Man Busted for Cheating at Major Bass Tourney

[1974Viking]

I ran across this story tonight and thought I would share it with everyone on this forum. This guy has really sank to a new low, cheating during a Major Fishing Tourney. I have been know to streach a few fish stories in my time, but this guy takes the cake. Hope you all like reading this. 74 Viking.


Monday, August 2, 2010 2:16pm PDT
Cheating scandal at U.S. Open rocks bass-fishing community
By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com


A professional angler found to have stuffed lead sinkers down the throats of fish he submitted for weigh-ins during a prestigious bass-fishing tournament has been banned for life from that and other competitions in a scandal that has rocked the tight-knit and passionate bass-fishing community.

Mike Hart, a successful Southern California pro whose career earnings total more than $200,000, was accused of cheating in this manner during the recent $100,000 U.S. Open held at sprawling Lake Mead on the Nevada-Arizona border. An official with the Western Outdoor News bass tour said Hart confessed after he was caught virtually red-handed.

WON Bass will not pursue criminal charges against Hart, but the episode has tournament organizers around the country speaking out against cheating and seeking ways to prevent their events from being similarly tarnished.

"On the one hand it was a day of infamy for organized bass fishing in America," said Harvey Naslund, director of the WON circuit. "But on the other hand it was a major victory for all who have long cared for, and taken steps to protect the integrity of bass-fishing tournaments."

Catching a cheat is difficult because tournaments are catch-and-release, so bass are kept in aerated wells on the boats and weighed live at the end of each fishing day, then released.

However, sometimes bass die after being caught and Hart had offered three dead fish during the weigh-in on the second-to-last day of the U.S. Open. They were filleted so the meat could be delivered to a charity, and found to contain weights.

Officials waited until the final day to confront Hart, who turned in a full limit of five bass. All five were found to contain lead sinkers.

In all, nine sinkers were removed from bass turned in by Hart. Naslund said each sinker was torpedo-shaped and weighed two ounces. Each was attached to a short line and tied to a small treble hook, presumably to catch in the throat and hopefully keep the weights from entering the belly and being detected if the bass were cut open.

WON Bass determined that Hart acted alone, even though he had a lower-tier "Triple-A" fishing partner aboard his boat during each of the three days of the U.S. Open.

Naslund explained that the Triple-A partner fishes from the back of the boat while the pro stands at the bow, driving and steering with a foot-powered trolling motor.

On the third day of fishing, Naslund said, Hart was said to have asked his partner -- who had flown in from South Korea -- to change places while he rigged some tackle and checked on the fish in the live-well.

"The same scenario existed on Day 1 and Day 2 of the U.S. Open," Naslund said.

The South Korean angler, who would have shared part of whatever purse Hart had been entitled to after the third and final day, was given a refund for his entry fee.

For what it's worth, the U.S. Open was won by Arizona pro Clifford Pirch, with a total weight of 31.44 pounds. He earned $40,000, plus a new bass boat.

[kantuckyII]

What a moron! I remember years ago a guy got caught cheating and then committed suicide afterwards. Now, that was kinda extreme but could you imagine how embarrassing it would be. I'd say this kinda stuff goes on quite often at a lot of tournaments, especially local. Perhaps they need to run metal detectors over the fish?

The one guy cheating was keeping his bass in a basket before the tournament. He's motor to them, when no one was looking, he's grab 'em and put them in his live well

[OZZIEOHIO]

What a moron! I remember years ago a guy got caught cheating and then committed suicide afterwards. Now, that was kinda extreme but could you imagine how embarrassing it would be. I'd say this kinda stuff goes on quite often at a lot of tournaments, especially local. Perhaps they need to run metal detectors over the fish?

The one guy cheating was keeping his bass in a basket before the tournament. He's motor to them, when no one was looking, he's grab 'em and put them in his live well

When I was in Texas they caught a guy doing the same thing. The guy who found the basket took a pair of finger nail clippers and clipped a piece of fin off all the fish in the basket. Then they were at the wiegh in waiting for him. He was banned from fishing any tournys in Texas for life and had to pay back everything that he had won over the last few years.

[BigOrangeOne]

I've always wondered why Oz carries so many of these around in his pocket.

[OZZIEOHIO]

I always heard if your not cheatin, your not trying hard enough.