DQ at PWT????

[walleyes133]

Did somebody get DQ'd in a no-wake zone yesterday?? I might have heard a rumor on this. Does anyone know who it was?

[gonfishn95]

Read it in the article on walleye centrals home page.

[Question]

If the pro is DQ'd, does the amature still retain his weight for that day? And will the pro continue to fish with his next two am's even though he has been DQ'd?

[Juls_OH]

That's a good question....:popcorn:

I wonder what happens to his ams since they DQ'd him for the entire event?

Juls

[gonfishn95]

GOOD QUESTION.I would think since co's have no control over boat they should be able to retain weight, not his or her fault. check the leader board.

[soooo]

Jeff Teague has weight on the live leaderboard.

[G. Gray]

The Co is still fishing today, the reason I know, is he is fishing with Gregg Ehli, who stopped by last night.

Hope this helps,

Gary Gray

[Question]

I can understand the co he fished with yesterday still fishing today, with a new pro, but what about the co's the DQ'd pro was scheduled to fish with today and tomorrow? Are they still able to fish and will it be with the pro that was DQ'd?

[maybe another]

Is Lafontaines boat "officially" rated for that big tiller motor? Or is it rated for a wheel and remodeled into a tiller boat? I wonder what the warden would say about that.

Inquiring mind

[rating]

I think it's rated for that. It looks to me like it's a Lund 2025 and the motor is a 150hp Opti (from the picture). I think Harsh ran/runs a 175 on his boat with the steer assist.

[schmidtwi]

Jon's boat is a 2004 Lund ProV 2025 SE, rated for 250HP (console). He took out the console and installed a 200 OptiMax with Merten's Power Tiller Steering. The PWT wasn't going to let him use the 200, but he may have negotiated.

Go Jon! If anyone's interested, he is a guide. Reel Hooked Guide Service.

[G. Gray]

Yes, today, Bruce (Doc) Samson, got DQ'ed for to fast in a no wake zone. Same aas Tage, yesterday.

Hope this clears the air.

Gary

[sooo]

Doesn't clear up anything. If he was DQed why does he still have his weight?

[sooo]

Doesn't clear up anything. If he was DQed why does he still have his weight?

[Juls_OH]

It only shows he still has weight on our site. The PWT leaderboard removed Taege altoghter and put Doc Sampson at a double zero.

The person doing our data entry on the leaderboard probably isn't aware of the DQ's. And, before you start yelling at him, know that he is having some serious health issues, and is doing the best he can to help us out.

Scott has a post on the General Discussion page looking for someone to do the data entry, but hasn't found anyone else to take over yet.

Juls

[Juls_OH]

It only shows he still has weight on our site. The PWT leaderboard removed Taege altoghter and put Doc Sampson at a double zero.

The person doing our data entry on the leaderboard probably isn't aware of the DQ's. And, before you start yelling at him, know that he is having some serious health issues, and is doing the best he can to help us out.

Scott has a post on the General Discussion page looking for someone to do the data entry, but hasn't found anyone else to take over yet.

Juls

[yesdq]

Doc Samson and Jeff Taege have been DQ'd for "inadvertently" violating the no wake laws/rules. They will both be returning to the next PWT event. Tough break.

[yesdq]

Doc Samson and Jeff Taege have been DQ'd for "inadvertently" violating the no wake laws/rules. They will both be returning to the next PWT event. Tough break.

[sooo... okay]

Not yelling at anyone I am sure it is a thankless job. As of yesterday the PWT leaderboard still had him with some weight.

Not trying to be ornery, just wondering.

[sooo... okay]

Not yelling at anyone I am sure it is a thankless job. As of yesterday the PWT leaderboard still had him with some weight.

Not trying to be ornery, just wondering.

[Fish_on]

I see they were DQed for the entire tournament. Seems pretty harsh to DQ someone from an entire tournament for violating a no-wake rule. Is that standard procedure for the PWT? Did they get ticketed or was this a PWT decision?

[Fish_on]

I see they were DQed for the entire tournament. Seems pretty harsh to DQ someone from an entire tournament for violating a no-wake rule. Is that standard procedure for the PWT? Did they get ticketed or was this a PWT decision?

[Kid]

This rule of DQing pros if they run past a no wake zone was set up for others safety, and courtesy. These parts of the river are not tremedously wide and there is no reason for guys to be shooting threw there at 60mph and disrespecting the locals and anyone else that is fishing in the area. In the rules meeting, it was made quite clear that none of this will be tolerated and if this rule was broken then the pro would be disqualified. Rules are rules, they must be followed. I know that the call that the PWT made was the right one.

[Kid]

This rule of DQing pros if they run past a no wake zone was set up for others safety, and courtesy. These parts of the river are not tremedously wide and there is no reason for guys to be shooting threw there at 60mph and disrespecting the locals and anyone else that is fishing in the area. In the rules meeting, it was made quite clear that none of this will be tolerated and if this rule was broken then the pro would be disqualified. Rules are rules, they must be followed. I know that the call that the PWT made was the right one.

[Juls_OH]

This was copy/pasted from Troy's article on the Homepage after day one:
"The anglers have been warned extensively about the slow no wake areas all week and were also told that if there were any reports of anglers breaking the violation, that angler would be DQ'ed from the entire event and not just that day."

They knew what would happen, and should have been more aware of where all the "no-wake" areas are.
Knowing these two, I know they didn't do it on purpose.

Juls

[Juls_OH]

This was copy/pasted from Troy's article on the Homepage after day one:
"The anglers have been warned extensively about the slow no wake areas all week and were also told that if there were any reports of anglers breaking the violation, that angler would be DQ'ed from the entire event and not just that day."

They knew what would happen, and should have been more aware of where all the "no-wake" areas are.
Knowing these two, I know they didn't do it on purpose.

Juls

[Juls_OH]

Sorry, I should have said, "before ANYONE starts yelling at him". I didn't mean this directed at only you. ;)

Juls

[Juls_OH]

Sorry, I should have said, "before ANYONE starts yelling at him". I didn't mean this directed at only you. ;)

Juls

[rules for a reason]

If any of you pay attention to the BASS Elite series you will note that Kevin Van Dam, Randy Howell and Brent Chapman (sp on all) were DQ'ed for rules violations at the last event and send home - Howell's DQ was even after the fact and he returned his winnings and received "0" points for the event.

I don't think this is too harsh - everyone was made aware of the rules and it's not fair to the other 118 competitiors that are following the rules to only slap the violators on the wrist.

For the first time in a long time I applaud the PWT for taking a stand and enforcing rules that they have set forth! I can only hope that they will continue with this new-found leadership style and enforce each and every rule they have with consitency throughout the year.

CONGRATULATIONS PWT ON A JOB WELL DONE!!!

[Fish_on]

I understand all that, but nobody really answered my question.

Perhaps I did not make it clear.
1) Is this a State no-wake area, or is it designated such by the PWT?
2) If it is a state no-wake area, was the no-wake violation reported by an officer (were they ticketed?) or just by a PWT contestant, or observed by a PWT official.
3) Did Doc and Jeff break a state law or a PWT rule?

I have seen nothing that says they blew through the no-wake or ignored it, as a post above suggested.

Once again, unless there was a blatant disregard for the rule (ignoring it) or if they were ticketed for breaking a state law, I think it might be a little harsh when possibly being DQed for a day might be more appropriate. That's just my opinion and you are free to disagree. I hope you can see that I am not really second-guessing the PWT officials because I don't have enough info.

[boatman]

So who do the AM's fish with?? Is'nt the field made up of equal number of partners??At least it was when I fished it,or are there alternates available?? Seems it would be 2 people short for the AM's to fish with.

[Juls_OH]

I agree it's not to harsh since everyone knew the rules set forth for this event.

In KVD's, Jones, and Howell's cases, they didn't know the rules...so they said. ;)

Juls

[grtscotteye]

This was both State/County and a P.W.T.Set No Wake Rule. All anglers were told at least twice before the start what was expected.To slow the NEGITIVE TROLLERS here on Jon Lafontaine's boat it is approved by Charlie Moore and J.K.of the P.W.T. They have a 135 H.P.on it. If you need more info on this boat Message me. "Let them speak softly and carry a "big fish" stick.

[Marv Sandbek]

Great post on the "Tiller Power" observation! And, I believe it brings back a great question: "What do the manufacturer's and NMMA certify as MAXIMUM HORSPEPOWER for each SPECIFIC model?"

In the case of "Mr. Tiller", Pete Harsh . . .you are talking about a guy that RE-DEFINED high-horsepower tiller boats! He's labeled "Mr. Tiller" for a reason folks . . .he designed, built and worked on the certification teams that forever changed tiller fishing! In my humble opinion, Pete deserves honors in the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport!

The Mertens System is revolutionary! And, the combination of design, configuration and power makes it possible for those of us who "fish backwards" to also take advantage of console-boat speed on the water! What will emerge next for the tiller community is anyone's guess!

But, now the question at hand! Last year, I noticed that another veteran walleye "Pro" was running a 2025 with the steering column removed and a 150 Opti, tiller-handle, installed. I looked the boat over pretty close, and never did locate the NMMA Certification label that certified the "re-configuration" for a MAXIMUM horsepower designation!!!!! So, what does that all mean?? Is the manufacturer aware of the configuration change? Did they authorize it if they did know about it? Did they advise against it? Did they disavow ANY and ALL culpability and liability associated with the reconfiguration? What took place?

Next set of considerations?!?! Did the NMMA know of the configuration change? Was appropriate testing and certification completed by the association and the manufacturer? If not, who is legally responsible for the operation and continued use of the watercraft in its modified state? Would that be the responsibility of the "Pro" angler, or would it be the responsibility of the organization sponsoring the event in which the reconfigured boat is utilized? Hmmmmmm . . .interesting, isn't it?

And so . . regarding the LaFontaine boat at Winniconne . . . has anyone checked the NMMA Certification lable for MAXIMUM horsepower allowed for this reconfiguration??? Could this boat be a "Prototype?" I am thinking that "Prototypes" are for manufacturer testing ONLY in a controlled test environment! Again . . .very interesting!?! Yes???

Finally, what "arrangements" may or may not be made with the officials at the PWT are entirely speculation at this point! Until the PWT officialy states their position on the LaFontaine boat, or similarly reconfigured boats, and the inclusion into the competitive field, we can only wonder about the details of the arrangement, if any! If, indeed, the boat in question does not meet NMMA and manufacturer certification standards then that matter is up for review as disqualifying criteria. During the years that I was a participant in the PWT, NMMA boat certification was not an optional requirement! Perhaps that criteria has changed, but I suspect not!

It will be interesting to see where this all goes! I will watch with interest . . . and GOOD LUCK to all who "Fish Backwards!"

"Minnesota Marv"

[TYEEE]

It's not to Harsh and quite frankly the reason is safety!

The river is narrow up there and today showed that even more with a boat in the trees.

There should be NO question that Slow no wake means just that! Not only is safety an issue but also unfair advantages for those anglers that break the rules.

Now the million dollar question is weather or not the guy who broke that same no wake prefishing rule should have been DQ'ed, as this unfair advantage has put him near the top!

Good Luck
Tyeee

[Yes]

It is a State Law they violated, same as the top 2 places, they also should be DQ'ed for pulling jigs, using their Bow Mount.. That is actually a form of trolling, and when the tape is shown, I wouldn't doubt if DNR steps in to issue ticket. Would only be fiar to other contestants, who fished by the rules and state laws.

He even said it on stage, what and how he fished. Warden was standing right there, and his eyes got real big, as he took notes.

There were no checks handed out yesterday either, they said they will mail them on Monday.

[wow]

Wow. That sounds like a problem.

I've never fished there, so I'm curious. Is trolling against the law on the entire system, or just in certain areas?

[most of the system]

Trolling is legal on the whole system, except for the river north of Lake Poygan.

[wow]

Were the leaders fishing that restricted trolling area?

[yes]

yes they were, but I don't believe they were trolling. I believe they were using the trolling motor to position themselves. The wind was pretty good where they were fishing. They were drifting down river

[Yup]

They (we) were position fishing. You should have asked the warden yourself if his eyes were so big. The law is so vague his ticket would never stand up in court. You are allowed to use your bowmount to position yourself up and down a break or to initiate the current to present your baits correctly. No laws were broken.

In addition, most would agree that trolling in that area of the river such as pulling rigs upstream or pulling flies should be made legal. The reason it is not is because this is considered class A musky waters.

[boomrr]

As long as any motor used is fighting the current, and your staying even with,or losing ground to shoreline going downstream, you can present your bait any way you want.You could also turn downstream and trail lures, but you cant motor assist downstream because that would be (propelling forward) and would be classified motor trolling according to page 16 of the state fishing regulations.

[John Zirzow]

This is the first time I've ever felt compelled to reply to a post on WC, but this one is really bugging me.

So, just want to clear the air a bit...I was THERE. As it happened. Not only is Bruce a darned good fisherman, he is a class act and a person of the highest ethical standards. There was a bit of confusion re the no-wake zones for many of us fishing the PWT this past weekend, and this was just a mistake. Pure and simple. He most certainly did not "blow through an area at 60 MPH", disregarding the locals, other anglers, etc. He DID put his boat on plane, however, for a few hundred yards, in the effective-that-day new no wake zone in Oshkosh. Again, a mistake - pure and simple - but he was in NO way intending to break the rules, gain an advantage, show off, whatever. It could have happened to many of us, me included.

Good fishin',

John Zirzow #39

[Eric Schuelke unlogged]

I was also there, I know they were Dq'd for the no wake issue. I don't know what the circumstances were, but if they broke the rules, then they should be DQ'd. I know Jeff and Bruce did not do it intentially, but they did it.

As far as the trolling, I was fishing by the leaders, they were not trolling, but position fishing, letting the current take them down river, using the trolling motor to control the way the boat was facing, just like the rest of us.

The reason they did not get any checks is because the PWT is doing it different this year, either you signed up for a wire transfer, or they mailed the check to you. They did it this way to speed up the awards part of it.

These are the facts, so now the rumors can end.

Eric Schuelke

[thanks]

Guys.

You were there, and I trust your view of the situation. Thanks for clearing the air.

As with most rumors, things are not as bad as the intitial reports.

[HARSH]

Eric,

Your reply may be what you witnessed, but others including myself and one Co-Am fishing with me observed different angler behavior on the wolf River.
For three days I observed the boats in my area slipping with the current and vertical jigging as you mentioned. I was not fishing near the leaders. Much to my suprise near the end of the third day I observed one of the leaders show up, pull upstream of me in the area I was fishing and start fishing. I was even more suprised to see that angler catch and pass me with his boat and continue downstream trolling his jigs. His boat continued on ending up approximately 100 yards ahead of my boat in that pass. This was completely differnt than what I had observed other anglers doining in the Wolf River for three days. That angler's lines were at an angle greater than 45 degrees going back well behind his boat. I can assure you that my lines were vertical in that same pass as they had been for three days. The Co-Am fishing with me who was from the area first noticed and pointed out the boat that was dragging jigs downstream as it came up us. He stated that what they were doing was clearly illegal in the Wolf river and I agreed.
After the tournament it was pointed out to the tournament director what happened and the response I recieved was that it was not a rules violation. My comment was that it wasn't a PWT rule that had been violated, but Wisconsin DNR rule. You cannot troll upstream or downstream in that section of the Wolf River. You can only slip with the current using your electric to maintain your position and matching the speed of the current. What I saw and apparently what others may have saw were DNR rules violations. The fact that at least one of the very top finishers who was from the area and knew better ignored this law for a top finish I find disgraceful.

Pete Harsh / MR.TILLER

[Juls_OH]

>After the tournament it was pointed out to the tournament
>director what happened and the response I recieved was that it
>was not a rules violation. My comment was that it wasn't a PWT
>rule that had been violated, but Wisconsin DNR rule. You
>cannot troll upstream or downstream in that section of the
>Wolf River. You can only slip with the current using your
>electric to maintain your position and matching the speed of
>the current.

Soooooo....what did the PWT tournament director say to you when you told him that???

It's obvious they did nothing about it, but I'm curious what he told you. If you don't mind my asking....

Hey, when are you leaving for Red Wing? We won't have any puter connection where we are staying (Evert's Resort), so I won't be online after Wednesday.

See you there!

Juls

[Eric Schuelke unlogged]

Pete,

I did not witness what you did, but I do believe you in what you saw. I do believe I know who you are talking about, just by the way you described his boat position.

It shouldn't matter if it's a PWT rule or a state law, if you violate a rule, that person should get what happened to Doc, and Jeff. In other states if you bring in a short fish, and that violates a state law, doesn't the whole days weight get DQ'ed?

Again, I only stated what I saw.

Eric Schuelke

[Good post Pete]

Looks like the PWT will continue to ignore law infractions and let the guys leading tournaments continue to win by breaking the rules. Same old song.

[HARSH]

Juls,

The impression I received from that conversation was that the official was not totally aware of what that DNR regulation meant prior to our conversation. I did not hear it mentioned or explained at the rules meeting.

Will be at Red Wing this week. From what I have heard the water is up and more rain is forecast for Minnesota.

Pete Harsh / MR.TILLER

[boomrr]

Can someone please tell me where to find the 45 degree rule in the fishing regulations.

[Guestoid]

I'm suprised to hear this from Pete Harsh. It is not illegal to drift down the river and drag your jigs. Your not trolling. If it were illegal there would be a ton of boats who don't even have a bowmount or kicker that just drag on down the river that would get tickets.

Its a different story if you are pumping a 3 way or a fly while making upstream progress. This subject was beat to death the last time the pwt was in winneconne. The take on it was the law is poorly written and is subject to interpretation.

[boomrr]

Motor trolling:

"motor trolling" is trailing a lure,bait,or similar device used to attract or catch fish from a boat while being propelled(forwards or backwards) by a motor or a sail or while being towed by a boat being propelled by a motor or sail.Motor trolling is illegal except in some counties and waters as listed in the section titled "Special Regulations-Listed by County", beginning on page 20.Casting and immediate retrieval of a bait or lure while positoning a boat is not trolling."Backtrolling" is only legal in waters where motor trolling is allowed."Position fishing" is fishing from a boat where the fishing line extends vertically into the water while the boat is maneuvered(forwards or backwards) by a motor used to position the boat over underwater structure.Position fishing is allowed statewide in all waters.

As i see it accordingly to this rule on page 16 of wisconsin regulations, the only way dragging jigs at any angle is illegal,is if you are using a motor to increase your downstream speed.

[he saidit]

>Motor trolling:
>
>"motor trolling" is trailing a lure,bait,or similar device
>used to attract or catch fish from a boat while being
>propelled(forwards or backwards) by a motor or a sail or while
>being towed by a boat being propelled by a motor or sail.Motor
>trolling is illegal except in some counties and waters as
>listed in the section titled "Special Regulations-Listed by
>County", beginning on page 20.Casting and immediate retrieval
>of a bait or lure while positoning a boat is not
>trolling."Backtrolling" is only legal in waters where motor
>trolling is allowed."Position fishing" is fishing from a boat
>where the fishing line extends vertically into the water while
>the boat is maneuvered(forwards or backwards) by a motor used
>to position the boat over underwater structure.Position
>fishing is allowed statewide in all waters.
>
>As i see it accordingly to this rule on page 16 of wisconsin
>regulations, the only way dragging jigs at any angle is
>illegal,is if you are using a motor to increase your
>downstream speed.



Thanks for the rule from the DNR. I think what you just said was what Mr. Harsh was saying. Using the motor to increase your speed down stream.

[Gary Korsgaden]

Marv, thanks for your lavish compliments for Pete Harsh, yes he has done alot for tiller fisherman. Speaking with a marine dealer about assisted steering, 150 HP maximum comes to mind, based on Coast Guard approval. I may be misquoting as I am pulling this from memory while out in Pierre.

[Gary Korsgaden]

DQ at PWT. I may stand alone on this post and I am sure I will get alot of critcism for the followingstatement "it is totally and I mean totally unaccepatble for any professional angler, that is in the public eye to violate marine regulations" I am glad the PWT clamped down and DQED the violaters. These Professional Anglers through their visiblity set examples for the recreational non professional anglers. It has improved alot from the early years on Bay De Noc and Mille Lacs. Frankly, I do not want to give anymore ammunition then necessary to the "anti-tournament" crowds.

[Scott F.]

Pete,

Saw your note here in reference to the angler passing you going downstream while you were vertical jigging.

Before I make my comment I'll point out that I did not fish the river during the tournament so I have no "dog in the hunt". I also have my own opinions and interpretation of the rule.

That said, there is an explanation for why that angler could have passed you that has nothing to do with trolling. Simply put, the current on the surface and the current on the bottom of the river are moving at two entirely different speeds. In the case of vertical jigging, we try to match the speed of the current at the bottom of the river. This is actually much slower than the actual surface speed.

So, a boat trying to match the speed of the current at the bottom is going to "drift" (with positioning assistance from some power source) at a slower rate than a boat that is "drifting" at the speed of the surface current.

for anyone that wants to, this is easy to test. Take a calm day on the river and have a buddy start a vertical jigging (staying completely vertical) pass next to you while not correcting your boat speed at all. The unpowered boat will move downstream quicker.

Again, not trying to start an argument. I didn't even fish there and so it is possible that some boats were powering down. I have no idea, but, there is an explanation for the two different "drift" speeds. Its an old hydrology lesson I picked up in school.

Congrats on the big comeback Pete. How many geese can that cooler hold? :)

Scott Fairbairn

[OKTHEN]

So if an angler allowed the current to carry his rig downstream using the electric to steer and position the rig as it carried downstream but not pulling FASTER than the current (which I think would have been pretty fast, too fast to keep a jig anywhere near the bottom, don't you?) what's the problem? That's perfectly legal. Are you saying that drifting at the speed of the current isn't legal? Of course the line won't be vertical, and it doesn't matter, that isn't trolling because the motor is not propelling the boat, it's simply steering it with the current.

A boat doing that would pass up someone vertical jigging and holding his line in vertical position pretty fast.

Find me the law that says you can't drift and control the bow position at current/wind speed, allowing the lines to do whatever they do. I drift fish walleyes all the time in 'no trolling' areas using strong winds to carry my rig, the lines are FAR from vertical, and it's legal. I use the same system described as being illegal on a river up here in the no trolling area, too, using the wind AND the current. It isn't illegal, and that's right from the warden here.

If you're doing that, the jig will end up behind the boat for several reasons including water column current dynamics.

[Marv Sandbek]

Hey, Gary!

Yup . . . Pete stayed with his plan and did himself proud!!! And, I might add, his comments about his three co-angler's are nothing short of a "tribute to teamwork!" Pete had a very challenging year in 2005 . . . and it looks to me like he is on his way to a more "Harsh-like" performance is '06! Good on ya', Pete! Keep it going!!!!

On the tiller horsepower question, in days gone by, it has been generally regarded that 125 horsepower was the "threshold" for tiller-controlled backtrollers! However, the advent of "Pro Tiller" steering, and subsequently, Mertens power steering systems, has changed the complexion of this configuration! Now . . .for my REAL QUESTION regarding the CONFIGURATION changes!

Warrior offers tiller power options to 200HP with their 2090 BT Eagle/XST Tournament series. This model is equipped with Pro Tiller Steering, and is certified by the manufacturer AND the National Marine Manufacturer's Association (NMMA)! According to the 2006 Lund catalog, the highest horespower rating for a tiller-controlled boat is 90 horsepower, specified on the Lund 1800 Pro-V tiller. I could not find any Lund 2025 Pro-V tiller model in their 2006 catalog! Thus, THE QUESTION . . ."WHO MODIFIED THE 2025 LUND PRO-V's FROM A "WHEEL BOAT" TO A "TILLER" BOAT?" From the posts I reveiwed there was at least ONE 2025 in the modified configuration at the recent PWT event!

This poses some additional questions, that I addressed in the previous post! First, who authorized the configuation change? Who is legally responsible for any and all liability associated with operations of this boat in a tournament (or recreational) environment? And, is this configuration change a violation of the manufacturer's design and engineering criteria, is NMMA aware of the re-configuration, and of so, did they approve of the modification? Is the use of this "modified" boat a violation of PWT equipment rules and regulations? If so, what is their interpretation and position on this situation? I believe these to be fair and valid questions!

Perhaps you can shed some light on these issues! I look forward to your feedback . . . .

"Minnesota Marv"

[Marv Sandbek]

Hey, "OKTHEN" . . .

I'm not replying for Gary, (not qualified to do that), but I'm thinkin' he might have been adressing the "No Wake Zone" incidents at Winneconne! That's just my "take" on his comments, which I endorse to this extent . . "Intentional" violation is certainly a disqualifier as per the Wisconsin State Law . . . "Inadvertent" violation is also a disqualifier from the tournament as per the PWT, "site-specific" rules and regulations. However, I know both Jeff and "Doc" . . two outstanding walleye anglers . . indeed, both veteran tournament competitors who helped to shape the development of this great sport! They are great ambassadors, both on and off the water! It is my opinion that they would NEVER intentionally violate any competition critera . . .but, the rules are in place for everyones compliance, indeed for everyones safety! The penalty is appropriate, albeit significant! The lesson here has been learned! It may be time to move on with the knowledge gained tucked safely away in the "C" drawer!

"Minnesota Marv"

[OKTHEN]

I was referring to Pete Harsh's post. Shopuld have clicked on that one to respond, sorry.

[Sauger Bob]

Jeez they broke the rules and paid the penalty. Let it go. These guys are professionals that made a mistake. Lets not make it sound like they should be on the FBI's ten most wanted list. As far as those winners trolling downstream, I would ask was their trolling motor continuously on, and were they going in basically a straight line, if the answer is yes to both they were trolling.

[River Runner]

I would say if his bow was pointed downstream, he was trolling illegally. To go faster than the current using the electric bow mount, pointing you bow downstream would be far easier than trying to 'back' the boat down faster than the current.

It will be interesting to see if this shows up in any video.

[Okay then]

If you saw a violation then why didn't you report it to the authorities? It is one thing to say you are dusgusted by it but you did nothing about it. What good does it do to report a game law violation to the PWT? No more good than it does to report a PWT viloation to the game warden.

[Gary Korsgaden]

No one on this post is calling anyone a bad fisherman, unethical or trying to show off plain and simple a mistake that cost them. These "pro's" are no different then anyone else on the water, humans that can make mistakes. Lets keep this in perspective...and the Pro's roll in perspective

[Gary Korsgaden]

No one on this post is calling anyone a bad fisherman, unethical or trying to show off plain and simple a mistake that cost them. These "pro's" are no different then anyone else on the water, humans that can make mistakes. Lets keep this in perspective...and the Pro's roll in perspective