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Major League Fishing Reverses Zack Birge Penalty

BENTON, Ky. (June 12, 2024) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced Wednesday that it is reversing a penalty that was assessed on Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma, during Sunday’s final round of Bass Pro Tour Stage Five on the Chowan River. MLF is reinstating the weight of seven bass that were removed from SCORETRACKER®. The weight – 14 pounds, 13 ounces – moves Birge from eighth to seventh place in the final standings.While it was ruled that Birge violated Bass Pro Tour rule 18 A, which prohibits an angler from leaving his boat to make it more accessible to fishing waters, it was subsequently determined that he did so with the understanding that permission had been granted by the tournament director and assistant tournament director.Birge asked for permission to remove his drain plug so that his boat would temporarily fill with water, float lower and pass under a bridge to access water that he had not previously fished. The question was asked Sunday morning prior to takeoff, and permission was granted by the tournament director, as this is not a rule violation. Birge was not reminded at the time, however, that he could not exit his boat per rule 18 A to remove the drain plug. The tournament director operated under the incorrect assumption that Birge could reach the plug and remove it without leaving his boat, and Birge understood the ruling to mean that he could enter the water and remove his drain plug so long as he didn’t let go of the boat.“After investigating the incident, it is clear that MLF tournament officials contributed to the violation,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President and General Manager. “As such, it is unfair for us to hold an angler responsible for a violation when our actions and inactions implied express permission. We are therefore reinstating the weight of the bass Birge caught after passing under the low-hanging bridge.”The assistant tournament director was the official in the boat with Birge at the time of the incident, and he did not immediately inform Birge that exiting his boat to remove his drain plug in this situation constituted a rule violation. If he had, the situation could have been resolved in real time.  “Mistakes were made,” Fennel said. “Our team has learned from them to make sure they do not happen again.”Updated results from Bass Pro Tour Stage Five are as follows:1st:         Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., 22 bass, 58-14, $100,0002nd:        Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 18 bass, 44-14, $45,0003rd:        Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 20 bass, 41-14, $38,0004th:         Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 12 bass, 36-1, $32,0005th:         Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 12 bass, 31-4, $30,0006th:         Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas, 13 bass, 31-0, $26,0007th:         Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 12 bass, 26-5, $23,0008th:         Matt Becker, Ten Mile, Tenn., seven bass, 25-10, $21,0009th:         Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn., six bass, 11-8, $19,00010th:       Fred Roumbanis, Russellville, Ark., three bass, 9-15, $16,000

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