Tournament cheating

[James]

How you ask? Because the state of man in this mucked up world we live in is do whatever and the easiest. Hard work and truth only keeps you in second anymore. Im like all the guys on here, i love to fish and love to fish tournies, but i wouldnt cheat to win. What does that make me? Hell if i wanted to do that, every fish i boated, id just slide a 1 oz lead down its throat. WHat does that prove, you are good at bending the rules? Point is, society thinks money, and peoples greed makes them do anything needed to win. Sad but true, too bad this breed of person is in a boat and a tournament near you!

[bigwormy]

found a 55 gallon drum tied up in yatesville lake one time. was running a crankbait in a cut and got snagged up. well it kept coming with me and when i pulled it up it was snagged on a rope hooked to the drum.

[steve604]

ranimated, I'm 54 years old and got my first tattoo last week. Find guys who judge you on who you are and not how you look. Tell the rest to kiss your bass!

Steve

[HURRICANEBOB]

James,
I find your ethics very refreshing, and I agree with you. Just too many folks nowadays, in all walks of life take the easy way out. And I also agree, I'd rather be second with a clear conscinece, than first by a cheat.

Dangerous job, but somebody has to do it. Next time I hear a high school football coach tell his team, "Second place is just the first loser", in front of his kids, I'm gonna put my size 12 where his ethics have sunk to.

Keep up the fight! You're an example for us all.

[kygorski]

If you're going to worry about human nature, why not just fish for fun?

[FISHUMUP]

I have fished a couple of tournaments both draw and partner, I have never caught anyone cheating, and hope I never do. If I did, I would raise all kinds of H#!! at the weigh in. I have seen some outstanding sacks when we couldnt catch but 1 fish for the day. Made me wonder, but would not accuse anyone of cheating. Guess I like to think that most people are like me and fish for the competition, fun, and commaradary. The cheaters must live with themselves knowing what they did and that they are not as good or they wouldnt have to cheat to win. By the way.....I have never won but I won't quit trying.

[Stevens]

I know alot of guys have there own oppinions on this but on a small scale tourneys, there aint to much that can be done like you said. You just have to stay positive and keep fishin. I know some really good fishermen, but for some reason they feel the need to release good bass in the area they plan on fishing, it may not be cheating but i dont get why everyone doesnt just go out and fish the way its intended. Its all about the dollar, and i think what goes around comes around so i dont plan on worrying about it anymore.

[mhall]

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.

Mark without a doubt those were cheaters. I have heard of what you spoke of exactly the same way before. This is how the so called good ones do it. Good for you on letting them go, I would have done the same thing. To me a cheater is the exact same thing as a thief and I think unless you are stealing food to keep your starving family alive, ONLY EXCEPTION, you should be shot, run over by a truck and then shot again. Buriel should be a trip to the landfill where you are run through a large trim limb grinder and spread over the landfill.

[offdtop]

I have been tourney fishin for 17+ yrs, I too have had suspicions of guys cheating, I have fished 10 boat club tournies and 500 boat tournaments regionals, classics etc. 2 yrs ago my suspicions came to reality when I witnessed cheating by a team whom I was waxing in points in another club (one that did polygraph - unannounced/randomly) yet they were tearing me up in another club that didn't polygraph and was leading points and won 3 of 5 events and placed in the money in the other 2.

Well I witnessed the fish transfer from one guy not in the tourney to the guys in my club, well I quietly waited till this guest boat left and I eased up around the corner with trolling motor on high and went for 'em "we need to talk" I said, they clammered and spoke with broken voices and I told them I had seen the whole thing and they may as well throw them back 'cause they weren't weighing them in because I would protest. I was MAD fellas, furious and was ready to fight and they knew it.

What can be done? Well, talk to a polygraph tech in your area, they're around everywhere if you look, talk to the tournament director let him know of the polygraph guy/girls name and number let them make an announcement that everyone is subject to polygraph. How to pay for it is up to discussion charge someone or take from the winnings, from the club funds - be inventive. In closing, help promote your club to be upstanding and honest group of fish catching machines not cheaters taking your hard earned dollar, because sometimes small clubs just don't think about it or have people willing to help set it up.

Mike

[18'stratos]

I have had winning streaks, at one time I had 3 in a row. I was on cloud 9 and everything was clicking. I was on them good. Then the people that owned the dock asked me if I was cheating!!!! The only time I fished was during the tourney and I said When I was loosing no one asked if I was cheating! ""I think there may be a bad apple out there somewhere but there are a lot more Better fishermen then there are cheaters.""
If I could spend as much time on the water as I wanted to I think I could do better in every tournament that I fish. Some of these guys spend their lives on the water and are just that good.

[NEWTON]

I have been ask as a Director for USA BASSIN about cheating I have not seen any or had any body point the finger and say hey there cheating. But as small divisions for a national team trail at any time in are divisions if I or any body sees somebody we think is and they win we will hold there money until are poly. guy can meet and do a test if they pass they get paid. If not they get banned. But as a whole I think most of the guys and gals out there are on the up and up just my view on it.

[cgable]

I think one should be that cages on lakes should be outlawed. Even if its for someone personally keeping fish it cant be good it damages fish. I think then some of the cheaters would get caught. I get a little weary if I start seeing them on a lake. amd if I see a rope or even see a cage I might metion it to a director. There is other cheating too. I once fished this tourney that had a weigh in next to the water with no room near the courtesy board and water. One of the rules was a short fish and your disqualified. The problem with the set up was it was hard to watch the guys checking the fish and see what a fish looked like on thier board. Of coarse they were in the tourney too. One boat came in with a limit and one just squeeker. I look while they checked it on their boat. when they came to the scales the weighmaster says short fish and then splash in mater of five seconds and says you are disqualified. Guess who won the tournament. Bad deal. watch the guys weighing the fish close if they are fishing against you. another trick is to not put the fish on the scale long enough it will flash a weight they call out what they see which is usually lighter than if the scale settles. Most of the time a scale will read heavy but I had one I was a little suspect but I still won

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.

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