# Arrested for Cheating in Fishing Tournament



## dennis_99 (Feb 27, 2006)

Thought I'd pass this along. I didn't fish the tournament, don't know the people, don't know the inside story and I don't know any details. Just thought it was an interesting story and everybody should know that cheaters may be charged with a Felony for cheating in a tournament.
I do know that the Ladies Kingfish Tournament was weekend before last and the arrests went down this weekend during another big tournament going on down at the Island.

http://www.krgv.com/news/group-charged-with-cheating-during-fishing-tournament/


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## mikereds (Jul 1, 2011)

dennis_99 said:


> Thought I'd pass this along. I didn't fish the tournament, don't know the people, don't know the inside story and I don't know any details. Just thought it was an interesting story and everybody should know that cheaters may be charged with a Felony for cheating in a tournament.
> I do know that the Ladies Kingfish Tournament was weekend before last and the arrests went down this weekend during another big tournament going on down at the Island.
> 
> http://www.krgv.com/news/group-charged-with-cheating-during-fishing-tournament/


cheaters never prosper!!!! plus its freaking embarassing!!!


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## dennis_99 (Feb 27, 2006)

Here is the original piece that ran.

http://www.krgv.com/news/7-people-f...for-allegedly-cheating-in-fishing-tournament/


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## bobo33 (Aug 22, 2011)

Outstanding:

State laws were changed this year to make cheating at a salt water fishing tournament a felony. This is the first time anyone from the Rio Grande Valley has been charged under the new statute.


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## flatsmaster14 (Mar 25, 2011)

Up to 10 years for a fish is not worth it!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Good for them, cheating sucks, Ive lost tournaments and was pretty much 100% sure the winners cheated because they looked like they hadnt done anything and had a winning stringer. Lock em up and the $$$ wont be worth it.


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## CaptDocHoliday (Feb 3, 2011)

IMO, every tournament should polygraph. They should lock up all the cheaters.


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## Bonito (Nov 17, 2008)

I hope they throw the book at them. I hate hearing this kind of garbage.


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## Spooled Ya! (May 14, 2012)

At a minimum they should lose their fishing licenses, be fined triple the tournament winnings, forced to clean the beaches during and after spring breaks, and put on blast publicly (group picture with the label Cheaters) at every bait shop on the Texas coast.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Nice! I don't fish tournaments but that's a good law IMO. Tough to prove though I'm sure.


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## RedfishStalker (Jul 27, 2012)

I hope they get fined the same amount of money that they would have won at the tournament, and get lots of jail time.


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## railbird (Jan 2, 2009)

Best news I've heard all week. Well done whoever caught them. It's about time this stuff got straightened out. I have not fished down south because of stories like this. I will be tempted to head down there if they get the cheating under control.


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## eyc0r (Apr 1, 2010)

CaptDocHoliday said:


> IMO, every tournament should polygraph. They should lock up all the cheaters.


...which would jack up the cost on the already high tournament entry fees... I completely see your point though...



Spooled Ya! said:


> At a minimum they should lose their fishing licenses, be fined triple the tournament winnings, forced to clean the beaches during and after spring breaks, and put on blast publicly (group picture with the label Cheaters) at every bait shop on the Texas coast.


I agree completely... Leave prison time out of this for the taxpayers' sake...

No one likes cheaters... and no one likes thieves... but a felony for cheating in a fishing tournament? Someone in legislation got bribed for that one to go into effect... And how did they get it though Texas' red tape so quickly? Then again, they probably submitted this 10 years ago haha...

Sending someone to prison over this is just a waste of tax dollars...


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## Kyle 1974 (May 10, 2006)

stealing money is stealing money.... these guys just did it a different way.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Cheaters*

Cheaters I hate them...Thats how a good thing gets Ruined..cva34


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## CaptDocHoliday (Feb 3, 2011)

not that I'm any great tournament champion, but the small community and charity tournament are the ones I like to fish most. Fishing for a good cause and winning a plaque are more rewarding than trying to fish for a check for this very reason.


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## Fishtexx (Jun 29, 2004)

Polygraph adds about $1000 to tournament costs. Post names and pictures of the thieves so everybody knows who they are. The public shunning could/would deter others from making those types of bad decisions.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Kyle 1974 said:


> stealing money is stealing money.... these guys just did it a different way.


x2. It is in fact criminal.


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## wannaBfishin (Dec 6, 2009)

'bout time!!!!!!!!!!! Glad to see the law will be used. Congrats to whoever pushed this through!!!


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## MajekMike (Jan 27, 2011)

The story goes that the game wardens have been tracking this crew for awhile. Wardens stopped the winning team in Port mansfield and checked their fish and the team had no flounder onboard. Apparently the team acquired a flounder from another guy that was not in the tournament that was fishing out of Arroyo City. The team drove to spi for the weigh-ins and the flounder was driven from Arroyo City to spi for the team weigh-in... At the weigh-ins, the game wardens knew that the team had no flounders onboard and begin to get warrants for the parties that were involved. Best part of the story is that the "ring leader" was arrested in front of a crowd of other fisherman and the captains meeting for the API Tournament that was happening the following week after the LKT Tournament.


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## El Trucha Rey (Jul 29, 2012)

All up in my neck of the woods. Hope they get the book thrown at em. I like the idea of cleaning up the beaches in SPI after spring break. Bunch of pigs with no home training trash the place every year.


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## BENfishing (Nov 5, 2010)

X2 cleaning up the beaches and water ways sounds like a good idea.


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## Retriever (Dec 17, 2004)

dennis_99 said:


> Thought I'd pass this along. I didn't fish the tournament, don't know the people, don't know the inside story and I don't know any details. Just thought it was an interesting story and everybody should know that cheaters may be charged with a Felony for cheating in a tournament.
> I do know that the Ladies Kingfish Tournament was weekend before last and the arrests went down this weekend during another big tournament going on down at the Island.
> 
> http://www.krgv.com/news/group-charged-with-cheating-during-fishing-tournament/


Now that was a well written story! RGV journalism rocks!

Not surprising right?

Tight lines!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Been in a few tournaments and have seem some cheaters. Funny thing is we almost beat them fishing straight up. I only fish sabine tournaments when i get the chance these days


-mac-


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## peque (Aug 3, 2012)

At least 6 monts in jail!!!How bout 30% of their yearly income plus [email protected] all the winnings, license suspention for at least 6 years..and their picture displayed in a panoramic road sign.


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## roriley (Jan 3, 2006)

They were arrested at the captains meeting of the API fishing tournament. What do you think they were doing there?


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## Wigy (Nov 8, 2007)

So it turns out they were not even the winning team, they were 4th place. The tournament holders had a conflict with them in the past and still hold a vendetta against the group. They have all past a polygraph and were the only team that was polygraphed. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place was not even questioned. There was money won Calcutta but that is all side betting and the state is trying to press charges for this. Here is the catch if the state press charges for it then, the state is saying it is okay with gambling which is illegal in the state of Texas. You can see the catch 22 here. The word from the game wardens is they have no way to discredit the fish in question. The fish game warden inspected earlier in the day was 5 inches larger than the 16" fish weighed in. I would hope that Game wardens no the difference between 16" and 20 plus inches.

The real question is when does then accusing and slander end. We do live in a country of innocent until prove guilty, right?


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## Im Headed South (Jun 28, 2006)

http://www.texasflats.net/index.php/topic,15650.0.html

Some interesting info there, if that story is correct then it sounds like the wardens have their i's dotted and t's crossed and they were just waiting for them to try it again. Sound like some nominees for the Darwin award for sure, get caught a couple years ago but apparently get off unless I missed their prosecution somewhere, go back to cheating again even though tournament directors know your cheaters, fish a tournament and get checked at the ramp by a warden when you get in, then take a fish another boat gave you to the weigh in even though you know a warden can say you didn't have that fish an hour ago. Allegedly lol.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Wigy said:


> So it turns out they were not even the winning team, they were 4th place. The tournament holders had a conflict with them in the past and still hold a vendetta against the group. They have all past a polygraph and were the only team that was polygraphed. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place was not even questioned. There was money won Calcutta but that is all side betting and the state is trying to press charges for this. Here is the catch if the state press charges for it then, the state is saying it is okay with gambling which is illegal in the state of Texas. You can see the catch 22 here. The word from the game wardens is they have no way to discredit the fish in question. The fish game warden inspected earlier in the day was 5 inches larger than the 16" fish weighed in. I would hope that Game wardens no the difference between 16" and 20 plus inches.
> 
> The real question is when does then accusing and slander end. We do live in a country of innocent until prove guilty, right?


I thought "the fish" was a flounder that the culprits didnt have in their possession when the GW checked them before weigh in? Am i wrong?

-mac-


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## u wont know if u dont go (Jan 2, 2012)

Yeah im confused


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

> Tough to prove though I'm sure.


Well since one of them has confessed it should be a no brainer to prove lol.

TH


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Trouthunter said:


> Well since one of them has confessed it should be a no brainer to prove lol.
> 
> TH


Of course in this case, but for future cases. It seems the only way to catch anyone at this is if they get careless.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

They can usually "turn" one of the group by offering lesser charges. To testify against the others. That makes for an easier case, fill in the gaps. Bout time they caught someone cheating in a tournament and jailed them; stories of cheating probably keeps a lot of people from fishing tournaments.


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## TEXASBACKWATER (Feb 24, 2012)

*LKT "Alleged" Cheaters Full Names*

LKT

"Alleged" Cheaters names in full link:

http://www.themonitor.com/news/south-63234-caught-suspects.html

These people have been "allegedly" cheating in Tournaments for years....they allegedly keep a lawyer "relative/friend" in the parking lot to serve anyone calling them cheaters a defamation suite.

:hairout:


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## LLM fisher (May 19, 2011)

Spooled Ya! said:


> At a minimum they should lose their fishing licenses, be fined triple the tournament winnings, forced to clean the beaches during and after spring breaks, and put on blast publicly (group picture with the label Cheaters) at every bait shop on the Texas coast.


X2


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## dparkerh (Jun 24, 2011)

I heard rumors of some guys that stuffed some fish with lead to win an owners tournament recently where the prize was a new boat & trailer. They hooked up to the boat and drove off with it before the judges came back around for a 2nd look at their catch and determined they would autopsy the winning stringer. When they did that that they sure enough discovered the fish had been "loaded" with additional weight, thgus the winners cheated. Story goes that since they cheated to win and drove off with the prize, they were apprehended and charged with felony theft (the boat) as well as cheating. No telling if one single bit of this is true but I did hear it on two seperate occasions.


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## TEXASBACKWATER (Feb 24, 2012)

*LKT "Alleged" Cheaters Latest*

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/cheating-144006-fishing-island.html

Latest on LKT "Alleged" Cheaters

link above


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## dennis_99 (Feb 27, 2006)

Any more updates or behind the scenes info???


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## ochapa (Feb 9, 2012)

ANDRINA CAVAZOS will ALWAYS be a money-hungry CHEATING RAT!!!! Once a cheater, Always a cheater!! :dance:


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

> ANDRINA CAVAZOS will ALWAYS be a money-hungry CHEATING RAT!!!! Once a cheater, Always a cheater!!


So that's the update?

TH


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## DMC (Apr 2, 2006)

I quit fishing tournaments long ago for that very reason. It's not even that someone was cheating, but that you suspect it. It's not fun and I am not funding some cheater's lifestyle.


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## shallowgal (Jun 11, 2004)

***UPDATE***

AND ITS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/u...-competitors-and-fraud.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1


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## HuntinforTail (Mar 29, 2011)

shallowgal said:


> ***UPDATE***
> 
> AND ITS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
> 
> http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/u...-competitors-and-fraud.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1


Oh Lord, They are playing the race card :headknock:headknock:headknock


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## Im Headed South (Jun 28, 2006)

Texas Chairman of the Democratic party claiming discrimination in a case where someone admitted to the crime, what a shocker lol.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

HuntinforTail said:


> Oh Lord, They are playing the race card :headknock:headknock:headknock





Im Headed South said:


> Texas Chairman of the Democratic party claiming discrimination in a case where someone admitted to the crime, what a shocker lol.


I'm sure in Brownsville racism against Hispanics is very common. LOL


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Stick to the tournament rules...but only if youre white

-mac-

http://www.fishingscout.com/anglers/SmackDaddy


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## The Salty Raider (Sep 25, 2012)

Serves them right for doing that. I have never been in a tournament but it makes me sick knowing that people try and suck the fun out of these types of events. But does anyone know exactly what they did? I read in that article that sometimes people put lead weights or ice in the fish to make the weight increase but is that what these people did? If anyone knows any details I would love to hear it. Thanks!!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

The Salty Raider said:


> Serves them right for doing that. I have never been in a tournament but it makes me sick knowing that people try and suck the fun out of these types of events. But does anyone know exactly what they did? I read in that article that sometimes people put lead weights or ice in the fish to make the weight increase but is that what these people did? If anyone knows any details I would love to hear it. Thanks!!


Something along the lines of weighing in fish they did not catch

-mac-

http://www.fishingscout.com/anglers/SmackDaddy


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

I/we..have worked many many tournament weighins in the 13 yrs as a Cert. Weighmaster in Galveston County and elsewhere. I have never caught anyone w/ the lead trick as yet, maybe some ice now and then, but I empty that out. I take my weighins very seriously and know the RIGHT weigh to work a weighstation. For the most part, I give these local anglers a big thumbs up. Their is always an ALTHOUGH! Guides and their teams, that try to get away w/ bringing in ILLEGAL fish, and people bringing in (IMO) non-fresh fish....... This has happened but rare. Congrats to our local anglers.....ed/owner/dba "Coastal Bend Weigh Team" of Hitchcock


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## fishin shallow (Jul 31, 2005)

justletmein said:


> I'm sure in Brownsville racism against Hispanics is very common. LOL


Even Mexicans hate Mexicans down here


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

fishin shallow said:


> Even Mexicans hate Mexicans down here


x2


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