“Dark Side” of Bass Tourney Revealed  

 Illinois Buddy Tournament for Charity flawed by cheating.  Bass stashed in sunken pet cage…  

PINTLALA, Alabama – (September 1, 2000) – The headline in the Moline, Illinois Dispatch confirmed the worst:  “The Dark Side of Bass Tournaments.”

A cheating incident.  A blackeye for the sport of bass angling and the fishing industry.

“Don’t make me say it, but I told you so,” said Ray Scott, the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), who warned against the “buddy tournament” format in a July 5^th news release, “Being On Guard Against Cheaters.”  

“Allow me to repeat myself,” continued Scott.  “People intent on breaking the rules – cheating – can be very cunning.  The true judgment of a man’s character is:  what would a person do if he knew he wouldn’t be caught.”

The sinister, dark side of bass fishing revealed itself during the 26^th annual Mississippi Valley Bass Clubs for Charity Tournament fished on the Mississippi River out of Albany, Illinois.  In the one-day event, the field of 101 two-man teams was competing for a first-place purse of $2,500.  The big winner – in the event – was to be the Easter Seals drive.  Over the years, local anglers and sponsors have donated over $300,000 to the Quad Cities charity. 

Would individuals be so callous as to cheat in such a worthwhile activity as to help people battling physical or mental illness?

Bob Groene, outdoor writer for the Moline Dispatch, who bylined the article, answers:  “Why would they do it (cheat)?  I don’t think it was the money. Prestige…the admiration of their peers is more likely.” 

Scott points out, “I’ve been chided for my remark that ‘people will cheat for the sake of honor’ – the way to boast that they’re the best bass fisherman – a macho thing.”

Scott, who wrote the first rules of professional bass fishing for his All-American Invitational Bass Tournament in June 1967, says, “Slipshod rules, lack of enforcement and the mushrooming of buddy tournaments organized by well-meaning charity groups or local promoters with limited experience at running a professional-class tournament are just asking for questionable problems or trouble.”

As reported by Bob Groene, the apparent winners of the Mississippi Valley Charity Tournament, Rick McFail and partner Corey Hallsted, both Moline anglers, announced their withdrawal from the tournament after officials and police produced evidence and a witness to possible misconduct.

According to Groene’s report, two anglers fitting McFail and Hallsted’s description and their boat entered the Fulton Marina, about eight miles from the take-off at Albany.  A pet carrier, sunk along a dock, was retrieved and they “dumped bass into the boat.”

Armed with this information and the “pet taxi” box taken from the dock, tournament director Jeff Roman and police officers usher the top finishing five two-man teams into a post weigh-in meeting.  Roman asks, “If anyone will step forward to the accusation (of cheating) or all will be subject to a polygraph test.”

As Bob Groene’s column relates, “No one steps forward and after awhile all go home, expecting to later take a polygraph test.”

At the weigh-in earlier, the trophies had been handed out, but not the prize money.

The next morning, tournament director Roman gets a call from Rick McFail, who requests a meeting to discuss the situation.  The result, McFail, a 43-year old Moline investment advisor, and his 27-year old fishing partner Corey Hallsted, an employee of a local office furniture manufacturing plant, “withdraw from the tournament.”

The rightful winners – Tom Heath of Andalusia, Illinois and partner, Gary Jones of Coal Valley, with five bass and 12.15 pounds are declared the charity champions and presented the $2,500 top prize.

The “bad guys” escaped with only “bad press.”  Since the prize money (check) had not changed hands, no charges have been filed against McFail and Hallsted.

“But, is this justice?  Not in the true sense of the rules of sportsmanship or fair play,” points out Scott.  “In a similar situation, I’ve heard of the tournament director giving the accused a five-minute head start before telling the tournament crowd they’d almost been cheated.”

Scott is a strong advocate of the “draw tournament” format where individuals are paired with unknown partners, not “buddy event” with bring-your-partner entries.  “The best line of defense against cheating is the angler in the other end of the boat,” Scott says.

The other safeguard for tournament promoters is to require a professional polygraph exam (lie detector) to insure the integrity of the event.

“Most local tournament promoters or directors will hope to avoid a polygraph exam,” believes Scott.  “The professional conducted test is costly (about $200 to $300), inconvenient to arrange and the last thing a tournament official wants to hear mentioned.”

Scott notes the Mississippi Valley Charity event listed a provision in the rules for a “polygraph test” to be conducted if the tournament director elected to provide it.

“That shouldn’t be a consideration,” opines Scott.  “The buddy-partner format demands a polygraph exam to satisfy the anglers, sponsors and the public of fairness.

“The basic approach should be to test the tournament winner, the big fish leader and a random selection at the decision of the tournament official.”

Such a three-part exam would cost $600 to $900.  “Cost is not the question.  Integrity of the rules should be.”  Scott adds.

Scott’s suggestion to tournament organizers is to build a “polygraph pool” into the entry fee.  The charity tournament anglers paid $70 per team.  “Make the entry fee $80 with a ten-dollar charge for the tournament lie detector test and consider it the cost of doing business,” Scott asserted.  “In this case that’s only five-dollars per angler to ensure a fair tournament and put cheaters out of business.  That’s cheap insurance for everyone,” says Scott.

Tournament organizer Jeff Roman, an Atkinson grocery store operator, tries to look at the bright side.  “We all regret the circumstances, but in the long run we’ll benefit.  Anyone thinking about breaking the tournament rules had better not try.”

The Easter Seals campaign did benefit.  “Our goal was to raise $10,000,” said Roman.  “We reached $10,065.”