oops

[Fishtails]

Today I had a goof and got my first dq in 6 years of tourney. Fishing. I feel pretty dumb, but the past 3 years I have fished pro and once in the open. I got complacent thinking I know the rules because I fished so many of these and I am also used to the pro rules. I got thinking for some reason since they upped the am limit to 9 fish that we could run 8 rods. Nope....only 6 rods. I had givin my rules to our observer because he wanted them. I did ask the observer on our boat, and he thought it was 8 so we ran 8 all day....l

It was an honest duh moment and I should have known better. Its our jobs to know the rules and I got complacent and I gladly volenteered to take a zero for the day.

I thought I would post this to remind you that rules change and as much as we think we k no, its dtill a good idea to read them.

Lesson learned, my bad and I was very open about our 8 rod program when asked...lol I feel bad for ny teammate and son , but well just have to stage a heck of a comeback tomorrow.

Moral of the story, don't assume you know the rules. Refresh your memory and read them every time.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Fishtails

[shadster]

The observer on your boat should have known, no? Or did he just let you disqualify yourself?

[Fishtails]

I agreed to dq us. My fault and I wanted to man up. Dumb human error. Had i been able to make a phone call, I would have checked with someone. But it was closed communication....lol. it all falls on me, but my son doesn't see it like I do cause he's 14.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Fishtails

[Sk8man]

It is to your credit that you were honest about it and an important thing for the boy to see also. Sometimes "life lessons" canbe more valuable than derby prizes. Lets hope that later on he has absorbed your example. Good luck.

[Xxx]

Sitting on the outside looking inside I can see both players at fault here, your sons feels the dude in the boat was there for a reason probably, and you a very well mannered human being just should have known better, and $hit happens, I commend you for manning up to this situation, most people would have tried something else especially if the moderator didn't know the situation  But for your sons sake he's thinking what the hell is this guy even doing on our boat if he didn't say something right away about 2 many rods on the water, it was his time and effort.and mostly his pride stripped away be cause of human error. Sorry to hear about the mistake you will(and your son) will never forget again. PAP. .  

[Nemesis]

Rod you did the right thing. Hey we all screw up from time to time. Justin will come around.

 

Would it have been possible for the observer to call / radio into tourney control to ask the rules question?

Whats the ruling on that?

 

Hope you have a better day two and get the big fish, a big cooler and the comeback award if they have one.

[1fish2fish]

Rod,

 

I'm sorry to hear of your disqualification.  But, if you wasted the whole day fishing, only to find out at the weigh in you fished with too many poles, that observer should be forbidden from participating in Pro/Am tournaments for life. 

 

Being an observer isn't a free ride on a boat, or earning some money over a weekend.  It comes with a lot of responsibility.  First, he/she is representing another team in the tournament.  He/she should have read and become familiar with the tournament rules BEFORE coming aboard your boat (especially this Oswego tournament, because of the number of rules changes from previous Pro/Am's).  And should have a copy the the rules to refer to DURING the tournament.

 

I've been fishing and observing Pro/Am's and Invitational's all along Lake Ontario for the past three years and probably the number one thing I find myself doing is COUNTING RODS.   Every time a Captain or crew member grabs a new rod, I count.

 

So far, I've never had to disqualify a team for rules infractions.  (I hope I never have to.)  But I would think if I 'observed' a rule about to be broken, and I had time to challenge the Captain for an 'honest' mistake, I think I have the right to do it.

 

Just my opinion,

Jim

[hooknup]

I know the feeling. 2 yrs ago we got a dq after having a commanding lead in the proam. The second day the observer forgot to record our gps coordinates. He only recorded the way points. At the weigh in line our error was recognized by the tournament officials. As the captain I should have reviewed the paperwork, and I didn't. Lesson learned.

I feel your pain

Thanks

Al

HOOKNUP 2

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[stoutner]

I completely do not trust the observer to know the rules. The observer should try their best to make sure the rules are followed but in reality all captains need to voluntarily follow the rules and therefore need to review the rules. Let's face it, some observers have never been fishing. Observers are hard to find and if push comes to shove I'll ask my 19 year old niece to observe. She has no experience or practical knowledge of fishing but she should be able count on some guidance from the Captain of the boat. 

Edited July 16, 2013 by stoutner

[on the lam]

This situation is exactly why captains AND observers are required to attend the rules meeting. So there is no questions as to rule interpitation.

[Fishtails]

As I have had some seperation and time to reflect, it was just a series of unfortinite events. I fish too many tournaments with different rules. Pro Am, King Of The Lake, Tightlines, Invitationals, Shootouts, Pro division, Am division....I was an accident waiting to happen!

I have to much on my plate right now, so I never sat down at the computer and read the rules. At the captains meeting, they pulled the observers away so they missed the reading of the rules. For this reason, my observer asked if he could have mine so he could read them that night (why only one set, shouldn't we get two ?) Now I have no rules, but I think I know them so that's okay. We head out in the morning.....I realize as we set up I am not %100 on the Am rod rule, cause I fished pro and one open for the past couple years. I ask the Horsin Around observer and he says he's not sure, but he thinks 8. We couldn't call anyone because its closed communication. Even if I call...nobody has a phone turned on and the tournament # was for emergency only! This did not seem to qualify. I was thinking 8, Horsin Arounds observer was thinking 8, my observer had my rules, Horsin Around observer had no rules.....we ran with 8 and I was wrong.

My bad, I accepted a zero because I was wrong and I won't get complacent again and just assume I know the rules because I've fished a lot of tournaments.

I completely disagree that the observer had any part in this. The observer should try their best to make sure the rules are followed but in reality you still need to have some integrity and also need to know the rules.

 

I agree %100 and that has been my stance from the first moment I was made aware of the mistake. It's the captains responsability, nobody else's. 

 

in reality you still need to have some integrity

She has no experience or practical knowledge of fishing but she should be able count on some integrity from the Captain of the boat.

Please do expand on this....How did anything that happened speak poorly upon my integrity?? Do you know the meaning of integrity? Those are fighting words Wayne, questioning my integrity. I'll see you in Sodus, where I look forward to your explanation.

 

This situation is exactly why captains AND observers are required to attend the rules meeting

 

That is the intention Pete, but the observers were called away and missed the reading of the rules. I was told by the observer that they were not properly briefed on the rules, and called their little side meeting pretty useless and uninformative. Alot of the rules were skipped over also, but I have attention issues at times and I could have missed it altogether. I read the size limit, because I knew that had changed.  My bad for not reading the rest and I own up to that.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Fishtails

[stoutner]

Rod,

 

Sent you a PM. After re-reading what I originally posted I can see how you would think I was questioning you. It was not my intent at all. I was trying to say that the observer cannot be relied upon for anything in many cases. Many of them have little experience and are just there to fill a spot. You obviously showed that you have strong character by doing the right thing. The only thing you did wrong was to forget to double check the rules as far as rod limits go. Simple human error. It happens. 

 

Sorry about the confusion.

 

Wayne

Edited July 16, 2013 by stoutner