Thread: Cheating in March of Dimes Tourney..I hope none of you are these guys.

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/134336.htm

Subject: west point, Georgia
Submitted by jp (ip 70.41.80.156)
Date Fished: 4/21/2007
Water Temperature: 65
Water Clarity: 4 feet or greater
Fished tourney out of highland. Caught 23lb 5oz. Caught fish sight fishing, mid to lower end on jig, creature, and senko. The spawn is finishing up, so the topwater bite should heat up soon. Everyone beware of polygraphs, because I failed it, and I have never cheated, and never will. The people giving them can make you pass or fail by the way they give the test. They intimidate you, and make you very nervous. They should not give them in my opinion, b/c some people just can not pass them, no matter what. Chime in if the same thing happened to someone you know. I wish this on no one. It is not the money, it is about character and reputation. Good luck to everyone.
failed polygraph From: fishhawk (71.14.35.13), Georgia
Why would they want you to fail it? If it was a team tournament, are'nt both partners polygraphed? You would think both would have to fail before the team is disqualified.
Failure of Polygraph From: Too old to fish tourneys (66.32.210.85), Georgia
Well; did they make you forfeit prize $$$ ? Would you have won ? How maby boats were in it and how many places did it pay ? Who inherited 1st place after you were disqualified ?
Polygraph and bad guys From: Too old to fish tourneys 2 Georgia
And another thing. I am not accusing you of any wrongdoing but in this day and age there are people out there who will cheat and lie for money or prestige and yes even to win a bass tourney. The news and internet forums have discussed this to exhaustion. This is the reason I QUIT fishing for $
I think they need to test every tourney to make sure the right people win.
Polygraph From: Christian Angler (208.101.204.41), Georgia
I agree the polygragh tests are not always accurate, I failed a polygraph during a job hire process, and told the complete truth. The employer hired me anyway, and I took another at a diffrent facility and passed.

Intimidated? From: bfriendly Georgia
I dont want to accuse you of cheating, but how exactly did they intimidate you? Did your partner fail too(Good ?) Have you always passed them before, or is this your first time? As much as I hate having to do it, I have to agree with giving them being a good thing.........I have heard too many stories of people catching baskets of fish in them.........it is sad and makes me want to play golf again! ....thank goodness for DRAW formats.....thats why I love em.

polygraph From: dr jellyworm Georgia
i like draw tourney's also. I have give up on the team tourneys. same teams win each week. the same teams only fish the same lake. i've never been able to crack the top ten in a buddy tourney but can do so regularly in a draw. I was at a buddy tourney couple years ago when the winners failed the polygraph cause they had a beer in the parking lot after weighing and waiting for the annoucement of the winners. they failed the polygraph cause no beer was allowed before, during or after the weigh-in.

polygraphs From: Jr (Georgia
I retired after 30 years in law enforcement. I have been involved in MANY POLYGRAPH TESTS. In my opinion, the results have to be read by an expert. It is sometimes difficult to interpret the lines on the graph. However, if the polygraph examiner knows what he/she is doing then I would bet money the results are accurate. By the way. Being nervous does not effect the results. What they look for is deviations in the lines when a deceptive answer is given. They ask control questions to determine what your normal truthful response looks like. When there is a significant deviation from this, it shows deception. It is all based on heart rate and respiration.

polygraph From: crw Georgia
i have taken several polygraph test and have never fail any, i do not believe in them, but when both partners fail on the same questions, something is not right. i am not sure what the questions were???? . were the safty, or like the other guy was talking about haveing a beer to early????. no matter what, no one who knows them will never feel comfortable fishing against them again. so the local tournament officials need to think before they let them fish another tournament from their place.

polygraphs are false From: DOBCAngler Virginia
Unfortunately polygraphs do not detect lies. In law enforcement they are one of the tools they use to make suspects tell on themselves. There is no way to monitor what you are saying as truth or lies. Unfortunately bass tournaments use this "tool" in a different way. Sometimes the angler will be intimidated and tell on themselves but in most cases it will ruin the reputation of a honest angler.
$ made off cheating From: Too old to fish tourneys 3 Georgia
Let's see what we are looking at here. You and your partner whom we will refer to as RL both were caught lying on the same questions. Hmmmm, you and him won the Highland Team Classic and collected $5000; you and him finished in the top 5 in 1995 AND 1996 in the Georgia State Championship for another $10,000 and another $10,000; you just won the American Bass Anglers Grand Slam Series for what? $5000 ??. You won $6000 a couple of years ago fishing the FLW event here on West Point Lake. The list goes on and on. My grandpappy told me a long time ago; "If the fox keeps coming to the hen house sooner or later he is going to ....well we know don't we. You know I sure am glad I saved my money all those times you were entered in a tourney on the POINT.

polygraph From: outdrlover Georgia
Intimidated , how in the heck can you be intimidated didn't you have to take a polygraph in the past for winning all of those past tournaments ..... enough is enough you where caught ..... I fished that tournament the March of Dimes . The news is out and there is 59 other teams that have heard about you and your partner failing the polygraph ..... I fished Sunday with West Georgia , and again you were the talk of the town , whats really bad is you were offered a second chance to take it , my understanding is you and your partner walked before taking it a second time ..... seems fishy to me.

March of Dimes From: WPtournament Georgia
I fished the tour. also. Did you both fail the same question? If so that's odd to me. If you did what was the question and was it only one question? I am not accusing you. I know you are a good fisherman. If you want to redeam yourself and reputation I think you need to call Mark and set up another polygraph by a different person and let everyone know the results. If you do not do something to prove your innocent you will never be able to fish a tournament again as much as you love to. I hope everything works out and you prove everybody wrong. It is hard for me to beleive that you would do something like this. I would like a response to my questions. Thanks
Wow From: Rc (75.131.206.11), Georgia
This is good stuff!!!
I hear silence From: Truth or cosequences Georgia
OK, you started this thread so it is time to reply. A polygraph is very dangerous in my experience (ran one of the highest national security facilities in the world for years) and you have heard some of both sides of this... but to both fail to come up clean when asked if you caught the fish in the lake the tournament is in... very strange and needs an explanation... and intimidated is not the answer. The notion you ought to go get another one has some marginal value... but you will need to get on here and say you are going to take it (when, where, and with whom) not that you did take it as that will have no creditability to anyone. We would all like to give you gents the benefit of the doubt (HUGE DOUBT) but you need to get back on here and say why we should... not slobber like a little kid caught with a hand in the cookie jar. I have heard this discussed every where I have gone in LaGrange and out on the water (long discussions at the ramp)... you need to fix this or recognize there will be no fun days on WP in your future. I look for this to be national in scope before the week is over.

finishing high in tourney From: dt (75.120.100.113), Alabama
one remark above go's to show you the ability of at least one of the pair. THE ABA GRAND SLAM DAY ONE HE HAD 23 PLUS POUNDS, DAY TWO 19 PLUS AND KEEP IN MIND ALL WITH AN OBSERVER OR DRAW PARTNER WHO HE DIDN'T KNOW, WITH MORE RESEARCH THIS SAME PERSON WON THE ABA/BASS WEEKEND SERIES WITH ANOTHER PERSON TO WHOM HE NEVER KNEW BEFORE THE NIGHT OF THE PAIRINGS. F L W FINISH WAS WITH A DIFFERENT PARTNER EACH DAY.ALL THIS I KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE FISHED EACH TOURNEY TRAIL AND MEET A LOT OF PARTNERS AND NO ONE THAT FISHES DRAW TOURNEYS CAN QUESTION HIS KNOWLEDGE OF LAKE WEST POINT. MAYBE HE DIDN'T PASS A POLYGRAPH BUT ANYONE WHO HAS FISHED A DRAW TOURNEY KNOWS IT IS VERY UNLIKELY TO CHEAT WHILE YOU HAVE A PERSON YOU HAVE NEVER MET BEFORE. IM SPEAKING FROM EXPIRIANCE AS A CO ANGLER IN ABOUT 60 PLUS BFL ,ABA,ABA GRAND SLAM ,STREN SERIES,ABA WEEK END, AND BASS FEDERATION TRAILS. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IF YOU BROKE UP TEAM TRAILS THIS WOULD SHOW WHO THE REAL FISHERMEN WERE . DONT TOTALY DISCREDIT THIS GUY HE HAS KICKED BUT ON WESTPOINT MORE THAN ONCE IN THE ABOVE TOURNEYS WITH OUT CHEATING. THIS IS IS MY OPINION . POLYGRAPHS WONT STAND IN COURT WHY SHOULD IT TOTALY DISCREDIT A PERSON IN FISHING, RESEARCH ABA, BFL WEB SITES WHICH ARE RANDOM DRAW AND YOU WILL YOU'LL FIND WHERE MY INFO CAME FROM.TIGHT LINES D.T.

Aggreed DT From: Rick (75.117.180.52), Virginia
I agree dt. He has definitely done well on some individual t'ments on West Point. I looked those up also. He also hasn't done real good on some team t'ments out of Highland. Check the Highland team trail results for this year. By the way, the caps are hard to read.

Man what a mess! I would hate to think that our slabfests could ever come to something like that. I don't think for a minute that we have anybody that fishes with us that would ever cheat.

I guess that's carp fishin for ya.

Polygraphs are a downright fraud. They do not work. Some operators can get some information about the truth of what some people are saying, but they are not at all reliable. I would expect the use of them to deny winnings would not stand up in court.

Originally Posted by bhodges

I guess that's carp fishin for ya.

yep, one of the reasons I stopped Bass fishing before I got started bass fishing.

Polygraph is (BULL) I failed test on stolen office equipment, found out later person who stole equipment passed test. I think operator told everyone they failed to get reaction.

I love crappie fishing just as much as any of you, but there is nothing wrong with bass fishing.

Originally Posted by BaBo

Polygraph is (BULL) I failed test on stolen office equipment, found out later person who stole equipment passed test. I think operator told everyone they failed to get reaction.

I flunked for a job hire back in early 80s. They didn't tell me what question I failed. I was mad but it didn't matter.

The goat dunn'it

BEFORE this guy entered the contest he knew there would be a polygraph test. Its not like he was blindsided with the thing. Thats the risk you take when you enter the big money tournaments, you better be able to "take the pressure or whatever" and pass a polygraph test if you win the money. Otherwise, dont enter the tournament.
I wonder how many other guys in the money PASSED the test with no problem and didnt think the "operators cheated them".
I remember my son when he was 16 pitching a fit about "this rotten cop caught me speeding on his radar, those things ought to be illegal to use, etc etc". I told him..."Son, there's a very simple solution to that problem of yours...just dont speed".
Regards,
Douglas