By Louie Stout

A St. Johns, Ind. man faces several charges related to an alledged cheating incident during an Illinois bass tournament.

According to a story published in the Chicago Sun-Times, David Moore was charged by Illinois Conservation officers with attempting to commit theft, possession over the daily limit of three smallmouth bass, failure to immediately release smallmouth bass unharmed, taking and possession of smallmouth bass resulting in wanton waste, throwing fishing wire on bank waters, and importing Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)-susceptible species into Illinois without a permit.

On May 10, officers received a tip from an Alabama man working on a tug boat on the Calumet River who saw and videotaped a person stringing up fish and tying them to the wall the night before a Cal Sag Bass Anglers tournament.

The tugboat worker googled bass tournaments near him and saw that there was a tournament the next day. He then contacted officers who met him early the next morning and watched Moore retrieve four smallmouth bass from the stringer and place them in his livewell.

Officers intercepted Moore at the weigh-in on the Calumet River in Burnham, Ill. where he weighed in 19.5 pounds.

According to police, Moore allegedly caught the bass in Lake Michigan near Hammond, Ind., stashed them in the river and took them to the weigh-in the next day. He was disqualified from the event.

Had the incident not been reported, Moore would have won by more than four pounds and pocketed $1,300.

Anglers in the event reported that the fish didn’t look like Calumet River bass.

Cal Sag Bass Anglers Directors say Moore, who was a frequent competitor in area tournaments for years, has been banned from Cal Sag or Big Lake Bass Anglers events and any of its affiliated tournaments.

Moore will face the charges in Cook County Illinois Court at a later date.