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  1. #1
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    Tournament cheating

    Just wondering what everybody's thoughts are on the frequency of cheating in tournaments. Most threaten live well checks and polygraph tests but except for the biggies they rarely happen. I don't worry so much about the biggies. It's the smaller club or open tournaments that concern me. I know there are a lot of really good fisherman out there but sometimes the winning string seems unrealistic. I'm certainly not accusing anyone but I do know that I've had fisherman offer me money for big bass that they saw me catch. And I've seen boats passing fish from one to the other. And on one occasion a few years ago, I snagged an underwater basket back in a creek that had a 5 lb. largemouth in it.

    So, how often do we think it happens?
    What can realistically be done to prevent it, or can it be prevented?

    Just wondering. I'm new to tourney fishing and I hope that no one is offended by this post because I know 99.9% of the fisherman I personally know would not cheat. what would be the point? We're really not in it for the money, we just love to compete and love to fish.

  2. #2
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    Just assume that all buddy tournaments have cheaters and sometimes they will get the money. Should be more difficult to cheat in a draw tourney.

  3. #3
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    Tournament cheating

    Sounds right. Thanks. I really hadn't thought of that (concerning draws).

  4. #4
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    I would say it happens more often than anyone thinks especially in open buddy tourney's. My opinion on it is if you have to cheat you are not any good anyway and you shouldn't be fishing to start with. I have never cheated I have had the chance to, but if I can't win fairly (Not that I win alot or anything)I would just sell all my stuff and just quit fishing!!!

  5. #5
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    My thoughts are the same as mine. I caught someone redhanded once and that ended my tournament fishing as much. All i fish now is some open tournaments. I fished the first tournaments that was fished on Herrington Lake and it was the best of times. No fighting arguing and or cursing each other out. At the weigh ins was almost like a party. We all trusted one another. But as the years past it just seems it all kept getting worse. I have never cheated in a tournament. However, after winning about 6 in a row with big fish the fingers started pointing. So with that and the cheating that goes on I threw in the towel. Another reason for quiting though was i just done to much of it and kinda got burnt out. My thoughts and opinions. I do believe there is very few out there that does cheat and i just wish all could be that way.

    Dennis

  6. #6
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    The other tough thing is it seems very difficult to actually catch somebody cheating or prove what happens, especially in a situation of fish swapping. I've been in a few tourneys recently where several of the participants thougth another boat was swapping fish or cheating to get their weights. Problem is that unless you have solid proof, you never know and it would be a shame if the guys had legitimately caught their fish only to be accused of being cheater because they were good enough those days to dust the rest of us.

    So how does one go about catching a cheater??? Thats the real question here in my mind.

    Doc

  7. #7
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    It's almost impossible to prove tournament cheating. Even if you video someone taking fish out a basket or taking fish from someone else, you'd still have to prove that the fish at the weigh in were those actual fish. You'd almost have to be in the boat with them start to finish to legally prove cheating.

    Well let's say you cut someone's fish open at the weigh in, and a pound of split shot fell out. That would prove it right? Not necessarily. Even then it seems to me you'd have to prove the person weighing the fish was the person who stuffed the shot down it.

    Common sense tells you cheating is going on in both cases, but proving it beyond doubt is another thing.

  8. #8
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    I never would fish T's until this year. I got lucky had a good partner and won the first T I ever fished. I would not cheat for any amount of money. I have seen sign, or what I felt were signs of cheating before. I found a fish basket in Barton's Run once, no fish in it, but it was there can not say for sure maybe for something else.
    I have until a month ago never told this one to anyone, not even my closest friends or my fishing partner (sorry Ranger492). I was waiting to see if it happened again or someone said something. I found two bass, 4-5 lbs tied up in Dogcreek last year the night before a big T, will not name which one. The fish were tied up funny, not in a basket. The fish had been tied to, root or limb of a tree about 2-3 inches out of the water. The fish had a small hole punched thru the top portion of the gill plate about 1/2" in from the edge. There was a fairly large latch pin (diaper pin type) inserted thru the hole. That was attached to a very large swivel attached to a nylon twine, like trot line, about 6 to 7 feet long. The fish could not have been on there long the area around the hole was not bloody like a fish gets when placed on a stringer. It may not get bloody thru the gill plate like it would thru the lower jaw, I do not know. I know this the could use thier gills and swim about freely to the length of the cord. I assume that they were placed there for the T if they were HAHAH got you, if not I am sorry I turned your fish loose. I still have the pins and swivels somewhere the fish swam quietly away.





  9. #9
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    Exactly Jim thats why i didnt say nothing when i caught someone.

    Dennis

  10. #10
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    Fished Guist Creek earlier this year and water was extemely muddy almost pea soup. I was using a very distinct color spinnerbait that is not common and managed to catch a few keepers. Caught a nice 3 1/2 pounder with an audience of a boat with 2 guys and as I was getting ready to release he asked me how much do I want for him. I said what, and he said "We are in a tournament and have not seen much less caught a fish all day" I told him that would not be fair to the other competitors and released the fish. I even posted back then on this board about this exact experience. I believe that it was posted 3 lbs won one of the 2 tournaments that day so if these guys were in that tourney they would have won it with the fish that I caught. I have only fished in a couple of tournaments but believe that cheating does go on. Whenever there is competition and money involved there will always be someone trying to take a short cut for the glory and bucks. It is in every sport known to man and probably since the beginning of time. Some are worse than others.

    Tight Lines

  11. #11
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    It sure does ##### to think cheating goes on in the sport of bass fishing...I suppose it's entirely possible that it happens, it happens in every other dag gone sport. As for me, I don't fish tournaments, I never have but it doesn't mean I never will. I certainly don't have anything against tournaments, in fact I like going to the weigh-ins just to see what was caught. In all truthfulness how could one man look another man in the eye while accepting a check for largest fish or most pounds? But like I said, I guess it happens...

  12. #12
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    RE: Tournament cheating

    Well, what I'm getting here is what I suspected anyway. A few bad apples are going to cheat and there's not much you can do about it. Very discouraging for a new tourney angler. I do enjoy the tournaments and most the guys in it are cool. A few frown on me because I have earrings and tats but hey, that's everywhere. Guess I'll look for a club that works on a partner draw and can tolerate body piercings/tats, who knows, I could be the next Iaconelli. lol

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