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| I'll guess that the authorities can not do anything because no law was broken because the culprits did not follow through with their plans. It would be very difficult to prove intent here without a smoking gun. The only way that these thieves could have been caught was finding the coolers anchored and video taping and/or observing them taking the fish and then weighing them at the tournament. Or as Mr. Coon indicated, in the Merc, winners take lie detector test. |
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Location: Berlin | Where is Deep Throat when we need him?? |
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Location: Rhinelander | I bet watching, waiting, and ready to report....if anything ever surfaces that's worth his/her involvement.... |
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| Sounds like a cooler surfaced.....yet the person that is so adimant about reporting it doesn't even want to offer any credibiilty by signing their own name......Seems fishy to me.
For all we know this is anti-tourney Tyee posting as a guest user. 
Marshall, not to bust down on you, but it would be better to report facts of past cheaters vs hearsay and what "you heard". Reporting such hearsay can be very damageing to a person's reputation. I would hate to see an innocent person get damaged by hearsay.
To add to your statement. June WWA out of the Pioneer back in say 2002-2003-2004 (someone help me out) Brian Bliske was disqualified for cell phone use during the tourney.
I've heard other rumors on other tournys as well...but don't have the facts. |
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| Jayman, I have always respected your opinion and never made personal attacks. Do me a favor and take your own advice in that last post and keep me out of your little games!
"Reporting such hearsay can be very damageing to a person's reputation. I would hate to see an innocent person get damaged by hearsay"
Tyee
Edited by tyee 6/18/2008 11:32 AM
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| Nothing to worry about Tyee. You have no rep! hehehe
A couple thoughts. I think Deep Throat has retired.
I think somebody was pretty surprised to find their cooler(s) had floated away. I think they would have been DQ's via the Lie Detector anyway.
I think all tourneys should have the option of requiring a Lie Detector test. Not a dig on Sportsmen, because anyone that cheats to win is not a Sportsman in my book.
Depending where the cooler was found, FDL police may or may not have jurisdiction.
Conspiracy to commit fraud is something that could result in charges being brought forward.
I think a metal chain style fish basket would be way better to tie off your dock than a cooler. Seen many of these, but never a cooler.
Edited by Shep 6/18/2008 12:08 PM
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| Oh Rodger is was just tongue and cheek....I thought you'd take it better than that.
Take care. |
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| Shep, I agree there are alot of other things that could be and are used to keep fish tied to a dock. I just threw that idea out there as an example that there could be other reasons for the cooler than cheating. There is just so much rumor and inuendo out there now a days about cheating in tournaments that winds up being a bunch of bull and yet everyone is so eager to jump on the band wagon when something like this happens. No one knows what goes through another persons mind when they do some of the bone head things people do but I'm not about to start hollering cheaters because of a cooler found floating along with a million other things after a huge storm.
I think lie detectors in tournaments are great and any one foolish enough to think they can cheat and get away with it are nuts. |
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| Please read this carefully and don’t jump to any conclusion that can be “made up” from the facts.
Here are the facts:
1. Some information is not for public knowledge for legal reasons.
2. This situation is under investigation by the DNR. Not the FDL PD
3. Just because the tournaments directors don’t write anything on these threads doesn’t mean we are not reading your posts or that we don’t care. We more than likely are fact finding and putting all information together to make the best possible decision. This is a very complex task we aren’t going to please all.
4. We want a fair and just tournament just as much as anyone.
5. I have been in contact with the Fond Du Lac Police Department and the DNR about the cooler found on a shoreline.
6. There is one cooler turned in. It had some very nice fish it.
7. It was modified from its original usable condition.
8. The Walleye Weekend Tournament director is Dave VanGorder. His assistants are Jim Coon and myself Ken Krueger.
9. We were contacted by the FDL PD chief about a cooler. No one else contacted us.
10. If anyone talked to someone else about a cooler our staff are under strict direction to notify one of the three of us, for any reason.
11. The Tournament winners take a mandatory Polygraph test every year.
12. If the tournament director wants he can require other teams to take a polygraph test. It’s in the rules form you signed.
13. If someone did commit an act to better their winnings in any tournament, it will show up if they take a polygraph in future years. The questions they ask are designed to catch cheaters.
14. The best way to solve this is going to come from you the public somebody knows something. Peer pressure works.
15. If you know who did this you need to contact Ed McCann DNR warden at 929-3708
16. If anyone has a second cooler you need to call Ed McCann DNR warden at 929-3708
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Location: Appleton | I want to make it clear that the cooler I wrote about in my previous post is this cooler. There is NO SECOND cooler that guest says he gave to tournament officials. None of us were given a cooler on Sunday nor did anyone talk to us about finding a second cooler. If guest has a scond cooler he needs to cuntact Ed at the DNR. Also if someone has any real information about this incident please contact the DNR. As Ken stated this is still being investigated. |
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| This is why a lot of people don't pay big entry fees in tournaments. The money plus time spent prefishing and your competing against cheaters. It isn't right for all the non-cheaters out there. |
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Location: Berlin | Thanks for posting Jim and Ken. It is sure nice to get some facts. You guys run a great show, keep up the good work! |
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| I'll second that, Rich.
Thanks, Jim and Ken. I hope someone comes forward and you guys can get to the bottom of this and the perputrators, if cheating was the intent, get thier just dues.
LurePresentation, I wouldn't let one incident keep you from playing the game. There will always be cheaters, but cheaters don't win every time. In fact in the big picture, I think they lose everytime....it ALWAYS catches up with them. Good Luck. |
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| could just be a local angler trying to make the tournament fisherman look bad. I've heard it before, the tournaments are ruining the lake. It seems like there are enough fish in the lake to keep us all happy. All the bad mouthing is saddening.
Let's all hope the truth comes out on this one.
Happy Fishing!!!!
DW |
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| I am not a tournament fisherman so maybe this is already done at some tournaments but would large walleye tournaments ever entertain the idea of a mandatory 3rd party riding along with all the tournament teams to attempt to stop cheating? I realize that out of 300 teams the vast majority are rule and law abiding but there are always going to be the cheaters. I have to believe that cheating occurs in some fashion every weekend on the Winnebago chain - may not be someone winning thousands of dollars but could be cheating that puts them somewhere in the money - may be as simple has culling. For example with the Merc National, I am sure tournament directors to could get 300 volunteers that have no ties to the competitors that would be willing to spend 2 days on the water. I would guess that the directors and officials would have no problem with this idea - most of the issues would probably come from the tournament participants not wanting a 3rd body on their boats. However if you truly wanted to put a stop to possible cheating why not entertain the idea. Just a thought.
It is very unfortunate that a few bad apples have to spoil the whole bunch! |
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| sounds like a good idea, but I think it could cause to many problems. You would have to find good people that would not cause a distraction, and would stay out of the fishermans way. there also is not much room in the boats with all the gear. Anyway that is my case fishing out of a 617 Ranger. it gets kind of cramped.
In addition, what about liability??? No one wants to be responceable for a third party. |
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| I would not want to give up some of my spots to some third party guy/girl. That is like being guided for free all day... |
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| Good point Fishnfur! |
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Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | I believe in trust. I believe almost everybody is good people. Take the guns away from the people and only the bad people will have guns. Don't go democrat on us and try to control where and when I can piss. Trust your fellow fisherman and play the game, or go regulate something else, but not in my play ground. |
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| I would be fine with a 3rd party in big money tournaments. If some of the tournament participants don't like the idea of a 3rd party due to boat room, giving away secret spots, etc. they do not have to enter the tournament. I can speak for the Merc National that there are more than enough applications to fill the tournament each year. I would disagree that it would be a free days worth of guiding - the 3rd party would most likely not be a tournament fisherman with a decked out rig and to be honest fishing tactics are pretty well known and finding fish on winnebago is not very difficult (yes finding big tournament fish is more difficult but the majority of average non-tournament fisherman aren't looking for 5-6 lb fish). |
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| It's a team format....that's the way it's played. If you don't like it, then perhaps the PWT or FLW or FLW league is for you. Good Luck. |
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Location: in the boat off the east shore somewhere | yes, i would NOT want to be responsible for the 3rd party, there is no leagal protection these days, forget crimanal actions. im talking about cival, forget it , if anglers cant be trusted fishing these tournaments, and if the turny directors and fellow anglers cant police themselves affectivly i will not fish the events anymore. most of it isnt about the money but i have no respect for cheeters and less and less respect for guys who bend the rules, from blowing wake zones, to culling to double stacking on rods, and cell phones gotta go! im tired of it,, the guys who put fish in coolers and intend to bring them in in a tournament need to go to jail! i think we need to start enforcing cell phone abuse if possible somehow. i think it needs to be done on an angler level, guys know who have been known to use them, and what teams have a track record of doing this.. these guys need to be confronted also.. i think its time for the anglers to stop looking the other way, this weekend wile your out in your little tornament trying to find a school of nice fish.. after spending who knows how much money only to find you you just miss the top ten when 4 boats are running around the lake and all end up in the same place in the afternoon.. again? i guess its always been that way,, get in a fist fight there is always a guy that when he is down if you dont kick him in the ribs he will grab a fist of dirt and throw it in your eyes... then kick you in the junk... i guess all is fair in love and war and the tournament game these days. ,,, ps what was the deal in the mwc, half the fish it seamed in the second flight were called dead,, 4 of mine were fine when i tried to get them out of the well the first day,, after a couple min in the holding tanks they all went belly up again! second day they had it figured out but when the heck is somone going to run a fire hoze from the lake in ten feet of water to the dock? guess ill hafta start raising donations for one. and a pump .. show up at all these things.. i dont wanna stir up trouble but someone wasnt prepared again! dont get all wound up it wasnt a massive fish kill ! dont want to give the anti crowd any ammo. |
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