New Elite Series Rule Eliminates Boat-Switching

(Editor's note: BassFan will observe Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, so a new top story will not appear until Tuesday.)

By Jonathan Manteuffel
Special to BassFan

BassFan has received confirmation that Bassmaster Elite Series anglers will be required to fish the entire 2012 season from the same boat they start with. In other words, competitors no longer have the option to use a fiberglass rig in one tournament and an aluminum boat in the next.

The rule goes into effect on March 1, shortly after the conclusion of the 2012 Bassmaster Classic.

The rule was requested by a number of Elite Series anglers and approved by B.A.S.S. within the last couple of weeks. It is an addition to Rule P4. UNIFORMS, WRAPPED BOATS, ETC. and reads as follows: "Pros are required to start the season with one wrapped boat for all 2012 Elite series competition. Any changes during the season must be to a comparable boat as approved by tournament officials."

B.A.S.S. tournament director Trip Weldon explained what "comparable boat" means.

"If they start the season in a 21-foot glass boat and say (for example they) change sponsors, then it must be to another boat comparable in the 21-foot range," he said. "Or they can compete in a jet boat or walleye-type boat all season. They just won't be allowed to switch back and forth within the season."

Weldon said the rule came about because "Elite anglers wanted to level the playing field." That sentiment was confirmed by several pros.

"As we like to say, 'Run what ya brung,''' said John Crews. "I think it is good for keeping the anglers on an even playing field. B.A.S.S. has a good history of setting the benchmark for rules and this will be an important year to continue that tradition."

No Beef from Biffle

Tommy Biffle, who won the Arkansas River Central Open last September fishing from a jetboat, nonetheless likes the new rule.

"It's fine with me," he said. "I only (used a jet boat) that one time in the Open because it was convenient. I had a friend nearby who had one and it just worked out that time. I've been against it in the past.

"A lot of guys keep another boat, a jet boat or a small aluminum boat, but not everybody can try to keep two boats up and ready. Very seldom does it work out, anyway. I'd just as soon we all fish from the same kind of boat."

Added John Murray: "Obviously for guys like me who travel so far to get to most of the lakes we fish, that's a good rule. We can't just come home and get one if it looks like it would help, like guys from Alabama might be able to do. It's fair to everyone. We all have the same challenges then. I definitely like the rule."

Uniformity was Sought

Randy Howell supports the new rule, despite having a shallow-draft aluminum rig at the ready – one he may even have on hand at the Classic next month.

"I think that the new rule is just a way of making all the Elite Series (pros) operate on a level playing field as far as an advantage goes," he said. "I own my Triton aluminum rig, and it's fun to use sometimes, but it's never helped me in an event like it has a few other guys in the past. I feel Like B.A.S.S. is just trying to keep the professional look going for the top circuit, and uniformity for everyone is the key, so I'm fine with it."

Dean Rojas also echoed the "level playing field" theme.

"You don't see NASCAR letting guys run different types of cars," he said. "They're all alike. I think it's a good rule."

He made the point that when the equipment is very similar for everyone, the competition is more about skill than any equipment advantage.

Kentucky pro Mark Menendez won his captured his third B.A.S.S. victory using an aluminum boat at the Elite Series event on Lake Dardanelle in 2009. So is he upset about the new rule?

"Well, I could give it a twist and fish out of my little aluminum boat all year," he said. "But I don't think it would be much fun fishing Toledo Bend or the St. Johns River out of it, or a lot of other places. No, I'll be out there in my 20-foot Skeeter.

"I'm actually on the rules committee, and the rule was kind of a trend that most of the guys wanted. There were two or three guys who were pretty emphatic about wanting the playing field to be level, and really there are advantages sometimes if you use a small aluminum boat. You can get to unpressured fish and remote places those other guys can't get to, and it doesn't cost much to run or pull around. But I stayed neutral on it and I'm okay with the rule.

"I will be taking my aluminum boat to pre-fish several of the Elite Series events this year, though," he added. "It will cut my expenses in half. I can use it in a couple other circuits I fish, too. I have so much fun fishing out of that thing."

Notable

> The 2012 Bassmaster Classic at Louisiana's Red River will be fished under the 2011 Elite Series rules, which did not place a restriction on types of boats. That's good news for several Classic contenders who intend to have a jet boat or other shallow-draft vessel available in case they decide conditions warrant use of such a craft.

> Steve Kennedy won the PAA Tournament Series event on Neely Henry last August by using an aluminum boat to access a creek where he had the fish all to himself.

> While the new B.A.S.S. rule would allow an angler to run a jet-drive boat all year if he chose to do so, the FLW Tour does not allow jet-drive boats in competition. Rule 11, Boat and horsepower regulation, states in part: "All boats must be propeller-driven, a minimum of 18 feet in length and have a rear deck (with a seat if requested)." That rule has been in effect since 2005.