The Big G Cheaters Caught!

[Rivermont Jeff]

sad to see

http://fishstrong.com/busted-team-basswhacker-caught-cheating-guntersville/
BUSTED: Pair of “BassWackers” Caught and Arrested for Cheating on Guntersville
Posted on May 10, 2014 by Hale White

This is the kind of stuff that makes you question even entering a tournament. If gambling was bad enough, the reality of cheaters in the field makes it even worse.

Nobody likes a cheater and nobody likes those who affiliate with them, help them, fraternize with them, and those who pat their back when they get away with it. I foresee a few Facebook “unfriendings” to come.

A team of two pathetic characters named Gary Minor and Rob Gillaspie who shall be referred to as “Team BassWacker”, for obvious reasons (evident in some of the pictures below), were arrested on May 8, 2014 for cheating in multiple bass tournaments on Lake Guntersville.

They had a good run, estimated to be four weeks or more of getting away with their cheating scam. They reportedly used an aquarium hidden inside a boat house to hold previously caught and collected bass until weigh-in time.

I guess that’s how you really “whack” the bass.

Details are still trickling in, but reports have indicated the owner of the boat house finally noticed two strangers going in and out of the boat house and turned them in.

The verdict is not officially in, so everyone is technically innocent until proven guilty, but they were pretty much caught red-handed.

Enjoy these fine pictures! If you’re the type of person would be inclined to egg their house or spray paint “CHEATER” across their front door, check out the arrest photos. Since their arrest, the two characters have posted bail and are sure to be laying low. Something tells me they won’t be entering any tournaments this weekend.

If you are a tournament director and see two guys that look like this, it might be best to refuse them entry into your tournament. To be on the safe side, you better refuse anybody affiliated with “BassWhacker” as it is not yet known how deep the level of involvement goes in the cheating scam. [See update at bottom]

image (5)

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UPDATE:

Since the posting of this article, the BassWacker has shared an update on his FB page that is worth reading…

“I am deeply saddened by the cheating events that have allegedly taken place on Lake Guntersville over the last few weeks. I met the two individuals that have been accused almost exactly a year ago and began using Rob’s boat dealership to get my boat serviced and hired Gary’s concrete business to finish some concrete at my home. I’m essentially new to this area, only living here 3 years. As such I’ve attempted to meet people whether it’s at boat ramps, tackle shops, contractors or anywhere to build my business. I pay my bills guiding these same individuals and people I meet through my relationships with them. As a beginner to tournament fishing on the highest level, it has been important to me to build my guide business for survival to pay my bills. For the record, I had absolutely nothing to do with this scheme and I absolutely despise the events that have transpired on my home lake. The two individuals were wearing “BassWhacker” shirts but these shirts were given to these individuals as well as 100's of other potential customers. I have never guided these two individuals or fished a single tournament with them. They are not employed by my business, they do not guide for me and they are not associated in any way with my business apart from a few t-shirts. I feel as deceived as everyone else!”

At this point, it is best to take this statement at face value and focus your fishing fury on the two men charged, regardless of their affiliation with anyone.

Fish Strong!

 

[DLR]

In the link, one pic said 35lbs in a 2.5 hr. tourney, and 27 in a 2 hr. Not very smart crooks.

 

[Hook1]

I hope it was worth having their character in question from here on out. They might as well plan on only fishing for fun now.

 

[jenko157]

It's Theft! Plain and simple. Glad they got caught. Unfortunately this type of thing has been going on as long as tournaments have been around. I would say they will have a hard time keeping tires on their truck and trailer around the Big "G" for a long time.

 

[Rivermont Jeff]

Rob Gillaspie apparently runs the Alabama Marine Liquidators not real good for his business

 

[Jmax]

It still amazes me every time I see or hear about something like this. You know they did not "Need" that money bad enough to cheat. You know they did not want to ruin their reputations bad enough to cheat. You know they did not think this whole thing thru. But yet, there they were cheating like crazy, caught and thinking, " Holly S**T!, What have we done?".

It happens. When the cheaters are caught the reality and consequences of what they did sinks in. I have seen this in tournaments and in people hunting illegal. They get so wrapped up in the quest to win or take that big buck that they seem to loose the fact that taking that buck or winning that tournament or quest only counts if you do it correctly and legally. But the winning, the high or being the "One", or getting to show off that big buck becomes the over bearing goal to the point that they completely loose sight of wrong from right. Part of me feels bad for these assholes. But another part of me wants them to be completely humiliated and have the full impact of the law leveled upon them. Not to just overkill the cheating, but to make an example out of them so others will think before letting their emotions and drive to win over shadow good common sense.

These guys really screwed up bad. To be doing that to win, empress their friends and fellow competitors, only to now be labeled cheaters and not trustworthy. Yep, they are screwed. I would never allow them into any tournament or event that I was ever involved in. Not to mention some jobs would fire a person who's reputation was hit with that kind of thing. They will be outcasts in there own area.

Take heed to these guys people. It is never worth the end results to do what these two have done. EVER! If you ever see a big bass on a bed and think about snagging it, if you ever see a big bass in a gill net still alive and you think about taking it, if you ever see a big bass floating still alive and you think about picking it up, if you ever have someone ask if you want a couple bass they have caught when you fishing in a tournament,...think about what is happening to these two clowns right now and do the right thing. emoGeezer Jmax

 

[churly]

Put a bullet in em, and anyone else involved. "basswhacker" just won the rayovac series down there, I've always respected him. Hope he has no involvement......clink

 

[finbully]

Dead link for me but here is another:

http://www.wired2fish.com/fishing-tournament-cheaters-busted-on-lake-guntersville/

scumbags!

 

[derek81]

I hate that basswhacker's name got drug into it. Anyone can wear a t-shirt but doesn't mean they had anything to do with it. They could have been wearing tackle warehouse shirts but doesn't mean TW had anything to do with it. Either way I hope this follows these scumbags around for a long time.

 

[AT Hiker]

Cheaters = thieves

 

[Oldman]

hang them in public for every one to see.

 

[Strato-G]

emoEnforce Gonna refrain my comments for fear of being prosecuted for my remarks..... emoPolice emoPolice emoBadLanguage emoTskTsk :emoticon: ............ emoGeezer emoUSA

 

[fish4thepeck]

To be polictically correct, they were probably neglected in childhood and if broght to court they will be set free and the Gov. will fill obligated to help them recover from their abused childhood by subsidizing any lost revenue from their business and the bleeding heart society will eventually have a Bass Tournament in their name for abused cheaters. On the other hand and speaking only as a member of the big belly mafia of swedon cove I says hang em.

 

[SethColeman]

derek81 - 5/11/2014 8:41 AM

I hate that basswhacker's name got drug into it. Anyone can wear a t-shirt but doesn't mean they had anything to do with it. They could have been wearing tackle warehouse shirts but doesn't mean TW had anything to do with it. Either way I hope this follows these scumbags around for a long time.

I agree 100% with Derek. I do not think it was fair to title it "basswhackers" based on the shirt they were wearing, "implying" involvement or affiliation with the guide service. IF its true, and they were holding fish, they have blackballed themselves from tourney fishing for life.

 

[Punisher]

If that happened on nickajack 25-30 years ago they would have wished the police would arrest them,they would have been beat down

 

[Cstick1]

For the ones defending basswhacker they brought it upon themselves..they sure knew them well before all this came out. Mainly by posting pics and calling them great friends. Then turning it around and sayin they had never guided them and had no affiliation with them other than a Tshirt was given to them to promote business. They may not have knew about it or had anything thing to do with it..but as a guide they should have smelled something fishy with those weights in that amount of time.......(pun intended)

 

[Bprice]

Basswacker Team had nothing to do with this. Those clowns just happen to have some basswacker swag on in the picture. </p>

</p>

churly - 5/11/2014 7:18 AM Put a bullet in em, and anyone else involved. "basswhacker" just won the rayovac series down there, I've always respected him. Hope he has no involvement......clink

</p>

 

[Bprice]

Come on.If you are a guide and someone is whacking big numbers, its only good for business to hitch yourselves to them. Both of the folks caught where what most believed to be solid individuals and business owners. Basswackers never distanced themselves from them, in fact in Jonathan's statement he said he'd guided and fielded phone calls from them in the past.</p>

</p>

Cstick1 - 5/11/2014 7:42 PM For the ones defending basswhacker they brought it upon themselves..they sure knew them well before all this came out. Mainly by posting pics and calling them great friends. Then turning it around and sayin they had never guided them and had no affiliation with them other than a Tshirt was given to them to promote business. They may not have knew about it or had anything thing to do with it..but as a guide they should have smelled something fishy with those weights in that amount of time.......(pun intended)

</p>

 

[derek81]

Cstick1 - 5/11/2014 7:42 PM

For the ones defending basswhacker they brought it upon themselves..they sure knew them well before all this came out. Mainly by posting pics and calling them great friends. Then turning it around and sayin they had never guided them and had no affiliation with them other than a Tshirt was given to them to promote business. They may not have knew about it or had anything thing to do with it..but as a guide they should have smelled something fishy with those weights in that amount of time.......(pun intended)

I've seen 3 fish dog fights (3 hour) on chick won with over 20lbs, that's on par with 5 weighing that much, does that mean we assume they are cheating. I'm just saying anytime a big bag is brought in it does not mean that anyone affiliated with them should run or point fingers. Basswacker is good people.

 

[smbass77]

one of the reasons I don't fish many team tournaments.......too much opportunity for cheaters.

Years ago when I lived in NY, a team from Massachusetts was winning boats like crazy fishing all the big fisheries up there. Funny thing was, neither of them could catch a limit in a BFL on the same bodies of water. They were never caught, but always suspected.