Thursday, March 16, 2023

Bassmaster Panel Upholds Angler’s Eufaula Disqualification

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials announce that, after an extensive investigation and appeals process, Tucker Smith’s Day 2 catch disqualification from the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula has been upheld. Smith finished in seventh place.

The disqualification was handed down based on a violation of the Angler Code of Conduct (Section 7 of the Bassmaster Opens Series rules) which lists among the examples of unacceptable behavior by competitors in B.A.S.S. events: “Interfering with a fellow angler’s ability to compete.”

Smith’s appeal was heard by a three-person panel which included an Elite Series angler and a Bassmaster Opens angler — neither of whom competed in the 2023 Eufaula Open — and a B.A.S.S. employee who is not part of the Tournaments Department.

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing. Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.