????????????
 

it is a shame, but it is very difficult to address.
i don't know the guy, but everything i have read points to him to being one of the best. a real highliner. But are they supposed to make final judgment based on their personal feelings towards the angler? How do you write that in the rules?
real tough call.

wow that is a tough one... I say allow the fish if you can prove that the angler didn't put the weights in there

Zacs--you're right on that, "tough call."

I've met Lev and he is a young fisherman with some incredible catches.
He's a heck of a big-bass fisherman. I would let the fish stand as is. But I can understand how difficult a decision it is to make.

i saw these pics on another site. A 42# bass and the contents of its stomach....

Wow.

Tricky question to answer. Someone should write an essay about it. It has interesting conflicts of all kinds: sport, commercial, tournament rules and regulations.

what the heck is all that lead doing in the fish. I don't really understand yo yoing, but if thats what results it seems a little... i can't think of the right words.

classic yo yo aftermath

all the pieces even line up


that fish hit 12 or 13 yo/yo's in its lifetime

If you guys think this thread should be deleted that's fine. I don't feel totally right about pasting another board on this one. I only thought it was an interesting debate. If any moderator thinks this post is out-of-bounds...........

I think this post is fine and John allows links for the most part.

You can't make this decision based on personal feelings. Everyone on MV knows that Lev is a straight shooter, but they have to be fair. Another well-known angler had a fish DQ's because it had yo-yo weights in it. They have to apply the rules equally. That's the only way to keep the integrity of the Derby. If they allow "yo-yo" weights dollars to donuts someone will load a fish with them.

It's going to be a recurring problem given how many comms are yo-yoing around the Elizabeths in season.

i see it differently
 

if fish cannot digest lead
then it stays in their stomachs.

that being said... :cputin:

it's simple really ...you weigh the lead
and subtract that weight from the fish.

Very simple call, they can not enter that fish, it's simple.
They dunk the fish to remove all sand and also remove the lure/fly.
I have seen at other fishing contests they will not let a fish stuffed with ice cubes in the contest!
I also think Lev should buy a lottery ticket :D
Yet another Martha's Vineyard Mystery :gu:

VB

I read that thread on the Derby website yesterday, I met Lev very briefly last year. He is a fantastic fisherman not only for bass but albies, blues etc just look at the derby board from the past few years.

I'm anti Yo' Yo ing for sure. Unfortunately you can still catch fish that have ate them before. I don't think you can count a fish with lead in it's stomach there is just too much grey area for future fish and dirty anglers. Too bad Lev weighed in a 45+lb fish earlier in the derby too.

i guess you are right. But it is just such a shame that the guy catches such a fish, and by no fault of his own, it is DQ'd.

does anyone know how much lead was in Lev's fish?

I feel bad for Lev. But not too bad... i've seen his record and know he will be into plenty more fish this size.

Do they eat a fish with that much lead in it's belly? I wouldn't.

I've caught plnety of bass, of all sizes, that had rocks in their stomach. What's the difference?

rocks are'nt usually man made or the by-product of yo yoing.

Tough for Lev but a hell of a fish either way.

Ok, I'm a pretty serious surf guy but have only been on 10 or less charters in my life, so I don't know the boat scene that well.

Given that, please excuse the following stupid question:

What the hell is yo yoing?

(My two cents: If you find weights in the fish, net it off the overall wieght and that's that. If you find someone put them there on purpose in a tourney, disqualify them and stone them.)

There was a record largemouth caught in California that had a diver's weight inside it. It was in there so long the insides had grown around it. They let it stand and it was the new record. I don't know if it is the current record.

Yo-yoing is using a fresh dead bait fish such as bunker which is weighted down by using some type of lead which will go through the mouth. A skewer is placed through the bait fish. I believe that a single hook or treble hook can be placed by the dorsal fin or through the mouth as well. There should be no slack in the line as hits can be undectable with slack. Let baitfish sink to desired depth and SLOWLY lift the rod tip up in a fluid motion and then let the bait sink back down to the appropriate dept and repeat the process. At least this is how the Captain did it on the charter boat I was on if I remember correctly.

From my knowledge this is indeed how it's done I have never personally done it. The problem with yo yoing is that if a fish eats a weighted bunker and breaks off they then have a belly full of lead (as was the case with Lev's fish) Charter captains and commercial fisherman use this tactic because it's very effective

for my .02 it's a dirty way to fish :af: and I'm glad the derby outlaws it.

Are you saying the Derby outlaws catching fish by Yo-Yo?

Yes...

I did not know that. Why don't they? & why is it dirty?

As far as I know the issue is still being reviewed. Wait till the ruling. I think they are having another meeting about this tonight.

i mean why would you even consider doing that. that's just false recognition. it's not like you can brainwash yourself into thinking you really landed a 42 pounder. everyone knows how big their fish really were no matter what you tell people. no good.

its a loooonnngggg story

if the fish had the yo-yoing gear in it for a long time and from what they are saying, the gear was in there for a long time, i dont see why they just dont weigh the gear and subtract the wieght of the gear from the fish's weight. I dont know Lev, but the guy has a got the touch.

Its not like there was 6 lbs of assorted lead products in the fish's belly.. I wonder what the ramifications would be to an angler caught cheating by doing such a thing to win a tournament???

Ice & Squib, thanks for the 411

There is a bigger issue here - Yo Yo-ing, Can you get a more unethical method of taking bass? Obviously many bass do survive with those spokes in their belly with but who knows how many don't. Charter Captains use this method? I can see commercials because they normally don't give a crap.

DZ