I have never been a tournament bass angler, but have grown up around the sport as it pretty much surrounds me. When I was about 18 years old, I started taking notice in the fall of the year the vast increase in litter on the river. The early fall is when I am brushing my duck blinds... it is also the final money rounds in several local clubs and federation districts leading up to qualifications for some of the BASS federation tournaments.

Long story short.... I noticed a three litre soda bottle near the back of one of my duck blinds and like the great samaritan I am reached to pick it up... I thought it odd when I found a length of 50# braid leading back to my duck blind, then to the bottle and then down to a 1# lead weight. Attached to that lead weight was a steel cord.... attached to the steel cord was a 3'x3' chicken wire "crab pot" that contained no less than three largemouth bass... very much alive.... and all of them in excess of 6# each.... quite a catch for a tournament angler. I put the fish back and called the game warden, who was very much interested to meet this up and coming BASS star. I never found out who it was, and the game warden from our county took a job in another state a few months later and I never did learn if there was any fallout or not. Apparently, after talking to a few tournament directors, this kinda crap happens all the time... and on some very high stakes levels as well.