Daniels was arrested on 8/3 after a metal detector revealed three lead weights inside a largemouth bass he submitted at the Lake Fork Lure Company Tournament. The three lead weights showed no signs of corrosion, indicating they had been recently inserted into the fish.
Authorities also found other lead weights of the same type and size on Daniels' boat. Before his discovery, Daniels had already won two prizes totaling 2,500 USD during the competition.
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The largemouth bass submitted by Curtis Lee Daniels was found to have three lead weights in its belly. Photo: Texas Game Wardens |
Daniels has been charged with violating fishing competition laws, as confirmed by the Texas Game Wardens. This is a third-degree felony because the total prize money of the tournament exceeded 10,000 USD.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations, altering a fish's weight "for the purpose of demonstrating that the fish entered in a contest is of such length or weight when caught" is illegal.
The Lake Fork Lure Company Tournament rule book states that anyone attempting to falsify a fish's weight "will be prosecuted under federal law".
If convicted, Daniels could face a prison sentence of two to 10 years and a fine of up to 10,000 USD under Texas law.
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Curtis Lee Daniels was arrested for cheating. Photo: Wood County Jail |
The competition's grand prize was subsequently awarded to the rightful winner, William McDaniel from Missouri, for his largemouth bass weighing over 4,6 kg.
Cheating in fishing competitions is a serious issue; in recent years, many individuals have been incarcerated for falsifying results for their benefit.
In 5/2023, two anglers were jailed for 10 days and received probation after being caught cheating at a competition in Ohio. Both admitted to stuffing lead weights and walleye fillets into their fish to win thousands of USD in prize money at the 2022 Lake Erie Walleye Trail competition. In addition to their sentences, they had their fishing licenses revoked and were required to surrender the boat used in the competition.
Tue Anh (according to Yahoo, Nypost)
