B.A.S.S. tournament rules state that we’re allowed a 5-fish limit anywhere we compete — so long as it’s in accordance with state or federal regulations. When a sixth fish is caught, we’re obligated to cull immediately. Not 10 or 20 minutes later … immediately!
You’d think this would be a simple rule to follow, yet, from time to time, someone will lose count of their catch, and that’s when they get into trouble.
The rules also state that if an angler discovers he is in possession of more than the legal limit, he must first attempt to contact the tournament director and report the infraction. Whether that angler is successful in making contact or not, he is then obligated to cull to a legal limit (starting with his smallest fish first). For every fish exceeding the legal limit, a 2-pound penalty is imposed.
Even with such a stiff penalty, it’s surprising how often culling violations occur. And they happen with some of the biggest names in the sport … and at times, the punishment can be very costly.
Lowen’s loss, Brauer’s gain
While competing in the final event of the 2009 Elite Series season, Bill Lowen learned the culling rule the hard way. His punishment was not only self-inflicted; it was unnecessarily excessive.
On Day 2, Bill and I were fishing in close proximity to each other. The fishing was good. We both caught quick limits and were culling steadily throughout the morning.
At some point, however, Bill lost track of his catch. Realizing his mistake and believing the infraction automatically disqualified his limit, he released all of his fish and started to leave. That’s when I flagged him over … to ask why he threw them back.
Bill said he broke the culling rule and that he was headed in to report it to the tournament director. At the time, I wasn’t sure what the penalty was. But I did know he shouldn’t have released all of his fish before checking with an official.
Eventually, Bill learned how costly his mistake had been. All he had to do was cull to his five best fish and suffer a 2-pound penalty — which would have kept his Classic chances alive. Instead, he took a zero for the day.
With his Classic hopes dashed, Bill offered his fishing location to his friend, Denny Brauer. Denny was also trying to qualify for the Classic, and with Bill’s help, he did just that.
Palaniuk’s predicament
Who could forget Brandon Palaniuk’s plight during the 2013 Mississippi River tournament — an event in which he established a commanding lead, only to have it stripped away.
In Brandon’s case, it was more about losing track of his location than the number of fish he had in the livewell. He confused the boundary between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The culling rules in those states are quite different.
On the Minnesota side of the river you’re not allowed to cull … period. Once you have a fifth keeper in the boat, your day is done. Wisconsin, however, allows you to cull throughout the day (as long as the tournament has been properly permitted by the state).
Brandon was catching and culling fish so fast, he lost track of his location — which in that particular part of the river is easy to do.
For inexplicable reasons, the state boundary on Pool 8 doesn’t always follow the centerline of the channel — at least not below the upstream lock and dam. It does for a distance, but then it angles through several midstream islands, and there are no markers to reference.
In the frenzy of catching so many fish, Brandon forgot where he was and inadvertently culled in Minnesota water. Several other Elite pros did the same. When another pro observed the violation, he informed the tournament director and those guilty were penalized. Brandon suffered the biggest loss.
At the time, he was running away with the tournament. Prior to his Day 2 catch being disqualified, he had amassed a 6-pound lead over second place. The penalty would have cost him a trip to the Bassmaster Classic, but Brandon achieved the unthinkable: He bounced back to win the very next event on the St. Lawrence River, thus punching his ticket to the Classic!
Rules like these are challenging. No Elite Series pro consciously breaks the culling rule. When it happens, it’s always due to an oversight.
If the culling rule has cost you a high finish or a qualification to a year-end championship, share your story in our forum below. I’m sure others would love to hear it.