Man gets probation for fish scheme

[Lee Borgersen]

 
MADISONVILLE, Ky., Jan. 13, 2007
(AP) A western Kentucky man will spend three years on probation for his role in a scheme in which he and a partner illegally won thousands of dollars at several fishing tournaments.

Dwayne E. Nesmith, 43, of Island, recently pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft by deception over $300 in Marshall County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to two years in jail on each count, the sentence to run concurrently, and was given probation, The Messenger of Madisonville reported.

Nesmith will also pay approximately $7,100 in restitution, which is half of the winnings he and his fishing partner, Brian K. Thomas, of Dawson Springs, won in team tournaments.

Nesmith is prohibited from holding a fishing license during his probation.

Thomas is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 5 to answer identical charges.

An investigation of the pair began when Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officers received a tip that Nesmith and Thomas had stashed a basket of fish in Lake Barkley during the Relay for Life Buddy Tournament in April.

According to Mark Marraccini, a Fish and Wildlife spokesman, the two men were observed taking fish out of the basket and putting them in a livewell in their boat during the tournament.

Investigators found that Nesmith and Thomas won approximately $15,000 in cash and a $30,000 bass boat between 2002 and the Relay for Life Buddy Tournament. The boat and some fishing equipment were confiscated by Fish and Wildlife authorities.

Thomas pleaded guilty to the attempted theft charge stemming from the Relay of Life Buddy Tournament in Trigg County District Court and paid a $250 fine and $148 in court costs.
 

[Big Slick]

Some people just suck.

[GRIZ]

It all boils down to greed.

Apparently they knew they wern't anygood at fishing. They'd have had no reason to cheat if they thought other wise.

Also they must be lacking something called pride.

[Fishahollik]

Wow, if you gotta cheat to fish BASS you need help.

[TNT]

this reminds me, i seen an article about a year ago or so, it was about a bass pro that had pre fished and tethered a bunch of bass to a tree stump. then on the tourney day he would pull up and cast for the tether line and hook it and that would lead his lure to the fish and just tug away and break the tether line and pull in the fish, he did this four times and that's when his co-angler got suspicious,any way they caught him and he admitted to what he had done, just to much pressure to win in these pro events, or just the greed to be on top.

[Bufflehead]

I tell ya what, I have my suspicions of someone who has won a Bass tournament two years running

 The guy is a admitted outlaw by his posts on a couple of hunting sites

 Something just don't add up

[Lee Borgersen]

I remember reading about a Big Bucks Bass ( that's the name of the sponsors) tourney that was held out of Winneconne WI. The local bar/restaurant that was hosting it and was looking for volunteers to help with the weigh in. As the owner explained it two guys were way over aggressive and insistent that they should be recruited to work as volunteers at the weigh in.

Something struck the owner weird about these two, but he brought them aboard. While talking to the local warden he had mentioned these characters and the warden seemed interested. When it came time for the weigh in all went smoothly and these two guys were in charge of the release boat.

While unknown to Frick and Frack the warden  was keeping an eye on our community minded Frick and Frack boys using his binoculars. It seems that after releasing the fish our two heroes went back to there vehicle and were met by the warden  as they were placing a cooler full of bass into the trunk.

I don't remember what the fines were, but they were very hefty. The best part was that they were part of the local community and this was plastered all over the news paper and local radio, not to mention word of mouth.

My good friend and fellow guide Doug Becker was up in Winneconne in that tournament and never knew about what happened till I showed him the article.

Doug said that " the warden should have turned those scum bags over to the Bass tournament boys for about five minutes." >:(