Two fishermen who made national headlines last year for placing weights and fillets in their catch to increase prize money received 10-day prison sentences after pleading guilty to cheating.
The fishermen, Chase Cominsky of Pennsylvania and Jacob Runyan of Ohio, will also serve an 18-month probation sentence.
The two were caught after Jason Fischer, director of the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament, grew suspicious of Cominsky and Runyan’s unusually heavy walleye catch. Fischer acted on his suspicions by cutting the fish open, revealing that the fish had been stuffed with weights and fillets.
A male walleye fish from Lake Pueblo State Park caught during the annual Colorado Parks and Wildlife walleye spawn operation on March 22, 2018. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Had the men not been caught, their heavier-than-normal walleye catch could have netted the pair $28,000 in prize money.
Instead, both men plead guilty to cheating and unlawful ownership of wild animals. In addition to the 10-day jail sentence and probation, Cominsky and Runyan will also have their fishing licenses suspended for three years and pay a $2,500 fine after their jail sentence. The $2,500 fine can be reduced by half if each pays $1,250 to a nonprofit that promotes youth fishing.
However, if they violate any terms of their idea, they could have their jail time tripled to 30 days. Cominsky also surrendered his $100,000 fishing boat as part of the deal,