Well, B.A.S.S. got away with one this time, that’s for sure. Without question, most of the bass fishing community is chatting this week about the footage that appeared on TV last Sunday, covering the recent Alabama River event.

We had all heard about the pros “running the rapids” in 21-foot bass boats during the event, but to witness it on television was altogether different. Specifically, B.A.S.S. chose to run and re-run a clip of Jared Miller smashing up his rig in the rocks while being sucked downstream in the current. Wild stuff, for sure, but what the hosts didn’t comment on was the extreme danger that he put both himself and his ride-along marshal in at that moment, as did the other competitors who chose to fish in similar locations. I’ll bet things will be different next time the tour visits these trophy spotted-bass waters.

Just a few months ago, B.A.S.S. postponed a day of competition at the Falcon Lake Elite event due to wind. Rick Clunn commented that, back in the day, tournaments were never postponed or cancelled due to weather. Competitors were expected to take whatever Mother Nature dished out.

But in today’s world of marshals, cameramen in the boats and television production, entire crews of people are considered. In Clunn’s words, it wasn’t for the safety of him that the event was delayed; it was for the safety of the entire crew.

I guess safety wasn’t at the top of the list, though, when B.A.S.S. released the competitors at the Alabama River and allowed them to fish within a few yards of a 125-foot dam with 15-plus open floodgates. Anyone who watched the footage can see that Miller’s marshal was tossed around the boat, and that, after the boat’s initial impact, the vessel itself was entirely helpless in the current and could have been completely flooded at any time. In the event of that occurrence, most likely the boat would have immediately capsized, with all occupants having a near zero-chance of survival in current that strong. Oh, but wind can be risky, too.

Bassmaster TV made sure they captured some of the reckless moments and showed us every slow-motion replay we could stand. I don’t’ blame them – that stuff was ultra-cool. And I don’t blame the competitors involved one bit. I’ve said it time and again: These guys are going to do everything in their power to catch the biggest bag of fish possible in the designated tournament waters. That’s their job, and most of them are willing to take extreme risks to both their equipment and personal safety in order to get the job done.

Hey, life can be tough – ask the guys on Deadliest Catch. That’s why they get the big bucks. And B.A.S.S. pairs these guys up with marshals and cameramen who fully expect brutal boat rides and extreme weather. But to subject them to the risks involved in the waters below the Jordan Dam was asinine.

A few of you know that I have some personal experience running bass boats in harrowing conditions. And in 2006, I competed in an event that, based on the experience of literally hundreds of events across the Great Lakes, I can safely say was the roughest tournament in history. That’s a story for another time.

But on the first day of that '06 event, B.A.S.S. released the competitors in the Northern Open into conditions that seriously jeopardized our lives. Following that tournament day, B.A.S.S. officially elected to cancel day 2 (which was actually calmer than day 1).

In any case, B.A.S.S. got away with one during the first day of that event. I guarantee they counted and re-counted the competitor’s check-in floats that day, ensuring safe arrival of all contestants. Since that time, B.A.S.S. has regularly canceled select stormy days of Great Lakes events.

Oftentimes we’ll see off-limits areas in tournaments as well, some mandated by state or federal regulations, others by the tournament organizations themselves. Truthfully, I’m surprised more local regulations don’t exist below our featured dam. I’m certainly not suggesting more regulation come from that direction (I’m picturing an Alabama River local fisherman right now, with a custom welded jet boat, ready to kill me if I suggested that). But the tournament directors need to make special considerations for their events, without question.

Elite Series Rule C5 broadly states that “safe boat conduct must be observed at all times by competitors.” What we saw went above and beyond “safe boat conduct” for a whitewater raft guide, let alone a bass fisherman.

(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.)