[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.

[Vigilantcitizen]

"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."

Thanks for your reply.

I live near several great bass lakes which host BASS, Redman, Everstart tournaments along with many locally organized amatuer tournaments. Lakes such as Eufala, West Point, Lanier, Seminole, Weiss.

I have fished local tournaments on and off since the 80's and I know several guys that fish the major circuits for a living.

Cheating isn't that big of a problem in the bigger tournaments, because most every boat has a nuetral observer. However, in the local tournaments, especially the ones with the higher pots(sometimes in the thousands), there are not enough observers to go around, plus nuetral pairings are not done, which allows two buddies to conspire to cheat, which is not as easy when you have a stranger in the back of the boat.

Without question, the use of live bait in largemouth tournaments is the most prevalent form of cheating in the local tournaments around here. And the reason is this; there are times the fish just won't bite any artificial thrown at them, but a live shad on the hook is pretty much a sure thing, and an unfair advantage.