Another cheating at an event

[SecretWeapon]

Missouri Water Patrol arrested Gary Jones from Poplar Bluff, MO. on charges of Theft by deceit. Gary Jones had allegedly tied fish up to weigh them in.

http://www.futurebass.com/cgi/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=1988

I guess this is becoming common place?! So, sad! I don't know how anglers can live with themselves doing such a thing!! At least they are being caught, and arrested with their name plastered for everone to see. I just wonder how many are getting away with it?

Maybe the more that get caught and charged, will may others think twice about doing it I hope!

-Justin

[Moose1am]

This is just one of the reason's I would not fish a money tournament. What you are seeing is more people getting caught. It's too easy to get away with and that's why you have not seen as many people getting caught.

This and people that hire lake guides on the lake they will be fishing the tournament with.

I saw one guy fishing a crappie tournament with a local KY lake guide. Then the same guy was fishing with the crappie guide from Patoka Lake in the next tournament. That's legal but it's why I would not fish in those tournaments. It's just not a fair playing field when you fish against someone that's fish the lake almost every day for the last 10 years or more. Your odd are not as good as if you were fishing a new lake that NO one in the tournament had ever fished before. That's how I would setup a tournament that would be a real challenge to everyone. But that's more theoretical than practical which is why I don't run tournaments LOL.

I would much rather just fish for fun and relaxation than to chase the money. Tournament fishing is for the younger guys who need the adrenaline rush. I had my adrenaline rushes when I was younger.

I can see where adrenaline rushes ( natural highs) are addicting. Bike Riders, runners, firemen and policemen all get the adrenaline rush on the job. They just learn to control it better than others. Ever heard of the runners block and then the runner's high? That's the body running out of energy and then the adrenaline kicks in to give them their second wind. Adrenaline is used to get the heart pumping faster and better. It make you fell ALIVE!

When I grew up fishing they didn't have bass fishing tournaments. They had the Tangle Tom tournament where someone put tags on fish and returned them to the lake. Whoever caught the fish with tags got a prize of some sort. I never won any of those either? LOL

[zx150]

I just wonder how many people don't get caught having fish tied up? I bet cheating happens more than what people think. I love to fish a tournament, I'm not very good but I love the added competition. I think if you are caught with fish tied up you should lose your fishing license for life and let it be known what you did. Put the names of people in KY Game and Fish Magazine once you are found guilty. Ryan.

[dcbasser]

Its happening more and more everyday. With the money thats out there and as big as the sport is getting the problem is only going to get worse until some stiff penalties are brought to those proven guilty of it. I enjoy tourny fishing and I'm fortunate enough I believe to fish with a good group of guys. They may stretch the truth from time to time but but the tournaments are run in a real classy way. That's not ot say that someone may sneak in amongst us and pull one off for I have found baskets deep on points and even a friend of mine found a tote drilled with holes tied to rope in the middle of some stick ups. The rope was cut and there were no fish in the basket but no doubt what the intention was.

[djh480]

Thats the way i felt DC until what I thought were my friends and loyal people was caught cheating. So now I fish a few open tournies and thats it. It has always been goin on and always will as long as they have tournaments. I mean banks still get robbed nuttin stopped that.

[Cobra190]

I like fishing tourneys, but only fish with a small club of which I am a member. We keep things very simple, a good bunch of guys and honest. You when a t, and it gets you bragging rights and pays for your trip. That simple. I fished two open tourneys a few years back, and no offense to anyone on this site, but I basically did not like the attitude or fishing atmossphere(?) of these events.
In one of these, at Lake Cumberland, I sucked the diaframs into my carbs and could only idle. At weigh in, word come in from some rec. boater that my buddy who was in his boat was in an area 10 min. away by boat and was broke down and needed help getting to the marina. Help was asked for over the loud speaker and out of two hundred boats, Not one offered to help. The majority of which found it funny. I released my fish without wieghing, drove from Conley Bottom around to Lee's Ford, Idled around till I located him and pulled him to Lee's Ford. Had to drive back to C-Bottom for his truck and trailer, then back to LF. This all could have been done in a half hour with just a little help, but took over 4 hrs with what we had to do and my boat having nothing more than an idle. That was my last open tourney.