While some competitors have altered their catches, others have recruited foreign fish. Some anglers keep containers of “lunkers” — big fish — out on the lake, possibly under a dock, to then weigh in as in-tournament catches (via WBUR). But most of these fish have been caught, purchased, or stolen from elsewhere.
In 2013 (via Daily Mail), a fisherman from the U.K. was about to win $1,500 for a 13-pound bass he “caught” when his competitor, who would have come in second place, recognized the catch from a local aquarium. The accuser had recently visited the venue with his daughter, who pointed out the odd markings around the fish’s eyes. Lo and behold, the aquarium, where the cheater had formerly been employed, confirmed the bass had been stolen.
Read Related Also: Los Angeles DA didn't convict the person who killed two and injured six in Las Vegas stabbing
In 2018, two fishermen from Utah, Robert Dennett (45) and Kamron Wootton (35), stole fish from Quail Lake Reservoir for a competition in Lake Powell, nearly 140 miles away (via Wired 2 Fish). The fish were forensically tested by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and University of Utah, and proven to be from the different body of water, which Dennett had signed his boat into just two days prior (via Wired 2 Fish). Along with a third-degree felony and two misdemeanors, the anglers were forced to each pay $2,500 in restitution to the Help Stop Poaching Fund and $500 for a plea in abeyance fee, perform 48 hours of community service, and were given a two-year court-ordered hunting ban.
