As many of you likely know by now, South Carolina angler Bryan New was disqualified from the St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by SEVIIN held March 7-9 on the Santee Cooper Lakes.
New was reported by fellow competitor Andrew Upshaw for violating Rule C7 of the Bassmaster Opens Series, the Angler Code of Conduct, specifically, for intentionally interfering with an angler’s ability to compete.
According to B.A.S.S. officials — and by New’s own admission on his social media platforms — he fished unsuccessfully for a bedding bass on Day 2. When he gave up, he intentionally muddied the water over the bass’s bed in hopes of coming back and catching it later. This was deemed an egregious violation because it created an obvious obstacle for other competitors.
Disqualifications are a common thing in bass fishing. But what sets B.A.S.S. apart from other trails is the thorough appeals process the organization makes available to a DQd angler.
It works like this:
A protest must be reported in writing. Upshaw originally reported the act to Tournament Director Hank Weldon by phone but then submitted a written protest when he was informed of that rule.
No tournament director at B.A.S.S. wants to disqualify someone recklessly. So, Weldon did his due diligence. He tracked down the angler who was allegedly inhibited by New’s acts, along with that angler’s co-angler and Upshaw’s co-angler. He had them all issue written statements to provide as clear a view of the situation as possible.
Keeping with B.A.S.S. protocol, Weldon advised New of the protest by phone with another official, B.A.S.S. Vice President of Tournaments Chris Bowes, on the call. Weldon said New admitted immediately to doing what Upshaw said, though he claimed — and still maintains —he had no idea it was an illegal act.
“He was allowed to appeal because it wasn’t a black-and-white rules violation,” Weldon said. “He wasn’t going 56 in a 55-mph zone. He didn’t catch a bedding bass that was hooked outside the mouth. There was some subjectivity, some room for interpretation.”
New was issued a DQ letter, initiating a 48-hour period during which he could request an appeal. While this was going on, information on the matter was strategically withheld from tournament officials Lisa Talmadge, GL Compton and Glenn Cale. That’s done so they’ll come into any possible appeals hearing with zero preconceived notions.
Talmadge became the moderator of the appeal. She picked two anglers who were not part of the tournament and one B.A.S.S. employee outside the Tournament department to join the panel.
In front of that panel, New and Weldon each issued opening statements, followed by statements from key witnesses and questions from the panel. A majority vote would have upheld the DQ. But within 20 minutes, a unanimous vote was reached to uphold.
It doesn’t always work that way. Think back to 2022 when Kayak Series winner Drew Gregory was DQd only to have it overturned through the same appeals process.
It’s a shame there ever has to be a disqualification. But every angler should be comforted by the fact that a detailed appeals process is in place — and it’s available to all anglers who believe they need it.