B.A.S.S. confirmed today that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' revised modifications regarding tournament-caught bass measuring 15 inches or more are acceptable to the organization and the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament set for August will proceed as scheduled.
B.A.S.S. had made clear last week that it would not hold the event if anglers would be allowed to weigh in only one fish of that length per day – a stipulation that the DNR had announced the previous week.
B.A.S.S.' statement released to BassFan today is reprinted below in its entirety:
B.A.S.S. will apply for a permit to hold the Bassmaster Elite event on the Potomac River in August under 'Option 2' of new rules proposed by Maryland DNR. This option allows tournaments to operate using a five-bass/12-inch minimum size limit if the organization recovers and redistributes bass to approved locations using live release boats or other approved fish transport services; requires all anglers to possess a free permit; requires anglers to comply with simple fish-care protocols; and requires tournament officials to conduct the weigh-in using procedures and equipment that maximizes the survival of released bass.
B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland has been in discussions with Maryland DNR for the past two weeks, ever since the state announced new regulations that would have forced the cancellation of the Bassmaster Elite at the Potomac River.
“Maryland DNR recognized that a problem with the bass population exists in the Potomac and wanted to act quickly to protect it from further decline. Their first proposals were met with a great deal of opposition from tournament organizations, including B.A.S.S.,” Gilliland said. “But to their credit, they have been willing to listen to angler concerns and have now presented new options that allow tournaments to be conducted if they follow what DNR calls ‘Best Management Practices’ for fish care.
“Complying with the criteria in Option 2 should not prove difficult for us. Most of these requirements were taken directly from the B.A.S.S. publication, Keeping Bass Alive, and are standard operating procedures at all B.A.S.S. tournaments.”
For more information, click here to visit the MDNR's Tournament Anglers page.
