Bryan Hudgins, a rookie from Orange Park, Fla., learned he'd been disqualified from the Toho Bassmaster Elite Series after he'd fished day 1.

He said he'd caught 8 1/2 pounds, which would have put him somewhere around 25th. Since he entered the event at 66th in the Angler of the Year points, even a meager weight tomorrow would have guaranteed him a spot in next year's Elite Series.

Instead, because of the DQ, he'll receive no AOY points for the event, which puts requalification in immediate jeopardy.

He was DQd for a violation of BASS Rule 3.ii, the applicable part of which states:

  • "During both the official practice and the tournament, a competitor may not have the assistance or advice of anyone for the purposes of locating or catching bass, nor enter the tournament waters with anyone who has been on the tournament waters during the off-limits period including, but not limited to, a professional guide, state or federal wildlife agency employee, or any other person deemed an "expert" on these tournament waters by the tournament director, unless they are a competitor in the tournament."

    According to Hudgins, he practiced for a day with Matt Sullivan, an angler he casually knew through tournaments near home, which resulted in the DQ.

    "When I'm back home, I occasionally fish Thursday-night tournaments at a fish camp near my house on the St. Johns River," Hudgins said. "One of the guys who fishes with a friend of mine was on the waiting list for the (Toho Elite Series). He called me after the first day of practice and said, 'Would you mind if I came down and prefished with you guys to see what the Elite Series is like?'"

    Hudgins said he then asked the acquaintance if he knew anything about the lake. The friend, according to Hudgins, said he "didn't know anything about it," and hence Hudgins didn't consider him an "expert."

    "He came down and prefished with me, and I guess he fished a BFL here, and I guess somebody else fished the BFL too and recognized him," Hudgins said. "He'd just gotten a boat in the last 8 months or so. I wasn't aware he'd ever fished on the lake before, until it was brought up."

    A search of FLW Outdoors tournament records shows Sullivan (Jacksonville, Fla.) fished two Kissimmee Gator BFLs this spring, and such experience would preclude him from practicing with Hudgins under Rule 3.ii.

    Hudgins added that the DQ was his own fault, and "completely unintentional."

    The Aftermath

    Greg Gutierrez was DQd earlier this year from the Smith Mt. Elite Series for a somewhat similar rule violation. In that instance, Gutierrez prefished with someone who was staying on a houseboat which was moored on the tournament waters.

    Gutierrez never recovered his points standings.

    Hudgins' standing will likewise suffer considerably with the DQ, although the degree to which he'll drop won't be determined until the event concludes.

    "I'm still trying to lick my wounds here," he said. "I'm heartbroken. I weighed about 8 1/2 pounds today, and I lost a 5-pounder and a 4-pounder. I caught a 10-pounder the first day of practice. I was on a lot of fish and felt I could have had a Top 12. It's a bad end to my first year. Being as close to home as I am here, it's the first person I've had in my boat for prefish all year long.

    "And I thought I was trying to do some good – expose (the practice partner) to what BASS was like," he added. "It's really a shame. It's a long 2 1/2-hour drive home."

    All that's left now is to see how the final points shake out, and prepare for next year.

    "I'll learn from my mistake," he added. "I really had to scrape and scratch this year. It's been a big learning experience. I got to see a lot of different things I'd never seen before, and I hope to come back next year with a vengeance and really show them what I can do."