Man charged with felony for trimming bass tail at Lake Fork tournament

WOOD COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - A Wood County grand jury has indicted a Bridgeport man accused of trimming the tail of a bass in order to qualify for a fishing tournament prize.

Terry Keith Long is charged with third-degree fraud: freshwater fishing tournament.

According to a statement from the Texas Parks & Wildlife, Long was competing in the McDonald Big Bass Splash on Lake Fork and brought a fish to be weighed. Further investigation revealed the fish had been altered with its tail trimmed to fall within the slot limit.

Long was arrested on the charge on Friday and he posted a $25,000 bond.

According to the TPWD website, only bass which are less than 16 inches or greater than 24 inches may be kept.