The sport of fishing and the art of stretching the truth has gone hand in hand for centuries. Most of the time anglers adjust the angle of their narratives to either increase the weight or size of their catch or enhance the effort it took to land said fish when sharing stories with their friends.

That's all fun and games but when there is real money on the line, such as thousands of dollars, there is no room for lying in fishing. Two men who participated in a St.Martin Parish fishing tournament have found that out the hard way.

Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries were made aware of actions taken by Wade Bourg Jr of Morgan City and Justin Lane of Houma during the Fishers of Men bass tournament that was held near Stephensville on July 24th.

Tournament organizers had reason to believe the two men fished in an area that was outside of the tournament boundaries and guidelines. They called in LDWF agents who took the investigation to the next level.

Now if you're wondering what's the big deal about cheating in a fishing tournament, let me share this with you. Their resulting catch and weigh-in totals earned them first place in the tournament and over $5,500 in prizes and trophies.

LDWF agents, at the conclusion of their investigation, determined the two men knowingly violated the rules of the tournament, and warrants for their arrest were issued. The men, Bourg Jr and Lane, turned themselves in to authorities and were booked into the St. Martin Parish Jail.

The punishment for fishing contest fraud could mean a fine of up to $3,000 and up to one year in jail. The exact punishment for the two men accused of this crime has yet to be determined.

 

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