TOSSED

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Bradshaw has a 51 from a boat.....subtract that from the score and add the next largest fish they have and probably not enough to win! Striper Cup Fest should be quite interesting!

Larry--they're ahead of us by something like 25-30 points. I guarantee you that their 11th place fish is mid to high 40s, minimum.

[BigFish]

Why would they withdraw??? Just because of 1 bad apple in the barrel?

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Why would they withdraw??? Just because of 1 bad apple in the barrel?

If I had to try to be a mind reader, maybe because they feel that OTW pre-judged guilt without a court adjudication. If my memory is correct, they waited unti Major's case was heard in Edgartown District Court until they tossed him.

Not that my opinion matters much, but I think withdrawing on their part is ill advised. While some might understand the rationale if it is as I guessed, many others would view it as showing solidarity with a poacher. If they want to have Bradshaw up on the stage accepting the Cup with the rest of their team, that's their prerogative.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Mike P

.
Not that my opinion matters much, but I think withdrawing on their part is ill advised. While some might understand the rationale if it is as I guessed, many others would view it as showing solidarity with a poacher. If they want to have Bradshaw up on the stage accepting the Cup with the rest of their team, that's their prerogative.

Very well said.

[Sea Dangles]

It's hard to know what to do when two old school anglers like Flap and Numb present contrarian opinions. Please expound on your views so the powers that be can become enlightened. This is good stuff.

[Nebe]

here is my thoughts- I am totally anti-competitive fishing these days, but If you have a guy who is a hard core poacher and he is fishing for team striper, who is to say that the hard core poacher isnt letting other members of his team weigh in any of the larger fish under their names?

For example, lets say he had 3 dead 45 lbers on ice.. who is to say that he didnt allow fellow members to borrow one to weigh......

I am not saying that they did this, but come on... somehow I doubt a poacher of this magnitude would not think of cheating...

If it were me and I ran the tournament, I would not boot the whole %$%$%$%$ing team, but I would have them all do a polygraph test to disprove any cheating.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by Nebe

here is my thoughts- I am totally anti-competitive fishing these days, but If you have a guy who is a hard core poacher and he is fishing for team striper, who is to say that the hard core poacher isnt letting other members of his team weigh in any of the larger fish under their names?

For example, lets say he had 3 dead 45 lbers on ice.. who is to say that he didnt allow fellow members to borrow one to weigh......

I am not saying that they did this, but come on... somehow I doubt a poacher of this magnitude would not think of cheating...

If it were me and I ran the tournament, I would not boot the whole %$%$%$%$ing team, but I would have them all do a polygraph test to disprove any cheating.

I am thinking this too. Who's to say he didn't catch all the fish and had 'conveniently' shared his fish with the team. To me the entire team's weigh in is suspect.

[BigFish]

You can't throw a blanket over the entire team for the actions of one! I believe if the others knew what he was doing they would have expelled him themselves? Guilty by association? I do not believe you can lump the other members in with that jack ass! I feel bad for the rest of the team but I think Mike P. is right on....they should not side with him by resigning from the competition......it would show that they might possibly have had knowledge of what was going on......however they may be of the belief that their teams accomplishment is somehow tainted and would not want to cast a pall over the integrity of the Striper Cup!

[JohnR]

Based on what is known, I think OTW did the right thing with disqualifying Brandon. Team Striper would still win because they have the points.

I'm a bit torn on the "solidarity" of the team withdrawing from the cup and I guess I'll wait until I hear why.

[Sea Dangles]

I ,again say test anyone who has a key to the truck. The winning team gets nothing. The anglers of the year get nothing. There were widespread rumors of last years winners passing fish. Another where a shore caught angler scored a cow on a boat.Too much hippy spinach will get the best of your imagination sometimes. One thing I am certain of is that none of the anglers on Team Striper needs anyone else's fish to weigh in.These aren't the type who fish to get their pictures in magazines or websites.Guys on Team Striper were fishing in the original Schaefer with some members being multiple winners.I would guess they have caught more fifties than other teams have caught thirties. Most are comm's or have charter businesses.The only comparison I can think of would be pros vs. amateurs. I can say this with certainty as I have fished with most of the high hookers from each team. This is no disrespect to anyone on the board so please don't take it personally.My suggestion is to win or lose with class. Leave the sour grapes for losers.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

I One thing I am certain of is that none of the anglers on Team Striper needs anyone else's fish to weigh in. Most are comm's or have charter businesses.

Thank you for the clarification again this tournament is open to anyone.

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

I ,again say test anyone who has a key to the truck. The winning team gets nothing. The anglers of the year get nothing. There were widespread rumors of last years winners passing fish. Another where a shore caught angler scored a cow on a boat.

Are you suggesting that members of Team S-B were passing fish? Or catching from a boat? Or are your "rumors" for others?

I remember hearing a rumor or two last year but not about our team. I recall hearing other rumors last year from disgruntled anglers from other teams about how those fishing in the shore division were losers and did not deserve any point system to level the playing field between boat and shore (forget about camping out on the reefs and ledges while commercially taking a lot of fish).

Sadly, you hear a lot of rumors and the fact that tournaments, like this one, foster people to create and start rumors is very disappointing.

I heard several "rumors" from different groups this year that were disappointing. Should I propagate those rumors? Run 'em up the flagpole at OTW? Start (continue) crap that can't be verified?

I know I have no reason to believe that S-B had any improperly reported fish. Not something I go for.

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

This is no disrespect to anyone on the board so please don't take it personally.My suggestion is to win or lose with class. Leave the sour grapes for losers.

Agreed

Level the playing field - lie detector everyone!

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

I ,again say test anyone who has a key to the truck. The winning team gets nothing. The anglers of the year get nothing. There were widespread rumors of last years winners passing fish. Another where a shore caught angler scored a cow on a boat.Too much hippy spinach will get the best of your imagination sometimes. One thing I am certain of is that none of the anglers on Team Striper needs anyone else's fish to weigh in. Most are comm's or have charter businesses.The only comparison I can think of would be pros vs. amateurs. I can say this with certainty as I have fished with most of the high hookers from each team. This is no disrespect to anyone on the board so please don't take it personally.

Chris,

I agree with most of what you're saying here. Pro versus amateurs is a legit comparison. Pros to me are guys who do it for a living. Everyone else is an amateur. It’s just like golf. I don't suspect anyone on Team Striper needs any aid in the catching dept. I'd prefer to compete against pros myself as the accomplishment of beating a pro would mean much more to me, even if the odds are against. The 1980 Olympic hockey team comes to mind…

As for last year’s winners passing fish, I never heard of it or witnessed it. It sounds like an attempt at scorched earth to me or possibly an “everyone else does it so we do too” excuse. I wouldn’t have a problem if the people with truck keys were tested, either.

With either case, it doesn’t explain away the 42 fish in the guy’s possession and subsequent expulsion from the tourney. Bottom line here is OTW had to act in the best interest of the 2,000 plus contestants in addition to the tourney sponsors.
Mr. Bradshaw will have his judgment day and the system will determine his guilt or innocence in the end.

As for the team dropping out of the tourney, no way. There’s some deserving anglers on your squad. In the end, only you guys will really know if the accomplishment was legit or not. Dropping out is like kicking sand in the face of the honest guys.

[FishTwoO]

Polygraphing the whole team sounds like a good idea,but probably would be a major headache and expense.Maybe they'll do a Marion Jones.