How do you feel about IGFA Rules?

[Deep C]

An "accidental touch" (ie: the rod or line brushing a deckhand's back during a fight for example) does not negate a record or valid catch. The incident should be noted, but the review/tournament committee would have the judgement of the call. If it was "incidental" and did not interfere with the catch, odds are they would allow the catch... but then again, they might say "sorry charlie"... (hopefully the guy's record you are breaking isn't on the committee). Same thing goes for a quick tap of the rod against the gunwales... if it was just a quick surge that caused it, note it and submit it, but resting the rod on the gunwale is a breech of the rules.

As with any "sport", there need to be a ruling power. If not, someone would have a steel pipe with kevlar rope attached to a winch trolling a skirted monster treble hook and when a million dollar fish piled on it, they would lock it up and gun the boat and drown the fish. Not too sporting.

On the accidental touch. I have seen DQ for the rod touching the mate as he was reaching for the leader. I even saw it on the BXRL televised series...

The reason I would like to see poke and pass, it might add a few new people to the sport who would otherwise not enter for lack of confidence in their own skills. WMO and MA have allowed it and I feel it brings more people into the game. I do know people who wouldn't get in otherwise. Down here there is no such thing. They're way tight. Nobody but the angler can touch the rod at any point from the time the fish first raises. My current crew has learned well and do just fine but they needed to see it done a few times in practice before doing it on their own.
As expensive as the offshore northern thing is practice oportunities are limited for many potential anglers... It might help spur charters a bit elsewhere. Help the marine economy as a whole is all I'm thinking...
I saw above mentioned that no Angler award should be afforded in poke and pass events. I kind of agree and that a seperate rule be imposed for those who seek that title... Again not hard set in stone ideas. Just food for thought...

[GALAZIO]

Deep

Again, note it and take it to the committee. it does not mean that it would be disqualified (but it could be as you mentioned). If the mate reached up for the leader too quick and grabbed the main line or rod, well...he should have waited a fe more seconds for a better opportunity. Also, a tournament has the ability to institute "local rules" for the tournament. If they want to make a "local rule" for the mate to lift the rod from the holder, strike the fish and pass on to the angler, then fine... it just wouldn't count as a record if the fish was to be a record setter. As for the tournament, as long as the rules of the tournament allowed it, then it should be legal for that tournament. A local rule in this case over-rides, but does not mean it would be recognized by IGFA as a legal catch.

[MarlinHunter03]

The reason I would like to see poke and pass, it might add a few new people to the sport who would otherwise not enter for lack of confidence in their own skills. WMO and MA have allowed it and I feel it brings more people into the game. I do know people who wouldn't get in otherwise. Down here there is no such thing. They're way tight. Nobody but the angler can touch the rod at any point from the time the fish first raises. My current crew has learned well and do just fine but they needed to see it done a few times in practice before doing it on their own.
As expensive as the offshore northern thing is practice oportunities are limited for many potential anglers... It might help spur charters a bit elsewhere. Help the marine economy as a whole is all I'm thinking...
I saw above mentioned that no Angler award should be afforded in poke and pass events. I kind of agree and that a seperate rule be imposed for those who seek that title... Again not hard set in stone ideas. Just food for thought...

I guess I have to disagree with that Deep. I think that if you can't hang your own fish you really shouldn't be fishing in one of the "big shows". I definitely agree that there are certain tournaments where hook and pass rules are a good idea (like charity and manufacturers tournaments) but when it comes to the big money tournaments and high caliber release tournaments you really should be able to hook and fight your fish to completion. Otherwise, and lets be honest, you don't really need a really good all around crew to get it done. You could get away with a good captain, a good mate, and someone who can just turn a handle. The mate can basically do everything from rigging, to hooking the fish, to wiring and gaffing. I just think it hurts the true "team" aspect of sport fishing.

The one rule I don't like is having these new thin diameter lines be IGFA legal. I think it takes away from the integrity of the sport when you can just increase the capacity of a reel like that. I'd like to see diameter restrictions for line classes.

[flatbottom]

give the tournaments a few off years and the IGFA rules will disappear. Or will be changed.

Deep c as with any organization in its infancy. The doors are open. Open for a reason. Money money money. Once a barrel is full, the polite way is to say no more tickets, no more members unless you are in through the back door. I have seen it many times....ie...golf clubs. They are open to the public. Jimbo the public shows up every Thursday for 18 years. Charlie big guns wants no carts during a tourney......cries and stomps his foot. The next season the course goes private. All to prove a point. Blaaa bad taste !!!!!


I like rules like everyone else who posted here. Marty likes rules....and stated some are to questionable as deepc, boatliftman, etc......If one thinks an out of state team brings the heaviest fish to the dock on a rod tapping the gunnel and the home boys are 9 lbs lighter in second....that the committee will over look the tap..... excuse me for a moment. An encyclopedia will be brought to the table, defining words in Latin.....do not get me wrong. I luv competition more than the next guy. Remove rules that are questionable.....but you need to open the doors to jimbo public in order to do so. Many of the rules are outstanding. Some need evaluation. Some need to be removed.

[GALAZIO]

Then don't let it hit the gunwale. But then it isn't the RULES that become the issue, it is the INTEGRITY of the team who says, or better yet, doesn't say "it was just a tap" and claims the prize.

The difference with golf and fishing is a competitor keeps your score although most golfers call a rules infraction on themselves like when a ball moves a 1/16th of an inch when a branch was moved to hit a shot of 250 yds (did they really benefit?). Your competitor would never know it occurred, but 99% of professional golfers would make the call against their own benefit and their own paycheck.

[Deep C]

I guess I have to disagree with that Deep. I think that if you can't hang your own fish you really shouldn't be fishing in one of the "big shows". I definitely agree that there are certain tournaments where hook and pass rules are a good idea (like charity and manufacturers tournaments) but when it comes to the big money tournaments and high caliber release tournaments you really should be able to hook and fight your fish to completion. Otherwise, and lets be honest, you don't really need a really good all around crew to get it done. You could get away with a good captain, a good mate, and someone who can just turn a handle. The mate can basically do everything from rigging, to hooking the fish, to wiring and gaffing. I just think it hurts the true "team" aspect of sport fishing.

The one rule I don't like is having these new thin diameter lines be IGFA legal. I think it takes away from the integrity of the sport when you can just increase the capacity of a reel like that. I'd like to see diameter restrictions for line classes.

I welcome and understand your disagreement... I'm tossing it up there as an idea to help my fellow pros as the nooses around this industry grow tighter. A prestige event I could see no hook and pass. On the big money game I would almost like to see "jungle rules". Why? I'll explain... Cause then you could really seperate the masses, who's got an edge versus being limited to a small level playing field. For example, under the new circle hook deal effectively everyones going to have the same spread of circled nakeds. Its a friggin lottery instead of letting teams use all the tricks out of their bag. In a jungle rules tournament people would be free to really show their stuff and would show who really has the best all around game.
Hell we have a lot of our bigger tournies that limit four lines, no teasers and 12pound line. Most any clown could stumble into a wad of fish and deal with it. Nice but would that same guy have the skill to run 12 baits and 4 teasers?
Restricting fishermen with too many rules is like slowing Nascars down below 70 to keep them even and "because its enviromentally friendly".

[SeaMent]

I think in tournaments such as the WMO and MA500 or any Kill Tournaments they should be Jungle Rules. If they changed the stick and pass rule in the WMO or 500 there would be about 50 boats fishin for $50,000.00 not 400 boats fishin for 2 Mil$$, 95% of the anglers in these tournaments couldn't hook their ass with both hands much less a white on a tld w 7/0 circle. In my opinion if you want to spend your life chasing world records then keep up with their rules, or if you fish tournaments where it's all release with observers or cameras, better be on the "A Game" to compete. JMO

[Jer]

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Check out the IGFA Hall of Fame and Museum photo gallery

http://www.sportfishermen.com/photos...ry.php/cat/514

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[shipmate bill]

The one that drives me nuts is no bang sticks for sharks. Why? At the point that you're using a bang stick, the fish is leadered, and you're ending the game. The record is for the individual angler yet, the angler isn't involved, they have the drag backed halfway and are standing by in case the leader is let go. All the bang stick is doing is making the inevitable safer for the crew. Makos and threshers have that nasty habit of slamming their tails and heads into the boat and trying to get in the boat with the crew. I can understand no guns, they don't want people shooting unsafely at the shark 50 feet from the boat, but a bang stick doesn't go off unless its touching the fish. I can't tell you the beatings on equipment and boats i've suffered due to tournament sharking where your only option is keep sinking fly gaffs.

[Tower Todd]

The double tuna hooks should be allowed. Double hooks are allowed end to end, but not side to side? There was a very pissed California angler who blew away the Albacore record and was denied due to using a double tuna hook.