Texas Angler Facing Possible Prison Time For Fishing Tournament Fraud
on Mar 10, 2026
A Texas fisherman was arrested at a fishing tournament for allegedly stuffing his catch with weights.
Curtis Lee Daniels was arrested on Sunday after Lake Fork Lure Co. Tournament officials suspected that the angler had tampered with a bass he caught during the competition.
Tournament officials called Texas Game Wardens to assist with the investigation. During a necropsy, the wardens found three 3/4-ounce weights that “showed no signs of erosion,” indicating they had been recently placed in the fish. Wardens found weights of the same style and size in Daniels’ boat.
According to a social media post from Texas Game Wardens, the fish was flagged during turn-in after a metal detecting wand indicated “the potential presence of a foreign object.”
Daniels, one of 564 anglers participating in the tournament, was arrested and is facing third-degree felony charges for violating fishing tournament law. The felony charge stems from the tournament prize value exceeded $10,000.
He was booked at the Woods County Jail on Sunday and released the following day on $20,000 bond.
Daniels is facing possible prison time for his actions.
Altering the weight of a fish “for the purpose of representing that the fish as entered in the tournament was that length or weight when caught” is a violation of the law, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department code.
An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, except that if the offense occurred during a tournament in which any prize or combination of prizes to be awarded for any one category for which an award is given, whether the prize or prizes are to an individual or a team, is worth $10,000 or more in money or goods, the offense is a felony of the third degree.
The Lake Fork Lure Co. Tournament rulebook states that any person who attempts to artificially alter a fish’s weight is subject to prosecution. The rulebook also states that contestants agree to submit to a random polygraph examination. It’s unclear whether Daniels took a polygraph test.
If he is found guilty, Curtis Daniels could face two to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Outdoor Life reports that Daniels is a guide on Lake Fork and fishes bass tournaments regularly.
