FLW Red Wing

[hgmeyer]

When you sign up you agree to take a polygraph if requested...no limitations on when or why. I too am very skeptical of their accuracy, except as an investigative tool in the hands of a highly trained and experienced operator. But, they do usually expose a an inexperienced subject who is obviously "caught". In fact, in most instances, the "guilty party" refuses the test and is disqualified on that basis... thus ending the issue.

Why is it when some one wins a tournament somebody had to accuse them of cheating? I don't know of the situation that you are referring to Jester. But after every tournament the rumors always start about how the winning team cheated. Unless there is proof it's just an unwarranted accusation.

[Juls]

>When you start accusing a pro of cheating and start making
>people take a polygraph test to prove/disapprove your
>accusations, you my friend have opened yourself wide to a
>lawsuit the tournament director can't win.

Maybe you should slow down when you read. Tell me, what pro did I accuse?

Juls

[hgmeyer]

Jest, if you would register and post under your own name you might get a much more serious response...

Greg,

Sorry Greg it won't happen. There are certain people that have WC board immunity and I'm not one of them. The person/team I had "tailed" in a major stakes walleye tournament knows who I am talking about. I challenged him via 3rd party and on this WC Message board to a polygraph test of his location choosing of which I would pay for out of my own pocket and he FLAT refused. The post was dusted because it got REAL hot. All I can say is, I hope this person quits posting his comments on walleye tournament cheating because I will warn him only once that I am watching him real close. This guy has "big-time bones" in his closet and he knows it. Let's just say after I had him tailed and for all intents and purposes called him a cheater, I had many "BIGTIME" pros tell me "It's about time somebody had the guts to do it". .

You said you would use a polygraph test to prove cheating for or against a pro. You used the word "pro" in a generic sense and so did I. The word "PRO" was not referring to any specific person but only to a group.

[Juls]

>You said you would use a polygraph test to prove cheating for
>or against a pro. You used the word "pro" in a generic sense
>and so did I. The word "PRO" was not referring to any specific
>person but only to a group.

Oh did I? Better read that again...a little slower this time. I said it should be used in the case of a Co turning in a pro, who might have another agenda in turning in thier pro...like, having a bad experience with said pro and wanting to extract revenge.

But, if you read the thread further down, you'll find that I agreed with another poster who didn't like my thoughts on the subject, and told him he's right, but that he understood my point.

Please stick to your own thoughts and don't put words in my mouth.

Thanks,
Juls

Jester,

After you had them tailed did you have them DQ'd for cheating? I have heard accusations of people cheating in tournaments but only know of one person that was DQ'd for cheating (I think it was the guy on the pwt who was stretching his fish). I don't have any sympathy for anybody who cheats and wouldn't be shy about calling them out on it. But I also think alot of people get accused of cheating when there is no reason to suspect them. Just because they won somebody assumes that they cheated. All it takes is one idiot standing around in the bait shop/bar and starts shooting his mouth off to damage a persons reputation.

Also the tournament that you were talking about if somebody cheated and it was a big dollar event, would cheating be a fellony? Just wondering.

[Juls]

Lane,
Here is a story taken off of BassFan.com last year, that shows that it is considered a felony...Juls

Tormanen guilty plea 2/16/2006
A spokesperson in the office of Natchitoches Parish (La.) district attorney Van Kyzar said today that Missouri angler Paul Tormanen pleaded guilty on Jan. 25 to a charge of felony fishing contest fraud stemming from the Red River Bassmaster Central Open in November. BassFan had previously received erroneous information from the DA's office stating that Tormanen would not be arraigned on the charge until yesterday.

The arraignment was originally scheduled for Dec. 21 and was postponed twice.

According to the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) offense report, Tormanen admitted that he tied six fish to stumps prior to the start of the Nov. 10-12 tournament, then weighed them in during the first 2 days of the event. One of the tethered fish was discovered by a fellow competitor during practice and marked for identification by LDWF wardens. He was disqualified from the tournament and banned from BASS competition for life.

According to the spokesperson, Tormanen was sentenced to 2 years probation and ordered to pay fines and courts costs totaling $588.50. He also must pay $3,000 in restitution to BASS LLC and perform 120 hours of community service through an approved wildlife and fisheries organization. He's prohibited from enrolling in fishing tournaments for monetary gain during his probationary period.

That is so sad it almost funny. I would love to have been the game warden waiting at the weigh for those fish to come in. I can just see it know some guy strutting around making a big seen for himself while he's waiting to weigh in, chest all puffed out, then he goes up on stage and they weigh in his fish and then the game warden goes right up there and arrests him right in front of everybody. That would have to be the wardens best day at work ever. The warden probably had his wife there so he could get some pictures with his "catch".

I have heard stories over the years of guys having fish tied up and then weighing them in during a tournament but always thought they were more of "fishing myth" or the stories of guys stuffing there fish with lead weights. I am not sure if this is the kind of cheating that Jest was talking about, but when I hear of cheating in a tournament I always think of guys culling and trying to stretch there fish.

I might think a little differn't then some other tournament guys but I think that the guys who follow other people (tailpipers) in tournaments are just as bad as cheaters. I hate it when anglers let others do there prefishing for them. They are to lazy to do there own home work so they just pick a boat that has done well in other events and go where they go. While they are not breaking the law they are still going to weigh in fish that they didn't earn and they are taking away from the angler that went out there and spent the time and money to figure things out. (Sorry for the rant I kind of got going there and I know with you and alot of poeple on this site that I am preaching to the choir, but I am enjoying this discussion)