What was, weeks ago, a joke at the expense of Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky is now real life.
the story is in the memes pic.twitter.com/Zxn361nhcY
— Steve Featherstone (@featheroutdoors) October 3, 2022
Both the Walley Slam and the Walleye Fall Brawl, fishing derbies currently underway on Lake Erie, have made changes to their official rules in the wake of the cheating scandal that rocked the sport and drew nationwide attention.
To start, as opposed to last year, both derbies will use the same lie detector company. In 2021, when Runyan and Cominsky won both tournaments, different companies were used. Runyan and Cominsky failed one but passed the other. Legal threats were lobbed. Allegations were levied. Two results, with one "confirmed" win and one disqualification, made everything messy.
Organizers now say that if an angler fails either one of the polygraphs they'll be disqualified from both tournaments.
"You will not be harassed, belittled, tortured, or asked embarrassing questions that do not pertain to the FALL BRAWL DERBY or State Fishing and Boating Laws or regulations. You, as the contestant, will be given every opportunity to pass the Polygraph / VSA test and claim your prize. If in fact you are disqualified and removed from the FALL BRAWL Official results list you (or someone on your boat) will have recorded deception in (2) independent Polygraph / VSA tests. You will be given a written copy of your results as soon as practicable after results are finalized by the examiner," the Fall Brawl's site now reads.
Officials will now also scan every fish with a metal detector.
Effective immedialtey:
"In an effort to legitimize tournament fishing and derby fishing the B’laster Fall Brawl [and Walleye Slam] will be scanning fish with a device used to pick up metal and other foreign objects that may be inside a fish being weighed. The B’laster Fall Brawl reserves the right to seize any fish being submitted for entry. If a fish is seized by the B’laster Fall Brawl or Walleye Slam, the length and weight (score) will be held pending further inspection. Pending successfully passing the inspection (conducted by Craig Lewis and Jason Fischer) the entered fish length and weight (score) will be honored by both the B’laster Fall Brawl and Walleye Slam."Runyan and Cominsky, meanwhile, will be arraigned on various charges in Cuyahoga County on Oct. 26.
