When Fishermen Cheat - lake Erie

[MBHunter]

I fished and won the shoal lake bass tournament with my brother in the summer and it was stressful enough just going in for the weigh in. Never mind knowing you stuffed the fish with lead.

Apparently the police were involved after.


Long version
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mdsVAu5iDzc

Short version
https://www.tiktok.com/@emeraldcoastkayakfishing/video/7149364237960531246?_t=8W8j9nsVuws&_r=1

[dino]

Sounds like he was just an unvaccinated fisherman.

[BRvalley]

they were DQ'ed at the 2021 Fall Brawl tourney after one of them failed a polygraph, but I don't think any fish were cut open then, and I think they were in process of a lawsuit....and even before that DQ they've won some big money tourneys in past few years, and guys were already suspicious

12 oz egg sinkers in a walleye is freakin gutsy, guys were nuts to think they'd get away with that

[adriaticum]

Ha,ha I saw this. I wonder how they figured it out. LOL

[BRvalley]

other anglers raised suspicion, from previous events....and especially after the other DQ and all that other drama, competitors were calling them out

it's a game of ounces over 3 or 4 days that pays out hundreds of thousands, doesn't take much to see something was drastically off.....here are 99 other teams, with walleye limits all in the 25-30" range, 16-22 lbs.....here is the tourney leaders, with the exact same bag of cookie cutter, same year class fish.....15lbs heavier than the rest of the field....as I heard in the commentary "there ain't no way that's 32 lbs"

it was ballsy to even try that, it was either 8 or 12 oz egg sinkers I saw that came out, two per stomach I think it was.....if they were slightly more modest and used 1 or 2 oz weights, they might have got away with this one.....their past winning bags weren't so dramatically heavier, but they found some consistent success which is very hard to do on these circuits...they can never prove what was done in the past, but this incident should be the end of their tourney career and sponsorships

[2tins]

Hahahahahahaahaaaaaaaaaaa
sounds like he was just an unvaccinated fisherman.

[Gateholio]

You would think that all contests like this they would make in mandatory to cut open the winning fish?

[Bugle M In]

You would think that all contests like this they would make in mandatory to cut open the winning fish?
I thought they would also!!!
With that kind of money to win.

I remember the old Beachcombers series on tv and an episode where there was a salmon derby and Relic was stuffing banana weights down the salmons throat!

Its such an old cheat that I can comprehend that in todays world they wouldn’t do that.
Granted, I think some tourneys the fish are to be kept alive.
Dont quote me on that though.

[SeaScene]

Live wells in the boats. Live wells at weigh in. Live wells in release pontoon boats. Fished tourneys in the 80's pro bass circuit Ontario. There were cheaters. They got caught. No publicity the way sponsors wanted. Those guys just never showed up again. Got off way too easy. Great camaraderie, beer tents, small town hotel bars. All tainted because of the sh*t heads out there and BTW ... they are everywhere in every activity and the real pro thieves can be seen daily very visible....wearing suits and ties on city streets.

[Edzzed]

If I am correct, I remember a story in the news regarding the Vancouver Sun salmon derby where one prize winner was found to have cheated with a fish that had previously been frozen. Google did not find the article but it did find this one https://vancouversun.com/news/this-week-in-history-1967-scandal-hits-the-sun-salmon-derby-winner-winds-up-in-jail
Says me, It should be in the rules that any prize winner forfeits their fish for examination. Or at the very least it be cut open and samples of the flesh taken. Not even sure how one could tell a fish was previously frozen. For the guy caught cheating. Talk about a deer in the head lights. As one can imagine. He is going to be shamed everywhere he goes.

[MBHunter]

"Hey Jerry, that 15" walleye should come in a 2 lbs... whhhhhhaaaatt 5.25 lbs... nice!"

What can we put in the fish to gain some weight? Got any bait? Nah... here's my pliers and weights lol

[Bugle M In]

Maybe if caught cheating in a tourney they have to forfeit boat truck gear etc:shock:

[BRvalley]

https://fox8.com/email-alerts/breaking-news-email-alerts/boat-trailer-seized-from-man-accused-of-cheating-in-walleye-tournament/?fbclid=IwAR2Z-tjwtvCCV-3CoAXu5Au5rq91xnYZO0ondHV5rFBallD2jIcJpSG71bk

justice is slowly coming, for this most recent tourney anyways