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[djkimmel]

FLW Outdoors News

Ramsey Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Michigan Division On Grand River

Boater Randy Ramsey of Battle Creek, Mich., caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces July 30 to win $3,028 plus a $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus and a $1,000 Mercury bonus in the Walmart BFL Michigan Division tournament on the Grand River. Ramsey was jig fishing and drop-shotting an Erie Darter to catch his limit.

Read complete story on GreatLakesBass.com Tournament News

[fasttrack]

Sweet! The Grand is no longer a connected river and/or drop shotting is perfectly legit. If its fine with BFL it should be fine with anyone - no more debate!

[djkimmel]

I wouldn't be so sure he fished the Grand River but I would expect that the latest FLW Outdoors tournament director is not completely up on some of our more odd regulations. If Randy didn't say where he fished, then the tournament director wouldn't be able to make a ruling on it even if he was aware of the weirdness of drop-shotting being illegal.

Maybe Randy used a 3" leader? Some of the FLW staff are aware of the drop-shot rule too so there are a number of possibilities. I consider it not important enough to get very excited about it. Anymore than I got excited when Larry Nixon admitted his winning bass he caught on St. Clair in the Bassmaster years ago was foul-hooked.

It shouldn't have counted by I'm glad I'm not the tournament director who, after announcing he won, found that out and then had to pull him aside and say 'you didn't win' because you didn't catch that bass legally. They were looser on local regs even back then. They try to be tougher but they still don't always know all the local regs - though they should, especially the uncommon rules limited to the rarely-fished Northern states.

[fasttrack]

Agreed Dan, the rule is crazy anyways. Just seemed a little risky to even discuss it. Even it he ran somewhere, anywhere he ran would be a connecting waterway and open for debate. I think they should add language about 'intent' and just let those who want to drop shot a dock for bass in 6'-8' in July with a med light rod do so w/o rigging a crazy 3' leader. Randy is a veteran angler who has fished the west side for years so I'm sure he did everything right.

[dominater]

He could have fished a drop shot legally on Lake Michigan.

[djkimmel]

You can also fish a drop shot legally on Spring Lake and Bear Lake. There's several possibilities. I'm not sure if he would tell me if I asked He's a pretty competitive person. There's certain secrets he might not want to talk about.

There at least one other alternative drop shot rig I've used that are legal that works fairly well too.