Walleye Tournament Winners on Lake Erie caught cheating (LEWT 2022)

[BSmaster]

I watched the Bigwaters podcast with the LEWT and another tournament director and they were absolutely drained emotionally.  I don't participate but I do appreciate the amount of effort that goes into these events.  I hope things improve for them.

 

 

 

I know a lot of suggestions come out of Monday couch quarterbacks but I was thinking that it could be not as insulting to require a calculator of weight as well.  (Length) (Girth) = expected weight.  Make it a rule in the beginning of the season that if the fish falls outside the accepted range that it needs to be inspected.  I realize they can add girth but it seems hard to believe that they could add more than half a pound without making the fish look grotesque.  You can add another limit of girth per length.  It may not solve the problem but like I said it isn't insulting a fisherman as much as cutting the fish open.  Because if you are suspicious and the fish turns out is legal you hurt your tourny but if it is agreed upon that any fish that falls outside the accepted fields gets inspected then there is no singling out of any angler.  Just problem solving.  No hate mail please.

[Gill-T]

Almost every walleye I have caught has had an empty stomach 

[Jomat]

When I weighed a top 5 fish in at the Southtowns derby they had a metal detector they ran alongside the fish, then stuck a big metal rod down it’s throat to feel for anything solid, then I had to wrap and freeze the fish so they could autopsy if they wanted, then had to take the polygraph.  Every weigh station had this stuff.  Was shocked to see they didn’t do the same at the fall brawl last year with far more money on the line.  Polygraph clearly not a good enough test/deterrent.  

[tuffishooker]

Why no response to x-ray ? That would solve the problem IMO !

[Gill-T]

I think the work around the X-ray scan was already shown by the fillets that were stuffed

[LazyRiver585]

Word on the water is that guy Manny is a big cheater. Awfully suspicious character if ya ask me… 

[Big fat pike]

Didnt the cops have to escort them out for their safety?

[wishinfishin]

Looks like these two guys were brought up on felony charges , and one of the boats was confiscated yesterday !

[rglabach]

On 10/7/2022 at 7:43 AM, tuffishooker said:

Why no response to x-ray ? That would solve the problem IMO !

Might cost a heck of a lot of money!

[sherman brown]

yes they were charged with felony charges for theft by cheating in a tournament. and other charges were pending the last article i read on it. with the value of the boats and cash involved it should be grand theft by deception. plus, the dnr had charges of there own'