[Vigilantcitizen]

"How does that work? Guy grows his own bass to gargantuan proportions and then secretes it in the waters where the tournament will be held? How DO you cheat in a fishing tournament? Stuff your catch with lead pellets to make it weigh more?"

Live bait. As in shad or shiners.

[auboy]

There are probably still some tournaments where live bait is used… like crappie and walleye tournaments. Most, if not all bass tournaments are strictly artificial bait… plastic worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and jigs… and a few more I've forgotten. If any cheatin' is done, it's usually done in advance, and usually with articial baits… as explained in posts 9 & 17.

I guess one could catch their pre-tournament "string" with minnows or shiners, but that is a completely different way of fishing.