A contestant was arrested after organizers flagged a suspicious bass during weigh-in at a North Texas fishing tournament.
Tournament organizers alerted Texas Game Wardens during the Lake Fork Lure Company Tournament on March 8 about a bass submitted by Curtis Lee Daniels.
A metal detector at the weigh-in detected foreign objects inside the fish.
Wardens found three weights in the bass’s stomach and concluded they had been placed there. The weights showed no signs of erosion, and similar weights turned up on Daniels’ boat.
Daniels faced arrest and a charge of violating the fishing tournament law. The prize exceeded $10,000, making it a third-degree felony.
Before his arrest, Daniels had claimed two hourly prizes totaling $2,500.
Tournament organizers posted thanks to the wardens 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,” they said.
William McDaniel of Festus, Missouri, took the grand prize with a 10.22-pound bass, reported Texas Game Wardens and Lake Fork Lure Company Tournament organizers.
