An alleged cheater was caught during a charity tournament on Georgia’s West Point Lake. The tournament angler was spotted in an area that had contained a pen full of fish the day before, and seemed to be looking for it. His actions were filmed, and he was eventually confronted about the matter back at the marina.
Charity Tournament Gone Awry
Prior to the tournament, a charity event to benefit a cancer patient, anglers found a pen full of five bass which weighed approximately 19 pounds, tied to a buoy. The good Samaritans released the fish, but later realized that they should contact the entity holding the fishing tournament on Saturday, November 16.
On the day of the tournament, the anglers that found the basket hid in the vicinity of where the fish were found the day prior and began recording. They hoped to catch a would-be cheater in the act, and their efforts were rewarded with footage of an angler attempting to retrieve the basket.
Curtis Sanders, the alleged cheater, was first observed trying to hook the basket with his rod. Then, he was seen sticking his arm in the water in an attempt to find the submerged basket. Unable to find the fish he had allegedly previously stashed, he moved on.
The anglers filming returned to Highland Marina, where the tournament was being held, with the footage they captured. Sanders was confronted at that time, and he initially denied the allegations. But after further pressure, he admitted that he was attempting to cheat in the event.
Sanders has told sources that he will return his winnings for the year.
Outrage in the Angling Community
Unfortunately, it seems that cheating in tournaments happens more frequently than anyone would like. Outrage about this alleged incident has spread quickly through the angling community. A slew of videos have popped up criticizing the alleged cheater on YouTube, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites.
Editor’s Note: This is an emerging situation. We will update this article as more information becomes available. If you have info regarding this incident, please let us know at [email protected].
