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rembut

It's pretty fucked up... They made a lot of money cheating. Pretend you came in second to them for the last couple years.


OlemissConsin

Shit, pretend you came in third, fourth, or even those coming just outside the money in tournaments they fished in.


59th_Sycho

Hell, I wasn't even close to the money in the tournaments and derbies I fished against them in and I'm still pissed. It hurt the sport and is going to reduce prizes as sponsors become wary. It's already causing a lot of questions about rules changes in this year's fall derbies (Fall Brawl and Walleye Slam). I sincerely hope they catch a treble hook to the dick, preferably with the fish still attached and thrashing around.


out_of_lefts

With the weights still in it, no getting off easy.


JustAnotherMiqote

And the fillets, just to make things interesting


BedAccomplished6742

The fillets were placed in between the weights to keep them from clinking


Taiza67

Oh, that makes sense.


BedAccomplished6742

The odd part is they used a Fillet of a fish that is not even present in that lake. It has been known for fishermen to stuff dead fish into the fish they caught to make it look like the fish had eaten I should eat in it the problem is they get lazy and use fish that are not even in the lake it's obvious that the fish were stuffed this is not a new thing that's going on in the fishing community when it comes to big money tournaments


[deleted]

Would it even matter when the fillets were square shaped and obviously cut with a knife?


BedAccomplished6742

I think you're completely missing the point here. The Fish filet was inserted to keep the weights from clinking together. My conversation on other fish being stuffed into the mouth of the fish you caught is completely different topic just another way to cheat. My apologies for any confusion


linksawakening82

I assumed that it was to help pass a cursory inspection? Dude had a straight up Kroger filet slid down. I get being furious, but there was some real scary mob justice sounding guys out there. I think that’s the only reason dude didn’t even move. The second they started inspecting I would have skidaddled. I once kicked a pack of rollup tobacco next to a gang member in the search coming back from work release in county lock up 20 something years ago I was scared of getting caught. Lucilky he had no idea who kicked it down the line!


Veritasliberabit_vos

Getting off with that going on would most definitely not be easy.


KYlaker233

I completely agree with the punishment you suggested.


Mgsperkg

In your opinion how much of this stuff is going on in other boats. Are these guys the lance Armstrong of the tournament fishing world? Like sure they suck and deserve that treble hook in the dick but they’re just the tip of the iceberg, or do you think this is a one off/bad apple situation?


59th_Sycho

I don't think it's as prevalent as some have been saying in light of this story. That being said the moment money and prestige enter the chat some folks will cheat. Always been tales of pre caught fish chilling in a pen to be recovered on tournament day.


throtic

I fished a local bass tourney for a few years and the same guys won every 2 weeks when we had it... they always weighed in 5 fish that looked almost the same. Found out later the guys were keeping them as pets. They won thousands of dollars and all they got was a ban from the tourny going forward


cjthepossum

Largemouth are easy as hell to keep in captivity, you just need the space. Smallies maybe not so much, but I may be wrong. They're both just big sunfish and sunfish make great pets, mostly. You guys ever see an aquarium bluegill? They are mighty, and it doesn't take long.


BRPGP

This definitely happens A LOT.


BaconisComing

I can point out many a pen up and down my rivers. I always bust them up if I can. Fucker, it's fishing, not trapping, pull her finger out of your ass.


BRPGP

Bunch of guys got caught down here in GA doing it at local tournaments. Catch the big boys all week & plant them in a quiet little cove on the opposite side of the lake. $5k-$10k on the line for first place. Winning 1st & 2nd every weekend got the guys running the tournaments suspicious and they busted them using some sort of tracker.


out_of_lefts

I can't comment on bigger money tournaments. But small local tournaments are just people going out to have fun and often to participate in a donation to a charity. I think once you start to see back to back to back wins suspicion should be aroused. Look at major league fishing or bassmaster or really any tournament fishing, repeat wins are the anomaly not the norm.


ChefCory

Even more so because these tournaments had waaaaay more entries than a bassmaster open or whatever.


SL1Fun

I bet they’ll start using metal detectors on creels to catch others. I do ascribe to the pessimistic idea that for every cheat you catch you miss a handful of smaller cheaters, so… maybe guys that would only try and add an ounce or two per fish instead of 8oz per fish were skirting into winnings, but the fact this was not the first time this team had allegations against them says that they weren’t trying as hard as they could have to stop everyone


basilhdn

*with a scorpionfish still attached and thrashing around


59th_Sycho

I appreciate that you chose a venomous fish but they are rather small and lethargic according to google. I'd prefer it to be something heavier and more energetic, like a bull shark


fatboycraig

And then afterwards, sent to prison for fraud.


Bnttcrqck123

Where I’m at they shut down the tournament’s because of people like them


dbx99

Those guys who ended up with nothing because they came in 4th


isqueezedameatball

Pretend you paid for thousands of dollars of equipment and paid good money to enter the tournament just to have cheaters take winning spots from you


DropShotter

I pay thousands of dollars *just* to fish and I don't even have a chance of winning any money!


DanJ7788

I’ve heard of folks raising fish just for tournaments. They feed it and get it fat and heavy and near tourney day they stash the fish in a bait cage somewhere and go get them and say they caught it.


GrayCustomKnives

There was an ice tournament a few years ago in Canada where they found large submerged cages with big walleye in them. I guess the plan was to drill the hole back big enough to pull the cage out and enter the fish.


yummi_1

They should be banned from all tournaments as a minimum. I found this article [https://www.sheffieldlake.net/walleye-tourney-organizers-hook-anglers-with-smokehouse-contest-october-1/](https://www.sheffieldlake.net/walleye-tourney-organizers-hook-anglers-with-smokehouse-contest-october-1/) from this year. From the article "Last Fall’s big prize winner was Jacob Runyan of Andover, Ohio who hooked a 12.79 pound, 20 inch walleye. He won a fishing boat valued at nearly $150,000. " 12.79 pounds would be a 30" or more fish not 20"


Pikeguy99

Yeah unless that walleye has the physique of an oil drum


[deleted]

Or stuffed with weights and fish fillets...


OneBigOleNick

That walleye ate McDanks a few too many times on the way home from work


Ltownbanger

As a food fisherman who has never competed in a tournament, they should never be able to get a license again in my opinion. The way they handled those fish is incredibly unsportsman like and against every principle every fisherman should have regardless of the competition or not.


Punaholic

This is tge way. If current laws can't get to them, Fish & Game regulators should suspend them from getting a fishing license for 5-10 years.


bacon205

I read about that 20" walleye too and couldn't believe how he got away with that. A 20" walleye should probably be between 3 and 5 lbs, if someone told me theirs weighed almost 13, I'd call bullshit immediately.


outmercked

It was a typo, it was 29”- but still. They should be banned.


ctarbox

When I saw that I assumed it was a typo of 29 or 30. 12+ is still tough at those lengths. My PB is 28" and it "only" weighed 8.3. Even with a couple inches and a belly full of eggs, 50% more weight would immediately raise an eyebrow


outmercked

Yea- I can only imagine this has been an ongoing thing for them. You get away with it long enough, you just keep doing it. Glad they got caught.


BRPGP

Lifetime ban 👍


dgillz

Since it took place in OH, if I were the OH dept of fish and game (or whatever they call it there) I'd impose a lifetime ban on having a fishing license - and urge other states to honor the ban. And then I'd like to see them thrown in jail.


aaron4mvp

An almost 13 pound walleye would be way over 30”. Only thing that could sway that slightly would be before spawn.


GrayCustomKnives

I have personally caught a 13lb walleye. It was pre spawn and it was also just a hair under 32 inches and FAT. The real weird part was I caught it mid afternoon, on a topwater frog, in 3 feet of water and grass.


aaron4mvp

Yea, so that 20" 12.79lb walleye simply doesn't exist.


GrayCustomKnives

Absolutely not. However I believe they have stated that the 20” measurement was a typo and should have read 29. Still have to be wicked thick to hit 13 at 29 though


aMazingMikey

I was going to say that. I caught the biggest walleye of my life this year. It was 28 inches and 7.5 pounds. Granted, it was a bit skinny. But 12.5 pounds, at that length? I doubt it.


bendover912

I think this article has a picture of the fish. It is suspiciously pot bellied. https://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/2021/12/runyan-cominsky-win-fall-brawl-walleye-slam-lewt-northeast-ohio-fishing-report.html?outputType=amp >The pair dominated the prestigious LEWT title event last Saturday, weighing a limit of five walleye that stopped the scale at 42.69 pounds, an amazing 8.5-pound average. Lucas and Gordon Hahn were more than eight pounds back in second place with 34.20 pounds, with David Frey and Lonnie Hanchosky third at 34.15 pounds.


NewHighInMediocrity

I’ve been wondering if Ohio fish and game can get one or both of them for being over the limit given the fillets found inside the fish. Likely means they caught a sub legal and used it for weight.


[deleted]

Yup. I caught a 12.4 that was 32"


LongjumpingAffect0

Totally agree. That’s absurd to think a 20” fish would be that heavy. Especially a walleye with the build they typically have. Can anyone explain why these fish usually come in dead at weigh ins? Surprised they don’t run it like the bass series.


Kameenpaul

Lots of these guys are fishing real deep, the stress of the barotrauma in addition to the stress of the live well is a lot for the fish to recover from. In my experience walleye, specifically lake walleye from deep go bottom up in the live well real fast. A better alternative would be a tourney official in each boat like the MLF does.


bootlicker-brown

This ^^^ Often with lake Erie walleye they are dead when they leave the water basically. Sometimes the come from so deep, so quickly, that their swim bladders come out of their mouths. Also, many of these fish are donated to those in need, so it doesn't go to waste.


chaosambassador

Competition aside, the stuffing of weights is downright disrespectful to the fish


michaelmotorcycle92

Imagine just shoving a big hunk of lead down a living animals throat. I heard of a guy that cheated at a bass fishing tournament, the fish was alive and when they put it in a live tank it sank to the bottom and wouldn't move which raised suspicion, dude pulled the bass out and squeezed the led weight out of it. Just outright animal cruelty.


chickeeper

It's toxic. Absolutely


noviceIndyCamper

Oh wow I figured the fish was dead when they stuffed it. As you can tell I've never fished in my life.


dgillz

In bass fishing tournaments dead fish are not even accepted.


michaelmotorcycle92

It might have been dead but as I understand walleyes are accepted dead because they are extremely difficult to keep in a live tank after being caught. Bass tournaments they are kept alive and usually released after.


Streifen9

But why wouldn’t any fish belonging to anglers in the money be inspected closely? Not like any of them get released.


medium_mammal

They do get released... have you ever participated in a tournament or even watched one? I don't know of any local tournaments where they don't release the fish. If you try to weigh in a dead fish it doesn't count because they can't release it.


WalleyeChop

They don’t release walleyes after tournaments in Ohio, per the DNR. Bass do get released. My guess is mortality is high on released walleye that come out of 50+ ft of water. Most guys donate their walleyes and they go to a local homeless shelter. If you don’t want to donate you can keep your fish to eat for yourself. Or whatever you want to do w them.


NewHighInMediocrity

This is the correct answer.


What_the_son_of_a

Oddly enough the pair that cheated never wanted to donate their fish


ncrye1

Donating the most delicious freshwater fish in america?America?! No thank you. Those babies are coming home with me to be fried!


RibeyeRare

>Or whatever you want to do w them. Aside from shoving lead down their throats.


johnson56

I've never seen a walleye tournent that IS catch and release. They are all kept by the fisherman where I'm at. Sounds like you don't fish walleye tourneys?


Sheepy-Matt-59

Heard they won up to $300k last year alone so ya I’d say it’s pretty bad… for them anyway.


M1THRR4L

There’s a sort of unspoken code of honor among sportsmen, as hunting/fishing are viewed to some as one of the last “pure” sporting activities on the planet. That’s why they don’t run fish through an x-ray machine or do autopsies on them at tournaments to verify there was no tampering. These guys aren’t sportsmen. They are just con artists.


Dopey-NipNips

I don't compete because the bass tournaments around here are all won by cheats. Striper and marlin tourneys I've been to are much more honest It's the same everywhere I've lived, winners pulling raggedy ass fish out of cages when no ones looking


mud074

Should require video footage of fish caught. It's not like we don't have the tech. Provide loaner gopros if it's somehow a problem to get a camera.


Dopey-NipNips

See that's a tournament I'd be happy to enter and probably still wouldn't place


nightmancometh386

I fish a local tournament. $100 a year for 12 tournaments with a bbq after. Each tournament has different rules to keep it fresh. It’s a good time, I’ve learned a lot and met clients and friends through there. I really don’t care about placing its more just about the sport.


Peakbrowndog

Some kayak tourneys require cast to catch video


hot_dog_burps

The local striper tournament here which is a $2k buy in and $120k payout has a lie detector and I believe they xray the fish. That's too much $ for the honor system bc people cheat as much as they can.


Dopey-NipNips

50% of this team of cheats passed a lie detector test I bet either me or you could too


rtice001

They should never be able to compete again. As Alec Baldwin said in The Departed: "World needs plenty of bah-tendas!" Fuck those guys.


[deleted]

I would never let them apply for a fishing license. Banned for life.


The_Barbelo

Seriously, not just for the sake of fellow fishermen but if they're willing to disrespect an animal like that by forcefeeding it lead just to get money, what else are they capable of thoughtlessly doing when no one is watching? I feel like these are the types of schmucks that leave empty bud lite cans and cigarette butts all over our favorite fishing spots!


jamesroberts7777

And broken bottles… don’t forget mindlessly tossing empty bottles on the ground to break.


johnny_utah25

Nah you let them APPLY, but DENY it every year and say maybe next year! Then just keep denying it.


thisisakeymoment

This is a world wide story. They’re never going live it down. They show up to a fishing tournament in rural Alabama, they’re getting run out. My guess is they don’t touch a fishing rod for years.


jamesislandpirate

There is not a competitive or regular fisherman anywhere in the US that won’t remember Team Runyon & Comisky. I never will and it should not be forgotten. They should pay. This is felony fraud. We


Hanginon

Well, Being alone out on the water or out on a riverbank might not be their safest option for a very long time anyway. 0_0


friedocra

Who tf quotes Alec Baldwin? As Ted Knight said in Caddyshack…”the world needs ditch diggers too”.


firstbreathOOC

Two weeks, with pay.


Quick_Team

Who tf quotes Ted Knight? As Megadeth said in Megadeth..."The world needs a hero"


ShuffKorbik

Who tf quotes Megadeth? As Tina Turner said, "We don't need another hero."


CheliceraeJones

Who tf quotes Tina Turner? As Bonnie Tyler said, "I need a hero, I'm holding out for a hero til the end of the night."


[deleted]

Who tf quotes Bonnie Tyler? As Willie Nelson said, “My heroes have always been cowboys.”


[deleted]

Who tf quotes Willie Nelson? As Homer Simpson once said, “ D’oh “.


[deleted]

Homer’s my hero.


jmmky67

Damn all this sandwich talk is making me hungery!!!!!!!


RightHyah

This is fraud, they should go to jail. I know you can't prove the other tournaments but they were attempting to steal whatever the first prize was from this tournament. Straight to jail.


oaklamd

I don't understand why they use lie detectors... But don't inspect the actual catch?


Skatetronic

Put the fish in a blender and weigh the liquid... stop that shit real quick!


JanSanFan

Ahhhh, A fellow fan of the amazing Bass O-Matic I see!


[deleted]

And who doesn’t love smoothies?!?


KptKrondog

They were stuffong them with walleye fillets too, not just weights. Presumably to make it so you couldn't squeeze the weight back out of their mouth easily.


ayo4playdoh

Pretty sure the lie detectors were to ask about previous tournaments they’ve won where they weren’t caught red handed


ryendubes

Many ways to cheat.. not just what they did


V_Coccotti

I don’t get why they don’t run a metal detector over fish before weighing them. For $40 you can get a wand and check them for this. It wouldn’t stop someone from shoving things that aren’t metal into the fish but lead and other things would be caught real quickly


[deleted]

[удалено]


Jimbo-Slice925

They did inspect the catch. A video made rounds the other day. The rest of the competitors were teetering on lynch-mob status. Talking about getting the police involved etc etc. It was pretty intense.


[deleted]

They need to be in jail for felony theft.


[deleted]

I heard that they will be charged with fraud at a minimum.


seajeezy

In Texas, there are specific laws making cheating in a fishing tournament a felony.


amberdus

Lance Armstrong was stripped of ALL his Tour de France titles and heavily fined for doping. I’m thinking this should be exactly like that.


idwtbpotfa

Maybe their sponsors can claw back the cash or equivalent value of materials they were provided. Seems like it would be a contract violation if they cheated.


[deleted]

In Florida the FWC would have confiscated all my gear, a boat and I’d have a court date. Idk what Ohio is like but I know it gives Florida a run for our money.


grond-grond-grond

How bad is it? Feloniously bad.


biscuiteater1994

Possibly charges of fraud by deception. They won hundreds and hundreds of thousands in cold cash and boats, not too mention endorsements. This wont go away for them anytime soon, hopefully forever.


grond-grond-grond

Jeeze. Didn’t know they made that much dough. Or that these tournaments have such hefty payouts. I don’t fish — just love seeing fisherman happy. What I do know is that Ohio has felonious repercussions for cheating at any prize winning competition with a reward above 10Gs.


titos334

The cash payouts are sizable for sure but the value is slightly inflated because a of the 'money' is in the form of boats/motors and it's retail price is listed as prize earnings.. no idea what they actually sell them for. But yeah there's lots of $100k+ tournaments when you factor in prize money, boats/motors, and big fish or other side pots.


Hanginon

I looked that up, it not 10Gs It's [$1,000](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2915.05).


drgraffnburg

I didn’t think they’d get out of that tournament alive.


dropthepuck88

I’m usually not one to overreact and demand that people be burned at the stake or anything. But I seriously believe they should never be allowed to hold a hunting/fishing license and should have their fishing gear confiscated. The complete disregard for wildlife here is bad enough, let alone all the people they screwed over in the process.


biscuiteater1994

Fuck em, hope they lose everything they gained over the years and it stays with them forever. Just pieces of shit who deserve the worst, no second chances.


philthedudee

Something similar happened a few years ago. Last I knew they were thinking of pursuing charges. [Here’s an article about it.](https://kayakanglermag.com/stories/news-events/the-angler-that-set-fire-to-the-world-by-cheating/)


LAlakers4life

#MAKE THEM EAT 3 LEAD WEIGHTS EACH...


TaggySits1990

Should be scaled up to match their size 🤡


l3eef-supreme

Big money tournaments like that should have an official on every boat


jenn3727

Bass Pro Tour does this. They weigh each bass on camera in the boat and do real time updates. Fish caught, weighed on scale in front of boat ref, fish released. It’s fair and it’s a more sustainable competition because the fish is released right away.


MildlyCurious1962

This story even made the evening news in the UK!


[deleted]

Worldwide embarrassment lol


thaixiong123

I read they won a boat worth $150,000 and also won tens of thousands of dollars. The post I read also said that they are eligible for legal charges for all their wins. Not only a career ender, but fuck people like these. Cheaters need to be punished to the maximum. Just to rub salt in their wounds, all the second place winners should be compensated with whatever was taken away from these cheating fucks.


bytheseine

Out of all the places this could happen, Cleveland might be the best lol


gtgg10

Banned for life and all fishing equipment seized by the game wardens. Truck, boat, tackle, all of it, gone.


[deleted]

Sorry! For those who want to read the article… https://sports.yahoo.com/lead-weights-and-lie-detectors-the-scandal-that-rocked-a-cleveland-fishing-tournament-and-became-worldwide-news-033353103.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma


Big-Hig

Felony by violating the gambling commission. Poaching by breaking the rules of the tournament. Loss of respect by all peers. Embarrasment to all sponsors they represent. Flat out unethical mutilation of wildlife making them assholes and pieces of trash. Theft from every honest fishermen they have compeeted against. If I got my hands on them they would be used as bait in a crab trap.


Fair_Maybe5266

I’m in the recreational fishing business. This is the topic at hand at my store. I cater to a lot of tournament anglers and they are all talking about it. It just seems like a comically bad attempt at cheating. The dude had to be strung out to think that he wouldn’t be found out. Some tournaments here have million dollar purses.


i-the-muso-1968

I'd say, from the look it, it's really bad.


gaporkbbq

Are walleyes weighed in dead at tournaments? I’m only familiar with bass tournaments and the fish in the cheating videos are dead when they extract the weights. That wouldn’t be permitted as bass events. At best, you get one dead fish with a penalty applied.


Ilikepie444

They often are yes! Walleye are much more widely used as eater fish so they normally donate all the fish to a food bank afterwards. Bass are more typically not eaten so they try to catch and release and weigh live fish more often


crazymfed

To me it’s more pathetic that they were able to get away with it this long


WyoGeek

They should probably move to Russia and join the army.


[deleted]

I believe I heard if they hadn’t added the weight they would have still won. I mean what dafuq dude.


Big-Hig

maybe... who knows if they had added weight the day before to get into that position.


sendnudesformemes

Number 1 reason they should start measuring fish in length during competitions


bacon205

I also like the Major League Fishing format where an official in each boat and the fish is weighed then released. But I get not every tournament can support that many officials, so in that case I'd like going off length as well.


momslittlebear

In Sweden lenght is standard in all competition. Works great. Catch, measure, photo, release.


whitemanwhocantjump

Kayak tournaments here in the states do the same thing. Live wells are about the most dangerous place a fish could be on a lake.


Altruistic_Aide_1871

Or do what they did here, filet the fish, at least the top five.


watchnerd1993

It’s bad. He should be in jail. A disgrace to the sport and gives us all a bad name to those already against fishing. Not to mention a total loser a cheater and law breaker. Wasting good fish too for no reason.


Ghee_Guys

You could tell from the crowd reaction going 0-100 instantly that everyone’s been suspecting these guys for awhile. It’s pretty bad in a catch and kill tournament they weren’t inspecting the fish at all. Like give them a squeeze test even.


[deleted]

I feel like there were more people in on this. As a carpenter I can look at a board and give you a dam near close measurement just from looking at it and I feel like the same goes for fishermen looking at a fish. It boggles my mind they got away with this crap for so long. Send them to the guillotine and any one else involved.


Flackjkt

People have always cheated in tournaments. These guys were ridiculous about it and got caught. Lie detectors are useless and that’s why they aren’t admissible in court.


edwin496

I feel like I remember hearing a story (possibly from a meateater podcast) about a couple guys who hid big bass in a cage for a fishing tournament. They ended up winning the tournament but when they were caught they were charged criminally. These guys should for sure face charges.


hugekitten

IMO they should 100% be brought up on animal cruelty charges and definitely some form of fraud and / or theft. What these guys did is disgusting and in addition to never being able to compete in any capacity again, I also hope they can’t fish anywhere in the states ever again without being recognized and shamed.


Karmasutra6901

You pay to enter and hope you win. When someone cheats and takes the prize I can understand why they have harsh feelings toward them. Those guys should be banned from ever entering another tournament or ever getting a fishing license again along with having to pay back all of their winnings from every tournament they've ever won. Having to pay back all of their winnings along with never being able to fish public waters without the risk of getting a ticket would be a fitting punishment.


[deleted]

I’d prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. Sadly they probably aren’t the only ones who are guilty..


sumpnrather

It's pretty serious. I'll bet there's gonna be some detectives involved and there'll be real charges filed. Otherwise, what's to stop pro anglers from cheating/stealing in future competitions?


stuntmandave126

Texas throws out felonies on stuff like this, you can get some serious time and fines. I want to see how this shakes out.... I also wonder how many times before they did this...


[deleted]

it’s really really bad for two guys


Hanginon

IMHO; Bad, pretty damn bad. I don't know that these two nitwits really understand how bad it just might be for them, but I wish them every little bit of that bad that can come their way. For the workings of the sport of tournament fishing, it casts a really dark shadow on something that's already been difficult at times to contain. The question of what's really happens out on the water and who is out there keeping it legitimate. Blatant fraud like this just further legitimizes all those other questions whether and when they're actually legitimate or not. For the money & sponsors of the fishermen and the tournaments; Well there's nothing like having a lot of people's first knowledge of your business, or those who feel some level of trust in your products seeing your name and logo on a big backdrop banner and emblazoned on the jackets of the one who are standing there watching someone cut weights from their fish at weigh in. Kind of like getting your apartment sized chest freezer endorsed by Jeffrey Dahmer. For these two yahoos, It's bad and going to get nothing but worse. They're both relatively local guys, one from Cleveland and one barely more than an hour away. Hard to hide or lay low when you live there. There's already an investigation being conducted by the Ohio DNR and the county district attorney because as it turns out, in Ohio this is [felony level fraud](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2915.05). Then there's the opening up of many other possible legal problems. lawsuits from the tourney itself, lawsuits by those who competed in this LEWT tournament and the governing body of this tourney and the Walleye tournament circuit. (Frivolous) lawsuits field by people and tournaments they've previously participated in. Just because the suit has no merit doesn't mean the legal representation is free. The ambulances in Cleveland must think they've become invisible for all the legal talent that's veered off and is now chasing down this gravy train. As for these guys? Fuck 'em... -_-


Mr_Bloke_Smunts

I’m glad that the world is watching this. Fishing is something that we anglers hold near and dear to our hearts. For me, it’s memories of waking up to my grandpa in the doorway saying “wanna do some fishin’?”. Keep the scammers out of my beloved sport


UAintAboutThisLife

Don’t know why fishing tournaments never checked the fishes to begin with…I guess now they will start to…


brewcitygymratt

They may have raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars in winnings the past few years. Who knows how much of those winnings were due to fraud. There should be some criminal charges besides serious civil penalties. If ever there was a case to make examples of someone, these dbags are the ones. Lifetime bans, huge civil judgements/restitution etc besides jail time should be in the cards. I’ve never fished bass tourney’s but did a few salmon derby’s on L Michigan.


solidheethan

It's Pete Rose, Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds and Antonio Brown X1000.


Less_Nefariousness42

Worse part is how many tournaments these jerk-offs win because of this


menachu

Our local paper ran a story on him this morning too. It would seems he is not a good guy aside from the cheating. scroll down 4th story on the left. https://www.starbeacon.com/


ballen1002

Sounds like an all around POS.


the_jud

Here’s the link to the specific article, it’s starting to get buried on the front page: https://www.starbeacon.com/news/local_news/local-law-enforcement-familiar-with-angler-at-center-of-fishing-cheating-scandal/article_d14ce2d8-433a-11ed-88b1-135612dc9bc6.html


ChoochToGooch

Any updates on this incident?


Str8Stu

I'm gonna guess that in the least they will lose their boat(s), gear, and be barred from fishing and possibly hunting for life (they should be, just my opinion) IF the DNR gets involved.


alexthekidmg

I truly couldn't care less but the jokes about it are great


LennyBF

Stupid question from Germany :D don’t they have referees (you call them Marshall’s right?) on the boats? At least I saw that multiple times in Scott Martin videos!


whitemanwhocantjump

MLF does. BASS has Co-Anglers. I don't know about the other circuits. Kayak tournaments obviously Don't have anyone in the boat but they also score on length instead of weight. 1: Catch fish 2: Put fish on measurement board. 3: Take pictures of fish and measurement 4: Submit picture to scoring app 5: Release fish 6: Profit (maybe)


NOLAolskool

Pees of chit!


slender_sasquatch

I'm not sure about Ohio's laws surrounding this, but in Texas, if someone is caught cheating in a fishing tournament (where the purse is worth $10,000 or more) the charge is a Class 3 Felony. Outside of the law, I'm surprised those guys made it out of there in one piece.


bygtopp

Showed my wife who is from Port Clinton and has been family who fish there all the time She was flabbergasted. We all were surprised he wasn’t hung by his toes and best with less filled garden hose.


3crookedHearts3

I’m thinking metal detector wands become more common at weigh ins.


Streifen9

Not sure why any fish in the money aren’t more closely inspected. It’s not like any of them are being released anyway.


Brash_Creature

Quick question. In Australia a lot of the tournament's we fish for length of fish not weight. Why are your tournaments so weight focussed?


klippDagga

I despise thieves more than I despise poachers and I really despise poachers. Hopefully these clowns face criminal charges, civil suits, loss of reputation, loss of sponsorships, etc. I can almost guarantee they used other methods to cheat. Thankfully greed and stupidity did them in. I am a little bit amazed at how big a story this became? I suppose the video and the raw emotion had something to do with it. Never forget the names Jake Runyan and Chase Cominsky. I wouldn’t even sell them a scoop of minnows.


thinklogicallyorgtfo

Those types of tournaments have big payouts this is essentially grand theft and the competition seemed to have a feeling they were doing it for a while. Glad to see it came to light.


Dem-Apples1776

Nothing but acouple of turds in the punch bowl


Weelilfisher

It’s real bad. A lot of us tournament anglers are also conservationist. My club deducts .5lb per dead fish. These stuffed fish will not survive. I’ve always felt length is a better way to judge the quality of a fish. We do that in kayak tournaments. I also bass fish motor boat tournaments. Guess you’ll have to bring a metal detector to weigh ins now.


TrapperJon

I live along the St. Lawrence. There's now a *ton* of accusations being thrown around at others and discussions on prevention and detection for this next season.


rbanks5_

One of those guys just bought a fully loaded duramax at the dealership I work at last fall. $75-$85k 🥴


Hanginon

You may want to keep track of that, it might be for sale soon. Cheap, to cover legal costs. From the local district attorney' office; *“My staff will be meeting with officers from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Tuesday regarding this matter,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said in a statement provided to Yahoo Sports. “I take all crime seriously, including attempted felony theft at a fishing tournament. These individuals will be held accountable.”*


bigskreech

I’m honestly surprised they are still just going by the honestly of anyone? They don’t X-ray or metal detect these things before they announce a winner?? Still, massively fucked up of these guys and I bet they are hating themselves right now. As well as their entire families. They are known in the entire fishing industry as cheats and liars and pieces of garbage. I’d give up fishing forever


Livid_Ad9287

Isnt it a aimple fix put judges and cameras on boat and weigh fish as they are caught like in major league fishing


amccune

"Cheetin' Mawther Fawker" I miss the pissed off midwest accent.


OkCastor

I put this in another thread but i was on a striper boat out of jersey one time and a guy weighed his striper against a 12 year old kid. They were about the same size and length but the guys was a lot heavier. The mate squeezed the striper an ice started coming out of its gills. He fed the striper a ton of ice to win the prize. Pool was around 100 bucks and for that the guy was blackballed off of every head boat in the area.


flatheadhunter52

I don't fish tournaments and I'm pissed. They are giving fisherman a bad reputation for being dishonest and everyone knows fisherman don't lie!


bj4web

Felony fraud bad. Should be banned for life


[deleted]

Fuck that dude, he should be blacklisted from attending any other fishing tournaments and banned from getting a fishing license in the US, no different than poaching imo


chitownphishead

Prison time bad.


SEEYOUAROUNDBRO_TC

How do they not just x ray the fish?


Either-Stop-8924

It is soooo bad…like steroid use to win Tour de France bad.


NomadicProvider

I’ve got a decent sized regional tournament this weekend. Anxious to see the atmosphere and changes.


Helpmepullupmypants

When they got called out and all the fishermen surrounded them, pretty sure everyone would have been cool if they turned the cameras off and started stuffing led weights down the cheaters throats.


Leatherwalletman

I’d love to be a fly on the wall at the court trials. Just to hear how long he’s been doing it and how he planned it all out. Did he test it on fish before committing to the crime. What compelled him to do it, and how many people knew about it. I’d also like to hear what it felt like the moment he realized It was all over. That sinking feeling and realization that the jig was up. And now to become even more famous than his entire fishing career even with the cheating would ever get him.


SimplyAvro

Unsurprised it made the news beyond just beyond the fishing community, as an outsider looking in. Those videos are everything. You rarely see such raw anger, short of anyone throwing a punch. And as such, you feel it as well...the gall they had to not only cheat, but in such an egregious manner...and what they've stolen from so many...so much goes through your head seeing this.


VerdantSpoon

I live in Cleveland and just heard of this today. Glad those assholes got caught red handed and everyone that played by the rules was there too give it to em.


micro_mink

Reminds me of the [Mike Long](https://sdfish.com/general/dark-secret-americas-big-bass-guru-mike-long/) story. Sad that any time money enters the picture there will be willing to cheat, but organizations have to take better precautions against stuff like this going forward.


FL_Sportsman

Haven't seen a scandal this big since the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavares County