Just want to hear everyone’s opinion on bass fishermen/women who either get caught cheating or simply failing a polygraph in well known tournament’s….Is failing a polygraph the same as physically cheating? What if both partners fail the polygraph? Does that mean they cheated or was being deceptive someway? Just curious on what the masses say. What type of punishment should be handed down other than just a disqualification? This is really starting to put a black eye on our sport that’s for sure.

why did the fail the polygraph? Depends on the reason for me. When I worked for Minyards food store I passed a polygraph I knew I should have failed. I was 15 years old (1980) and stole something the week before I got hired. I passed and one question was have you ever stolen anything. Polygraph are unreliable and that is why they are not used in a courtroom.

Fair enough…do they ever mention why a person failed a polygraph after taking it? Never failed one is why I ask. What if both people in the boat fail it?

Some people get nervous and fail, even if innocent. There is a reason why they aren’t admissible for courts, they aren’t always accurate.

As far as “both” failing, I don’t know….I guess someone better quit fishing tournaments, if they struggle to pass polygraphs.

Gotcha…fair enough on the nervous part

That’s the same thing I said in my head. Lol. Someone needs to find a different hobby

I worked at Minyards too in late 70’s. They lived and died by those polygraphs. I had to take them multiple times due to theft uncovered at the store I worked at and leaving for college and coming back between semesters. I don’t trust the polygraphs from what I have seen. They sure aren’t 100% reliable.

Did they ever love their polygraphs.. As a teen we just did not care and did stupid stuff

I know someone who him and his partner both failed the polygraph test and both failed the same 4 questions of the test. That seems strange that both failed the exact same questions. Makes me think they cheated. Both were DQ and banned from fish the tournament series.

That’s my thoughts exactly. Very rare for two team partners to fail the exact same questions. If that doesn’t raise a red flag, I don’t know what does. Yes, I agree they should be banned for life from fishing any tournaments if they knowingly did something to gain an unfair advantage and tried to hide it.

Polys are unreliable IMO.

What do you think these organizations should be employing to keep the sport true and honest to the best of their abilities?

I know someone, a member here actually, that failed a poly years back when they asked him his name. The poly said he was lying due to hear rate.

Now that’s crazy.

I failed one at Squaw creek, back in the day, Don had to bring in my partner to vertify my mane