Texas Angler Arrested After Stuffing Weights In Bass During Tournament

Well, fellow outdoorspeople, we've got ourselves another cheating scandal in competitive bass fishing.

A Texas man was arrested this week after authorities say he tried to game the system during a bass tournament by stuffing the fish with weights.

According to officials, the controversy unfolded during the Lake Fork Lure Co. Tournament when something about one competitor's fish raised red flags. Tournament organizers called Texas Game Wardens after a metal detector wand picked up something suspicious inside a largemouth bass submitted for weigh-in.

(Getty Images)

Once wardens took a closer look, the situation got even… fishier.

"After confirming the alert, wardens conducted a necropsy on the fish and discovered three weights in its stomach that showed no signs of erosion," authorities said in a Facebook post. "Wardens also located weights of the same style and size in the angler’s boat."

The angler, Curtis Lee Daniels of Willow Park, was arrested and charged with violating Texas fishing tournament law.

Under Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations, it's illegal to alter a fish's weight "for the purpose of representing that the fish as entered in the tournament was that length or weight when caught."

But here's where it gets really tough for ol' Curtis.

Because the tournament featured more than $10,000 in prizes, the alleged offense qualifies as a third-degree felony, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife code. If convicted, Daniels could face two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, along with potential license revocation and civil restitution.

Before the scandal erupted, Daniels had actually won two hourly prizes totaling $2,500 during the two-day tournament run by Sealy Outdoors.

Learn More About The Ultimate College Hoops Experience

Tournament organizers later thanked authorities for stepping in.

"Maintaining fairness and integrity in competitive fishing is incredibly important to us, and we greatly appreciate the diligence and attention you gave to this matter," organizers said. "Your efforts help protect the reputation of the sport and ensure that honest anglers can compete on a level playing field."

Sadly, this is not the first time a competitive angler has tried to pull a fast one.

A similar incident happened in Ohio in 2022, when two fishermen were caught stuffing weights into their walleye during a tournament. They were later sentenced to 10 days of local incarceration, had their fishing licenses suspended and were forced to give up the boat used in the tournament.

The shamelessness knows no bounds!

Love all things fishing and outdoors? Follow OutKick Outdoors on Instagram and TikTok!