Fishing tournament competitor accused of putting weights in largemouth bass

WOOD COUNTY, Texas (KLTV/Gray News) — A Texas man was arrested Sunday after state authorities said he altered the weight of a largemouth bass that he caught in a fishing tournament.

Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) said Curtis Lee Daniels entered a largemouth bass in a Lake Fork fishing tournament that was found to have three 0.75-ounce fishing weights in its stomach.

The same weights were also found in Daniels’ boat, according to an affidavit obtained by KLTV.

The overall prize for the tournament was $11,500, according to the affidavit.

Daniels was held at the Wood County Jail on a $20,000 bond on a charge of violating a fishing tournament law, a third-degree felony.

Daniels could face up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. Other penalties include license revocation and civil restitution, according to the TPWD website.