Would baiting holes the night before the shootout be wrong or against the rules? Seen a guy out this evening running around dumping bags of something on holes.

In other trails I've fished...yes baiting holes is against the rules. You would need to review the rules with your TD.

Can you elaborate? What would they use? Only thing i could think about would be to attract bait.

The guy was hiding it from view. I just saw the little string you pull off bags of stiff like dog food floating in the water. I'm not sure if it was dog food or not and the guy may not even be fishing the tournament. I just found it odd. I spent so many days on this lake and this is the first time I've ever seen it

There is a 2 day Big bass tournament on Lake of the Ozarks, spring and fall. They pay out every 2 hours. I reported 2 guys that were dumping crawdad's in a area, to the TD. He did nothing, also said he was unaware of anything like this going on. I told him to go and try to buy crawdads in a 60 mile radius of the lake. And that there are quite a few guys doing it. I will never fish their tournament again. Baiting is illegal for Bass. If you see a carcuss hanging from a tree over the water that is baiting also. As the maggots and fly's hit the water so bass and a lot of other fish will be there. Just my 2 cents

There is usually a phrase in the rules that fish are to be caught with rod and reel in a sporting manner.

In my mind, “sporting manner” would exclude things like baiting holes, snagging bass with big trebles, and underwater holding lines/containers.

Define baiting holes. Putting brush out attracts bait fish. Can you put range cubes out for catfish but fish it for bass? What about a brush pile full of bait and crappie but you fish it for bass? In my opinion, I don't see how you could bait for bass unless they are also eating the cubes/bait you dump in which is possible. It'd be more effective dropping in a huge wire basket of live crawfish and shad...

Maybe range cubes for catfish. Has the same string

Well, I guess technically ypu are right but I mean I saw a guy pull up and dump something in the water and leave the night before a big tournament. It just seemed odd but I'm not sure what you would use that quickly time wise to pull in bass. Although I know there were lots of bass in the small area with some good ones so it may not have taken much. I thought dog food just because that's been used forever but that's mainly for catfish. That's all the guy may have been doing

Sink all the brush and PVC you can (legally on that body of water of course)
But, adding crawfish/grubs or bluegill nibbles on top of the brush/pvc just before a tournament you are competing in to attract baitfish/bass is not sporting.

Probably range cubes

Steak bones, pork chop bones, chicken bones, really anything with a little meat left on it will draw in tons of minnows and guess what follows the minnows? And I agree, it shouldn't be legal for tournament fishing, but I don't think I've ever seen it strictly forbidden in the rules.

what if you tied a cinder block to a hog?

I bait my holes with 5 lb bass....

I guess it is up to you if you choose to cheat. Ask yourself, are you that lousy at fishing that you need to cheat??
If you are, you need to take up golf.