Cheating in tournaments

[Luke512]

Just wondering.... Do you guys think cheating goes on in tournaments, and if so - how often? I just have always wondered, I mean I know most tourneys they do livewell checks before launch. But two boats with two different teams that knew each other - one boat could have 2 big ones, and the other could have 3 big ones, and with cell phones they could easily call each other - meet up on the lake before weigh in, and put all 5 in ones livewell, and split the money when they won. I've also wondered if anyone tie's up fish (and if they'd even live if they were tied up). I've always wondered this - because I've images several tourney's where the bite was slow as he** for us the whole tourney and we were lucky to have 1-2 keepers, and then go to weigh in and someone will have a 15-20lb bag. I know sometimes you just don't fish the right spot and someone else does, but just makes you wonder. I was talking to a buddy tonight who said he was fishing a tourney and hooked a small dog cage that had padding inside and 2 big bass. He said he untied it, let the fish loose, and sunk the cage. I could never bring myself to do this, if I win I want it to be because I fish the best, not cause I'm a **** cheater and greedy for money. Just wondered what everyone else thought, how much do you think it actually ones on? If I were to ever catch someone doing it, it'd be hard not for me to get in trouble!

[Luke512]

Sorry a few typos.... "been in" not "images" - and "goes on" not "ones". I hate predicted text. Lol

[RIBLUEFISH]

If there is money involved someone is always going to look for an edge, legal or not. The scenario you mention where 2 boats meet and swap fish would be easy to do especially at a night tourney. I think what happens more is that guys get info from friends that fish during the week on specific spots and patterns. There are alot of guys that do put their time on the water and can just flat out catch them though.

[bigwormy]

My buddy and I were on yatesville lake about 10 years ago and were cranking a cut back in greenbrier creek.he hooked a rope and we pulled up a 50 gallon plastic cand with a door built on it. There were no fish in it at the time as there were no tourneys taking place.

[Swift1]

Cheating..... a good question and some great scenarios. Can people do it ? absolutely no doubt, do many people do it? I personally don't think so. Why do I not think a man or two men or four men as your question asked would do it. Here is my thought process ...I fish on a regular basis Taylorsville lake were the average tourney pays out $600.00 to win. If you put your time in and fish the tournaments for years you come to realize that the average guy there owns his own business or is connected and employed by or with a group of guys affiliated with some major employer for example in the Louisville area : Ford motor , Yum or GE. So, here comes one of the afore mentioned fellas and he is going to risk his life , legacy and name for $600.00 ............................?? I cant reasonably think he or he and a buddy or he and his boys would do that, maybe I live in a different world and I am naive. Being a self employed person , for the last 20 years trying to build my name and reputation as a home builder and human being , would I consider for 6 million dollars let alone 600.00 to throw away all of that???? To me that is ludicrous......... With all that being said have there been times when I have had my butt kicked so bad on a lake that I feel I know its in's out's as good as anyone alive my answer would be "YES" Does that make the team that beat me cheaters.......??? Playing the odds and probable causes , I think not. Do people cheat ?? Every day at every thing, do they last long and more importantly do they ever REALLY win , I think not. Like I always think , I am not fishing against a single person or team during a tourney , I am fishing against the fish and most of the time as bad as I hate to admit it , I cant outsmart one of Gods little creatures with a brain the size of a pea.................what does say for me ?? Jarrod

[procraft 192 super pro]

Cheating..... a good question and some great scenarios. Can people do it ? absolutely no doubt, do many people do it? I personally don't think so. Why do I not think a man or two men or four men as your question asked would do it. Here is my thought process ...I fish on a regular basis Taylorsville lake were the average tourney pays out $600.00 to win. If you put your time in and fish the tournaments for years you come to realize that the average guy there owns his own business or is connected and employed by or with a group of guys affiliated with some major employer for example in the Louisville area : Ford motor , Yum or GE. So, here comes one of the afore mentioned fellas and he is going to risk his life , legacy and name for $600.00 ............................?? I cant reasonably think he or he and a buddy or he and his boys would do that, maybe I live in a different world and I am naive. Being a self employed person , for the last 20 years trying to build my name and reputation as a home builder and human being , would I consider for 6 million dollars let alone 600.00 to throw away all of that???? To me that is ludicrous......... With all that being said have there been times when I have had my butt kicked so bad on a lake that I feel I know its in's out's as good as anyone alive my answer would be "YES" Does that make the team that beat me cheaters.......??? Playing the odds and probable causes , I think not. Do people cheat ?? Every day at every thing, do they last long and more importantly do they ever REALLY win , I think not. Like I always think , I am not fishing against a single person or team during a tourney , I am fishing against the fish and most of the time as bad as I hate to admit it , I cant outsmart one of Gods little creatures with a brain the size of a pea.................what does say for me ?? Jarrod

so with all that said you can't catch a fish and you have a pea brain.lol squirrel

[numbuts]

its happened before BASS even caught one of their so called pros doing it in a major tourny had a write up in Bassmaster magizne about it a couple of years ago he even brought the fish to the scales with the leash still attached . Had the guy aressted and banned from tournys for life.

[SteveM4A1]

I would bet people cheat more than you think. Just look at the ones that are known at the top level of the sport. I think cheating can be a real problem at the club level. I would say as you move up the tier, it is less and less likely, even though it does still occur. But just because you don't even get a bite doing what you think is the exact same thing the winner did who had 14 lbs does not mean they are cheating. A lot of guys are just that good. Happens to me every tournament

[Les Young]

I very seriously doubt there are nearly as many cheaters as most think. Back before the drawdown of Cumberland a very good 90 % of the time I had no problem weighing in a limit in the Burnside Island tournaments& most times had a good one in the running for big fish & when you weigh a limit in with a good solid kicker in a very high percentage of tournaments you are going to win several & I for a fact know that I'm not very good. I fished more then than I do now & I could figured them a lot better thanks to time on the water period. With the rise in water & only getting to fish on the weekend & kind of fishing blind in tournaments I sure can't do it now. There also are fisherman that get talked about behind their backs & silently accused of cheating because they simply are that good. That's why several of those better fishermen fish the higher entry fee tournaments that a lot of the smaller entry fee guys don't enter as they don't want anyone to get butt hurt when they show up. One of the best sticks on Cumberland & Dale Hollow doesn't fish the small tournaments simply because of this & I for a fact know he is simply that good as I've been in the boat with him a bunch of times & he's without a doubt the best day in day out fisherman I've ever known by far. Cheating happens form time to time without a doubt, but most are simply in it for the competition & adreniline rush at blast off & way to proud to stoop so low. Some like myself that aren't good enough to compete at the level of the sure enough good fishermen start getting aggravated & start running mouths & next thing you know old so & so is a cheat. Most boats don't come close to weighing in a limit in the ones I fish, but yet come back week after week to donate as I do. It's just another extension of our high dollar hobby for most. I personally have never fished a tournament that I thought for a second the winners cheated & I've fished a bunch of them.Most times every weekend all summer long year after year.

[Barry2780]

When you fish against people that has fished these lakes all there life and they know how to adapt to the fish and when they have all day or night to figure them out they will catch them usually every tournament.

[Luveatnbass]

If you are afraid of cheaters, dont fish any small bass clubs. In my opinion and the suspicious activity that I have seen in the past from a particular club I used to fish, there was definitely some cheating going on. I never had any concrete evidence to accuse someone of cheating.

The funny thing was, several times they tried to get away with it it broad daylight! Oh, and they always wanted to be the ones to measure and weigh the fish. LOL

The club had the rediculous rule of allowing members to weigh-in 5 kentucky bass over 12". You can bet at every weigh-in the same guys were trying to pass largemouth bass as ky bass. EVERY TIME! And they were successful on many occasions.

Another time I was forced to release one of my fish back because they said it was short (12 1/8 inches at the river). they never tried to make it touch (because they were leading at the time) and thats when another member snatched the fish from them to measure it for me and forced them off the scales. LOL

The same guys, at a different tournament, plopped their tiny 3 fish down on the scale to jump the weight up and quickly removed calling their weight of over 7lbs. Everybody just kinda had a funny look on their face and then finally someone stood up to make them reweigh their fish at a little over 3lbs.

Oh, and they are still fishing with the same group of guys in another club. They are not in charge of weighing in fish, but who knows what they are doing out on the water.

It is too easy to get away with it on the small club level. Stick with usa bassin or renegade and you should be fine. That is just my opinion.

Moral of the story, stay away from small bass clubs if you dont know everyone like your best friend.

[harryprocraft]

in my experience even the smallest of clubs or the biggest of tourney have a way to protest a team or person if you think they are cheating. Some of the problems are people don't put their time in on the water to figure the fish out.(which I am one) but when they don't catch fish or they think something is not on the up and up they think someone is cheating. I for one don't think that way. I do know where money is being won and lost then some will take a short cut.
I find many people do not speak up at the tourney or to some ones face they start the rumor mill.

After all is said and done if you think its happening either speak up or don't fish with them