another cheat

[ScubaLatt]

One whale of a fish story


The tale of Rockwall prosecutors who charged a well-known professional fisherman with attempted theft for cheating in a bass tournament




By Alex Imgrund


Assistant Criminal ­District Attorney in Rockwall County


As a misdemeanor prosecutor, I have a pretty good idea of what each day will entail. DWI, marijuana possession, and assault are par for the course. But when a game warden came to tell me about a one-pound weight, a 10-pound bass, and a tournament full of angry anglers, it wasn’t a part of a normal day.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon last October on Lake Ray Hubbard, Robby Rose confidently strode up to the weigh-in table at the 2009 Bud Light Trails Big Bass Tournament. In his possession was a 10.49-pound bass he was submitting to win the grand prize, a $55,000 Legend Bass boat.
Rose was well-known to the crowd competing that day. He had acquired a reputation as a successful professional bass fisherman, but that reputation had recently been called into question. In late 2007, Rose was informed by the Bass Champs Tournament circuit that because of allegations of impropriety, he would be required to fish all future tournaments with an independent observer in his boat. Even though he had been incredibly successful in the Bass Champs circuit, amassing over $100,000 in prize winnings, he never fished another one of its tournaments.
Standing on the dock on that beautiful Saturday, Rose had a fish certain to be in contention for the grand prize. However, when his fish was placed into a holding tank, it sank to the bottom! When tournament official Tyler Fisher noticed the sunken bass, he retrieved it from the tank and felt a hard but moveable object in its belly.
Tournament officials confronted Rose and told him they would have to cut the fish open to retrieve the obstruction. Rose took the fish, massaged its belly, and removed a one-pound lead weight, stunning tournament officials. Rose quietly muttered, “I’m sorry,” walked to his boat, and left. He was immediately disqualified.
Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) game wardens were present for the tournament, and Game Warden Tom Carbone was the first on the scene. From the beginning, Carbone and TPW treated the matter like a criminal investigation and took statements from tournament officials and other witnesses.
Because the weigh-in took place at Chandler’s Landing, which is on Rockwall County’s portion of Lake Ray Hubbard, Carbone contacted our office. An extensive onsite investigation revealed a series of interesting facts. An official approached Robby Rose the day before the tournament to ask if he were planning to enter. When Rose said yes, the official told him that he would be required to have an observer in his boat to protect both his and the tournament’s integrity. The next day at the tournament—contrary to this directive—Rose launched his boat from an unknown area and fished without an observer. He had plenty of time to catch a fish and force the weight inside without anyone around.

read full story here: http://www.tdcaa.com/node/6864

[whunter29]

What a shame. Now I understand why the big tournaments give polygraph test.

[Uncle Barty]

9.49 pounds still aint to shabby...just saying...

[wtretrievers]

A one pound weight? Did he not think anyone wouldn't notice? I bet he crapped himself when it sank to the bottom of the tank like a rock!

I've fished a many bass tournaments, have seen bass come in with bloody & raw noses & lips where it looked liked the had been a wire basket for a day or two.

Just like Ray mentioned, bag 'em & run a metal dector on them.