day Three.

Aaron Martens, in second place after Friday’s weigh-in, was declared the leader of the event with 31 pounds, 7 ounces.

Palaniuk gave this statement: “I had no idea today that I ever broke a rule. I signed off on the rule sheet. One hundred percent in my mind, I believed that south of the I-90 bridge, the main river channel was the state boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin, until we went south of the take-off and went into the West Channel. I knew one of my areas was in Minnesota and I could not go back to that when I caught five.

“I made one cull today — just one — in Minnesota, in an area that I believed was in Wisconsin. It was only in Minnesota waters by less than 100 yards. I had 18 1/2 pounds before I made that one cull that just cost me, possibly, $100 grand and a Classic berth,” Palaniuk said.

[dtrs5kprs]

Used to fish the big river, club and IA Fed stuff. It's a strange place, made stranger by yankee DNR's who seem to delight in promulgating rules that are hard to interpret and apply. The IA/IL stretches were much simpler than the pools involving MN and WI, even then rules were different than the rules for lakes.

[Pepe]

I hope whoever filed the protest feels like a hero today. I wonder if it was Martens?

[dtrs5kprs]

I hope whoever filed the protest feels like a hero today. I wonder if it was Martens?

Could it have been an observer?

It's an odd rule, but it would have been kind of a big advantage if others were following it correctly.

[Bill Babler]

I think I remember of two or three other DQ's for boating law violations that were turned in by observers. Mostly I believe busting NO WAKE bouys.

I believe Missouri has a no cull rule from June thru September also. Don't have time to look it up, but someone may know.

Kind of like Golf, there is a lot to watch out for and not really know because some of this stuff is grayer than slate. I wonder if this was specificily mentioned in the pre tournament meeting. It really should have been and I hope it was.

[dtrs5kprs]

I think I remember of two or three other DQ's for boating law violations that were turned in by observers. Mostly I believe busting NO WAKE bouys.

I believe Missouri has a no cull rule from June thru September also. Don't have time to look it up, but someone may know.

Kind of like Golf, there is a lot to watch out for and not really know because some of this stuff is grayer than slate. I wonder if this was specificily mentioned in the pre tournament meeting. It really should have been and I hope it was.

Swindle got the DQ once for the no wake deal, but I believe he did it on camera and in front of God and everyone. Has been several years.

This is what I found on the MO rule, but not sure if it is current or accurate. As explained it sounds like a good idea, until it gets into the business of a fish you have already released counting towards your bag, as part of your 5 fish limit.

http://www.mobass.com/content.php?145-Missouri-No-Cull-Rule

[Bill Babler]

There was another guy also, it was perhaps 10 years ago on the No Wake deal. On the no cull rule for Missouri from June thru September here is what it is suspose to be. You can catch and release any bass prior to and including putting fish in your livewell. Once you have 5 keeper size fish in your livewell you may replace one of those with a 6th. fish culling a single fish. I know this is stupid, but its how it is. After your single cull, you cannot add another fish to the livewell, as you have caught and kept your daily limit, which includes the culled 6th. fish.

That is for a tournament. If you are just fishing you may keep 6 fish and not cull from your livewell at any time. Once you put a fish in, it counts toward your limit for the day, regardless This is June thru September and that is how the law is viewed by a retired MDC agent.

[Bill Babler]

The entire point of this is to cut stress and mortality. On Summer derbies I believe it should be 3 fish max. and a complete no cull rule. You have to be selective with the fish you put in the well. This is how all Trout tournaments are. You select the 3 fish you wish to measure for the day. You catch a bigger fish after you have measured and accepted one and its tough luck. Cuts way, way down on mortality. I believe the trout guys have it right.

[denjac]

Had a tournament boat pull in on me yesterday around 11 am. He was very frantic asking me if I had any livewell treatments in my boat. He was losing them. Told him to go over to Indian point and get some ice but believe it was too late for that.

[Feathers and Fins]

Breaking a rule is Breaking a rule, does not matter who turned who in for it if it happened. If the tournament directors were smart they would all get together ( Bass, FLW, PWT, Crappie Masters etc ) and go to each states DNR commission with a set of unified rules and ask they allow them for "catch and release" tournaments and any state that says not then no tournament in that state. With the Millions of dollars generated from the pro-tournaments states would be foolish to not listen and work with the Tournaments. It would make it one set of rules for anglers to know in all states.