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Ohio is investigating after cheating allegations at a Lake Erie fishing competition went viral Friday (September 30), according to News-5 Cleveland.
Two fisherman at the Lake Erie Walleye Trail Competition had their fish inspected after Jason Fischer, owner and director for the Lake Erie Walleye Trail, thought the fish weighed more than they should have, based on their size. Fischer also said they felt lumpy, which prompted him to cut them open. In a video, Fischer can be seen cutting fish open and pulling weights and other items out of them at weigh in.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources responded to the competition after being contacted by festival organizers. Officers collected evidence and are preparing a report for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office.
"It was an insane atmosphere. You could feel it," Nate Lueders, who was competing in the tournament's kayak division, said. "[Everyone was] just angry. They're stealing from us. But the fact that they were finally caught also brought a sense of relief... People questioned it and it's been suspected. I think people just finally got tired of it and spoke up and said something about it. They clearly weren't as big as what the scale said they were."