Game Wardens Seize $100,000 Stolen Boats/Motors at Texas Bass Tournament
Using the draw of the recently held Sealy Big Bass Splash bass tournament on Sam Rayburn Lake, Texas Game Wardens made some alarming discoveries.
In a recent Facebook post, following the event, Texas Game Wardens wrote that during a saturation patrol conducted over two days of the competition, wardens seized over $100,000 of equipment.
The Sealy Big Bass Splash, held April 19-21, on Sam Rayburn Lake, guaranteed $1,300,000 in cash and prizes and literally pulled in thousands of contestants from all the country and a few from other countries.
Given the extremely large number of anglers that were in the area, the Texas Game Warden Marine Theft Investigation Unit conducted this "saturation patrol", much like a DUI checkpoint, to inspect 300 boats, 243 motors and 100 trailers.
Their main purpose of this Marine Investigation Theft Unit was to search for potentially stolen property given that boats, motors and other sporting equipment is highly targeted by some who would prefer to profit by illegal means as opposed to winning the cash/prizes legitimately in the bass tournament.
When the dust had settled, of the inspections, OutdoorLife.com writes,
In an email to Outdoor Life, TPWD game warden and MITU captain Jennifer Weaver clarified that the estimated value of seized equipment was $102,694. This included two boats and 10 motors. “The value in boats was $27,700 and motors $74,994,” Weaver says.
Their article also notes that no arrests have been made but the investigation continues as TPWD is looking into the taxes and titles for the stolen vessels and outboard motors.