Major League Fishing has shown no reluctance to change the structure of the Bass Pro Tour over its 2 1/2 seasons of existence. Before the 2022 campaign begins (or sooner, if possible), it should get rid of the rule that a scorable fish needs to be within the parameters of a competitor's boat before the period clock runs out.
The rule is an abomination and there's nothing like it in any other sport that's constrained by time. In football, passes thrown with zeroes displayed still count as long as the quarterback took the snap with at least one second remaining. In basketball, shots that go up with a fraction of a second on the ticker and through the net after the buzzer has sounded are tallied on the scoreboard. That's the way things should be – plays that begin within the time limits of the competition should be allowed to conclude.
You know you've got a bad rule on the books when your commentators, who are employees of the organization, rail against it. When Shin Fukae hooked a fish with just a few seconds remaining in today's final Group B Qualifying Round at Lake Chickamauga, with no chance of boating it before time expired, Marty Stone said succinctly, "That rule blows."
Fukae's fish turned out to be non-scorable (under the 2-pound minimum), but that's beside the point. Stone's blunt take was spot-on.
The rule has great potential to nullify the most dramatic occurrences the format has to offer. In many cases, it effectively ends an angler's period before time has run out, as there's really no sense in making a cast with 10 seconds left when the chances of landing a fish are zilch.
MLF boat officials have proven to be extremely competent at their jobs and they'd have no difficulty discerning whether an angler is hooked up or not when time runs out. And if the rod is indeed bent at the lines-out juncture, the angler should be given as much time as he requires to land the fish.
If the rule stays in place as is, there will come a day when what would've been a landmark moment for the tour – and perhaps even the sport – will be lost.
– John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor
