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| FishTails: November
2000 |
OFF LIMITS LIFTED FOR 2001
In an effort to keep in line with B.A.S.S. operating rules, the West Virginia Bass Federation Board voted against
renewing the "off-limits" rules for the 2001 fishing season. The decision has been met with mixed reviews,
particularly by those who fear fish are being pressured too much heading into a tournament. However, board members
believe it's a futile policy that doesn't create as good a fishing as some had hoped.
"You can't police it." Noted board member Bob Burgess during the Federation's November 5th meeting. "Guys
are always going to talk. You may not have guys on the river, but they're in sporting goods stores asking about
this place or that place
That's all violating the off limits rule."
WVBF President John Burdette adds it makes scheduling a nightmare. "We'd be trying to schedule tournaments
around certain times and couldn't because these guys couldn't fish this water -- or those guys weren't allowed
on that water. It make it hard because we only have so many bodies of water in the state to fish at all."
Burdette also lamented the policing policy. "I get calls that there are 50-boats down on the Kanawha River.
I can't go down there and check everyone of them." The off-limits rule was enacted last year by the Federation
membership in attendance at the meeting. The board has the authority to overrule that-but declined to allow it
to go for a year. Sarge Travis cast the lone dissenting vote in the 7-1 decision to do away with off-limits.
"I'm not for the off-limits, I never have been." Said Travis, "But the body voted it in-I feel the
body should vote it out. That's why I voted for keeping the off-limits in place."
B.A.S.S. rules have negated any off-limits in national tournaments and Burgess says that also played into the decision.
"We've always tailored our rules after the rules set forth by B.A.S.S. B.A.S.S. went to the no off limits-that's
why we needed to do it too." |
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