Dead Bass Don't Count (DBDC) Rule

[sunnyday]

Seems like there's a lot more bass tournaments now compare to a few years ago. To keep the sport alive, everyone is encourage to keep all fish alive to be released after weigh-in so they can fight another day. What I'm seeing in a lot of tournaments is dead fish get a tiny weigh deduction and that's it. Why don't tournaments have a "dead bass don't count rule" or there are some already doing this? Maybe if all tournaments use a DBDC rule people would do whatever it takes to keep their fish alive if they want to win. Just want to see what everyone think. Share your opinion.

[Wanderer]

Fish mortality is inevtiable in at least some small percentage. Tournament anglers do take great pains to keep their fish healthy throughout the day out of both the concern for the fish's health and knowing that ALL ounces count at weigh in time.

You can lose a fish for a number of reasons that are somewhat out of your control but after you do the best you can to keep them healthy and one goes belly up, what then? If the fish isn't worth anything weight wise when it's dead, you've just raised the incentive to dead cull. Not a good idea. Sure, you can say a contestant is DQ'd if caught dead culling but just try to keep tabs on everyone and prove it afterward.

A nomimal penalty is incentive enough to keep them as healthy as possible.

[CAMAN]

I agree with Wanderer 100%. If you're not gonna get any weight for a dead fish you'd be better off throwing it away and finding another one, putting even more risk to the fishery.I think the only true way to reduce mortality rates is to use tape measure/camera style tournaments.