Winner of BWS admits to culling in ABA interview

This is on the ABA Bass Weekend Series Website Pools 6&7 are no cull

Savik Takes Title in Minnesota

ATHENS, Ala. – Karen Savik scored one for the ladies, winning the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Minnesota/Wisconsin Division 17 championship tournament, held Sept. 18-19, 2010, on Pools 6-7 of the Mississippi River out of Winona, Minn.

The St Louis Park, Minn., pro notched two five-fish daily limits anchored by a 4.41-pounder to take the Boater Division title. Holding third place after Day 1, she landed 14.15 pounds. She followed that with 17.13 pounds, the largest single-day bag in the two-day event. She fished bridge pilings with jigs.

“I used two main jigs,” Savik said. “One had some orange in it and the other was a Something Something in Karen’s Magic, which is a green pumpkin color. Once I got a limit, I went looking for one or two big fish. I went to the bridge and caught my big one on the second cast. I culled four times the first day and 10 times the second day.”

In second for the boaters, David Ham of White Bear Lake, Minn., landed 10 bass for a two-day total of 28.56 pounds with one 3.81-pounder. Ham held second from wire to wire, catching 15.21 pounds the first day and following up with 13.35 pounds.

Jimmy Johnson of La Crosse, Wis., took third with 10 bass going 28.29 pounds with one 4.35-pound kicker. He caught 14.04 pounds on Day 1 and 14.25 pounds the final day.

In fourth for the boaters, Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wis., landed 10 keepers for 26.34 pounds with 12.88-pound and 13.46-pound bags. Richie Eaves of Nauvoo, Ill., followed with 10 bass going 25.47 pounds including a 3.56-pounder. He landed 11.37 pounds the first day and 14.10 pounds the second day. Marty Sexton of Oakdale, Minn., topped the tournament lunker list with a 5.06-pounder.

In the Co-Angler Division, Howie Lee of Brooklyn Park, Minn., finished with two perfect three-bass division limits for 15.34 pounds with one 2.81-pounder. He moved up from fourth place on Day 1 with 7.33 pounds to catch 8.01 pounds the final day.

“On Day 1, we fished shallow grass with a swim jig,” Lee said. “It was blue, white and chartreuse. On Day 2, we fished riprap and points. I caught a smallie on the swim jig and two more on Something Something jigs. I culled two fish.”

Jeremiah Shaver of La Crosse, Wis., caught five bass going 12.82 pounds. He caught 4.58 pounds on the first day, but landed 8.24 pounds, the second largest one-day stringer among the non-boaters, on the final day. He anchored that bag with a 3.40-pounder that took division big bass honors.

In third for the non-boaters, Nanthan Thomas of McHenry, Ill., landed five bass for 12.79 pounds. He brought in 7.77 pounds on Day 1 and added 5.02 the second day. John Maher of Duluth, Minn., finished with six bass at 11.98 pounds, catching 5.85 and 6.13 pounds. Rounding out the top five, Elmer Winter of Durand, Wis., caught six keepers weighing 10.89 pounds. He caught 5.11 pounds on Day 1 and 5.78 pounds the following day.

About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, The American 150 Series or the American Couples Series, visit http://www.americanbassanglers.com.

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Thats interesting. I know lots of tourney fishermen / fisherwomen do it. But this is the 1st time I know anyone has said so in a interview. I’d think if the law is clear on this issue that that would be a automatic DQ. I know the way the cull rule use to read was rather unclear. It will be interesting to follow this one!!!

I assume she was unaware of the no cull since the interview seems that she was so open with it.

Its a tough one, I would be willing to bet good $ that 90 percent of ppl do cull. I know that does not say much and leaves the ones that dont when given the opertunity high and dry with a cruddy feeling…

Weather being a pro or weekend warrior there’s no excuse for not knowing the rules and regulations of the body of water you are fishing. In some situations regulations are waved for tournaments.Here is an example. In 05 Illinois waved the slot on the Mississippi River for the FLW Championship down here. Iowa didn’t, so the anglers were only allowed to fish the Illinois side of the river.
If the cull rule was waved for the tourney that’s fine. If not. Anyone who culled should be DQed. Just my opinion.

This ought to be interesting, given the fact a tournament angler in MN was recently DQ’d for ‘tweeting’ during the tourney hours. Rules are rules, so it should be on the organization to enforce them.

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“I assume she was unaware of the no cull since the interview seems that she was so open with it”.

That is a good point, but for those that don’t know after the LaCrosse tourney this last spring she went to the then director Vern and wanted the top 10 finishers DQed for culling even tho she had NO proof they were doing so. She was a sore loser then and tried to use that rule to her advantage and now openly dose it herself and brags about it in the win. If she isn’t DQed I will never fish another ABA event again.

Just wondering out loud here. Has anyone tried to contact ABA? If so, what was their stance?

I called and asked them about it and was told they have had several calls and are looking into it. They were in the process of reviewing audio tap of the interview and after that they will speak to her two co-anglers. If found she was violating the law then she would have to return all proceeds received from the win. I was told if I wanted to follow up with them I could call back next week. I think everyone should call and voice a concern.

yep not good on her part i think.

Why is it “no cull”?

To make it easier for cheaters to win.

big G

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Why is it “no cull”?

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The law is written “On MN/WI boarder waters culling is illegal.” Just one of those laws that are on the book that no one can explain.

Since there was a 5 fish limit(1 short of a legal limit) is it really culling? Or rather putting a small fish back. I think the culling rule was started when a person still fishes with a legal limit(6 fish) in the boat. Technically if he catches another one, he’s over the limit. Thats why most tournaments are a 5 fish limit.Seems simple to me.

are you really serious big g you find me one tournament angler out there that does not cull in our regional events if you do ill buy you supper.

It’s a Bass tournament on the MN-WI boundary waters. The legal limit is 5.

Ha…. funny I didn’t know this. But I haven’t fished any tournaments on the river I guess. So once you have 5 fish in the box you basically should not even be fishing anymore?

ABA rewrites website release and drops ” Once I got a limit”

First it said: Once I got a limit I went looking for one or two big fish. I went to the bridge and caught my big one on the second cast. I culled four times the first day and 10 times the second day.”

It now says ” I went looking for one or two big fish. I went to the bridge and caught my big one on the second cast. I culled four times the first day and 10 times the second day.”

WOW, Whats up with this ABA. It seems like they are trying to cover it up or down play it. I sure am happy I saved a copy of the original post. Looks like it may come in handy.

Isn’t this the same person that filed a complaint with the tournament director after the first event in Lacrosse, that everyone that finished above her should take a lie detector test because she thinks they were all culling? (This is information that I heard as a co-angler at one of the previous events)

Yep same person. I was in that tourey and finished better than her and her co. That’s what has me so P.Oed over this.

I’ve never fished a bass tourney on the river, only walleyes…….but I’ve NEVER culled, not only is my reputation on the line, but it’s my integrity as well. I may not win for this reason but at least I know I didn’t cheat.

Most all competitors in the bass tourneys cull, it is just how it is. Stuff happens, get over it!!!

I’ve heard from several other fishermen who fished this event and said this issue came up in the pre-tourney meeting and the tourney director said it was OK to Cull ( Something about since the tourney site was on the Minnesota side ) If the ? was asked and the tourney director said it was OK to cull that is going to make a big difference on this.

Here is some updated Info. from the Bass Weekend series web site. It sounds like per both the Minnesota and the wisc. DNR that no law was broken:

(Editor’s Note): A couple of anglers (not related to this event) have called voicing that culling is not permitted on Minnesota water on the Mississippi River launching out of Minnesota.

ABA had a discussion with MN DNR information office and their representative explained the regulations. On Page 9 of the 2010 Minnesota DNR Fishing Regulation book Possession Limits and Culling is explained. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing2010.pdf

First it is important to understand what a legal possession limit is: Pg 9, line 23; The total number of fish possessed by the party may not exceed the combined limits of the numbers of the party. For this event BWS event the total party in possession limit would be 10. However, in BWS events the Boater is allowed 5 and the Co-Angler is allowed 3 for a total of 8. This means the party never reaches 10 the total number of fish allowed for their party according to Minnesota state regulation.

Second it is important to understand when culling/sorting is not allowed: Pg 9, line 30; Once a daily or possession limit of fish has been reached, no culling or live well sorting is allowed.

As explained by Minnesota DNR this means unless the total of fish in the boat reaches 10 (with 2 people in the boat) culling is permitted. The total possession limit of fish is never reached in a BWS event because we only allow 5 for the boater and 3 for the co-angler. Minnesota DNR confirms that “Once a daily or possession limit of fish has been reached, no culling or live well sorting is allowed.” means you can cull as long as you are under the legal possession limit of your party.

ABA also spoke with Wisconsin DNR as well and the Wisconsin DNR main office told us that with the tournament being out of Minnesota (Winona, MN) ramp their state laws would prevail even though while in Wisconsin waters you must obey Wisconsin regulations.

This actually is good news…

You must read page 58 of the rule book. What is posted above is for MN inland waters. On MN-WI boarder waters culling is illegel. Keep in mind the original press release she stated she had a limit and went looking for bigger fish. The ABA has since deleted that portion to try and cover it up. So even if the above was true she would still be illegel. Pluse ABA rules stat you may only have a tournement limit in your livewell. So you can’t have 10 fish beteewn the 2 anglers.

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Pluse ABA rules stat you may only have a tournement limit in your livewell. So you can’t have 10 fish beteewn the 2 anglers.

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Culling still keeps you at a tournament limit.

True slop bass but if you go by the post above about the inland water regs you cant have a limit in your boat if you cull. 5 is the limit and culling after haveing 5 fish is illegel. once you reach the posetion limit you can’t cull on inland waters….

agree, and obviously interpretation is the issue here…but the DNR is saying that if you go by “party/boat” limit, the fact that the tournament limit is 8, “possession limit” has not been reached…and only when possession limit is reached, does culling become illegal. Therefor no law was violated…

It’s as if they are throwing individual limits aside and using the entire boat limit….

also – the river isn’t inland waters…

That’s what I gather from the “official” ruling..

Interesting debate

Slop bass I agree with you in part. ABA rules state you may only have a tournement limit (5b&3co) for each competitor in the live well at any given time. So you can’t have more then 8 fish in the livewell. So a Coangler can never reach the legel limit however the boater once they reach that 5th fish cant cull. Eather way you look at it eather state law was violated or tournement rules were. Eather way it warrents a DQ.