Angler suspected of cheating in Texas bass tournament

During an hourly weigh in at the BLT Ray Hubbard Big Bass Tournament an angler brought a large fish to the weigh in check point. The fish was transferred from the weigh bag containing the fish to the official weigh bag. The BLT Tournament Director, after weighing the fish, asked that the fish be put in a holding tank behind the weigh in stage. This fish would have been the largest fish of the hour. After the hourly weigh in was completed the angler was asked to take a polygraph. This is required for all participants who catch the biggest bass of the hour. During inspection of the fish, by the fish handler and the tournament director, irregularities were discovered. A decision was made by tournament officials to interrupt the polygraph and have the angler and polygraph examiner witness an inspection of the bass. The angler was asked to remove the contents in the stomach of the bass or the contents would be inspected by BLT officials by whatever means possible. The angler chose to remove the contents and a lead weight was removed from inside the fish and handed to a tournament official. The angler then apologized to all who witnessed the removal of the lead weight. He was notified by the tournament director that he was disqualified...read more