Disqualifications can happen a couple of ways in sports events. One way is if competitors are caught blatantly cheating, knowingly breaking written rules. Another is by mere accident, simply not knowing the exact rules. 

The latter seems to be the case in this story.

During a recent college bass tournament, the MLF 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship at Lake Toho Florida, two of the competing teams were disqualified. After evidence was presented to the tournament director, the teams of Brandon Berry and Hunter Bright of the University of Montevallo, as well as Braxon Hightower and Luke Wenger from the Dallas Baptist University were deemed to have violated rule No. 12. This rule states that “Alabama rigs and similar umbrella-type rigs are limited to a maximum of five wires with a maximum of five spinners, five lures and three hooks (single or treble) unless state regulations are more restrictive, in which case state regulations prevail.”

Although we couldn’t dig up the actual infractions of this rule, we’ll assume it was something easily overlooked and was a simple mistake.

After the event, tournament director Kevin Hunt stated “This is tragic for both teams who inadvertently violated the rule,” however, we have an obligation to our anglers and the sport to enforce the rules, in letter and intent, without exception. We encourage all our anglers to know and understand the rules for each circuit and tournament they participate in and to adhere to those rules to ensure a quality tournament.”

Here’s the story on the MLF site: https://majorleaguefishing.com/college/two-teams-disqualified-from-abu-garcia-college-fishing-national-championship/