Anyone see this about a life time ban from Tournaments

[Ken Mah]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/ou ... doors.html

Check this out, it was from a local paper in San Diego.


Ken

[BassTraveler]

Yes, just heard the scoop. There well be more coming down the line.
It's sad.
You will get caught...it's just a matter of time.

[swimbait]

Bring some of those spy cams up here to Nor-Cal please. After seeing a cage brought in to the weigh in at the AC Don Pedro team tournament that had previously been the home to some live caged bass, it's pretty obvious some *** needs busting.

[bassindon69]

Got that right!

[Whoopbass]

How does one go about sight fishing this time of year?

[Hardshell]

they name, names and tell the story. If we'd been doing this the last 15 or 20 years instead of hiding our heads in the sand we'd be miles ahead of where we are now with this cheating deal.

Hardshell-Jailer

[R Marxmiller]

It has been going on up here for quite some time, a couple of years ago we started finding two liter soda bottles with fish attached to them and last year some of us caught fish with stringer hooks and braid, then we had the cage that Rob is talking about, snaggers are always a threat in the spring! I think this is how it should be handled, put them in print, ban them, and prosecute.

[Bill K]

You have that right on the head.. They wanted their name/s in the #1 position, so now give it to them. As you say this should have been done a long time ago instead of trying to not name names and cover it over in case's past. About time that these type of people get their names on the front page with the story of their actions. Bill K

[Phil]

finally someone is paying the price for all those fish snagers all these years we couldn't agree more. could this be the start of the end of spawn time bass tournaments? Seems this article was/is all about sight fishing and not baskets and tying up fish.

[Dewayne]

In both this case and the guy cheating in the BASS Open they admitted that they cheated. When they admit it is easy to publish their name as a cheat. If they do not admit you have to be able to prove it in a court or face slander litigation.

It not always this simple. I do agree that we need to be agressive in persuit of anyone thought to be cheating. When evidence is found of cheating in progress we need to bring it to the attention of both the TD and DFG.

[MikeD]

The father-son team of Tom and Kyle Heigel of Vista was disqualified from a National Bass West Team Tournament Dec. 10 at San Vicente for refusing to take a polygraph test following a protest about their fishing methods.

The Heigels were placed last in the field after catching a tournament-winning, five-bass limit totaling 17.22 pounds. They forfeited the first-place check of $3,254 and now are banned for life from fishing in a National Bass West Team Tournament, according to Mike Peterson, vice president and owner of National Bass West. Other team circuits such as the American Bass Association and WON BASS are considering such a lifetime ban, according to tournament officials from both organizations.

Father and son team?!?? Nice to see good parenting at work...

[BigJeff]

They admitted to cheating because apparently someone had them on video. The video isnt going to lie.

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

I don't know Dewayne, we see the names of accused criminals published all the time..Some are even found not guilty of the crimes for which they were accused..I don't know of any of them that are suing anyone for slander..The truth is always a defense for slander, although it may not get someone convicted..

mac

[SABP]

The team in question were caught on video snagging fish from shallow water.

The lake they were on has a large population of fish that stay shallow during the fall and winter. The lake is very clear and these fish can be seen with ease but are all but impossible to catch. They were caught using treble hooks to snag the fish. Everyone knows the fish are there but hard to catch. The TD had heard complaints about these guys and asked someone to video the bay these fish were in. Sure enough they come in there and started snagging fish for the camera. The video was given to the TD and he viewed the tape. The guys were DQed and banned for life.

The only time that would work up here is during the spawn or when we have a little more clear water than normal.

Talking about cheaters or accusations do not carry much weight. Catching them in the act on good video or with the help of fish and game is the only proof positive way to go. It seems to be hard to prosecute these cases also. The best way to get rid of these guys is to bust them hard with clear concrete evidence.

Team events are the place where cheaters are likely to go. Pro-Ams are much harder to try and cheat.

The key is if you think something fishy is goin on. Get the proof on video. Then there is not a question of doubt.

After the team was told they were being protested at the tournament they got loud and told everyone that whoever said they were cheating would be in deep trouble with them. They were really mean about it. Then they were asked to take a polygraph which they refused. When they later found out that there was video, they have dissapeared from sight.

Not great for fishing but I hope it sends a message to all the cheaters. Don't do it. If your not good enough to compete, go find another game to play. We will protect this sport from the few bad apples that are rotten.

D

[Jim Wilson]

"Mike Peterson, vice president and owner of National Bass West, confiscated the Heigels' fish, froze them in a bag of water and gave them to a Department of Fish and Game warden last night. The warden is investigating the case."

Why did they have to kill the fish? Isn't the video evidence enough?[/quote]

[bassindon69]

As long as they are caught a limit is not much to pay. They can take two limits for each one if they get them all LOL!
It is nice to see some voice on this for sure. Everyone start taking your cameras with you. Turn them over to" Jailer" LOL!
Don.

[Johnny C]

Me and Joe caught the one with the clip in it's mouth with the braided line hanging off.This clip was now under growing skin..That was the same day they found the cage at Pedro...And the two bums that cheated at melones have not been seen since...They cost Klye and Jody a lot ot money..It is a mirror of our society..sad but true..

[Allantek]

They were videotaped snagging fish in two feet of water after sighting them. Then they put the fish on their decks and sealup wounds and reapplied lost scales to the wounds with swimbait glue.

[Brian Linehan]

The DFG killed the fish because they are supposedly going to prosecute. It would be stupid to throw away the "evidence" wouldn't it?

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

*NM*