An angler competing in a walleye derby on Saskatchewan’s Montreal Lake was kicked out of the ice-fishing tournament Saturday after being accused of cheating. The disqualified angler, whose identity has not been made public, was reportedly in first place and looking at $100,000 in prize money.
The incident is now under investigation, according to a statement from the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, which hosted the event and said “the individual was asked to leave the fishing area” after the alleged rule violation occurred. The statement provided few other details, and the organizers of the Montreal Lake 18th Annual Walleye Derby did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Outdoor Life.
“The matter remains under investigation, including potential allegations of fraud,” the statement reads. “The First Nation is cooperating fully with Saskatchewan’s Safety Agency and the [Royal Canadian Mounted Police], as they investigate the matter.”
The RCMP’s Waskesiu Lake detachment confirmed with CBC News that it is overseeing the fraud investigation. The office did not provide additional information or respond to requests for comment from OL.
CBC did, however, speak with another angler at the event, Dreydan Morin, who won first place and took home the $100,000 check to his family. Morin’s winning fish was a 2.5-pound walleye he’d caught early in the catch-and-release tournament.
“I went up [to the leaderboard] and there was a guy leading, and I got knocked down to second,” Morin told the news outlet. “I came back around, and my name was back up on the leaderboard. They told me they disqualified the guy.”
Morin’s fish and the fish that was disqualified were the only two walleyes caught during the six-hour event, according to SaskLakes, a local fishing website. The rest of the fish caught were all pike. This left Morin alone on the walleye leaderboard at the end of the derby — even though, as one Facebook user noted, there were more than 2,500 fishermen participating.
A video from Saturday’s derby has been widely circulated on social media. The clip, which is unverified, claims to show the disqualified walleye being pulled through the ice.
The First Nation noted in its statement that over the local derby’s 18-year history, “there have been no known incidents of fraud,” and that Saturday’s incident does not compromise the integrity of the event.
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“If violations are confirmed, Montreal Lake Cree Nation will support all enforcement measures and prosecutions, where deemed necessary, in accordance with the law,” the statement reads. “The First Nation remains committed to ensuring a fair and respectful event for all participants.”
Fraud of more than $5,000 is a serious offense in Saskatchewan and other Canadian provinces. It carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment, according to the Department of Justice Canada.
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