Pariahfish

Pariahfishing requires patience and optimism. You spend many hours waiting, sometimes in vain. You don't mind though, because you know there will always be another day, another tournament, and another chance to land the big one:

It started with a tip. A fisherman and his son told police they had seen [Gary Lee] Jones on the lake on Saturday, April 28, the day before the tournament. Many fishermen make practice runs. But Jones spent his time next to a floating duck blind, raising officers' suspicions.

Just before dusk, after the lake was clear, state conservation agent Mic Plunkett and a state water patrol officer set out in a boat to investigate. They found two live bass with red nylon cords looped through their mouths and tied to the duck blind, Plunkett said. They marked the fish, with Plunkett punching a tiny hole in one fin on each bass. They formed a plan, but they needed to hurry.

At 6 a.m. the next day, the 2007 Angler's Choice/Bass Quest Tournament kicked off.

Thirty-eight boats pushed off into Lake Wappapello, a sprawling man-made lake. Everyone fished in pairs, except for Jones. He told organizers his daughter was unable to make it.

Jones headed for the duck blind cove in his red Ranger bass boat and waited until the other competitors had cleared out, according to authorities.

Plunkett and Jeff Johnson of the water patrol, dressed in camouflage, waited on shore about 60 feet away. Plunkett lay behind a log with a video camera — also camouflaged — poking over the top.

They watched as Jones reached into the water, pulled up the bass, cut the line and placed the fish in his boat's aerated holding tank, according to Plunkett.

At the official weigh-in that afternoon, Jones turned in four bass for a total of 11.55 pounds — good enough for second place. He also had a single five-pound fish to take third in the Biggest Bass category. Jones was awarded a silver trophy plaque and his check. Organizers snapped his photo while authorities inspected Jones' catch. They found the marked fish.

Rodney Enderle of Jackson, Mo., stood in the crowd. He finished in 12th place. He looked around and noticed several water patrol officers and deputy sheriffs. "I guess everybody is interested in bass fishing this year," Enderle recalled thinking.

As Jones accepted congratulations, a water patrol officer stepped forward. Jones was under arrest. Word of the undercover operation quickly spilled through the crowd. Applause broke out. Several fishermen shook the officers' hands.

"I've never had that large of a crowd be that enthusiastic about someone getting arrested," Johnson said. "That was something different."

His reputation in tatters, Mr. Jones is having a hard time living in his little town these days. Meanwhile Mic and Jeff, policing a sport where every tournament winner has to take a lie-detector test, bide their time, knowing it won't be long before they land another big one.