Not Deer Hunting But a Unethical Situation

[SAR Swimmer]

I know that not everyone reads the fishing section and pardon me for throwing this on the deer hunting section but I feel that someone could have been just as dishonest about a buck that they shot. Plus, I need as many inputs as possible to come up with a plan to make the situation right.

Well, I need advice on a situation that I was recently put in. I was in a fishing tournament with 2 other guys. The tournament was a 2 day tourney.

We were fishing the second day and one of the guys pulled out a fish from the live well that I knew that we had not caught that day. He had gone fishing after we weighed our fish the day before. He managed to keep the fish alive in a water box at his house and brought it in the boat the next day to weigh in. This was a horrible situation to be in. I know these guys fairly well and they are friends of my wife.

We ended up placing 3rd in the tournament and it payed out about 4,000 in cash and prizes. I defered any payment and would not accept any prizes because I knew it was wrong. I felt so horrible standing up there knowing that we weren't winners at all. They made me swear that I would not tell their wives or anyone else. I didn't tell their wives but I told my wife. She was in complete disbelief because she had thought all along that they were just great fishermen.

I am tempted to contact the guy who administrates the tournament to tell him about what they did because I can't sleep since the tournament because I feel like by not coming forward, I was just as much of a liar as they were. The guys wives are good friends with my wife and I don't want to cause a stir but they even admitted that they have done this before to win tournaments.

Suggestions?????????????????????????????

 

[MUP]

Dang. I believe I would have gotten out of the boat right then and had no part of it. But, that's woulda, shoulda, coulda kind of stuff. I don't believe I could stand being a part of a "cheat to win" group myself. No advice from me as of what to do now, but I will say, let your conscience guide you, as I believe it already is. Good luck.

 

[SAR Swimmer]

MUP,
I agree with you and I should have done that right then. That is why I have felt so bad is because I didn't.
I am a very laid back and easy going guy and I knew it was wrong but I was thinking about how this would effect my wife and her friendship with them. I didn't want to cause a big stir but the more that I think about it, I should have accepted the money from them and take it to the 4th place fishers who deserved it.
These guys are pretty well know in the town and people think they are good fishermen. Fact is, they are frauds. I almost want to tell the tourney director what happened to keep it from happening again. The saltwater tourneys in Fl pay alot of money and they are basically stealing. While I know that I will never fish with them, do I make an effort to keep it from happening again?

 

[ferg]

Your a damn Coastie !!!!! YOU KNOW what is RIGHT -

get off you arse and do it -

ferg....
uscg/ret !!!!!

I know that not everyone reads the fishing section and pardon me for throwing this on the deer hunting section but I feel that someone could have been just as dishonest about a buck that they shot. Plus, I need as many inputs as possible to come up with a plan to make the situation right.

Well, I need advice on a situation that I was recently put in. I was in a fishing tournament with 2 other guys. The tournament was a 2 day tourney.

We were fishing the second day and one of the guys pulled out a fish from the live well that I knew that we had not caught that day. He had gone fishing after we weighed our fish the day before. He managed to keep the fish alive in a water box at his house and brought it in the boat the next day to weigh in. This was a horrible situation to be in. I know these guys fairly well and they are friends of my wife.

We ended up placing 3rd in the tournament and it payed out about 4,000 in cash and prizes. I defered any payment and would not accept any prizes because I knew it was wrong. I felt so horrible standing up there knowing that we weren't winners at all. They made me swear that I would not tell their wives or anyone else. I didn't tell their wives but I told my wife. She was in complete disbelief because she had thought all along that they were just great fishermen.

I am tempted to contact the guy who administrates the tournament to tell him about what they did because I can't sleep since the tournament because I feel like by not coming forward, I was just as much of a liar as they were. The guys wives are good friends with my wife and I don't want to cause a stir but they even admitted that they have done this before to win tournaments.

Suggestions?????????????????????????????

 

[Bullfrog]

I might have gotten my butt kicked by the two guys....but that fish would've gone swimming. Whats done is done, so you'll probably have a hard time proving anything or getting anything done about it. I'd definitely go to the tournament director with the understanding of keeping it anonymous, so that they will be watched more closely. If they keep it up, they will eventually be caught. A similar scenario happened to two guys in Dover TN, last year. They will never be able to fish another tournament again. Did the two guys take your money that you didnt' want?

 

[TN RDG RNR]

I have found the further you let a lie go the harder it is to tell the truth. It would have been easy to make them throw the fish back when you discovered their plans to cheat but near impossible to make things right now.

I personally would chalk it up to a lesson learned.

 

[Baxter83]

Whats done is done, so you'll probably have a hard time proving anything or getting anything done about it. I'd definitely go to the tournament director with the understanding of keeping it anonymous, so that they will be watched more closely.

That's pretty much what I was going to say! It would have been hard for me to keep from calling him out on the spot. Sounds like you were in an awkward position to say the least.

 

[Bottom Hunter]

It is sad how some people want to win at all costs......

their dishonesty is only overshadowed by their lack of self -esteem...

Do the right thing........

I participated in one tournament in my life. It was a local deal with hardly no boundaries......one guy turned in a fish that weighed nine pounds and was dead. The fishes eyes were white and sticking about an inch. It was stick and on ice when they brought it in.....they allowed the fish to be entered......

my friend and I came in third place with a ten fish limit of 25 pounds........the winner's stringer weighed 56 pounds!!!

never entered another one......

For this very reason, I will not enter a big buck contest unless it is controlled(everyone hunts the same ground legally)......I just don't trust people anymore. Not after I have seen some of the things that I have seen.

do the right thing...........!!!

JMO

BH

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

You didn't take any of the winnings so as far as your own conscience goes I would leave it be and go on. This, because it is AFTER the fact, will cause many more problems now than it would have if you said something right away.
You SHOULD feel bad though and that is normal.

Those would be my thought's as well..... Then if they ask you to fish with them again, simply decline.....

I would say something to the tourney person though, let him know it's going on and to be watching for it....

 

[bowriter]

No question. Game over right then and friendships with it. $4000??? You realize that is fraud and probably a felony? I'd have to contact a lawyer but it seems to me, since you were in the boat....

well you figure it out.

 

[44fanatic]

They wouldnt be friends of mine any longer.
I fished a small club and we had suspected that one of our members was cheating. As he had paid his dues, he was still permitted to fish the tournaments but he was not allowed to fish alone or with non-club members. The day he was called on it was the last tournament he fished with us.

My thoughts were that he was stealing my money. As for these guys, how many times have they STOLEN from other fisherman. If not called on it, how many more times will they attempt the same thievery...

Speaking with the club officials about it will probably be best. Word will get out to be on the lookout for these guys.

 

[pass-thru]

No question. Game over right then and friendships with it. $4000??? You realize that is fraud and probably a felony? I'd have to contact a lawyer but it seems to me, since you were in the boat....

well you figure it out.

Exactly. You know what you need to do, so do it. And be prepared to pay up $4000 out of your own pocket so that the rightful 3rd place winners can get their pay. Money is replacable, honor is permanent. Who cares if your wives are friends.

 

[bobthebowhunter]

Find some new fishin buddies. what's done is done though

 

[pass-thru]

Based on your post in the fishing forum, you did not know what he had done until afterward. That is a a good thing for you, as you did not conspire to commit fraud. But you still know what you need to do. And as ferg pointed out, you hold yourself to this forum as a member of the armed services. Think about the oath that you took and how your failure to act properly at this point would reflect on your service. You owe those to scumbags absolutely nothing. Do the right thing and you can sleep at night knowing that your honor is intact.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

And be prepared to pay up $4000 out of your own pocket so that the rightful 3rd place winners can get their pay.

I wouldn't think it would be his place to payback any money since he refused it after winning..... the two guilty people that accepted the money should be the ones responsible for paying back the winnings.... IMHO....

 

[pass-thru]

And be prepared to pay up $4000 out of your own pocket so that the rightful 3rd place winners can get their pay.

I wouldn't think it would be his place to payback any money since he refused it after winning..... the two guilty people that accepted the money should be the ones responsible for paying back the winnings.... IMHO....

If he knew what they were doing before the money was paid, then he would be equally culpible and responsible for the $4k.

If he didn't find out until after the money had been paid, he wouldn't be on the hook for the 4k.

 

[bowriter]

I think Pas-Thru is correct. But I'd dam sure get some legal advice.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

I defered the money from the guys that I was fishing with. The guy pulled the fish out at the weigh in and later told me the story of how he caught it on day 1 after we stood up to accept the prizes. I fished on the back of the boat all day and they fished on the front. This fish was in the front livewell all day.

I guess it could go either way.....

 

[Coach]

Wow...all I can say is what my dad always said to me.."you are who you are with"...there isn't a man on this forum that hasn't done something wrong in their lives but I think it's how you "make amends" and "stand up to it" that determines the men from the boys. I don't know if you have kids but if you do..what would you want your son to do so that you are "proud" of him...whatever that is, then throw that caution bullshit aside and do it. Forget lawyers, lawyers don't make it any easier to look in the mirror every morning...and they don't make it right....

 

[megalomaniac]

That kind of crap is one of the reasons I quit fishing tournaments... it became work and a pecker-measuring contest. I so much prefer fishing post-tourney days. Now I can pull the boat under a shade tree middle of the day and take an hour nap after lunch and not feel guilty.