Gerald Swindle DQ’ed

Gerald Swindle’s Day 2 catch disqualified
Alabamian suffers penalty for unsafe boating, could miss final day
By Sam Eifling
ESPNOutdoors.com Features Editor — Feb. 24, 2007

Doug Cox
Gerald Swindle had his Day 2 catch disqualified for unsafe boating, and it is unlikely he will make Sunday’s top 25 cut.LAY LAKE, Ala. — Angler Gerald Swindle, who began the second day of the 2007 Bassmaster Classic in ninth place, has been disqualified on Saturday for violating rules regarding safety and sportsmanship.

Tournament director Trip Weldon told ESPNOutdoors.com that Swindle “ran too close to boats on the water,” both those of competitors and non-competitors.

The disqualification will virtually assure that the 2004 BASS Angler of the Year from nearby Warrior, Ala., will not fish Sunday’s final day of the Classic.

“I don’t know the exact details,” said his wife, LeAnn Swindle, when reached immediately after Weldon’s announcement. “I just talked to Gerald about 10 minutes ago and he was still pulling them out of the water. He’s very, very upset.”

The crowd favorite has been criticized in the past for perceived aggressive boating. Two years ago at a tournament on Table Rock Lake near Camden, Mo., he hassled angler Zell Rowland off a section of water under a bridge that both had been fishing the previous day.

Saturday morning at launch, Swindle was quick out of the take-off, passing several other boats on the way onto Lay Lake.

A BASS photographer called Weldon telling him that Swindle was on plane too close to boat near Randy Howell on the north end of the lake.

Bassmaster tournament director Trip Weldon said he violated rules 5i, and 6ii (Bassmaster Rules).

Ouch That has GOT to hurt

That will hurt. You still have to know all the rules before entering and fishing a tournament. I feel bad for Gerald.

the video evidence. http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/classic/news/story?id=2778146

Not sure he has any right to be mad…. give me a break.

That was really unsafe. He was really close.

Wow, I agree. He got the But he had it comming I feel bad for him and it was painful to watch him try to keep his composure on stage, but Its acts like this on the water that consistantly fill me with rage here on the river, and just because he’s a pro doesn’t mean he has the right either!

Not sure how any one can feel bad for him?? He knows the rules, he was with in feet of the other boat, stupid! He got exactly what he deserves. In that case, he hits debris or loses hydraulics, someone may have been killed. If any thing his punishment was a little light.

BIRDDOG

Cade. I agree. Just because he is fishing a high profile tournament and fishes as a pro, does not mean he can through safety for others away.

Wow, I just watched the video I hate to say it, but that was very unsafe and he cut it really close.
Watching the weigh-in before seeing the actual video I had a different feeling. He was really heartbroken at the weigh-in and I felt really bad for him. He had a heck of a bag at the scale. But, after seeing that, I think Trip made the right call, even though it sucks

Guys dnort did the same thing to me on pool 5 near alma in his banana boat…all I could say was what the heck… and explain to my son that’s not what you do..no matter how much time you have till the weigh-in!!

I do not feel bad for him after seeing that video. In that position, anglers are representing the entire sport of tourney fishing. I am glad they got it on video so he gets what is coming to him. I saw the same crap up on Vermillion during an FLW event. Assanine boat handling through narrows containing other boats was very common. Explain that to a young kid….. In the same breath – most boaters in the event I saw were decent, there were only a handful of MORONS ruining it for everyone.

Idiot.

Tim

Hey guys,

As you know I am here at the Classic. All I want to say is Swindle is awesome. He is very personable and I have personally spoke with him this week. All I will say about this whole deal is, everyone involved went through a rules briefing. Many aspects of the tournament was covered. It is my belief that a person will not be disqualified for something tha is not in the rules. There is a minimum distance you need to be from another boat. If you break the rules, you pay the piper. He knows that but on his defense, these guys are only human and everyone makes a mistake now and again.

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All I want to say is Swindle is awesome.

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Yep, great guy!! Putting others lives in danger by driving like a complete moron! And, this isn’t the first time he’s done crap like this, so don’t give the “humans make mistakes” speech. This guy has no repsect for other boaters.

Someone else mentioned explaining acts like this his kid, what you gonna tell your kids when someone pulls this crap? Yep, great guy, he’s just awesome son?? NO WAY!! More like…son…that guys a complete moron, NEVER pull crap like that, not only is it unsafe but unsportsman like as well!

Yep, awesome guy I tell ya!

BIRDDOG

Everyone needs to watch this. It’s a black eye for fishermen, tournaments, and boating in general. “He shouldn’t have done that.” is a hugely understated and candid, but appropo comment. Only because he knew he was on camera. I wonder if Gerald knew? Everyone grab yur own bag of ice.

…huh…huh…I just..want to apologize…huh …hu…to my huh…huh…sponsors…huh

Be awfully fitting if KLEENEX were to throw a few bucks his way? Or, Johnson&Johnson…No more tears.

I can see it now…the Merc powered KLEENEX/J&J wraped Swindle boat.

howell gave him the ok to go through but it was a tight squeeze and if he wanted to go through he should of idled through it

Did anyone else watch some of the interviews and promos for the CLassic. I was astonished when they showed pros motoring down the lake on plane with both arms in the air. They were interviewing one pro while on plane with him looking back to the camera for about 5 seconds. (I think it was Swindle) I don’t think ESPN is doing bass fishing any favors with their coverage. I really think it puts Bass Tournaments in a bad light and that was before Swindles latest escapade.

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All I want to say is Swindle is awesome.

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Yep, great guy!! Putting others lives in danger by driving like a complete moron!

Yep, awesome guy I tell ya!

BIRDDOG

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Hey birddog –

Another question – why disqualify him from this event and not for a longer period of time? IN watching all of this unfold on TV today, he never actually admitted that he did something wrong. He basically apologized for getting caught – and then stated that this is his style of fishing – “on the gas”. If this is how he regularily treats other boaters – then I have a sneaky feeling that he is probably a real prick off the water as well. More me first…..

Tim

Okay, I see we have a few holier than thou making statements about people they don’t even know I am betting these same people are also against bass tournies and have a dislike for bass anglers.
I can see both sides of the situation and this stuff happens in all sports.
Let’s take the “great” almighty Nascar for instance. There was a guy not too long ago by the name of Earnhardt who was the dirtiest most reckless guy on the circuit. Now most of the people considered him to be a God even with all the wrecks and total disregard he showed toward other drivers. But, you don’t hear people talking trash about him.
Pro bass anglers are professionals in their field. They have more time on the water and better boat handling skills than 90% of the poeple on this site. Swindle did what he thought was right under the circumstance. Beleive me, he broke the rules, simple as that and was punished for it. I would feel way more comfortable with one of these guys blowing by me than your average Joe angler who doesn’t have the skills or the ability to manuever a boat in any situation.

Plain and simple, the guy made a mistake. Judging by the way he reacted, he’s more upset that he got caught/DQ’d rather than upset about the incident.

Pro or not, good guy or bad, that was unacceptable. He may have been “waved on” by the other fisherman, but NOT by the camera boat he buzzed. As the judge said, “If I waved you through a red light, would that make it OK?”

The big difference between nascar and the bass tourney is that your weekend drivers are not out enjoying the nascar track while the race is going on. Swindle repeatedly acted like an arrogant jerk on public waters – and it is nice to see him get what is coming.

Holier than thou? If you mean that I think Swindle showed his true colors and that I would never blow wide open through a pack of boats – waving my arms on the approach to tell them to move – then yes, I guess I am holier than thou. I see this as a big issue in how the public perceives and reacts to tournaments. I saw a bunch of posting earlier about the WI DNR wanting to restrict bass tourneys. How do you think this type of act makes the public feel? There are a lot of people on the fence over the tournament issue and I don’t think this incident will help us in this debate at all.

Respectfully – Tim

The few times I have seen Swindle on T.V. he has done some questionable acts before……buzzing Zell Rowland last year for fishing near a bridge he considered his territory….also 2 years ago when he burned (going through and hooking as many fish as possible in areas he will not fish but competitors will) competitors spots before a tournament and indicated that its all part of tournament fishing…although not illegal its unsportsman like. Good guy or bad guy he did seem more worried about his sponsors than anyone he put at risk. Good luck to him in the future!

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holier than thou

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Do you mean like the “consummate pro” in question here? In this situation there’s only one that seems to have a “holier than thou” attitude and it just happens to be the “pro” in question.

This gives a black eye to all boaters, you and I included and to a sportsman it’s unacceptable!
It has nothing to do with not liking bass tourny’s or bass fisherman either, I mean really.

I don’t care how “skilled” these guys are at handling a boat. He was WAY to close to that camera boat, not to mention the fans and fellow angler.

BIRDDOG

One thing we can agree on, he was close to other boater’s and he was DQ’ed for his actions.
Those things happen all over the country with all different classes of boater’s. It is not going to change, ever. The only time you really hear about it is when it comes from a bass boat. You rarely hear about it when a Lund or Alumacraft, a 14′ flat, a tuna boat, or the jet skis pull the same stunt. Bass boats have had and always will have a target painted on them for the simple fact that the boat is a bass boat It really is a pathetic deal. As far as a black eye, that will always be the situation as long as the fisherman are so divided. I wouldn’t expect to see a change in this lifetime.

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also 2 years ago when he burned (going through and hooking as many fish as possible in areas he will not fish but competitors will) competitors spots before a tournament and indicated that its all part of tournament fishing…

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Yeah I know what you are saying. I haven’t heard of any other pro doing this..I think its interesting how he’s the 2nd most sponsored guy in the league, but is still yet to win a tournament? And continually running into trouble? I’m not going to judge him, I actually like him and his personality, but he got what he deserved, thats for sure.

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also 2 years ago when he burned (going through and hooking as many fish as possible in areas he will not fish but competitors will) competitors spots before a tournament and indicated that its all part of tournament fishing

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The angler that practiced “defensive” fishing by hooking all the spawning fish was not Swindle, it was David Dudley.

my bad if it wasn’t Swindle doing the defensive fishing …..thought he was part of it.

I was disappointed to hear this news…G-man is one of my favorite anglers. He knew he was wrong for doing it and admitted it in front of everyone. Too bad…he had some good fish going too.

What he did lacked complete commonsense. Not in regards to Howell, but in regards to the cameraman boat.

There is no excuse for it. None. Don’t care if the water was 6″, you don’t do what he did to other boats that don’t know it is coming. His flailing of arms is not how to communicate either.

Again, no excuse.

Also, this has nothing to do with “bass” fishing. With many walleye tournaments, if you come within a certain distance of another boat, you are disqualified.

Here is the difference though, generaly in “our” world, if you are found breaking the rules and you are asked to never return.

Glad to see the sport do things right and DQ him. He deserved it.