Stumbled across this video on the Facebook where some guy was caught with walleye stuff full of weights and man I don't know peoel got as heat as these folk where getting lol. When I say they where baying for blood I was expecting ole boy to get sucker punched any second and I thought Tournament coon hunters got hot

Lucky he didn't get more. Evidently these two jokers have been cheating at tournaments for while now and have collected over 300k in winnings by cheating, putting lead sinkers in the walleyes

I seen on another thread that he had won $300,000, wonder if there will be charges filed.

I belonged to a coon hunting club and won over a guy with a $6000/dog from KY with my $50/black and tan. I was 15 years old, and the guy went totally postal. I thought the guy was a total idiot overreacting to a coon hunt. An early life lesson.

I saw that post Wolfy. No one in that circuit will forget them, guaranteed.
Walleye guys spend big bucks on equipment, travel, and fees. It is a serious thing for them like most competitive events.
Like most things in life we see a few bad apples who feel compelled to bend or break the rules to favor themselves over others. Sad section of humanity that has no conscience when they are willing to do things like that to win. Same with poaching, and we also see it among some outfitters who get caught doing stupid crazy things because a client pays and the outfitter needs to deliver.
Not all, but always a few like this.
The video of they guy opening up the walleye bellies and squeezing out large lead sinkers and fish fillets speaks volumes by itself.
I thought the crowd at the weigh ins was going to lynch those two culprits also.
Thanks for sharing this.
Jim

This has been the talk of the fishing community for the last week. A lot of people are upset.

Anytime money is involved there will be cheating and stealing. From outdoor association funds to coyote calling contests.

they check temperatures on dead coyotes in calling contests. the liars just trap and cage some. kill them on tournament day

fishing contests guys stash fish in baskets

association hierarchy pilfer the funds and act like they are gods gift to women.

its nothing new

They only needed to beat 16+ pounds….came in with 33+ pounds, ( including 8 pounds of lead egg sinkers ). Had they been close to the 16 pounds, no one would have probably noticed.


The language on the video is far too bad post on TM.

That crowd was Fired Up. Yikes,,them cheaters are lucky they got out of there in one piece.

Under the docks in Florida where they weighed in tarpon in tournaments..... you can dig up old sash weights and lots of lead.

Somebody always cheats.

Pete

I fished surf fishing Derby's in the 60’s. No big money mostly prize and trophy. I had friends that would go places in a boat, not in the surf and would easily win so it’s not necessarily money that is a motivator!

Why not weigh the fish live like bass tournaments? Are walleyes to hard to keep alive in the well?

Yes out here on my end of lake Erie they are brought up from depths up to 70 feet or deeper some times. They tend to cough up their bladder. Tough to keep them alive, but possible.
People are known to fill them with ice cubes here before weigh-in so the metal detectors won't go off like they do with lead.
Many,many people have been caught cheating.
If they catch a few, how many don't they catch cheating.

I'd be OK if fishing tournaments were banned.

I don't see fishing as a competitive sport.
If one can't enjoy a day fishing without making it competitive then they should find something else to do.

I don't know a lot about the walleye fishing tournaments back east but I'm a member of the Walleye's Unlimited local chapter and we host a 2 day tournament where you take a picture of your walleye with a numbered tag next to it as it's lay on a measuring through so the fish can be released quickly with little or no undo stress .

As for money spent on equipment and boats , a friend of mine bought a new top of the line Lund with a 400 Mercury Verado ? On spelling and with electronics I believe he's got well over $ 130,000.00 in the boat and trailer .
On the state wide level the top money winning team can make some good money from boat manufactures to the kind of pickup they're towing the boat and 5th wheel camper with .

You don’t do it or see any value in so ban it… Nice.

And No, I don’t tournament fish.

Thanks, had no idea walleyes were down that far.

Sometimes they are down that far, other times you could poke them with your oar

It just happened Friday!

The Lake Erie Walleye Trail is some big money, I have five friends that fish it, I think it’s around $3000 to get
In the different dates. Once I talk to my buddy I’ll know more but I’m pretty sure these guys have won a ranger
Multi species before, you’re talking over $100k. They should spend time in jail and pay restitution!