For some reason, ever since someone came up with the concept of competition, man has always looked for a way to gain a competitive edge — even if it means cheating!  

In any contest, there are rules and just like records, some feel that rules are made to be broken. Today, we are going to look at some of the worst bass tournament cheaters to ever wet a hook, and how these incidents should be handled.

Years ago, an angler got caught cheating on Lake of the Pines in a bass tournament called the “KYKX Big Bass Splash.” In one tournament when the polygraph examiner questioned if the catch was legit, he was unsure on whether to pass or fail the guy. So, the tournament director decided to award him the victory despite questions surrounding his catch. 

The following year, the same angler was in position to win again but this time the polygraph examiner failed him. Then a man came forward and told the tournament director how and where this angler was getting his fish.   

He was pulling his bass out of a basket under a dock just before weigh-in. Convicted of fraud, this guy paid a price with a prison sentence and a heavy fine. 

Then there is the story of Elro McNeil who, in 1983, tried to weigh-in a bass that he purchased from Florida. It was rejected, but the bass was then frozen and thawed at his Louisiana home before being turned over to another angler for weigh-in at a Tyler, Texas tournament. 

The saddest part of this story was that one of the anglers involved in this elaborate scheme was found shot dead at his favorite fishing hole. At first it was considered a murder, but it was later ruled a suicide. 

What may be the best cheating scheme ever was orchestrated by Japanese angler, Yuming Gao, a few weeks ago during a Bassmaster Open. This dude took cheating to another level as he was placing air tags inside other angler’s bass boats so he could track them and learn where they were catching their fish. 

The one thing I’ve learned over my many years of seeing guys that cheat in bass tournaments is, most of the time, it wasn’t about the money they could win, but more about their ego and wanting to be recognized as one of the best bass fishermen in their region.

As an angler, the only thing you have is your name. Once you cheat and get caught, not only is your fishing career over, but you’ve now lost the reputation you had as a person. 

All anglers want to be recognized as one of the best, especially on whatever tournament trail they are fishing. But for some, the need to cheat can be so strong that no matter what the consequences are they just can’t stand winning the right way. I guess they think they won’t get caught… until they do. 

Here’s the deal; if you’re an angler looking to bend the rules in order to gain a competitive advantage, you’re already a loser! You have no place in tournament bass fishing, and I hope the next time you decide to cheat, the hands of justice come down on you with both prison time and a hefty fine, along with a lifetime ban from all fishing tournaments.