Steve Dulas writes for the Northern California Contra Costa Times. Excerpt:
RIO VISTA — James Storm of Rio Linda insists the 40.65-pound striped bass he caught to win the Rio Vista Striped Bass Festival was not just another fish tale — and he’s getting a lawyer to back up his claim.
Storm, 37, had posed for photos in the $19,000 boat that goes to the derby winner when the derby committee led him away to take a polygraph test, which the tournament director said Storm failed. He was promptly thrown back after the disqualification.
Storm said friends are helping him find an attorney. He’s more concerned about clearing his name than getting a boat, he said.
“The worst part was being called a liar in front of everybody,” Storm said. “Now if I go to enter any derby, I’m going to be known as a liar and a cheat.
“I really feel like I’ve been (violated).”
A $25 ticket entitled anglers to compete for the prize awarded for the biggest striper caught during the derby, from 12:01 a.m. last Friday to noon Sunday. With a $19,000 prize on the line, the tournament wanted to make sure everything was as anglers said it was, said Denise Rubiaco, executive director of the Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the event.
The rules state that a lie-detector test would be given to the angler with the winning fish.
“We chose to do the polygraph three years ago, but this is the first year it’s actually been used (for disqualification),” Rubiaco said. “This is to put honesty and integrity in our event.”
Reliance on fraudulent polygraph “tests” is no way to put honesty and integrity into events.