In my opinion some of the rules are ridiculous and outdated. I mean if a rod breaks during battle it was something outside of the anglers control and the fish should not be disqualified. Why would you ever come up with a minimum rod length anyway? It is hard if not impossible to land a large fish from a broken rod anyway.
They were founded with "sporting" (fair fight for angler and game)... so, I like them. Is there a specific rule you think needs to be addressed? Me, I abide by them and try to share the knowledge. But I am a SPORT fisherman, not a commercial meat hunter.
I guess it's like golf. 99% of those weekend players who think they are a 10 handicap couldn't break 100 if every putt was holed and they understood the rules of OB, water hazards, lost ball, etc. Doesn't lessen the enjoyment for them...until they enter a tournament and get called on an infraction.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE A 1,200 LBER EAT TWO BAITS AT ONE TIME AND THERE IS A MILLION BUCKS ON THE LINE?
THE IFGA SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON WHAT THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR....THAT IS TO KEEP RECORDS OF DEAD FISH ON THE DOCK
WHY TOURNAMENTS GO BY THE THE IGFA'S STUPID RULES IS BEYOND ME....
LIKE THIS....SAY 20 LB CLASS MAINLINE LINE AND A 600 POUND 30 FT SHOT OF LEADER.....NOW THAT IS ABOUT DUMB TO CALL THAT A 20LB RECORD ....TO ME THAT IS UNLIMITED CLASS...
AND THE BIG ROCK TOURNY ALLOWS 314,687 DIFFERENT ANGLERS IF NEEDED TO FIGHT A SINGLE FISH....WHICH IS FINE TO ME....SO WHATS THE BIG DEAL.....
AND TOO DISALLOW A FISH IF ANOTHER PERSON SO MUCH AS TOUCHES THE MAINLINE IS ABSURD
WE SHOULD START A NEW WORLD RECORD CONSORTIUM" THE AFDIDBC!...........ANY FISH DEAD IN DA BOAT COUNTS!
I was one of the strongest proponents of IGFA that you could ever want. I maintained a well up in the ranks membership and donated thousands in product to their annual auctions. Note the key word... "WAS".
I guess it was late 1996. I had just donated about $5000 woth of stuff to them for the auction. I wanted to buy a ticket to that auction and was told they were out except a few reserved for "important people"... That was a direct quote .
It rocked me bad... Started looking twice at them. Since their move to the big building and museum they changed. No longer do I feel that they represent the John Q Fisherman they once did. Instead it has become an elitist club where you need to be a member just to look up current world records. Their focus is more intent on polishing their shrine to themselves than to further the sport of fishing as we know it. Their political views do not represent what they once did leaning bunny hugger more and more.
Another organization that falls into that "was" category is The Billfish Foundation. No sot much for their elitism but rather for their support of NMFS and the ever dimoinishing base of our rights as fishermen.
Regarding IGFA rules... They could stand some modernizing. One that has been in place since the beinning of time I had hoped might be changed someday. "The angler must hook and fight the fish to completion with noboy else touching the rod." That one right there knocks out a large portion of inexperienced people who get on charter boats where the mate strikes the fish. Also knocks out those with accidental touches... Just food for thought...
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.
that is one of the rules i agree with and wish they would enforce it in all the tournaments, I mean come on, you get in a tournament and you get a guy with alot of money who hires a first class mate, the mate hooks the fish that otherwise the "fishing angler" would have almost no chance at hooking himself, brings it in weighs it and tells everyone he caught it when really all he did is reel it to the boat, that is one thing that truely drives me nuts
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Regarding IGFA rules... They could stand some modernizing. One that has been in place since the beinning of time I had hoped might be changed someday. "The angler must hook and fight the fish to completion with noboy else touching the rod." That one right there knocks out a large portion of inexperienced people who get on charter boats where the mate strikes the fish. Also knocks out those with accidental touches... Just food for thought...[/QUOTE]
If Ignorance is bliss, Why aren't more people happy?
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In my opinion the IGFA records are BS - Especially Line Class and Fly records for Billfish.
Catching a 350lb Blue Marlin on a fly or on 6 lb test may show that the angler didn't thumb the spool at the wrong time, but the boat driver is really who makes it happen - along with the mate. In my opinion there is nothing special about hanging a dead 350 lb marlin - been done many times, by many people - the fish is still dead and probably didn't spawn.
Box: What you bring up are jungle rules--anything goes. Use any tackle up to and including electrics, pass around the rod ten times, rig your Spanish with three J-hooks and four jumbo trailing treble hooks on 100 feet of 800-pound LP longline leader and just have at it. No way to cheat if there are no rules to be broken, right? As you said, biggest fish on the dock wins.
So what happened to tournament fishing as a way to gauge your skills and those of your team against other anglers? Personally, I don't like tournaments that let you pass the rod but also award a prize for the top angler--the angler should be required to hook and fight the fish all by themselves. Tournaments need rules to make sure people are playing on a level field against one another. Golf wouldn't be a sport without rules, just a bunch of guys hitting the crap out of a little white ball. Same thing here. Jungle rules? No thanks.
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