A friend asked if I signed the petition online to urge world-record status for the 68-pound striped bass caught by Rodney Ply that was the subject of
Tuesday's column.
“I’m a journalist. I don’t sign my name to petitions, ever,” was my response.
That doesn’t mean I don’t think others should sound off on Ply’s status with the IGFA or ask questions of their own fish and game agencies.
Did Arkansas Game and Fish let this angler down? Many Arkansas anglers already have spoken up on that point. Anglers everywhere should be asking their own fish and game departments how they would handle such a situation. Once an agency is contacted whose responsibility is it to make sure the fish weighing is witnessed on certified scales, the angler or the department?
Anyone who thinks they might hook a record fish on an umbrella rig someday should consider corresponding with the International Game Fish Association in days to come. Since just about every bait company in the U.S. has come out with its own version of the Alabama Rig the past year, you’d think Rodney Ply’s record would be a hot topic among anglers coast-to-coast.
Ply’s homemade lure was a little different than most umbrella rigs but it’s close. Whatever the International Game Fish Association decides will almost certainly have some influence on how the organization views freshwater umbrella rigs in the future.
The IGFA’s initial ruling that lumps the rig in with spreader bars and umbrella rigs used in saltwater makes at least some sense, they are similar configurations. But the style of fishing and configurations of these baits that has evolved with these rigs the past year seems to deserve an fresh look, even if it ends with the committee reaffirming it's current position and stating why they think it's covered in the rules as they stand.
Whether it’s a Mann’s original Alabama Rig, a Yum Yumbrella, a Jewel Swim Gem Brella or any of dozens of other incarnations, these baits may resemble saltwater spreader-bar or umbrella trolling rigs but they simply are not the same and are not used in the same way. A typical saltwater umbrella or spreader-arm rig is 15 to 20 inches wide (not all, but most).
It's safe to say 90 percent of the anglers who are using these umbrella rigs have never heard of the saltwater version. You can’t cast a typical saltwater spreader-arm arrangement around the docks at your local lake.
The five-hook umbrella rigs already are illegal in some states and are not allowed in Bassmaster Elite Series competitions, but those few Elite tournaments are the only ones that have outlawed them. Ply’s lure only had two hooks and would be legal in most states.
It just seems likely the IGFA will have to alter its rules at least slightly to address this bait style or look forward to many more years of debate on the subject.
The nice thing about the petition at change.com is it allows anglers to state their own reasons for signing on to the petition, and if you do sign on I’d urge you to take that opportunity to exercise some well-reasoned speech. Put your full name on the comment too; anonymous = nobody.
It will be interesting to see how the IGFA’s executive committee tackles this. They have a tough decision to make and may indeed benefit from thoughtful comment from experienced anglers.
Find the petition for Ply at
tulsaworld.com/plysbass or send e-mail to IGFA world records coordinator Jack Vitek at jvitek@igfa.org.
While you’re thinking about IGFA, also consider that this non-profit record-keeping institution is an international conservation organization. An online “e-membership” to help support that mission and track their progress is $15 a year. Find them at
tulsaworld.com/IGFA.
