The pro seasons are up and running, leaving us plenty to talk about. This week, a huge congratulations goes to Dave Lefebre for again proving why he is one of the best ever to compete on the FLW Tour. On the heels of a disappointing season, it appears Lefebre’s back with a vengeance.

I feel the need to backtrack a bit, though, and discuss the outcome of the Bassmaster Elite Series disqualification at the Sabine River, as Mike Kernan won his appeal. Such a result may very well be the first in pro bass history.

Both Kernan and original accuser Dennis Tietje joined the cast of Mike Iaconelli’s podcast Ike Live! earlier this week, where they told their unfiltered stories of the events that transpired. I listened carefully and jotted a few notes. Animosity was noticeably high, but I feel we got the real scoop.

After listening to both sides of the story, dozens of unanswered questions came through my mind. There were just so many things that seemed fishy. Here’s a few taken directly from my note pad:

> Tietje made several claims that the area in question was a known bass producer – and well-known to be private. In fact, he was evidently so impressed by the spot, he asked managers several weeks in advance if the area would be open to fishing. Yet, Tietje also claimed that the area manager did not inform him of Kernan’s entrance until well after the fact, on Friday evening (day 2). If this place was so great, and so top secret, wouldn’t Kernan’s presence be front-page news immediately?

> Tietje mentions that two anglers were “run out” of the area in question – Kernan and Nate Wellman. Yet Kernan’s was the only catch disqualified. Why not Wellman’s? I checked with B.A.S.S. and they made it clear that any further reports of rules violations would have been investigated accordingly.

> Several times it’s been noted that the private property maps given to the Sabine River competitors were incorrect. It’s also been noted that the website the competitors were instructed to was very confusing and also came with a credibility disclaimer. Yet, we keep hearing that “competitors are responsible for knowing the boundaries.” How is that possible without a definitive resource to refer to?

> Can a competitor protest a catch from the day before? It was my understanding that most major tournament organizations require the protest immediately following weigh-in. FLW’s policy is that protests must be filed right after competition on the same day a rule is violated. Is that not the case on the Elite Series? Again, after checking, it appears each case is handled as it is received. I can understand that B.A.S.S. wants to be absolutely sure it investigates any rule infringement, but should there be a cut-off?

> Finally, since when is second-hand information grounds for disqualification? If my uncle is fishing from his pontoon boat and claims he saw a guy running down the lake without his life jacket on in practice, can I now report that competitor on grounds for disqualification? Am I required to? Where will this end?

All of these and many, many more questions bounced through my head as I contemplated my stance on this subject. But, then it occurred to me all of these issues were really irrelevant, right? Kernan had won the appeal process.

By including a structured process of appeal, along with an impartial ruling body, B.A.S.S. took the high road and offered the affected angler the chance to clear his name and be granted his prize. This took a lot of guts on the part of the tournament organization and should be commended.

But I feel that by overturning the initial decision, the appeals committee determined the penalty was unjust. Perhaps Kernan was still in the wrong, perhaps not. Maybe his ability to determine legal fishing water was simply not cut-and-dried. Regardless, reinstitution of Kernan’s weight makes everything else immaterial, and the matter is settled.

Or is it?

Kernan was awarded the 12th-place position in the standings for the Sabine event, along with the associated prize money and points. Although he could have very well finished much higher, he also could have bombed and finished lower, so 12th seems as fair as possible.

But, whether due to malicious intent or extreme irony, Kernan’s day-1 DQ resulted in Dennis Tietje making the cut, and later finishing 33rd. Therefore by doing so, all competitors below 33rd essentially moved down one slot. In essence, with BOTH Kernan and Tietje being awarded their respective places and points, we’ve got one too many guys in the cut.

As a result, numerous fishermen will have acquired one fewer point in the Angler of they Year and Classic race than they should have at the end of the year.

But that shouldn’t come into play, right? I mean, how often does one lousy point make a difference?

Last year, it was two.

I just learned that B.A.S.S. has now moved Tietje back to 54th place, where he was before all of this started. And for his awarded prize money? It sounds like he’s giving it back.

But the overlying question remains: Why in the world was such a location chosen for a tournament if so many gray areas existed? It’s my understanding that bass tournaments are best held on venues that represent few challenges in regard to rulings, and the best potential for crowd interaction and support. The Sabine River appears to bring neither to the table. In fact, numerous competitors have expressed very vocal opinions on how lousy the Sabine is for a venue, with some going as far as to express legitimate concerns about their safety.

I don’t schedule bass tournaments, and I realize that hundreds of hours go into the marketing, planning and coordination of such events. But I know one thing: The first concern with such an undertaking, before weigh-in locations and adequate lodging are considered, should be the tournament waters themselves – their boundaries and their fishability.

It’s easy for us all to look in from afar and scream foul. It’s a much different story when you’re the tournament director receiving a call about a competitor fishing or navigating in waters deemed off-limits. Yesterday.

But these things need to be examined well in advance of the occurrence. Venues and boundaries must be considered as well as resources for the fishermen to use that prove, beyond any doubt, the legality of their chosen fishing locations.

In addition, a statute of limitations must exist for any rule infringements to be reported, and must be held to. Yes, if you report an angler for yesterday’s foul, it will be turned away.

This is likely the stickiest situation I’ve seen since beginning my opinionated work here on BassFan. Truthfully, it’s been one of the most difficult to deal with. I hope, if nothing else, it leads to conversation that leads to fair treatment of the anglers and the betterment of the sport.

(Joe Balog is the often outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)