Tournament Director Explains How The Cheaters Were Caught…

Randy shares with everybody the story of how the walleye tournament Director Jason Fisher explain how the cheaters were caught …#bassmaster #fishingdaily #bassfishing #bass #fishing #catchandrelease #fishinglife #angler #fish
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[@TheNightWatcher1385]

I’m not a serious fisher myself, but this incident didn’t give me a bad impression of competitive fishermen. In fact, the strong reaction from the crowd told me just how serious these competitions can be and just how scummy someone must be to be willing to cheat in one.

[@darcymoon2109]

And how they managed to keep it together and not beat his @$$.

[@valeriestevens5250]

And how to keep it from happening again? How about doing X-rays on the fish to make sure no one has stuffed anything (metal weights, rocks, etc.) down their throats? Vets have portable X-ray machines so I'm sure some could be bought for use at the tournaments.

[@swingforthefences777]

Not to mention that every walleye caught in a tournament dies and they hold tournaments all the time.

[@mp5kfisher241]

I havent had a smell of fish on my fingers for almost 1-1/2 months!

[@rogerthomas169]

cheating was far more common 50 years ago, when I was much younger an old(younger than me now) taxidermist befriended me at work, begrudgingly I might add, Merle was a cranky bastard. He would tell me stories of opening up muskies and finding lead packed in them, and a definate clearing straight down the throat the shape of a 2x4 to pack the weights in, then finding out later it was a tournment winner. Or the guy that had dropped off a 30 lb. muskie for mounting and then calling Merle to say he was coming to pick up the already frozen fish to show some visiting relatives , Merle would say,oh just bring them over to see it, but no, had to have it. Next week Merle reads about the guy taking second place with a 30lb muskie. Tournament directors are much smarter now knowing that if someone can cheat, someone will.

[@RonBand01]

Inside edition had a story on it Tuesday and they said that the accused had over 1.5 million in tournament wins. That calls into question every tournament win they ever had.

[@direwolf4981]

I have read another story where they have made over 3 million combined. This doesn’t include the boats, motors, gear etc

[@bluekagss503]

I have fished many walleye tournaments on Lake Erie in Ohio, and the one thing that is for sure is that most of us can look at a fish and tell you how much it is going to weigh. To within a pound either way. A 24" walleye will normally weigh 4 lbs. A 25" will be 5 lbs. A 27" will go 7 lbs. A 30" will be right around 10 lbs, give or take a half pound either way. Those walleye were nowhere near 27" walleye. They were closer to 24" to 25" long. And they should have weighed 24 to 26 lbs on the scale. Glad they got caught cause now I can enter the fall brawl and the walleye slam with the hopes that the cheaters out there maybe a little more scared to cheat this year. And we maybe get an honest event for a change. I hope anyway. lol

[@benroper7290]

I agree

[@pearlrival3124]

thats why the guy in the crowd was crying about it. he would have cut them open himself. had it not been for him the tournament director would have let them continue to cheat. director was in on it.

[@unabrazoatodoslosbuenos]

I hope you win. From the spirit in your comment I know you take it seriously. Knock 'em dead but make sure they don't accidentally swallow lead. 😁😁

[@richardstetson8221]

That's why I would have thought that these guys wouldn't have made it so obvious especially if they've been doing it for a while

[@pikehunter23750]

@BlueKags S - It's too bad they don't have an official posted in every boat to weigh the fish after they land it so it's immediately returned to the water. That would take care of this problem immediately. It's also a damn shame to see all of those dead tournament walleyes. I know they have officials in the boat for Bass tournaments. Is it just a matter of cost that they can't do this?

[@tomecalm7]

The fact that they didn't need those 8 lbs to win, but it only got them caught, is a case of poetic justice. It also reflects their utter stupidity.

[@ddub87]

I was just thinking the same thing! I'm guessing these guys started adding a few ounces here and there until they got cocky. Over 1.5lbs of weights in each fish is totally stupid and like Randy said anyone who fishes tournaments trails have seen enough fish to guess weights within a pound or less.

[@bradforward850]

EVERY fish from now on should be cut open. Trump trash is strong in this field.

[@tims_always_fishing7117]

exactly. greedy pos'

[@Michaelpruis]

They didn't need 8lbs to win team of the year... however for the tourney win they "needed" more weight than they had

[@tomecalm7]

@@Michaelpruis either way I'm glad they are done. And oh... They're done!

[@fastrivers812]

My grandpa worked for a book/magazine publisher for years where he became a foreman. He had done it so long that one day, one of his employees handed him a box to ship and my grandpa told him he needed to add one more book to the box. The employee didn't believe him until they opened the box and counted. So, these guys that fish day in and out can visibly see and feel the weight of a fish. It becomes second nature.

[@johnfriar6423]

Randy, I never seem to get it where is the honor and integrity. I’ve been brought up the old way where theses two things were big in my day, and I still teach it to my son, that if you practice this in life you will always come out on top. One saying I have always use is this. If something is worth found it’s worth doing the right way. Thanks John friar

[@sheild1117]

Just an FYI, yes cheating does happen, but the honor and integrity is present in a lot of tournaments, more often than you think.

[@georgeb6079]

Trump voter

[@jalspach9215]

@@georgeb6079 Maybe so. I'll take "honor & integrity" any day. What's YOUR alternative? Tool.

[@isitoveryet9525]

Goes out the window when $ is involved. Every sport has been corrupted at some point

[@uniquestion777]

I admire the restraint of this mob. They saved those two wretched souls.

[@jessedavis7555]

My brother had two friends and one of them stole 10,000 dollars. The guy who failed the test turned out to be the guy who didn’t do it. The guy who passed the test ended up getting caught with the money. That test ain’t worth the money they paid to build it.

[@thegriffinsden3383]

Princeton and many other highly held universities have done studies showing how inaccurate the test is. The inventor fought the last 40 years of his life to stop its abuse. Many people have been wrongfully convicted over pseudoscience. If anyone tries to make you take test I'd sue the shit out of them! Research anything someone tries to do to you. Many serial killers have passed polygraph

[@jazzfeline5970]

That's why they aren't even admissible in court. Polygraphs are essentially a pseudoscience. It's comical that people actually go to school to become a "polygrapher" and think they have some superpower. A lot of polygraph "experts" seem pompous and overconfident, as if they're desperately trying to legitimize a job that even they know deep down is bullshit.

[@timberhaint806]

Polygraphs are worthless and easily beatable. That's why they're not admissible in court.

[@Impossibly-Possible]

It only works if the one administering the test really knows his stuff

[@jessedavis7555]

@@Impossibly-Possible even then it’s not 100%. The Cop in my brothers case swore it to be correct and even claimed he put murderer’s in prison for life to the guy who failed. Then he told him he must’ve stolen something else ( never admitted to the mistake) after they found out he was innocent.This is a perfect example of why it’s not allowed in court or trials.

[@burs_bobby_iaga]

They were friends with the tournament director you say ….. first thing that comes to mind for me is the fact that these dudes have been accused in the past plenty of times. So when people get greedy and take and take and take, when caught, act surprised. I have a gut feeling that there’s more to these guys just cheating. SOMEONE ELSE or OTHER PARTIES are involved with this scandal. There’s no way you can steal over 3mill in tournament prize money without paying people under the table. Don’t lose sight people that it’s just two that were involved. There’s more people involved that got fed under the table for this to go on as long as it has. Start digging into that as well instead of shedding the spotlight on the two individuals.

[@pikehunter23750]

The very same can be said about the election cycle this country has to suffer every two years.

[@PutinsMommyNeverHuggedHim]

@@pikehunter23750 lol sore loser. keep crying

[@davidanderson8622]

I'm glad you said that Os4hwks, I was thinking the same thing! Garrett makes a very good handheld MD. I tell my fishing buddy all the time that they should have them in the little tournament's that we get into. Also, they can detect Tungsten as well.

[@angelestevis7544]

or a whites or fisher

[@i.l6916]

“There’s probably people out there who are just nervous and would send up red flags for a polygraph test” That would be me😂 100% me. Always been afraid of those tests for no reason.

[@captainron3494]

they don't work at all been down that rd u fish all day poping 5 hours like candy then cause u had bad back poping pain killers then take a test in back seat of a car that's over 103 yea good luck on pass that then go take one from state board from fbi and pass they don't recognize that one yea go pro works better date time stamp see what u do all day

[@JM-jq7ft]

It’s a form of interrogation they build repor with you and ask a series of questions to stabilize and get a reading on your breathing heart rate pulse and blood pressure so they will be able to separate anxiety from a dead lie

[@kweekwee5569]

No need to be nervous if you're telling the truth.

[@captainron3494]

agree 100% but not what he did at boat ramp plus cheat on a 50 bucks when u in a 100,000 rig funny now the state board guy ask a ton of questions before test and pass flying colors only thing fail was safe questions cause he said If I forgot to put on life vest or kill switch and you can't remember if u did or not so I fail that .but pass even ever cheated pass it is what it is

[@kweekwee5569]

@@captainron3494 a man can't just go out and have a good time no more. There's always an asshole or two ready to ruin it for everybody.

[@carlmaro]

Being a former tournament director, I once had to disqualify my friends for coming to a weight-in late. 1 pound per minute. And they were 15 minutes late. Also they would have won had they not be late. It Wasn't easy and they weren't happy. Definitely Not an easy job.

[@billdavis6900]

carlmaro - You make an excellent point. People who are pathological liars or sociopaths can pass a polygraph no problem because they don’t get measurably nervous from lying and an honest person who gets nervous from being confronted or directly questioned can fail and be telling the truth. Guys like these who have no morals and have no problem with cheating will likely come off as truthful.

[@Truesoda]

@@billdavis6900 what the hell are you on about?

[@billdavis6900]

@@Truesoda I’m not sure how that happened. My reply was meant for a different comment that was made about failing a polygraph.

[@ovoxo5793]

They can add xray machines

[@billdavis6900]

@@ovoxo5793 I’m sure cost would be a factor but otherwise that’s a really good idea.

[@jeffero80]

My mom has never fished a day in her life but she came across the video of that weigh in and asked me about it,so I explained everything to her.i think this story is world wide now

[@markbarret6836]

Hey to your mom.

[@johannvanderschyff7735]

Even here in South Africa we know about it!

[@jamescoleakaericunderwood2503]

@@johannvanderschyff7735 WOW... thanks Johann

[@marvindebot3264]

Can confirm, it made the national news here in Australia.

[@markbarret6836]

@@marvindebot3264 G' Day Australia, from Virginia, named so because the monarch at the time was a virgin...

[@tnsteele95]

What's sad...from what I understand, if they hadn't cheated, their fish would've still probably won the tournament. It's poetic justice lop

[@ltrane81]

But they were know for cheating. Maybe won this tournament but what others did they steal.

[@ty_vaughn96]

Yeah, they added 8lbs to a 25lb bag.

[@richardbossman9875]

But would they have even been in contention to win if they hadn’t possibly cheated before in previous tournaments as well?

[@rickfrompawnstars5550]

There is no chance they didn’t also cheat by catching them before hand. There’s no way they were out on the water, same day, stuffing 8lbs into fish. They most likely double cheated.

[@jasondraughon8825]

@@rickfrompawnstars5550 correct, he was saying how the fish they weighed in felt “mushy” compared to the firmer feeling fish that were brought in by others that day. Most likely frozen over a week or so of fishing prior and thawed out in boat livewell before weigh ins.

[@os4hwks757]

Idea for tournament directors! There are hand held metal detectors that look like a small wand that treasurer hunters use to pin point targets, They for sure would pick up lead or other metals inside a fish! One brand I know is Garret Wand!

[@ccampau]

Only works for metal. Filets, ice, etc would not get picked up. Best thing to do is require top 5 placers to have their fish opened.

[@charlesmccoy2087]

@@ccampau I agree but bass tournaments are released after weigh in not sure what the answer is for them but there must be something

[@thegriffinsden3383]

@@charlesmccoy2087 ultrasound can be used on fish they have all kinds of probes that can examine whole fish.

[@johndiasjr9000]

@@charlesmccoy2087 loaded fish probably won't swim away real well, you any good at walking with lead weights in your ass, maybe with practice

[@ccampau]

@@charlesmccoy2087 if they are going to be released, they would be in a live well. Adding a lot of weight will cause the fish to not act right or sink. They could also have a chart with approximate weights per length of fish. If one falls outside the margin of error, the fish would need to be looked at more closely. If all of the fish one guy catches is pushing the MoE, it should raise a red flag. Between issued GoPros on boats, statistical trends, and possible opening up the fish on top of expected ethics, it should be very difficult to cheat and get away with that kind of money.

[@bobbyswain7049]

The story was on ESPN two days ago. Let's not convict em yet Randy....they may have been on that early Fall lead bite that we all love 😂😂😂

[@danf4616]

lol Dang... I've only been catching steel weighted fish. Better up my game! 😂

[@leebarnes393]

Yeah 😂 I think I heard about that 🤣 Bite!!

[@KennyCannon]

What about just doing it by length? The kayak bass tournaments do it and it works really well.

[@sinisterryan8r]

I caught a 7 lbs Walleye when I was young. It was three times the size of those fish 🤣🤣 I got pictures to prove it lol 🤣

[@pete5819]

Same here. 26" 7.5 pounds. Obese fish. They're big even at that size, length.

[@mikeellis4345]

People watching that weigh in also knew the huge 33lb weight was off as soon as they saw the digital scale display the numbers. They can be heard clearly verbalizing their disbelief. Let’s hope the tournament is not negatively impacted by sponsorship withdrawals or competitors walking away in future. Tournament officials need to implement positive rule changes asap.

[@macbook802]

That team should be fined any winnings they've ever had

[@Glock-1]

That has been everywhere, on the national news everywhere! It’s crazy how the only way the fishing community gets press like that is when something bad like this! Sad,not to mention everyone are pissed about the fish having to be put through that and rightly so

[@peahead2632]

Randy, I believe most metal detectors will pick up lead if properly set. There are handheld ones (Pinpointers) that would make it easy to check a suspicious fish. Keep up the great videos.

[@AyCee21]

They’ll just stuff it with non-metal objects, such as putty, clay, wood, etc.

[@peahead2632]

@@AyCee21 They in no way increase the weight of a fish like lead would. Heck a they could stuff a rock down it and claim the fish swallowed it. Why not use all the tools you bee to find a cheater. Who are you trying to protect?

[@davidirwin1549]

Thanks for the explanantion of how it went down. I earlier had seen a video of the director explaining what happened and being suspicious he simply asked them to turn the fish over. The cheater protested but did in fact turn them over and now I'm sure he wishes that he didn't hand them over and just say something and leave. He probably thought they were going to just be re-weighed and didn't think they would be cut open.

[@JohnLong02245]

That’s why I think they should all go to length vs weight (CPR) catch, photo - measurement and release. No need for livewells, the fish are less stressed and with standardized measuring boards no guessing. I’ve caught 23” fish that weighed anywhere from 5.5 lbs to 7.5 lbs but 23” is 23” and wouldn’t matter if the fish was weighted lol. Check out tournament rules for KBF and other kayak tournament rules.

[@leebarnes393]

Absolutely the truth!!

[@dorothymillay631]

I just watched a bass fisherman get caught on the CPR.

[@Eyesofthebeholder214]

Good idea👍

[@jasondraughon8825]

That’s how a lot of the redfish tournaments are done as well. Particularly the fly fishing only tourneys since most of the skiffs don’t have live wells. Redfish tourneys are a little goofy though with not much congruity between them since some only count the three biggest slot fish, so in TX a tournament is pretty much, “who can catch three 28” redfish?” With a side pot for biggest fish outside of the slot. Then other tourneys will be most total inches, which is a little goofy because two redfish the same length can be multiple pounds different, but the boat who can land the most in the day has the lead, and that’s not really a terrible format. All fish are videoed being landed, measured and released with a time stamp on the video.

[@michaelcarey5981]

I have fished with a charter the last 2yrs now, our Captain has fished against these 2 guys multiple times. There has been suspicion for a long time due to these 2 winning repeatedly

[@joeys7519]

When he asked for that knife one of the cheaters immediately bailed out of there in a hurry.

[@jimmyrhino6176]

Tournament fishing has never had so much media attention. Crazy. Cool

[@markcoe509]

Wish there could be some kind of rule or law that if you ever get caught cheating then you have to pay back all your earning from every tournament before that.

[@grandwonder5858]

What about some prison time?

[@ronniegray437]

5 lashes per pole from each fisherman entered. Main stage and let's get a line going.

[@timholsworth316]

I’m sorry, but this took far too long for tournament directors to figure out. The scumbags were suspected for years! I would expect more with so much money on the line.

[@pneumans]

Well the TD was friends with these guys... they failed a polygraph for cheating in the fall ball, but used the same fish for a lewt tournament at the same time which was legal and passed that polygraph with flying colours. I'm not saying he was involved, but he didn't actually react until the crowd started yelling that 33 pounds was way too much for those fish

[@garrettm5408]

I work in HR IT and had a coworker come by first thing this morning and tell my team to pat me down for lead weights. I had to laugh. He knew I was a fanatic fisherman and he is not, so even people that don't fish are making jokes about it.

[@dougg1075]

I’ve beat two polygraph tests. No I didn’t do it:) somebody stole at my work and they had everyone in the department take the test. Of course the company threw in questions like “ have you ever used a vehicle without authorization” which we all did , among other dumb stuff. I counted in my head from one to whenever it stopped. I would hear the question, answer and only thinking about the count. Haha! Crazy

[@Brandon-du3tk]

Hey man glad you are keeping it real my name is Brandon McConnell I don't want to degrade any work you have done 👍 I appreciate you guys, I'm only here shinning the light 🚨 these guys have disgraced their family and I feel sympathy for there family's because they didn't know any better that these anglers felt they had to cheat to win. My thoughts and prayers are with those who didn't know, that they were doing this.♥️

[@phillipcerrillo2513]

Exrrays

[@victoriacleaveland3465]

The thieves should be charged with animal cruelty, fined, all equipment seized and banned from further events.

[@mikegonzalez4469]

What do you think about a metal detector…. Or maybe an X-ray machine to test these weight ins ???? Just a suggestion but something useful has to be put in place !!!!

[@ProfessorDisaray]

The Tournaments that I've been in have rules and restrictions. 1. The fish must be alive at all times even at weigh in, or the fish is disqualified which may result in a fine by the DNR. 2. There is metal detector that discriminates all metals, that scans all fish before they are weighed. Any metal... the fish is disqualified. 3. On big purse events, there is a sponsor on all boats to account for any violations and to stop any cheating. Polygraphs are completely useless, they are not an exact science and can be fooled by many.

[@smyersfishingadventures]

The average for their 5 fish they came in with was better than the big fish up to that point, if I am not mistaken.

[@erichildreth7562]

It is sad that there are people that do things like this and they need to ne held accountable for what they did. Hope that you do good out on the water and the background scenery is awesome!!

[@johnpeters5987]

The first time I watched a video of them getting caught I was really surprised no one laid hands on them.

[@ChrisG9978]

Polygraph machines are complex and do not "detect" lying, it's not that simple. A polygraph machine is an instrument, like a guitar...the polygraph examiner has to be extremely sharp and well-trained on how to interpret the device based upon baselines that are established with the person being tested. Each person will give unique polygraph results....it's up to the Examiner as to whether or not someone is lying. As an analogy...a guitar doesn't play itself, it's all about mastery of the instrument and knowing its ins and outs, becomes second nature to an experienced guitarist who has mastered the instrument. Same deal for a polygraph...you can hook a guy up to a polygraph, start asking questions, the results would be meaningless to the avg Joe. Whether or not the polygraph is indicating a lie is entirely based on the skill and experience of the examiner, and the baselines/deviations for each individual tested.

[@mikearg3529]

So where can i find the video of the "Tournament director explains how the cheaters were caught" I don't understand the misleading?

[@unabrazoatodoslosbuenos]

A spectograph could detect a foreign substance in the fish. Find any non-destructive testing technician and they'll be able to help you. I heard this story from a non- fishermen and I live in Spain. The cheaters were criminals and should be treated as such. Un saludo de España.

[@frontierfishingwithryanmac1981]

I remember 30 years ago fishing Salmon Tournaments in Ontario they were checking fish for lead weights. I remember asking my dad what they were checking for and he told me lead weights... it's the oldest trick in the book that you simply JUST DON'T DO IT!!!! Bye bye sponsors for those two!!!

[@jeremyr7147]

Cant believe they got away with the oldest trick in the book. The tourney should be held responsible for allowing it to happen. Someone was paid to keep it quite...

[@josephfranklin5083]

Haven't fished in yrs this has caught my eyes

[@emilianobanzi9432]

In order to avoid cheating every boat needs 2 Go Pro mounted from the organization and as Matt Stefan suggested few days ago maybe a scan to see if something is inside the fish

[@BobbyBalsaRNM]

Yepp! GoPro's are cheap and an easy way to maintain some integrity or at least limit cheating. Makes you wonder why this hasn't been implemented..? Metal detectors are also cheap.

[@bradbutcher3984]

Go pro batteries last like 40 minutes of run time.

[@BobbyBalsaRNM]

@@bradbutcher3984 not sure what GoPro you're using... My Hero 8 lasts a whole day with 2 batteries.

[@hTIG]

Go Prosare notorious for failing and over heating. What happens when the cameras fail?

[@UWPcustombaits]

@@hTIG foreal I have a gopro 7 and it overheats and corrupts files all the time.

[@givemeabreakdoc]

If you’ve fished for years, You can guess the weight with in 6 ounces……easy.

[@georgequinn5762]

I’m a Tournament fisherman in Florida and cheating is everywhere and these guys got caught and it’s sad this is a sport , we do Catch Photo Release on a bump board and all of our tournaments are required to have live fish

[@kenbragg120]

The judge in this case should require them to stand at every event with a a sign around their neck saying “ I’m a Cheater” for the next 5 years

[@brianralston1579]

It's time all fishing tournaments have an official on each boat keeps it legal and keeps the fish safe a good catch and release practice

[@davidstick9207]

And it is paid for as part of the entrance fee. Or Go-pros everywhere. Anything....is better than nothing. And if you try something and it is overkill...back away from it. Solutions are not one-time things....but an evolution of trial and error

[@jeremyr7147]

Gopro or dashcams are creap no excuse not to have it recorded.. Pic or it didnt happen.

[@Joshua_Matthew_Fishin]

My wife works in a law firm she said that it will come down to the DA wanting to see them shoving weights in fish more likely they will get off with a fine, but the public humiliation will keep them from ever fishing a tournament again,

[@WOT881]

Crazy how viral this has gone. I've overheard folks talking about it that don't even fish. Those clowns are lucky that the crowd didn't beat the living hell out of them.

[@kenuber4014]

These guys should have been investigated long before this happened. They were well know cheaters with in the circuit!!

[@davefields2881]

Catch, Photo, Release (CPR) is not 100 percent cheat proof yet, but it's getting better all the time. I believe "weigh ins" will be a thing of the past in the near future. Also, if the purse is more than 10k, I think video should be mandatory.

[@jeremyr7147]

Everything is recorded today.. Ppl drive with dash cams running in their cars. No excuse.. Just set up a cheap dash cam or go pro on the boat to record everything easily as part of the tourney

[@timeye7684]

I have fished a few small tournaments and hated every minute of it! I just love to fish

[@donaldfisher4115]

I’m a deer hunter and this resembles poaching. Can’t stand cheaters. Would a metal detector at tourneys possibly help?

[@RollTide24-7]

Thank you for the video. Personally I appreciate it. The point you was talking about a 7lb average isn't unheard of but it definitely doesn't happen regularly. Much respect sir.

[@deirdregahansuttle5698]

Well done to all the men NOT beating the cheaters up.

[@frankcastle7299]

Cheating is huge and isn’t going anywhere! Anytime you have huge prize payouts you’re gonna have cheaters. Just look at these streamers cheating to win money in gaming. These call of duty tournaments are infested with cheaters and the sad thing is their actually getting away with it and winning big money 🤦‍♀️

[@johnnyarcade7295]

You can literally see the outlines on weights on their stomach in the pics of the holding the fish up

[@oxyfee6486]

If you watch in the video you can hear the guy who leaned in to the director tell him to stop amping people up, he knew things were about to go south.

[@jeremyr7147]

An angry mob!

[@oxyfee6486]

@@jeremyr7147 “They Tuk R JOBS”!!!!!!!!!

[@jobu88]

I take a poly every year for my job and there is no way you just sit down after a tournament and hook up the machine and get an accurate poly. It's a half-day process to do a proper poly test. And a poly is not admissible in court for good reason, because they are not reliable.

[@richardbossman9875]

In court no, but a tournament could allow them as a final check of integrity. The had them for the big bass contests Mike long was entering his snagged or stolen fish in.

[@jobu88]

@@richardbossman9875 That's all true, no argument, but giving a poly under less than normal conditions is going to make it even more unreliable. I would never agree to take a poly if there wasn't the full time and procedure to do it right. I've never seen one at a tournament but I cannot believe it looks anything like what a properly-administered poly looks like. Seriously, there's nearly an hour of prep as the poly guy explains what he's going to ask and explains other details, and then the test itself usually takes between 90 minutes and 2 hours.

[@TheQuadcopterReview]

The cheating can happen in other ways too. When i fished a BASS state championship in florida i caught a 7.8 lber at which point my boater took back the front position at the end of the day he offered me all of his fish for my weigh in which would put me in the money. I refused, he kept pushing it and i kept refusing. It made me think how much of that kind of cheating goes on as well. Also lets not forget the Flw fisherman that was tying bass to tree’s from pre-fishing days on ockee then going and getting them on tournament day. Fish and game caught him by clipping the fishes tall. Another team was caught throwing fish over an embankment to a small pond. They were filmed casting over the embankment to fill their bag tournament days. You also have prefish fish put in crab traps and retrieved tournament day. 15 years of tournaments i have seen and heard of a lot of cheating but weights were always a myth for me.

[@benholliday5526]

Would a metal detector like the ones the TSA uses have been useful? Not sure of the things that could naturally exist with in a walleye.

[@NicolasValentinScotland]

Love to see the way they actually caught the fish in the first place , never mind putting lead into them and fish fillets . Did they caught those fish fair or pulled them out of a hat ?

[@pellajoe]

Cruelty to animals needs to be one of the criminal charges

[@TreybleRockLake]

Dan Patrick had a guy on yesterday and talked about it for 11 minutes, that’s when I knew it went WAY past the fishing world.

[@sforti01]

Bass fisherman here. I think the way you have conducted yourself and the way you have kept us updated is a testament to your character And your commitment to the sport. We got your back and thanks for sharing the facts.

[@spazzymacgee5648]

Bot comment.

[@lancel71]

It doesnt reflect well on the 2 clowns but as far as fishing in general, it hasn't changed my view whatsoever.

[@becausehelivesministryintl6841]

Wow even in fishing people will lie and cheat. May GOD help us.Thats pretty LOW.

[@nicke1903]

I've seen stuff like this at carp lake's, nobody got caught, there was just 2 fish that was dead in the lake, necropsy found 3-2oz egg sinkers in each one. Wasn't as high of stakes but it was on the tail end of a July 4th derby that payed out $5k.....In absolute honesty, there's no way you can stop that kind of cheating unless you see it/record it. It kinda comes down to the fisherman's ethics, and good luck with controlling anyones moral or ethical compass, shame it happend but I'm not totally suprised either in 2022.

[@ratking948]

These guys were friends with the tournament director? Can anyone confirm what he said in this video

[@craighoskins1618]

P why not a TSA quality scanner does the shooting of the X-ray and people will read it out about that but they can see into a fish if it's got any formatter into it

[@SayKyleNotCow]

As someone who doesn’t really fish and knows absolutely nothing about fishing tournaments, I don’t personally look at it as making tournaments look bad, I think the cheaters look bad and the tournament director looks good for not letting it slide under the radar.

[@SCHO4570]

Have the fishermen bring a criminal back check from DRN, the expense will be on the fishermen but the tournament staff will have to check the reports,, anyone with a serious charge would not be allowed in the tournament. Anyone caught cheating in tournaments should be posted throughout the tournament trials regardless of the species of fish that are targeted. Charges should be sought and the part most victims fail to ask for is restitution requested. The way it was handled in front of everyone was spot on. Not only do they get the embarrassment of having to stand before every other fisherman in the tournament but all those cameras and videos being taken will only add to the evidence for LEO and the case. Sad for their family and friends, this will always follow them.

[@joshuamurphy8806]

I said my piece on the subject and I think we have came up with a calm collect solution for cheater's out there and it is this that they be know through background check's and if anyone cheats they will be found out and done with properly I think this is what is going to happen and if so this is the best news ever as far as situation's like this.

[@ThumperSpinnerbaits]

I have been bass fishing for over 40 yrs. I have a love/ hate relationship with tournaments and tournament anglers. Tournaments can be really fun and can be great learning experiences. Locally here, we have a lake that, several years ago, passed rules stopping people from fishing boat docks. It made a small impact on the fishing. Reason it was implemented was that homeowners were getting upset over bass fishermen bouncing jigs and weights off their boats and snagging hooks in seats. I have witnessed many tournament anglers disregard no wake zones in congested areas. I had a tournament angler cast a crank bait withing a coue inches of my hands while i was catfishing and had bent over to rinse my hands in the lake. Like it or not, we all get judged by the actions of the few who choose to break the rules. As tournament anglers, we should hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards.

[@Nope145]

First off I’m not a walleye fisherman. I did watch the video though and when I watched the cheaters fish come through they did not seem to be of the same size as several of the other competitors fish. To your point though the guy running the tournament is experienced and he was able to recognize it on site. why these guys were allowed to compete knowing that they had already been accused of cheating and confirmed cheaters is beyond me

[@deanjernstrom3760]

Their stupidity hurts any competitive fishing from this day forward.

[@antoniomontana5778]

The question I have is, what prevents tournament officials from inspecting the fish of the winning team? I saw in another video that these dudes refused to give their catch from previous tournaments to a company that collects and donates the fish to food banks.

[@jgage2344]

Not hard to have a magnet bar at the weigh station … The problem is they also put fish fillet’s in fish …

[@clintonlayne9253]

Please keep us up to date on the results of the criminal investigation and trial . As a Life Time member of Bass I think they might have to change some rules like teams to be spilt up in different boats .like Boater and Co Angler in Bass Tournaments. My 2 ¢ .

[@earljohnson2676]

Well told my friend thanks

[@retirednavy8720]

Make an X-Ray machine a part of every weigh in. Each fish gets scanned. It won't catch them if they are stuffing filets down them but it will get things like the weights.

[@marvindebot3264]

An Xray won't but an ultrasound will, heaps cheaper as well.

[@luxnox9303]

Youre totally right, polygraphs bascailly are only effective as deterrents. The actual efficacy of polygraphs to detect lies are basically none, because they don't measure lies at all, they measure "arousal". Honestly, the angling industry should be kind of embarrassed that they're even implemented at all considering how nonsense they are. Its only slightly less embarrassing than using a crystal ball.

[@jasonw2696]

A very simple solution to this problem in all fishing tournaments is simply have a metal detector handy🤷🏻‍♂️ Or only allow live fish 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@whitebass16]

I've seen a few videos on tik tok of japan using metal detectors in their weigh in line. I think that could help, but what do you do if they are stick fish fillets inside other fish. What about bass fishing? What happens if somone stuffs crayfish down a bass throat for extra weight? This is a black eye for the whole fishing community

[@jamesdoesitmatter]

Xray, or use a sonogram on the top3 winners fish. Or do a fish fry with the fish. Maybe live release after weigh in to count the fish. Maybe send the top 3 places winning fish to state fish farms to spread genetics.

[@Topwateraction]

X-ray machines at weigh in may be the future. Like At airport. They will see clumps of fish fillets as well as lead/metal. What a shame to tarnish what so many of us love & honor. I hope those guys are stripped of money & sponsors. Hate thief’s.

[@mattjames8010]

Yes there is some are that way but there is some in the front of the boat that will do things to the guy in the back when he knows we’re there are big fish and some times the guy in the front can be the a hole but me if the guy in the front is flipping or using stuff to fish slow the guy in the back needs to power fish and use something different

[@alexkitner5356]

In 2008 we were covering marlin tournaments out on the west coast where video is used and there was even a rule that required calling in both the hookup and the grid they were in so people could see if they were in the area. IGFA World Cup tournaments require onboard observers. In the age of 360 gopros and satellite trackers and all kinds of technology there are things that can be done. At the same time there are tournaments that use polygraphs for prizes in the millions and even thru civil court cases they've been used to adjudicate wins. Its a shame it has to come to this but when money and fame are involved there are going to be people looking for an edge and are at times willing to bend, break or shatter the rules to win.

[@mikesharon2177]

Walleye have seen it all now🤦🏻‍♂️

[@fooballyou]

I haven't read comments but can't figure out why there isn't a metal detector used at weigh-in on every basket of fish to remove the lead weight cheat suspicion.

[@ajbianchi85]

Yeah polygraphs are inadmissible. There should be video monitoring on top boats in a tournament

[@jimmymesler2134]

These dudes won the Fall Brawl in 2021 and failed a polygraph and swore they did not cheat. Then get caught the following year red handed. They had been doing this for sometime.

[@hasenmyer]

If that had been a regular jackpot tournament, meaning less cameras, less eyeballs, so on.. those guys wouldn't have made it out of there.

[@oneinamillion4130]

Haven't fished since I was 9 years old. But somehow, this interests me.

[@yindyamarra]

I knew people who weighed fish and they never had a hook mark, they had some net markings, they got done,,,, they had won a fortune and boats over 10 years, they finally got caught, These type of people are very luck they don’t become crab pot bait,

[@harryberry474]

Gut the fish after they're weighed for the 5 or 6 top qualifiers. Easiest way IMO. Can't really believe that polygraphs are used for a fishing tournament, doesn't speak to highly of the "sport". Polygraphs aren't reliable anyway. So, just weigh the fish, If they're planted fish there has to be some way to detect that too.

[@alanlangley7246]

i know i guy who won a bass tourney he prefished and kept all the big bass in a birdcage sunk underwater

[@angc214]

Polygraphs are the stupidest way to enforce rules of any competition. I absolutely don't believe in them.

[@robertwehle7596]

Many of the fish are donated anyway afterwards. Tournament directors should take possession of all fish at weigh in and have them cleaned/inspected and then donated.

[@MrTom1468]

Instead of using total weight, use total length, or length plus diameter . . . Is hard to stretch a fish

[@easttexan2933]

you said, "what do they do moving forward?" well, for starters these two criminals should be banned from competing until the investigation is completed and when found guilty, a lifetime ban should be instituted against them. Pretty simple stuff.

[@grandwonder5858]

No prison time? NBA ref Tim Donaghy served 5 years for cheating for the Lakers!

[@easttexan2933]

@@grandwonder5858 not sure if prison time is an option for cheating on a fishing contest. I guess it could be considered grand larcency which is, so yeah, if that option is on the table.