Cheaters caught again.

Catching the biggest fish or biggest bag of fish in a tournament is not purely skill IMO.

Most people spend countless hours pre fishing the area they are tournament fishing in. Or they have fished that area for years and years to perfect what they know and have learned.

People with more disposable time and income who can invest in learning this knowledge do better in tournaments on average. This IMO does not mean they are better fishermen so tournament fishing means nothing to me.

I think true skill comes from being on a new lake in a new to you fishery and figuring out how to be successful.
I have fished Bass tournaments before. I fish a Trilakes event for a couple of years with 50 teams. I had zero knowledge of the lakes but poured over lake maps before going. I stared out first day ever on that water placing 15th. I did this for about 5 years for this one day tourney and each year I leaned more about the lake. I didn’t become a better fisherman but learned where to be to compete. Last time I ever did it I finished 10th. My point being is experience on the body of water your competing on means more that anyones skill IMO.

This is just my personal thoughts on fishing success.

This is my first time see the video like that, I never think people gona do like that, unbelievable!

Well said, 100% agree with that. In general Sturgeon and Balsam is where 99% of my fishing is done. When I take people fishing I don't have to guess where to go. If someone asks me where to catch fish, the fish should be there. It's not as easy as putting a tack on a map mind you. But Disco is right. Knowledge and experience of a lake is paramount if you are in a tournament or guiding people fishing. That's why night fishing is so formidable and fascinating to me. Night fishing is mysterious and never a carbon copy of the night before. Only problem when my guiding service starts is there won't be to many customers that want to go fish all night. It's really a different world fishing with no light in a boat, and especially in the forest or walking the shoreline in waders in the dark. Sorry got way off topic. I do not have a problem with fishing tournaments, they are redundant to measure fishing skills. The best fisherman I know is the one who enjoys fishing the most....even when there is no fish caught.

Catching a fish is just a bonus to going fishing IMO.

Regardless of the parameters for winning (weight, length, quantity) there will always be attempts at breaking the rules. The article below notes guys cutting the tails off fish and having another fish underneath to appear longer. Also having pre-caught fish would apply to either weight or length contests.
Unfortunately nothing can be done with past tournaments as there’s no evidence, in spite of circumstances indicating it was likely. What is disappointing is the fact that the 2nd place fishers were likely denied their true purse/winnings. Imagine loosing out on a new boat because the guy(s) ahead of you cheated .

https://www.sportsdestinations.com/sports/w...high-tech-16703

Yes it's unfortunate in some previous tournaments, that the team that was 2nd, should have been 1st. And the team that was 3rd, should have been 2nd. And the team that was 4th, should have been 3rd. And so on, and so on. What is fortunate, is to the best of my knowledge, none of the fishing teams were tortured during these fishing tournaments. Just the fish were tortured in an incomprehensible way before they died. If any of those teams that were in this fishing tournament, were not first outraged and disgusted. If their first question was not... How could anyone do such a horrific thing to a living creature? Well then, I definitely wouldn't want to fish with them. The well being of the fish, is without exception, the priority over the prize.

As I understand it Crappeeeman, these fish were already dead, then weights put in - this tournament looks like they were killing the fish anyway - so not tortured. If they were captured/weighted ahead of time, and kept alive someplace, I would agree on the torture.

Agree with most of the sentiments written so far. I'm a catch and eat fisher as I can't see myself just going out there to stick a hook in a fish mouth just for the fun of dragging them in to be released again to be repeated later without the possibility for food. So when I hit my limit or catch enough for a feed, I stop fishing and head home. Not judging anyone that does C&R, just my personal view now (when I was younger, I use to fish for whitefish on Simcoe only keeping one on the ice and then continue fishing for fun if the fishing was good - no doubt lots of fun to catch decent sized fish so I understand that but after seeing so many whitefish end up dead after watching others do the same, I decide that was it for me with the C&R for fun). So I can't even imagine being involved in an activity that is a competition about hurting other life just for something to do. Furthermore, in competitions the fun of fishing is reduced greatly if not at all because the fun of the winning often overtakes the fun of the fishing....a fun hobby to me is not about the fun of winning prize and money (that's a whole different kind of activity...and not a hobby anymore but a profession).
Doesn't matter what kind of competition people get into...there are always people who are willing to try to cheat (even if there's no money involved).
Treat your fish (and other living things) well and they will continue to be there for you if/when you need them.
Shame on these and other cheating fishermen in so many ways.

Thank you for the reply. The fish were alive when the those two stuffed their pliers into them. And how many other times have these two done this in the past. This is clearly behavior that a professor writes studies on. I realize a fish is not a cute little bunny rabbit. But if they showed a cute animal being cut open like that, and objects being pulled out, the overall response from the public would have been incredible.

To the poster who had to make a political statement , lets keep this a great forum, not start with politics !!!

Here's my two cents. I never fished tournaments and never will. Fishing for me is not a competition, it is not a sports either. In fact If it was up to me I would have banned fishing tournaments once and for all (i can hear some saying "Glad it is not up to you" ). I catch fish because i like to eat fish plus i enjoy being out, close to nature.

As for these two greedy ones, IMO they have to be charged and tried for fraud and animal abuse.
Anything less will look like an endorsement of illegal activity. Heck, people get arrested and convicted for a petty crime like shoplifting and if these two guys go scot-free it would be a real shame!.

If these guys did this at the Whitby salmon weigh-ins, I'm not sure they'd make it out without slipping a few times on the way out.

And catching the biggest fish isn't luck. Some anglers consistently win the biggest salmon of the week. It's skill with a bit of luck

Boat was seized yesterday, looks like their streak of luck (CHEATING) has come to an end. And the investigation continues.

Wow I didn't know we were that close in thought Rey but I agree with every word you are saying....especially fishing for food and the need to be out enjoying nature.

Arnie.