Sounds a little fishy...

[burleytog]

Club had it's annual open tourney last weekend.  A couple of guys show up, no one has ever seen them before.  They ask about the entry fee ($60 + $10 big fish), ask what the dead fish penalty is, then pay the fee.

Weigh-in time comes, they end up taking big fish with a dead fish.

Strange coincidence?  Cheating?  They took about $250.

[Bassnbrett101]

That sounds more than just a little fishy....

:-/ :-X

[Glenn]

That's why my club doesn't allow "walk-ons"

[Gatorbassman]

Yep, no walk-ons...... ever.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Club had it's annual open tourney last weekend.  A couple of guys show up, no one has ever seen them before.  They ask about the entry fee ($60 + $10 big fish), ask what the dead fish penalty is, then pay the fee.

Weigh-in time comes, they end up taking big fish with a dead fish.

Strange coincidence?  Cheating?  They took about $250.

No one smelled the dead fishy smell when they first got there cause if u are carrying around a dead fish u should be reeeking of it  Unless they kept it in the livewell who knows all i know is PPl will do anything nowdays for money

[Tin]

Club had it's annual open tourney last weekend. A couple of guys show up, no one has ever seen them before. They ask about the entry fee ($60 + $10 big fish), ask what the dead fish penalty is, then pay the fee.

Weigh-in time comes, they end up taking big fish with a dead fish.

Strange coincidence? Cheating? They took about $250.

B.A.S.S. Rules: A dead fish may not be weighed as lunker. I believe it is TBF too. I'll have to find it.

-Edit: Heartbreak Burley, check out your state's rules on weighing in lunkers. It is not a B.A.S.S. or TBF Rule it is state by state. Since it was a club sponsored event it would have gone by your state rules as well as club rules. (I'm surprised you don't have that rule already in your club for that one reason, :-/  )

[KYbass1276]

  No offense but there probally sitting back laughing at you guys right now.    Sounds like you guys need to change some rules.  Cheaters suck.

[Cajun1977]

suckers ;D ;D

[brgbassmaster]

when i fished tournaments they checked livewells before every tournament. you guys should check into that.

[burleytog]

:

Livewells are checked before every tournament.

[Wesley]

The fish was probably in a cooler not in his livewell.

[CJ]

Sounds like a basket case.  :-?

[Bassnbrett101]

People don't leave the fish in their livewells when they're going to cheat.  What they do is they put them in a cage or on a stringer and hide them in the lake.  I've heard stories of guys finding these cages and letting all the fish go and all of the sudden people that always place good in tournaments dont do so well in that tournament...  Thats fishy

[Tin]

People don't leave the fish in their livewells when they're going to cheat. What they do is they put them in a cage or on a stringer and hide them in the lake. I've heard stories of guys finding these cages and letting all the fish go and all of the sudden people that always place good in tournaments dont do so well in that tournament... Thats fishy

A couple years ago at my club open tourney (110 a team and 40 boats) a guy just so happened to hook into an object in the middle of no where. He went to go get his bait and found that he had hooked a  Lobster Car with a couple four-pound fish in it. So now, we have to watch everything and everyone. It's just plain sad.

[WTRDOG]

Dead fish should not be counted in any torney,if you can't keep it alive... too bad,especially for lunker.

[rondef]

Cheaters  

[TheBeast]

In the first couple of responses it was said that no walk-ons are allowed and we should do the same. That is the norm but this was an OPEN tourny and anyone is welcome as long as they are in a club somewhere. I do agree with a dead fish not being allowed in the Big Fish weighing and not eligible for the money, but dead fish do happen and still allowed in the regular weigh-in with a penalty. Had one die on me in a tourny last year just glad it wasn't my big one and I won big fish, that is the last time I use Rejuvenade gonna use Please Release Me this year.

[MattStrykul]

In the first couple of responses it was said that no walk-ons are allowed and we should do the same. That is the norm but this was an OPEN tourny and anyone is welcome as long as they are in a club somewhere. I do agree with a dead fish not being allowed in the Big Fish weighing and not eligible for the money, but dead fish do happen and still allowed in the regular weigh-in with a penalty. Had one die on me in a tourny last year just glad it wasn't my big one and I won big fish, that is the last time I use Rejuvenade gonna use Please Release Me this year.

I've heard bad things about rejuvenade...The guys in the tourneys I fish said that it's like speed for the fish and it just jacks them up. It doesn't calm them down, but keeps them alive by making them hyper. It's really stressful for the fish. Please release me is great, never lost a fish with it!

[Gatorbassman]

For a great education on Rejuvenade and PRM.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1207450731/1#1

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1205107829/0

[Root beer]

Why is everyone calling me a cheater? I cant help that my big fish died on m. ;D ;D

[harshman]

This tourney wasn't on falcon after the Elite series left was it? Any one would have been able to find big dead fish on that lake it sounds like.

Sounds like these guys scammed you either way to bad no way to prove it now.

Harshman

[SnowBass23]

I agree with the other posters that it definately seems your guys were aiming to cheat from the beggining.  Especially, since their concern was how much would still be paid out if they just happened to turn in dead fish.

The lake here does an annual fishing tournament for a 2 week stretch.  The day before the tourney starts a whole boat load of fish, cats, bass, crappie, bream all of different sizes are tagged.  The tags correspond to a listing the warden and event coordinators track.  

In order to compete, people have to buy a tourney pass before hand.  If they catch a fish with a number on it (just numbers, not actual $ listed) they take the fish, ALIVE, to the tourney board to have the number looked up and collect the prize.  

Every year there are several fish in the $1000 and up category.  This way, you could end up with a tiny 4 inch bream with a tag and a 8 lb bass tag.  People tend to assume a monster fish has a high value, while a small fish will have $15 or $20 bucks.  A lot of times those small guys have several hundred dollars on them.

People are always scheming to fish and IF they catch a tagged fish, then run out and buy a pass.  Cheaters suck.

There was also a story, I believe in Bassmaster about a local favorite who had won several smaller local events.  Then one day someone noticed him tying off a stringer next to a bush in a cove.  When they inspected he had several nice fish tied off.  A sting was set up, and during the tourney he came to collect them.  It just sucks what people are willing to do for money, and ruining this lifestyle (not hobby, not just a sport!) in the process.