how about when people take bass from one area of the lake and put them in another spot then go back on tourment nite and catch them and turn them in at the weigh in,is that cheating or just unsportman ship?

 

there needs to be very stiff penalties for such acts: that sort of scum should not be allowed to fish another tournament anywhere: (yep, I know that is nearly impossible to even think about let alone enforce) but that food is pollution to the lake. bacteria will draw down O2 supplies in that small area. More than a couple knuckle heads doing crap like that and a lake can be killed

I have no tolerence for someone who can't win fair and square; that if you aren't cheating you aren't trying crap is for loosers

 

there needs to be very stiff penalties for such acts: that sort of scum should not be allowed to fish another tournament anywhere: (yep, I know that is nearly impossible to even think about let alone enforce) but that food is pollution to the lake. bacteria will draw down O2 supplies in that small area. More than a couple knuckle heads doing crap like that and a lake can be killed

I have no tolerence for someone who can't win fair and square; that if you aren't cheating you aren't trying crap is for loosers

Its fraud yet some tournament directors don't pursue charges? I know of a circuit here in Ohio I'd never fish because they just kinda did away with the guys and never mentioned it again? Unacceptable!

 

What you may fail to realize, is that the burden of proof is on the accuser (which is not always as easy as it sounds) and the amount of money/time it takes to prosecute someone is crazy as a result. Most circuits don't have the time/money for such an endeavor, even if the state prosecutes...THEN, you still have potential counter suits, and court costs. Stuff isn't free man.

A lot of times the only cost effective way to handle it is to get a payback, ban and blacklist...Most circuits can't afford much.

 

but that food is pollution to the lake. bacteria will draw down O2 supplies in that small area. More than a couple knuckle heads doing crap like that and a lake can be killed

I don't have any input, but I'm just curious what you're referring to? What can kill a lake?

 

Its fraud yet some tournament directors don't pursue charges? I know of a circuit here in Ohio I'd never fish because they just kinda did away with the guys and never mentioned it again? Unacceptable!

We had a very active OGF member last year get caught cheating on a northern ohio circuit. Failed a lie detecter, and admited to cheating. Not sure what ever happend to it because after the initial outrage it was never heard of again. Funny though because even though he used a screen name hes still too ashamed to make any more post here.

 

What you may fail to realize, is that the burden of proof is on the accuser (which is not always as easy as it sounds) and the amount of money/time it takes to prosecute someone is crazy as a result. Most circuits don't have the time/money for such an endeavor, even if the state prosecutes...THEN, you still have potential counter suits, and court costs. Stuff isn't free man.

A lot of times the only cost effective way to handle it is to get a payback, ban and blacklist...Most circuits can't afford much.

Yeah, I get what you are saying. Cost wise, you could recoup your losses through litigation. Pick your poison I suppose. We can propose what Texas did. Make it a felony. I think it already is based on the amount of the prize but I'm not sure how the law works. If the circuit doesn't have integrity, it won't have many boats. If you don't take the time to take care of this stuff, the honest people won't take the time to show up and fish.

http://www.lsonews.com/fishing-news/1599-legislature-passes-fish-fraud-bill

 

We had a very active OGF member last year get caught cheating on a northern ohio circuit. Failed a lie detecter, and admited to cheating. Not sure what ever happend to it because after the initial outrage it was never heard of again. Funny though because even though he used a screen name hes still too ashamed to make any more post here.

He has posted since then. Nowhere near as much as he used to. Takes some balls to show your face again eh? I say Ogf should have banned him but what do I know? In a sport mainly dependent on Honor, you really can't spare any expense keeping guys honest.

 

He has posted since then. Nowhere near as much as he used to. Takes some balls to show your face again eh? I say Ogf should have banned him but what do I know? In a sport mainly dependent on Honor, you really can't spare any expense keeping guys honest.

And deny you guys the ability to speak your mind to him? No way

 

That would be against the TOS! We break no rules here buddy!

I was kinda hoping he'd continue his quest for the great white turtle(and lose).. lol. What a thread.

 

I don't have any input, but I'm just curious what you're referring to? What can kill a lake?

nutrient pollution from dog food. Sure it would take a lot to litteally kill a lake but spot damage will result meaning the total production of the lake falls over time

there would be a rise in algae followed by a rise in decomposing bacteria that will remove O2 in those areas at a unnatural rate.

I would have no clue as to how much it would really take to create noticable damage to a lake without some hard number crunching but honestly there is no reason to find out

 

Yeah, I get what you are saying. Cost wise, you could recoup your losses through litigation. Pick your poison I suppose. We can propose what Texas did. Make it a felony. I think it already is based on the amount of the prize but I'm not sure how the law works. If the circuit doesn't have integrity, it won't have many boats. If you don't take the time to take care of this stuff, the honest people won't take the time to show up and fish.

not exactly sure how serious local prosecutors would take it but if you could tie the cheating to theft or fraud then all you have to do is show that the amount taken by the cheater is over $1000. Then its a felony anyway.

Andrew

 

I have always thought that when there is people and money involved a small percentage will look for an edge.

 

I personally believe that the very best way to take care of a situation involving somebody/team that's caught cheating in a tournament is to impose a lifetime ban on them from that circuit.After that the guilty party should have their picture(s) put onto as many fishing/tournament websites as possible.If the TX director,or any angler fishing the TX knows if the guilty party belongs to a national organization such as B.A.S.S. or FLW they should contact that organization and make them aware that one of their members was caught cheating in a tournament.Before going through all that make sure the accused is 100% guilty.

 

The question being asked was how do people cheat and when does unethical fishing cross the line to blatant cheating?

EX: guys spend 2 weeks on a lake pre-fishing and focus on all the original hot spots... (stinging fish after fish but never fish those spots on tourny day)

un-ethical or cheating?

We all know the basket of fish deal but lets talk about the not so obvious stuff.

Do people really catch fish transport them to a secluded bay and go back and fish for them?

 

2 weeks on a lake pre-fishing and focus on all the original hot spots... (stinging fish after fish but never fish those spots on tourny day

if you spend 2 weeks on a lake catchn fish, you are going to fish the best places you think you can catch them in a tourney. who cares if you dont fish other places where you "stung" lots of fish.

 

Do people really catch fish transport them to a secluded bay and go back and fish for them

lol good luck catchn them again!

 

I have heard of people transporting fish for turnys and its rather easy to catch them. not sure if its cheating but my opinon is that theres no sportsmanship in that. also heard of guys buying boxes full of live crawdads and dumping them a week before turny and baiting an area making the fish come to them. also bad sportsmanship. I love the competition and thrive off the challenge to figure the puzzle out of where the fish are and how to catch them. I also want to do it better than everyone else out there with me. but as it goes im sure there are people out there cheating and trying to cheat whenever they can for some easy cash but I dont let them ruin my favorite pasttime. however I think there does need to be much harder punishments for guys caught with 100% no doubt that they cheated. I dont know the guys from the X series last year but felt tom and the guys at vics did a good job handling it. and those guys are forever labled as it and have to live with it the rest of there lives. no doubt they regret it. I bet they lost some friends and respect that they will never get back. cant take the money with you to the grave so why cheat and ruin your name for it. just my 2 cents

 

The question being asked was how do people cheat and when does unethical fishing cross the line to blatant cheating?

EX: guys spend 2 weeks on a lake pre-fishing and focus on all the original hot spots... (stinging fish after fish but never fish those spots on tourny day)

un-ethical or cheating?

We all know the basket of fish deal but lets talk about the not so obvious stuff.

Do people really catch fish transport them to a secluded bay and go back and fish for them?

David Dudley took a bunch of heat a while back for "sore mouthing" fish during practice to make it harder for other anglers to catch them....
Basically, it was a spawn time/sight fishing tournament and he drew a late flight/boat number and knew he wouldn't get on the major spawning areas before everyone else. So, he came up with a way to play "defense" in a sport that nobody thought you could do it in. Was it "cheating"? By rule, no. Sportsmanlike? It's still heavily debated.... I'm sure he wasn't the first to do it, but he was the first to be publicly criticized for it and it's as far as I know the sole reason he doesn't fish B.A.S.S. tournaments on the elite level.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app

 

there are just so many way a person can cheat its hard to catch all of them. I guess some are illegal and some are just not ethical. but where do you draw the line?? I don't fish tournaments but I have fished a few where I use to work. and I don't know if its legal to catch a fish one place and release it at another place. I have done this before but not so I could go back and hopefully catch that fish again. but I was planning to keep the fish then didn't catch enough for a good meal and just released the fish where I was at. but I could see where some would say it is not ethical to do this before a tournament. but it would really be hard to prove intent.

I also heard about the ogf member that was involved in the cheating scandal. I heard a lot of guys slamming him on here but I wasn't there and don't even know what they caught him doing. personally I really liked the guy and if somebody really knows the lowdown on his story and what was done to him by the tourney guys would you please pm me this info. I would really like to know if he was found to be cheating or if someone just accused him of doing something wrong. im sure he had friends on here that knows the whole story. I would give all you guys the benefit of doubt until you were proven guilty.
sherman
sherman

 

IMHO trying to "load" a spot could never work out due to predator-to-prey ratios the fish would seek out cover & food. As far as "beating" another fellows fish goes it is definately unsportsmanlike to see the other guy hitting a spot, catch a fish, he leaves, and you go over there decimating his spot -and you don't go back to fish it in the tourney.Now if the same scenario presents itself, and you go over catch a fish or two. Shake off one or two and come back in the tourney to fish it then I think that's fair. You just have to make sure the other guy doesn't get an earlier draw then you!

 

Or that you have a faster boat ;-)

 

Or that you have a faster boat ;-)

I'll drink to that!:Banane35:

 

there are just so many way a person can cheat its hard to catch all of them. I guess some are illegal and some are just not ethical. but where do you draw the line?? I don't fish tournaments but I have fished a few where I use to work. and I don't know if its legal to catch a fish one place and release it at another place. I have done this before but not so I could go back and hopefully catch that fish again. but I was planning to keep the fish then didn't catch enough for a good meal and just released the fish where I was at. but I could see where some would say it is not ethical to do this before a tournament. but it would really be hard to prove intent.

I also heard about the ogf member that was involved in the cheating scandal. I heard a lot of guys slamming him on here but I wasn't there and don't even know what they caught him doing. personally I really liked the guy and if somebody really knows the lowdown on his story and what was done to him by the tourney guys would you please pm me this info. I would really like to know if he was found to be cheating or if someone just accused him of doing something wrong. im sure he had friends on here that knows the whole story. I would give all you guys the benefit of doubt until you were proven guilty.
sherman
sherman

it wouldn't be hard to prove intent... there is no reason, ever, for a guy practicing for a tournament to have bass in his livewell... we don't keep fish, especially during prefish periods.....


when it comes to burning someone elses fish... those fish don't become someone elses fish until the tournament starts...

bed fish are unique... I happen to suck badly at bed fishing, so when I see a fish on a bed during practice, I usually try to catch it because I need the practice... am I burning someone elses fish, maybe.... I don't care... im concerned with what im doing and getting better, not whether or not someone else has laid claim to bed fish before the tournament has even started...

in the big tournament, we don't even get our boat numbers until the night before the tournament starts anyway, so going out and smoking a bunch of fish may or may not help you... im more concerned about catching my fish during the tourney than guessing at which fish I can burn and not burn myself....

 

So true.When I'm pre-fishing for a bigger tournament I rarely try to even get many bites.If I'm unfamiliar with the body of water I just try to punch in a few likely spots on my GPS then as the day unfolds dissect each one as I go.If on tournament day somebody happens to be on one of them I just move on to the next one.I have taken the time to mark large bedding bass during practice,but unfortunately I'm not the only guy out there with good polarized glasses-lol!