Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

How often is this happening..your thoughts ?


https://www.foxsports.com.au/more-sport ... 2df8f6a645

Probably happy to get their weights back. Lol. Lucky the didn’t get a beat down right there.

Tournament Director Interview below

These two phony fisherman Jake Runyan and Chase Cominsky recently got caught cheating in the Lake Erie Walleye Trail Championship. You can see how enraged the rest of the fisherman are when they see an official pull lead weights out of the bellies of their fish. Way to ruin a dream job for a lot of people CHEATERS!!

is that Mike Hart lol

There was a world record class largemouth bass weighed in (Not in tournament) in southern California years ago that ended up having a couple pounds or more weights in its gullet, I dont think there was prosecution because it could not be proven that the angler inserted the weight or weights but I dont believe they passed a polygraph!
I guarantee it goes on across the country in events where they have monetary payouts because there are people who falsely believe that fame and fortune mean far more then their friendships, respect and reputations!

George

I guess we need a cheap hand held metal detector at the weigh ins. Stupid is as Stupid does. I know I gave money to Mike Hart and only wish I'd been at the U.S. Open to watch him lock himself in his truck. If they know a metal detector is waiting it would knock off the lead thing. The fish fillets is an angle that would be tough to seek out but I'd think never worth the effort for the little advantage it would offer. Sure when a few ounces could turn the tide like here in SoCal during the summer but pretty stupid to put cleaned fish fillets in a fish much less lead. Where there is money....

Rip
Oh and George the fish of which you speak would not have been able to swim with that lead in it...a matter of physics AND that fish had been caught and released prior to that so there was cause to look.

Kelly Ripa wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 1:00 pm I guess we need a cheap hand held metal detector at the weigh ins. Stupid is as Stupid does. I know I gave money to Mike Hart and only wish I'd been at the U.S. Open to watch him lock himself in his truck. If they know a metal detector is waiting it would knock off the lead thing. The fish fillets is an angle that would be tough to seek out but I'd think never worth the effort for the little advantage it would offer. Sure when a few ounces could turn the tide like here in SoCal during the summer but pretty stupid to put cleaned fish fillets in a fish much less lead. Where there is money....

Rip
Oh and George the fish of which you speak would not have been able to swim with that lead in it...a matter of physics AND that fish had been caught and released prior to that so there was cause to look.

Seen this on LEWT web site... crazy..

Team of the Year points leaders Chase Cominski and Jake Runyan patiently waited in line with a giant grin on their face in anticipation of a great weight. Jake carried the baskets to the stage, and everyone watched as their 5-best settled in at 37.82#. Cheers, screams of joy, and high 5’s were had by all on stage and the team had set the mark high – extremely high – and eventually tournament winning high! The points leaders gapped the field by 5-pounds and did it with a LEWT cameraman on the boat. What an accomplishment! Look for the footage to be released soon.

We're Talking with Lake Erie Walleye Trail Director Jason Fischer about the cheating scandal that rocked tournament fishing on September 30th. Fischer shares his thoughts on what led to the suspicion, how they got caught and the aftermath of the revelation of the cheating. He and Lake Erie Slam director Craig Lewis discuss what steps need to be taken in future tournaments and in the popular Lake Erie Walleye Derbies like Walleye Slam and Fall Brawl

Water Gremlin was one of there sponsors

Probably more than we think or want to believe.

"Probably more than we think or want to believe."

Here's another recent cheater story. Probably a lot more out there that don't get caught.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrnOi1DVgYE

George, I remember the SOCAL bass with the 2lb lead weight in it. DFG handled the exam and said the lead had been the fish for quite a while but they could not allow it to be submited for a record.

What does walleye fishing back east have to do with bass fishing here in the west. They didn't use guns too steal money they use weights they got caught now there going to pay a price for a few thousand dollars.Move on they'll get a slap on the wrist pay a few fines and probation. Have to go to fishing
anonymous for a year or so. And be done with it. You guy take this stuff way too serious.

When there's money involved, cheaters gonna cheat.

Wow, jigging4bass doesn't take this seriously. At 85 I don't fish tournaments anymore but before age caught up to me a few years back I fished a lot of them. Was never a big name or such but I did see enough cheating going on especially here on Clear Lake and the Delta that was alarming as everyone pays a fee to enter but the cheater or cheaters basically are stealing from their fellow competitors. Believe me, it happens and is going to continue to happen as long as there is money involved. Cheating doesn't always involve just weight but in my experience and not to name names but tying fish up, another holding your water for you planting fish etc. just to name a few. I think one of the problems here in California is we are to easy on cheaters when they are identified, In Texas they give them a fifteen minute head start to get out of town or in some cases there is gunfire. Not advocating this but some form of punishment should be administered as far as i'm concerned, it is a crime

Over the years I heard many stories about cheaters.

The cheating is the reason I stopped participating in tournaments many years ago.

Organizations don't want to advertise or let the public know how often it happens. Here's a good story about how the organizations cover it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jVIK9NMfws

Wow, jigging4bass doesn't take this seriously. At 85 I don't fish tournaments anymore but before age caught up to me a few years back I fished a lot of them. Was never a big name or such but I did see enough cheating going on especially here on Clear Lake and the Delta that was alarming as everyone pays a fee to enter but the cheater or cheaters basically are stealing from their fellow competitors. Believe me, it happens and is going to continue to happen as long as there is money involved. Cheating doesn't always involve just weight but in my experience and not to name names but tying fish up, another holding your water for you planting fish etc. just to name a few. I think one of the problems here in California is we are to easy on cheaters when they are identified, In Texas they give them a fifteen minute head start to get out of town or in some cases there is gunfire. Not advocating this but some form of punishment should be administered as far as i'm concerned, it is a crime

You won't lose money if you don't fish tournaments that's very simple. Tournament fishing has never appealed to me I fished a few local bass clubs tournaments in 3 different clubs but really with all the bs going on during the meetings it was enough for me. Manufacturing jigs and other lures kept me busy with everyday fisherman and tournament fisherman still today. The New schedules are out and there already calling to restock and I get emails everyday from non tournament anglers. So just going fishing during the week with not much traffic involved ive been fishing this way for years.