Springfield, IL – Illinois Conservation Police have cited a Lake County, Indiana man for allegedly hiding fish on the Calumet River ahead of a Chicago bass fishing tournament with a $1,300 prize.
David Moore, 49, of St. John’s, Indiana, faces alleged charges, including attempting to commit theft, possession over the daily limit of three smallmouth bass, and failure to immediately release smallmouth bass unharmed. He is also charged with wanton waste, throwing fishing wire on bank waters, and importing Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)-susceptible species into Illinois without a permit.
On May 10, conservation police received a tip that Moore was hiding fish on a stringer on the Calumet River for a tournament the next day, despite rules prohibiting fishing in that area. Officials observed Moore retrieving four smallmouth bass from the stringer on May 11, placing them in his boat’s live well, and discarding the string.
Police confirmed Moore was registered in the Cal-Sag Bass Anglers tournament. His fish weighed 19.5 pounds, but an investigation revealed Moore caught the bass on May 10 in Lake Michigan near Hammond, Indiana, and imported them into Illinois without a VHS permit. Winning the tournament would have earned him the $1,300 first-place prize.
