2 Top Bass tourney competitors caught red-handed

[lowerunit]

Don't know if it ok to post from another site. If its not ok please delete.

Top Bass Press Release.

September 15, 2015.

There were 2 makeshift cages discovered on Balsam Lake at the TOP BASS Classic (one Friday prior to the event and one Saturday morning during the event) and brought to the attention of the Top BassTournament Director. In consideration for the safety of the fish, they were released back into Balsam Lake.

We are currently consulting with the appropriate professionals and are taking this situation very seriously. We will be exhausting every option that is available to us at this time.

Please be patient while we deal with this professionally. We will provide updates on this matter when they are made available to us.

Thank you for your continued support,
TOP BASS
Ted

[ckewley]

I fished a few salmon derby's this year & while most were small local events I did attend a big one where I was a observer, is this not something they could do in these bass tourney's to curb the cheating?

[aplumma]

Looks like we are back up to 3 please keep this factual and civil I would like to see how this shakes out since it is an issue that has happen both in the past as well as going to occur in the future.

 

 

Art

[BillM]

Observers would be a great idea.

[landry]

That's a lot of observers for each event.

[OhioFisherman]

I fished a few salmon derby's this year & while most were small local events I did attend a big one where I was a observer, is this not something they could do in these bass tourney's to curb the cheating?

 

Well if you look at the entry fees I am guessing some have a partner and enter bass tournaments to reduce costs. If you have a non paying observer you may have to reduce entry fees and payouts, which may reduce interest?

 

Draw tournaments where you draw for a partner might help, it would make planting fish a lot harder if you have a partner that you don't know? One of the bass clubs I fished with had boat owners and non boat owners, boaters drew from a non boater pool for a partner. I never had a non boater partner put a legal sized fish in the boat though, some would not even accept tips, offers to use lures I was catching fish on. When you get to choose your own partner you also get to pick one that has a clue?

 

I don't see any easy answers, it would be nice if people were honest?

[lew]

8 or 10 years ago myself & a friend entered an on-line musky tournament thru an American musky board. It was for anyone in North America and each month you were matched against a different team. There were 48 teams and each month the winning teams would advance to the next round and the losing team was eliminated. The tourney went from June thru November and you were awarded points for each musky caught.

 

The only stipulation was you had to show pictures of each fish caught and give the size of each one and other than that you were taken on your word for your catches. Each picture had to have an item in it with a different object each time and you were only told the day before the match what the item would be. It could be a basket ball, beer glass, stuffed toy or whatever. This was just to prevent anyone from posting an old picture of big fish.

 

The best part was there were absolutely NO prizes awarded to the winning team other than bragging rights and the 2 years we fished it there was never even a hint of anyone cheating...nothing at all.

 

We beat out 47 other teams the 1st year and came in 1st place and the 2nd year we came in 4th out of 60 teams.

 

I think as soon as there's prizes, specially big money purses, your gonna have cheats and I don't know how you can eliminate that.

 

Stinks that it happens, but that's life and ain't nuthin gonna change that.

 

This is one fish I entered and you can see a CD disc hanging around my neck

 

 

This is another fish and I've got an egg beater around my neck

 

Edited September 16, 2015 by lew

[woodenboater]

that's a great way to run an informal derby Lew ! I can imagine the stares you got when you left the dock wearing an eggbeater loll

[lew]

that's a great way to run an informal derby Lew ! I can imagine the stares you got when you left the dock wearing an eggbeater loll

 

We kinda kept those things hidden till picture time LOL

[OhioFisherman]

We had a guy we had known for a long time decide he deserved all the payout when he won a club tournament and started whining about it at the weigh in. We only paid the top three places, and everyone knew what the payout was going to be.

 

You won so change the rules? Sure, don't come back! You whined your way out.

[kickingfrog]

Only Lew could take a photo with a straight face and an egg heater around his neck.

[manitoubass2]

Those are priceless pics lew????

[beertech]

manditory gopros in each boat should do the trick.

[OhioFisherman]

Lew didn't even keep that 8# bait he uses! LOL

[lew]

Bunch of comedians here this morning

[Cloudy15]

Just a thought, and a costly one at that. I was thinking putting a gopro on each boat, clearly way to expensive. But, cloud five boats be randomly selected placement and battery life would be an issue of course.

[lookinforwalleye]

spotter in each boat would suffice....a doubt you would have a problem finding a few people to spot...throw some swag at them and everybody is happy!!!

[doubleheader]

It has been my experience in walleye tourneys that most guys are very honest. I've fished at least 40 tournaments, and only once did I have a suspicion that cheating was involved. Now keep in mind that with the exception of a few MWC and Cabelas team Championship events the top prize for the events I usually fish is less than $5,000, in fact it's typically closer to $3,000, so maybe the money isn' sufficient to bring out the cheaters, or maybe I'm just naive.

Edited September 16, 2015 by doubleheader

[Old Ironmaker]

The sad fact is when there is any money involved someone is going to find a way to take it unscrupulously. From a 2 buck Nassau golfing to Pro Bass tourneys and everything in between. Sad but a fact of life. I say put them in cage underwater then they might think twice about cheating after all the facts are in though.

[DRIFTER_016]

This just showed up in my FB feed.

 

 

A Note from the CSFL

On September 15, 2015, the Top Bass Tournament Series released a statement that there were two cages holding bass found on Balsam Lake, one found prior to their Classic, the other found during the event.

The CSFL would like to applaud the anglers in all their efforts in outing these perpetrators through social media. Your voices have been heard loud and clear, in seeking well deserved closure, and important lessons learned in protocol to assure conviction.

The CSFL would like to reassure anglers, sponsors and followers of the sport, that this type of behaviour is not common in competitive fishing. There has been only two other recorded incidences within thirty years in Southern Ontario, both with convictions. The CSFL’s expectation of its anglers is to maintain the highest level of professionalism just as they can trust the CSFL to do the same in upholding its position as an organizer to maintain the integrity of the sport, in deterring this type of behaviour and ensuring that the CSFL is not opposed to utilizing the lie detector test and working with law enforcement to make examples of those who think they can take advantage of the dedicated anglers and organizer’s trust. This type of behaviour will not be tolerated and will not be welcomed in any CSFL event or any CSFL supported events.

The CSFL is confident that with a little patience the authorities will put this matter to rest.

Regards
Andrew Pallotta
Competitive Sport Fishing League

 

 

[ONbuckhunter]

You have absolutely no clue. And I fish tourneys. I don't run many decals or have shirts, Local sponsors help me out and a few others I support them but that's how it works. We do more for this fishery (and I guide, rec fish and tourney fish) most anglers that whine about tournaments are weekend wannabees and fill their stringer with eaters. Focus on the reason why this thread was made. Offending fellow anglers that do it right is unproductive. This thread is reminding me why I left this site.

[ONbuckhunter]

I agree. Too tough to put a scrutineer in the boat. I have a smaller bassboat and that would make it impossible having a third person with weight and area.

 

edit. Suppose to quote other posts but it never works for me. lol.

Edited September 22, 2015 by ONbuckhunter

[smitty55]

You have absolutely no clue. And I fish tourneys. I don't run many decals or have shirts, Local sponsors help me out and a few others I support them but that's how it works. We do more for this fishery (and I guide, rec fish and tourney fish) most anglers that whine about tournaments are weekend wannabees and fill their stringer with eaters. Focus on the reason why this thread was made. Offending fellow anglers that do it right is unproductive. This thread is reminding me why I left this site.

Maybe I took that the wrong way but Wow, are you ever full of your almighty self. Who's whining now? And what the hell is wrong with weekend fishermen who chose to keep some of their catch? Or is that beneath you? Wannabees? Really? Like you think you're special or something? Yea right...

[DRIFTER_016]

That's enough fellas!!!

This thread is about a couple of cheaters, not weekend warriors against tourney fishermen.

No need to start insulting each other, we after all, all fishermen.

[Old Ironmaker]

It's my 10% theory. 10% of a work force does 30% of all the work. 10% are on sick leave, 10% are on WSIB, 10% are alcoholics, 10% are unemployed, 10% need social assistance because they will never work, 10% are drug dependant 10% have a mental issue, 10% gamble, and 10% are criminals, liars and cheats. That sector of our society has always been there so nothing is new.

 

People cheat, even 10% of sportsmen but we must take steps to lower that number with deterrents.

Edited September 22, 2015 by Old Ironmaker