The REAL Damage The Walleye Tournament Cheaters Have Done To Fishing

I mean…this may be more elaborate, but I feel it starts at the weigh ins…For the amount of money getting tossed around I feel the weigh in should be more evaluated. There has to be a strong correlation to water displacement/fish volume to weight that would be species specific. If the governing bodies or some organization made a public website that would have a calculator or a chart of water displacement to fish weight on species, a small investment on the tournaments on all levels could get a fish tank with water levels on it, quickly easily determine the water displacement of the fish to calculate roughly how much the fish would weigh, have set variances that if the fish don’t meet they further inspect and go from there. Would be more work, but that’s one way to keep everything a lot more legitimate

Just run a generic metal detector over the fish when you get off the boat. Easy.

Great job

I’ve noticed that in fishing it’s common not to name drop. I see it a lot on peoples videos. They’ll speak about a particular situation that happened but won’t mention names. I think at the end of the day if you have factual evidence then yell it to the hilltops!!! I’ll call anyone out if I have the proof or have that extremely overwhelming gut feeling!!!

Not a fan of your glasses

The Tourney's need to make a rule whereby all fish turned in become the property of the tourney nobody gets to keep the fish and all turned in fish should be checked by the judges not just the top guys. and you will see stuff stop because they wont be able to keep the fish and hide them.

What wonder is if it would of been taken this serious had it not gone viral.

I have an idea. Just before the tournament starts give everyone tags to put on the fish they catch and anglers must were a body cam, like police body cams, and they must record the whole catch and then record themselves attaching the tags. Once the tags have been attached you cannot open it back up without a key. You are only allowed to enter fish that have a valid tag. Whoever wins first second or third (or any prize) must have their body cam reviewed of them catching the fish and immediately attaching the official tag witch cannot be removed by the angler. Also run the winning fish thru a X-ray machine and metal detector. And the tags have electronics that when you lock it on the fish it saves the time and date AND EXACT COORDINATES of latitude and longitude. And the way to see the data you Bluetooth to an app on your phone with a password to access that only the tournament directors have. And also when you attach the tags you must clearly show the tags number and you must measure and weigh the fish (before tagging) with a scale provided by the tournament judges, and clearly show everything on your body cam.

I don’t exactly agree, it does hurt but in the long run, I don’t believe so.

For it to be as you say, the Roots must be weak. Tournament fishing does not have weak roots. Bass, Walleye, Musky, Crappie etc. all have strong roots. Like a red wood.

Few years back when Mike Hart was caught Cheating at the US Open, the main damage it did was taking away the celebrations of who won that tournament.

As you saw this years and the year after that scandal, the Open is still going strong

Almost every major sport gets hit by cheaters.

Baseball has Corked bats to most recently having a sticky substance from Pitchers to Steroids. Shoot even the Little League World Series has its own cheating Scandal.

NFL has Steroids as well but then there was Tom Brady deflating the ball

Boxing again has Steroids but a few years back a fighter was caught with a Plaster of Paris like substance in his hand wraps.

All these sports are older than Professional Tournament Bass Fishing

My point is that there will always be cheaters, nothing you can do to stop it
When there’s a will, there’s a way.

This was Huge cause of the invent of Social Media and the fact that everyone now has a camera/Video recording device aka a smart phone.

Just like there will always be poachers
Cheating in sports will always exist

This time was weight, but who do you stop Cages or a false bottom or getting information from a second party while the tournament is going on

Like let’s say, Forward facing sonar are banned but a friend is on the lake and they have FFS and give out GPS locations to their buddy.

How many times have you heard of people cheating Casinos and they have Cameras and people everywhere

Few days back there was a possible cheating scandal in Professional Poker, that was televised or was shown online.

You can try but someone will always try and will find away.

I do not believe this will damage Tournament fishing of any kind in the long run. It is a hiccup though.

B.A.S.S had someone trying to buy a fish from a co-Anglers not long ago.

Mike Long finally got caught lying about how he caught fish and tournaments had almost nothing to do with it. Some one followed and hid and recorded him and they did that for almost a year to catch him.

The only thing I believe might work are Marshall on the boat, similar to how MLF has.

Even then there is a possibility of cheating.

Every cheater I’ve read about has been banned from all tournaments and most don’t even recreational fish anymore.

Legally I would hope for a lifetime ban of their fishing/Hunting license at minimum.

Tournament fishing will recover. It always has. It’s legitimate place in sports is not tarnished at all. Not even close. Just have to continue to be diligent

Tournament fishing has survived past scandals and it will survive this

Those wine tastings can grab you by rear if you’re not ready for it.

Should of let them do the beat down!!!!!!!

So x-rays for fish

If it's obvious that they've been cheating you just tar & fearther them and let them go. I don't think they will come back to any more fishing tournament that does this. 🤔
Like to see them jump back into their truck to leave with all those feathers & tar on them. 🤣
Good video Randy .👍

Everyone thought they were cheating for years but never said or did anything to confront them. Bunch of cry babies!!!!!

It all comes down to integrity and some folks unfortunately do not have it. No easy answers, unless you get more eyes looking out for cheaters, but it is truly sad because it gives the sport and honest anglers a black eye

Just stay off the water randy cheaters never win. Winners never cheat 😮man may not catch you but GOD KNOWS

I don't care what anyone says. Planting brush or other fish attracts , getting way points from others at any point even if you're not going to be there for 6 months,talking to others at anytime about the tournaments and when you're going to be there and I could go on and on is all cheating. There are no legal professional bass tournaments in existence.