Is it cheating if someone submits an Atlantic Salmon into an Alberta ice fishing derby?

[Sundancefisher]

A Facebook group has been blowing up over allegations that the Spring Lake Ice Fishing derby awarded prizes to a person who submitted an Atlantic Salmon.

Spring Lake is in Alberta up by Grande Prairie I believe.

Apparently same person won prizes last year by submitting freezer burnt fish.



2023 winning fish



2024 winning fish




2023 winner



Derby post

[Savage Bacon]

Not if it won the impossible fish category.

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[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

Not if it won the impossible fish category.

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I hear ya brother.

I need to borrow a buddies mounted swordfish.

It appears their derby is catch a fish, take a picture and release the fish and submit the photo. Honour system brings out the worst in some.

[Smoky buck]

Seems like smarter judges are needed

[Fishingforjoy]

Should those fishing tournament cheaters face criminal charge?

[spinerfisher]

Well if this is the case, talk about corrupt. Does the winner have ties to the organization running this? Refunds should also be given back. Good way to drag the fire association through the mud. Is that money legit? lol. That fish from 2023 looks like its been frozen for a loooooong time.This derby looks real fishy....

[burbotman]

Was following the 💩 show last night. Just crazy. So clearly fraudulent, makes me wonder if charges could be laid. Although the evidence has been disposed of apparently

[Brandonkop]

It's a joke that the event manager or whoever is in charge would accept any of the entries really. The person obviously has no integrity. Maybe it's all a joke.

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[lakerman]

Ever see the size of that goldfish outta St. Albert, or the prussians invasion, see the fish limits on big lake(thats where we need a tournament the limits must be the most liberal in Alberta), the place where dreams become reality..Alberta the new Salmon, Goldfish Prussion capital of the world, Ecotourism at its best.

[Maxwell87]

wild! probably no f’s given in actually figuring this out? or was there a outcome… sad to see folks would do this to win a derby

[Coiloil37]

Seems some very unscrupulous “tournament” fishermen in Alberta. Last one posted here was that shortened bump board with a “monster” burbot. Sad really but it seems to be another example of the societal decay in ‘Berta. The place isn’t what it used to be.

[AlbertanGP]

I'm on the local Grande Prairie Fishing Facebook page. I joined last year to monitor the return of a local lake that summer killed quite badly back in 2022. The lake has come back but I find myself still checking the group regularly just for the lolz. This isn't the first episode of entertainment from this angler. She's locally famous for her pictures of frozen solid 18" pike on a black plastic doormat. There's four or five "Top Contributors" like her in that group. Facebook must be the WalMart of social media...

[H380]

Originally Posted by Fishingforjoy

Should those fishing tournament cheaters face criminal charge?

They did in the big walleye scandal in the States ..

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[58thecat]

You don’t have frozen tournament fish to sub in? Thought that and lead sinkers was part of being competitive

[WayneChristie]

crap. I could have entered that 7 foot Bull shark I caught in that lake last winter

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

crap. I could have entered that 7 foot Bull shark I caught in that lake last winter

You are so bad. Not submitting the picture cost you lots of prizes.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

I'm on the local Grande Prairie Fishing Facebook page. I joined last year to monitor the return of a local lake that summer killed quite badly back in 2022. The lake has come back but I find myself still checking the group regularly just for the lolz. This isn't the first episode of entertainment from this angler. She's locally famous for her pictures of frozen solid 18" pike on a black plastic doormat. There's four or five "Top Contributors" like her in that group. Facebook must be the WalMart of social media...

Wow, giving rural people a bad name. Looks like ignorance comes in all sexes.
I guess social media giving everyone a voice is maybe not so good. Might be worth investing in a new Meta AI that mutes ignorant people based on an algorithm. Could be a winning idea!

[Sundancefisher]

Sounds like the organizers have disqualified the person and asked for prizes back.

[pikeman06]

She fu**ed around and is finding out...shoulda just apologized for cheating and lying and stealing which is what it is. But no, gotta try to lie her way out of it, and dig herself a hole. Judges shoulda caught it before it ever got out if hand. Pull a fish out of yer freezer and try to win a tourney with it and then post it on Facebook? Wow. The Facebook group was banning and suspending anyone who commented on her phony, cheating, sob story...then they officially disqualified her and asked for the prizes back. You will be hearing about this for along time. Should get charged with fraud and made an example of.

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

The Facebook group was banning and suspending anyone who commented on her phony, cheating, sob story...then they officially disqualified her and asked for the prizes back.

Why was the FB group suspending people for pointing out the obvious? Seems weird?

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

I'm on the local Grande Prairie Fishing Facebook page. I joined last year to monitor the return of a local lake that summer killed quite badly back in 2022. The lake has come back but I find myself still checking the group regularly just for the lolz. This isn't the first episode of entertainment from this angler. She's locally famous for her pictures of frozen solid 18" pike on a black plastic doormat. There's four or five "Top Contributors" like her in that group. Facebook must be the WalMart of social media...

I have seen a lot of her "I was out fishing today with my BF" posts on another site. When a friend messaged me about salmon gate and if I seen it blow up on FB, my first thought was I wonder if it was her. Not because she is a known scammer, just was my first thought, weird how it was lol.

[Fradaburidi]

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

Why was the FB group suspending people for pointing out the obvious? Seems weird?

Cancel culture, cancel culture.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

Why was the FB group suspending people for pointing out the obvious? Seems weird?

It was weird but then also people got carried away and tons of meme posts started to pop up.

It’s now a running joke that people post any fish, say it’s a rainbow and will it win a prize. It’s funny but gets old fast lol.

Banning or suspensions made no sense unless they advocated violence or was overly rude.

Some posts said some women got on and started to defend the alleged cheat which started additional arguments. I missed most of the heated stuff.

[Outbound]

It was a dumpster fire, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

[Savage Bacon]

I think there would be less of these crap shows if more people got called out for their scammery. These people have no couth. And honestly, I hate to say it, but it's way too easy to get away with it.

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[Outbound]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

I think there would be less of these crap shows if more people got called out for their scammery. These people have no couth. And honestly, I hate to say it, but it's way too easy to get away with it.

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The way the derby was run seemed pretty bush league. No standard bump boards, no in person judge verification of the fish. Just take a picture with your own measuring device and send in a picture then release the fish.

I've done derbies before and there's always been a judge and an official weigh station. If it was a catch and release derby, fish had to be brought in either in a livewell or bucket with water. The judges were the ones who took measurements then released the fish.

For a derby where the fish were killed, the judges were set up at the cleaning station. Fish were officially measured, then the angler would proceed to process the fish.

This whole idea of an honor system and submitting pics is just stupid imho. But hey, I mean if someone is dumb enough to submit an Atlantic salmon at a landlocked lake in northern Alberta I guess they'll get caught.

[Fradaburidi]

Originally Posted by Outbound

This whole idea of an honor system and submitting pics is just stupid imho.

In a certain Canadian city you could just walk into the train, like you currently can do it in Calgary, but they said they were having huge losses so they created a transit police but that didn't work either so now there are gates.

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by Fradaburidi

In a certain Canadian city you could just walk into the train, like you currently can do it in Calgary, but they said they were having huge losses so they created a transit police but that didn't work either so now there are gates.

There's a saying, I think from around Cold War times...

"Trust, but verify".

[New2Elk]

We have an ice fishing derby up here every year where it’s all based on picture and video submission. You need two clear pictures (one on the bump board and one of you holding it), then a live release video. And they scrutinize the video pretty well. If the fish can’t be seen clearly swimming down the hole, it’s disqualified. Pretty hard to get that frozen fish to swim down the hole. Depending on the temps, you also couldn’t do a live check in as you’d have way more fish mortality when it gets too cold.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by Outbound

There's a saying, I think from around Cold War times...

"Trust, but verify".

The quote is attributed to Reagan but it’s a Russian proverb.

One of my clubs annual tournaments is tomorrow and Saturday. It’s a $20k cash top prize plus a six figure Calcutta and still on the honour system. Igfa rules, tagged billfish only and I bet there are zero shenanigans. There are still a few places left on earth with honest people.