Points for Negative Weight?

[Peter Wulfekotte]

Hi guys. I had a situation come up this weekend at our club tournament and we don't know the answer. When the tournament director called out the official time I worngly set my time for 10 of 6 instead of 10 of 7. It was a very tough day. Water dropped 5 to 7 degrees in two days, a cold rain Sat and blue bird sky with a fair wind in the AM and cold. Anyway, at 10 to 2 (10 of 3 in reality) I finally hook a monstor 1.08 pounder. Never thought I could be so happy about a 13" fish. Shortly there after the horn blew. I fired up my 101 and 83 and "sped" across the lake and was 6 min. late. Penalty is 1 lb. per min. late until 15 minutes and then DQ. So I ended up -5 lbs. roughly but not DQ'd. Do I get points? Some say points are based on weight and you had no weight. Others (me) say wieght is based on fish weighed in. I weighed in a fish (7 of 29 guys caught fish) I had "a number" as opposed to guys that blanked. We are going to vote on it at the next meeting as we've never run into this before. I'm going to ask Cris Jones at the Stren at Santee Cooper next week if FLW has ever addressed this situation. I was wondering if any of you guys have come across this or if your clubs have a rule. I fully realize that I can't blame anyone but myself for just not paying attention so, when you naswer....."show me some love.":wub: I'm gettin' old. Thanks

 

[Bob G.]

If I knew I was going to be late and only had a 13" bass, I would have dumped it back in the lake and weighed no fish. Since you weighed it, my thinking would be that you should have been tied with the guys/gals that weighed no fish.



Bob G.

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

I would think you would just get a zero, why would they put you at a negative, that would make no sense at all. If they want to give you a negative to impact your cumulative points for being late is overboard. A negative Tourney point should be reserved for a flagrant breaking of the rules, like unpsortmanship or worse, but not for being late.



Pete, I seen the stats of your T at the NJ Site, good job on Sunday, I was out the day before at Spruce in the rain, :wacko: and thought that the cold front and blue sky's on Sunday would make for crappy fishing, at least you got one.



CJL

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Wow, with penalty you finished behind the ones that did not weigh fish? But you did weigh a fish and even with a negative weight should get 7th place points (not just show up points) in our club (I have never seen this happen either) position is based on total weight of bass weighed and those with 0 fish get show up points. Let us know what the your club decides because it adds an interesting idea for catching and keeping a short fish and take the penalty but still get more than just show up points?



BF

 

[Texas Transplant]

I don't believe you should get anything less than a zero, meaning no fish caught. But then again, that's simply my opinion.



Alternately, anyone checking in late with no fish caught would get a negative number. Again, just doesn't sound kosher.



Tex

 

[Randy Walls]

Pete we had this happen in our club a few years back. Everyone took a vote at the ramp as to what to do and here is what we did. The guy received last place points for those that caught fish. People in our club that do not catch fish only receive 10 points for showing up. With 35 points for first place and 34 for second, a seventh place finish sould have gotten you 29 points plus the 10 for showing up. Now for weight it was also voted to give him a negative weight of one pound from his total for each minute. He actually started the tournament season three pounds in the hole. He was ok with it and actually is a good fisherman and finished in fourth for the season. I personally voted to not put him negative in weight but was out voted. Just to let you know.



As a comparison my son missed a batting practice before a high school baseball game this year and was not allowed to dress for three games and has to run twenty miles or four hours. I know the other teams do not do this in this area but then again our school has won more state championships than any other school in the state and is currently ranked fourth. He has no problem with it and has already ran 1:45 of the 4 hours. He is starting pitcher and outfilder that is batting over 400 for the season. They don't care who you are but the kids do know the penalties in advance and do not argue. Right or wrong you can decide.



Good luck with your season.:huh:

 

[Bryan McDonough]

Late penalties are subtracted from yout total weight to the zero point. If you have zero weight you should get no points, or the same as anyone else who zeroed. The only way I know you can get a negative total assessment is to attempt to weigh a short fish, and it was your only fish. Many trails dq your total weight for 1 short fish.

 

[Peter Wulfekotte]

Guys. Thanks a lot for your input. Almost every point and opinion you guys wrote has been expressed by club members. We try to refrain from voting at the ramp as there are always ome members that couldn't make it and we try not tom exclude anyone. For me, however the vote goes is OK with me. It was my mistake and I can't blame anyone and I respect anyone's thought out opinion. I'll let you know how the vote goes and if the FLW has a rule. We often try to follow the "big guys" rules.

Bob G. I agree with you but I didn't realize my mistake until I was standing at the scales. Just a case of headis upis assis.

Randy. The town next to me runs its baseball program in much the same way (Toms River, NJ) and they have 3 high schools. They have a very good Little League program (LL World Series Champs a few years back) and it's all used as a feeder program for HS. I think that stuff is harder on us parents then the kids.

Thanks again guys.