B.A.S.S. officials announced today that, after an extensive investigation and appeals process, Tucker Smith’s Day 2 catch disqualification from the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula has been upheld. Smith finished in seventh place.
The disqualification was handed down based on a violation of the Angler Code of Conduct (Section 7 of the Bassmaster Opens Series rules) which lists among the examples of unacceptable behavior by competitors in B.A.S.S. events: “Interfering with a fellow angler’s ability to compete.”
Smith’s appeal was heard today by a three-person panel which included an Elite Series angler and a Bassmaster Opens angler — neither of whom competed in the 2023 Eufaula Open — and a B.A.S.S. employee who is not part of the Tournaments Department.