Veterans of White Marlin Open critique polygraph
Several past White Marlin Open winners and veterans have spoken up about their experiences with the tournament's rules and polygraph testing after this year's winner failed the test — losing the $2.8 million purse.
After Phil Heasley's failed polygraph test, the 2015 winner, Cheryl McLeskey of Virginia Beach, Virginia, recalled being extremely nervous to take her test.
"I had never had a polygraph test before," she said. "When I walked in the room, the gentleman met me and I sat down and I told him how nervous I was and he said that it is normal to be nervous."
One of the questions asked to gauge a participant's response is whether you have lied to get out of trouble, McLeskey said.
"It's assumed everyone has lied as a child to get out of trouble," she said. "We all tell white lies as children to get out of trouble."
The questions lasted 30 minutes, McLeskey said, and included questions such as "Did you pass the rod to anyone else?" and "What time did you hook up?"
"It was very intense," she said. "I had a blood pressure cuff on my left arm that pumped periodically, probes on my fingers and sensors on my feet. I had to look straight ahead."
BACKGROUND: 13 anglers in line for disputed White Marlin payout
When she was finished, McLeskey was very relieved she passed because she thought it was done on her level of being nervous the entire time.
As for the usefulness of the polygraph test, McLeseky said it is essential because the tournament is dealing with such a huge amount of money.
Past participant Jimmy Hahn of Ocean City agreed with McLeskey in regards to the use of polygraph tests. Hahn has participated in the tournament for the past 25 years.
"The bottom line is that they put a couple million dollars on a fish's head, so they kind of need to do polygraph tests," he said.
The tournament pays out too much money for the fish, Hahn said, and there are so many rules that can be interpreted in many different ways.
But winning through a lie detector has not always been the case in the 43-year history of the tournament.
James Daniel, a chiropractor in Salisbury and winner of the blue marlin category in 1989 who caught a tournament and Maryland record 942-pound blue marlin, said when he won he did not have to take a polygraph test.
"I think when I was in the tournament the whole tournament didn't have more than $3,000 or $4,000," he said. "It was an honor system back then. They never asked us any questions on whether or not people touched the rod or anything like that."
People were familiar with the rules, Daniel said, and the money in the tournament at the time wasn't big enough to really tempt anyone to break the rules.
What we know in battle over White Marlin Open winnings
Although most were familiar, there are some rules people might not be aware of, Daniel said.
"I learned a number of years ago if you're going to catch a big fish or put the gaff in it, you can get it ready. But if you pass the head of the gaff over the boat, that means you intended to kill the fish and you can't claim it as a release," he said. "It's a small little rule, but I don't think a lot of people are aware of that one."
When it comes to Heasley, the three past anglers had differing opinions.
"I pray the angler is found to be telling the truth," McLeskey said.
As for Daniel, he did not mince words.
"Everybody is aware that (the polygraph test) is mandatory," he said. "Everyone knows they have to do that. I can't believe somebody would willfully cheat knowing they have to take a lie detector test and the whole boat has to take it. It's kind of dumb."
Hahn said he is going to stay out of the debate until he knows what exactly happened due to the large amounts of rumors and the accusations going around.
"I do think that a lot of stuff is going to change next year," Hahn said.
On Twitter: @hughesg19