Anglers participating in a tournament are not ranked by the number of fish that they catch but by the wait of those fish.
Last September, two fishermen – Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky – were participating in the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament in Cleveland, Ohio when it was discovered that the men had placed wights inside their fish to increase the weight.
After being caught in the act, the duo were charged with “unlawful ownership of wild animals” and “cheating”. In a Cuyahoga County court the two men pled guilty to the charges and will be sentenced on May 11.
Cuyahoga Country prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley spoke on the incident saying, “this plea is the first step in teaching these crooks two basic life lessons. Thou shall not steal, and crime does not pay.”
Top prize in the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament was $28,760 for the fisherman who brought in the five biggest fish.
It is customary for anglers to donate the fish they have caught to a local food bank; but Runyan and Cominsky’s failure to do so roused some suspicions among tournament organizers. The duo also had an unusual habit of consistently winning the tournaments they entered.
When the duo brought their catch in to be weighed, tournament organizers noted that the fish brought in by Runyan and Cominsky felt a little too heavy and cut it open discovering the added weights; along with some extra walleye filets.
Once the cheating was discovered, Runyan and Cominsky were asked to leave the premises and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources investigated the incident. The Cleveland Metroparks Police were also on hand at the sight of the weigh in.
The duo had to surrender the boat they used in the competition.
Feature photo credit: Walleye painting.jpg