Tournament organizers noticed something fishy about a bass submitted to a North Texas fishing tournament on Sunday, which led to the arrest of a contestant for breaking fishing tournament law.
Something fishy at local tournament
This Article Includes
During the Lake Fork Lure Company Tournament on March 8, organizers asked Texas Game Wardens to look into a bass fish brought by Curtis Lee Daniels.
A metal detector discovered extraneous things within the bass at a weigh-in, prompting tournament organizers to flag it.
Wardens detected three weights in the fish’s stomach and determined they had been placed there. Weights of the same sort were discovered on Daniels’ yacht.
Daniels was detained and charged with breaking fishing tournament laws. Because the tournament prize surpassed $10,000, the charge is a third-degree felony.
Before his arrest, Daniels had won two hourly prizes totaling $2,500.
Tournament organizers hailed the wardens for their assistance on Facebook.
“Maintaining fairness and integrity in competitive fishing is incredibly important to us, and we greatly appreciate the diligence and attention you gave to this matter. Your efforts help protect the reputation of the sport and ensure that honest anglers can compete on a level playing field,” organizers said in a statement.
William McDaniel of Festus, Missouri, won the tournament’s grand prize by presenting a 10.22-pound bass.
