"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.
Thanks for the info. It's good to get a perspective from someone with more recent experience. I have not fished in years. I used to be in the tackle business, got "burned out", sold my bassboat and bought a SeaDoo, ha.
I know what you mean about times the fish just won't bite any artificial thrown at them. I remember hours and hours of that happening. Biggest bass I ever caught was with a guide on Lake Okeechobee using a rather large wild shiner. She was full of eggs. We returned her to the spot we caught her the next day, after an overnight stay in one of Roland Martin's holding tanks. My guide's name was Terry Garrels, a real sportsman and gentleman. He knew it was good business to return Mama Bass to her spawning grounds.
Without a doubt, using live shad/native baitfish during a tournament is an unfair advantage. Too bad that some people will do just about anything to win. Competitive anglers who play by the rules command my respect!