S
Polygraph machines a fact of life in fishing tournaments
Bryan Brasher
Contact
Sunday, May 20, 2007
A week from today on Sardis Lake, the winners of the 35th annual St. Jude Open Bass Classic will walk away with two War Eagle Boats and $2,000 in cash and assorted prizes. http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzz?targetUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.commercialappeal.com%2Fmca%2Fother_sports%2Farticle%2F0%2C1426%2CMCA_1757_5546343%2C00.html
The lucky angler who catches the biggest fish of the tournament could go home with more than $6,000.
But before they leave the weigh-in site -- before any prizes are awarded -- the winners will be strapped to a polygraph machine and asked a few simple questions about how they managed their catch.
It's not the most pleasant experience. But in today's world of high-dollar tournament fishing, the polygraph rule is a necessary fact of life.
"We have a gentleman who comes every year from the Tupelo Police Department to conduct our polygraph tests," said Dennis Morlok, tournament director for the St. Jude Open. "We pay for a random number of polygraph tests -- a number I'd rather not release. But we certainly have the right to test everyone in the field."
The polygraph test became synonymous with tournament fishing during the 1970s when officials from the Bassmaster Tournament Trail implemented the rule to safeguard their growing first-place prizes. The Bassmasters discontinued the use of polygraphs during the late 1990s, but they reinstated the rule last year.
The nation's other top bass-fishing trail, FLW Outdoors, went without a polygraph rule for the first decade of its existence. But the organization adopted the rule in 2005 after Georgia angler Tony Christian was banned for life from FLW events amid widespread allegations of cheating.
Growing trend
These days, polygraph use isn't limited to the major tournament trails -- nor is it limited to just bass fishing.
The Fishers of Men bass tournament circuit, a popular trail in the Mid-South that uses its tournaments for Christian outreach, reserves the right to test any of its anglers at any time. The American Bass Anglers trail also has a polygraph rule -- and they make it clear that any angler who fails a polygraph test will never be allowed to participate in their events again.
Crappie USA, perhaps the most recognized national tournament trail for crappie fishermen, has a rule that allows tournament officials to test not only its winners, but other anglers chosen randomly from the field. That means an angler may come in with no fish at all and still be required to pass the test.
"We always tell people it's painless," said Darrell VanVactor, president of Crappie USA. "It's just something we like to do every now and then to make sure everything is on the up-and-up."
Polygraph tests may be painless, but they can be nerve-racking -- even when an angler has done nothing wrong.
After winning last year's Bass Pro Shops Big Cat Quest Tournament on the Mississippi River, local catfish guide James "Big Cat" Patterson found himself strapped into the polygraph chair.
He remembers sweating a little, though he knew he was in the clear.
"I'm not gonna lie to you," Patterson said, chuckling as he realized the irony of that statement. "It's a funny feeling when they start strapping all of those wires to you. It's not something you go through every day -- and you do get a little nervous when they start asking questions."
Contrary to popular belief, polygraph examiners insist that nervousness has nothing to do with passing or failing the test.
What kind of questions?
The polygraph testing process combines a simple question-and-answer session with the use of ultra-modern technology. Anglers being tested are normally given the list of questions well before the test begins. Then they sit in a chair with electrodes strapped to various parts of their bodies while the questions are asked.
The polygraph machine or "lie detector" measures involuntary responses commonly associated with deceptive behavior. It measures mainly the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and the sweat glands.
"If the only thing the polygraph measured was nervousness, every person we ever tested would fail," said Michael Martin, whose Global Polygraph Network provides polygraph services all over the world. "The test measures involuntary changes in breathing, blood pressure and pulse. It measures changes in electro-dermal (glandular) activity. It doesn't measure nervousness at all."
The polygraph rule has become such a part of tournaments that many major polygraph organizations target fishing tournament organizers specifically on their Web sites.
Martin's Global Polygraph Network offers five main types of tests on its site -- employee testing, sex offender testing, relationship/fidelity testing, criminal defense testing and fishing exams.
"Just having the rule on a tournament sheet is usually enough to discourage cheaters," Martin said. "Even the people who are bold enough to cheat know they don't stand much chance against our machines."
Cheaters are out there
If all of this sounds a bit much, you should realize that national tournament trails like Bassmasters and FLW routinely award first-place prizes in excess of $100,000 -- and some people are willing to cheat for much smaller amounts.
According to a report in last week's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri angler Gary Lee Jones was arrested late last month and charged with a felony count of theft by deception for alleged cheating in a bass tournament. Authorities said the man was caught weighing in fish that were found tied to a duck blind the evening before a tournament on Missouri's Lake Wappapello -- a tournament with only 38 boats and a relatively small payout.
If convicted, Jones could face as much as seven years in prison.
Earlier this month, a Kentucky man received a suspended sentence for hiding bass in a submerged basket in an attempt to win a tournament on Lake Barkley where the first-place prize was a $30,000 bass boat. Lake Barkley is a Tennessee River reservoir that flows between the borders of Tennessee and Kentucky.
Morlok said he would rather the St. Jude Open be known for competitive fishing and for the money it raises each year to donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
That's why they have the polygraph rule -- and always will.
"We wish it wasn't necessary, and we truly believe the majority of the fishermen who come to out event are good, honest people," Morlok said. "But it only takes one to ruin it for everyone. That's why the test is necessary."
BASIC INFO ABOUT POLYGRAPH TESTS
What does a test cost? Usually about $150-$400. The fee is paid by the tournament director.
How long does a test take? About 45 minutes to an hour.
How many questions are asked? Usually three or four pertaining specifically to the tournament, plus several more designed specifically for the individual being tested.
Can a person fail if he or she gets too nervous, even if they're telling the truth? No. Nervousness does not affect the test results.
Polygraph test results are inadmissible in court. So can a tournament official really deny someone their winnings if they fail? If a polygraph rule is listed specifically on the pre-tournament rules sheet, the tournament director has the right to deny winnings if an angler fails or refuses to take the test.
SAMPLE POLYGRAPH TEST
The list of questions for a typical fishing tournament polygraph test might read something like this ...
Q: Is your name Joe Bob Fisherman?
Q: Do you live in Tennessee?
Q: Is your address 1574 Bass Angler Lane?
Q: Did you fish this event with Jenny Fisherman?
Q: Is Jenny Fisherman your wife?
Q: Did you, at any time during this event, fish outside the boundaries specified by the tournament rules?
Q: During this event, did you fish before or beyond the hours specified by the tournament rules?
Q: Did anyone besides your registered partner for this event help you catch the fish that you weighed in?
Q: Was your registered partner out of your sight at any time during this event?
Q: Have you ever broken the specified rules during an organized competitive fishing event?
For more information: Call (800) 545-1112 or visit polytest.org
Bryan Brasher
Contact
Sunday, May 20, 2007
A week from today on Sardis Lake, the winners of the 35th annual St. Jude Open Bass Classic will walk away with two War Eagle Boats and $2,000 in cash and assorted prizes. http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzz?targetUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.commercialappeal.com%2Fmca%2Fother_sports%2Farticle%2F0%2C1426%2CMCA_1757_5546343%2C00.html
The lucky angler who catches the biggest fish of the tournament could go home with more than $6,000.
But before they leave the weigh-in site -- before any prizes are awarded -- the winners will be strapped to a polygraph machine and asked a few simple questions about how they managed their catch.
It's not the most pleasant experience. But in today's world of high-dollar tournament fishing, the polygraph rule is a necessary fact of life.
"We have a gentleman who comes every year from the Tupelo Police Department to conduct our polygraph tests," said Dennis Morlok, tournament director for the St. Jude Open. "We pay for a random number of polygraph tests -- a number I'd rather not release. But we certainly have the right to test everyone in the field."
The polygraph test became synonymous with tournament fishing during the 1970s when officials from the Bassmaster Tournament Trail implemented the rule to safeguard their growing first-place prizes. The Bassmasters discontinued the use of polygraphs during the late 1990s, but they reinstated the rule last year.
The nation's other top bass-fishing trail, FLW Outdoors, went without a polygraph rule for the first decade of its existence. But the organization adopted the rule in 2005 after Georgia angler Tony Christian was banned for life from FLW events amid widespread allegations of cheating.
Growing trend
These days, polygraph use isn't limited to the major tournament trails -- nor is it limited to just bass fishing.
The Fishers of Men bass tournament circuit, a popular trail in the Mid-South that uses its tournaments for Christian outreach, reserves the right to test any of its anglers at any time. The American Bass Anglers trail also has a polygraph rule -- and they make it clear that any angler who fails a polygraph test will never be allowed to participate in their events again.
Crappie USA, perhaps the most recognized national tournament trail for crappie fishermen, has a rule that allows tournament officials to test not only its winners, but other anglers chosen randomly from the field. That means an angler may come in with no fish at all and still be required to pass the test.
"We always tell people it's painless," said Darrell VanVactor, president of Crappie USA. "It's just something we like to do every now and then to make sure everything is on the up-and-up."
Polygraph tests may be painless, but they can be nerve-racking -- even when an angler has done nothing wrong.
After winning last year's Bass Pro Shops Big Cat Quest Tournament on the Mississippi River, local catfish guide James "Big Cat" Patterson found himself strapped into the polygraph chair.
He remembers sweating a little, though he knew he was in the clear.
"I'm not gonna lie to you," Patterson said, chuckling as he realized the irony of that statement. "It's a funny feeling when they start strapping all of those wires to you. It's not something you go through every day -- and you do get a little nervous when they start asking questions."
Contrary to popular belief, polygraph examiners insist that nervousness has nothing to do with passing or failing the test.
What kind of questions?
The polygraph testing process combines a simple question-and-answer session with the use of ultra-modern technology. Anglers being tested are normally given the list of questions well before the test begins. Then they sit in a chair with electrodes strapped to various parts of their bodies while the questions are asked.
The polygraph machine or "lie detector" measures involuntary responses commonly associated with deceptive behavior. It measures mainly the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and the sweat glands.
"If the only thing the polygraph measured was nervousness, every person we ever tested would fail," said Michael Martin, whose Global Polygraph Network provides polygraph services all over the world. "The test measures involuntary changes in breathing, blood pressure and pulse. It measures changes in electro-dermal (glandular) activity. It doesn't measure nervousness at all."
The polygraph rule has become such a part of tournaments that many major polygraph organizations target fishing tournament organizers specifically on their Web sites.
Martin's Global Polygraph Network offers five main types of tests on its site -- employee testing, sex offender testing, relationship/fidelity testing, criminal defense testing and fishing exams.
"Just having the rule on a tournament sheet is usually enough to discourage cheaters," Martin said. "Even the people who are bold enough to cheat know they don't stand much chance against our machines."
Cheaters are out there
If all of this sounds a bit much, you should realize that national tournament trails like Bassmasters and FLW routinely award first-place prizes in excess of $100,000 -- and some people are willing to cheat for much smaller amounts.
According to a report in last week's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri angler Gary Lee Jones was arrested late last month and charged with a felony count of theft by deception for alleged cheating in a bass tournament. Authorities said the man was caught weighing in fish that were found tied to a duck blind the evening before a tournament on Missouri's Lake Wappapello -- a tournament with only 38 boats and a relatively small payout.
If convicted, Jones could face as much as seven years in prison.
Earlier this month, a Kentucky man received a suspended sentence for hiding bass in a submerged basket in an attempt to win a tournament on Lake Barkley where the first-place prize was a $30,000 bass boat. Lake Barkley is a Tennessee River reservoir that flows between the borders of Tennessee and Kentucky.
Morlok said he would rather the St. Jude Open be known for competitive fishing and for the money it raises each year to donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
That's why they have the polygraph rule -- and always will.
"We wish it wasn't necessary, and we truly believe the majority of the fishermen who come to out event are good, honest people," Morlok said. "But it only takes one to ruin it for everyone. That's why the test is necessary."
BASIC INFO ABOUT POLYGRAPH TESTS
What does a test cost? Usually about $150-$400. The fee is paid by the tournament director.
How long does a test take? About 45 minutes to an hour.
How many questions are asked? Usually three or four pertaining specifically to the tournament, plus several more designed specifically for the individual being tested.
Can a person fail if he or she gets too nervous, even if they're telling the truth? No. Nervousness does not affect the test results.
Polygraph test results are inadmissible in court. So can a tournament official really deny someone their winnings if they fail? If a polygraph rule is listed specifically on the pre-tournament rules sheet, the tournament director has the right to deny winnings if an angler fails or refuses to take the test.
SAMPLE POLYGRAPH TEST
The list of questions for a typical fishing tournament polygraph test might read something like this ...
Q: Is your name Joe Bob Fisherman?
Q: Do you live in Tennessee?
Q: Is your address 1574 Bass Angler Lane?
Q: Did you fish this event with Jenny Fisherman?
Q: Is Jenny Fisherman your wife?
Q: Did you, at any time during this event, fish outside the boundaries specified by the tournament rules?
Q: During this event, did you fish before or beyond the hours specified by the tournament rules?
Q: Did anyone besides your registered partner for this event help you catch the fish that you weighed in?
Q: Was your registered partner out of your sight at any time during this event?
Q: Have you ever broken the specified rules during an organized competitive fishing event?
For more information: Call (800) 545-1112 or visit polytest.org