Two local fishermen suspected of cheating in bass tournaments
Robert Gillaspie
Gary Minor
UPDATE: Two local fishermen suspected of cheating in bass tournaments 0 comments
MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. (WAAY) - Two Marshall County men are accused of cheating in local bass tournaments.
Thursday, Robert Gillaspie and Gary Minor were charged with tampering with a sport contest.
While the charges are only misdemeanors, it's causing a lot of controversy among anglers.
Alex Davis, a local angler on Lake Guntersville says, “Once a year you will hear rumors, but when someone actually gets arrested its very shocking.”
Davis heard talk of the duo possibly cheating but chalked it up to gossip. He says, “I heard rumors about two weeks before it happened, but I just figured it was rumors. I’ve heard them before many times, when someone starts winning like that.”
Sources say the men hid fish to use come competition time.
Kay Donaldson, Alabama Bass Trail and Tournament Program Director says, “In any sport anytime there is a lot of money or a lot of prestige you are going to have that.”
Donaldson says she’s disappointed this happened. She says, “I hate that it hit our sport. I even hate that it was here at home on our home waters.”
The two men never entered any of the Bass Trail Tournaments. Donaldson says, “If you cheat you will get caught.”
The owner of BassWhacker Guide Service in Guntersville posted a Facebook status on the incident Saturday after the two were seen in BassWhacker t-shirts.
He declined to comment about the case, but his Facebook post says, "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!"
Both Gillaspie and Minor are out of jail after posting $6,000 bonds.