I don't think it is cheating - especially when it comes to crappie (everyone uses minnows), and catching the occasional bass while doing that. However, I do think that most of the "sport" of bass fishing is to get them to take an artificial lure using your skills of creating action with the lure and presentation. As long as it is catch and release for bass, I don't see what it is hurting. It would be a different story if you were always catching your limit of bass on nightcrawlers and fileting them all. Then again, I gues I would be just as against keeping your limit of bass for filets, that were caught on any lure (artificial or not).