A 12-pound bass roaming Toledo Bend Lake has quite a story to it.
Jody Jeane of Leesville, La., weighed the fish on certified scales in the Toledo Bend Lake Association (TBLA) Lunker Bass Program in mid-March and basked in his newfound fame.
There was only one catch: Enforcement agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) believe that Jeane committed fraud; that the huge bass was caught on another lake, not Toledo Bend.
As a result, Jeane was arrested for attempted theft and forgery — charges that could bring up to 10 years in jail.
“This isn’t about a fishing violation; it’s about fraud,” a law-enforcement official with the LDWF told Wired2Fish.
Jeane wasn’t in it for money. No cash prizes are presented in the Lunker Bass Program on the huge reservoir that straddles the Louisiana-Texas border. Instead, he allegedly wanted the free replica mount — for which TBLA pays the $550 cost — that the event presents to entrants weighing in bass 10 pounds or bigger.
Jeane signed the paperwork attesting that the fish was caught legally at Toledo Bend. He posed for a picture with his catch, then it was tagged and released.
The photo was posted on the Lunker Bass Program’s Facebook page, and Jeane was the talk of the lake area. But not for long.
An Observant Warden
Some detective work by game wardens uncovered inconsistencies with Jeane’s fish tale.
A day earlier, agents conducted a routine patrol on Vernon Lake, and one of the fishermen there showed them a 12-pound bass he caught that morning.
The man boasted that the bass was the biggest he had ever caught and talked about having it mounted, law enforcement officials said. The agents noticed a telltale marking on the fish’s tail, indicating it had been spawning, but thought nothing of it.
Until a day later, March 16, when they saw Jeane’s photo with the fish on the Lunker Bass Program’s Facebook page. Jeane was even wearing the same shirt he had on when he talked to game wardens at Vernon Lake. And the bass’ distinctive marking was obvious in the photo, agents said.
That was enough to get an arrest warrant. During questioning, Jeane allegedly admitted guilt. But the incident is still the talk of the Toledo Bend Lake area.
“People say, ‘It’s just a fish,’ but that’s not the point,” said a spokesperson for the Lunker Bass Program. “If you don’t play by the rules, it’s not sporting anymore. It’s a scam.
“It’s unfortunate that something like this happened. We’re trying to promote our bass fishing and recognize the fishermen who catch lunkers, and then someone tries to scam us.”
Toledo Bend has been on a hot streak as of late, as evidenced by the 12.5-pound giant recently landed, along with others.
