Stuart Vandyke of Eutawville, SC set the new bowfishing South Carolina state and world record for catfish on Jan. 6, 2023 when he arrowed an Arkansas blue catfish that tipped the scales at 84 pounds, 12.8 ounces.
Vandyke’s catfish was 54 inches long, with a girth of 37 inches. And this fish tale has some twists and turns that make it a little more interesting than breaking a world record is to begin with.
First of all, 15 days earlier, Vandyke’s friend David Ard set the bowfishing world record for the same species with a fish that weighed a little more than 80 pounds.
Add to that, another of Vandyke’s friends that was in the boat with him on Jan. 6 took the first shot at the record fish, but missed. This gave Vandyke an opportunity, and he took full advantage of it.
Once his arrow pierced the fish, he knew it would be big enough to vie for the record. He and his friends wrestled it aboard, then called a friend with a certified scale. They weighed the fish and got it entered into the Bowfishing Association of America’s record book, ending Ard’s short-lived status as world record holder.
Santee Lakes Catfish Club tournament winner accused of cheating by fellow angler
The Santee Lakes Catfish Club held its second tournament of the 2021 fall season on Saturday, Oct. 9 out of Blacks Camp in Cross, S.C. By all accounts, the fishing was tough, with many teams weighing in less than the three-fish limit at the end of the day.
To make things worse, the tournament was tainted by accusations of cheating, leveled at the winner by another club member who allegedly saw evidence of wrongdoing. Rob Unkle of All Slimed Up Guide Service took the win, weighing in a total of 76.38 pounds.
Dennis Glover and Mike Rivers with WTF weighed a total of 58.13 pounds, taking second place. Reigning club champs David Kingsmore and Bradley Tucker of Team SC CATS brought 51.47 pounds to the scale, good for third place. A weight of 51.25 pounds put Capt. Jason Wolfe of Wolfe’s Guide Service in fourth place.
But what was that about cheating? Well, to be fair, Rob Unkle passed a lie-detector test which was administered before naming the winners. But there was a matter that shined some doubt on his conduct.
Three catfish spotted in Unkle’s bait tank day before tournament
Aside from fishing, Unkle also sells bait to other anglers. The day before the tournament, one of the other anglers showed up to purchase some bait. And in the large bait tank, this angler saw three catfish, including a flathead he estimated at about 18 pounds. The angler alerted tournament director Ralph Willey of what he saw. Willey then made sure a certified polygraph examiner would be on site for the weigh in.
While the tournament was going on, a tournament official went to Unkle’s place. The three catfish which were observed in the bait tank the day before the tournament were no longer there. Unkle said he sold the fish. Then at the weigh in, Unkle weighed in three catfish, including a flathead that weighed about 18 pounds. He took a polygraph and passed, and was awarded first place.
On the Santee Lakes Catfish Club Facebook page, Willey stood by the tournament results.
Club president issues statement on the situation
“Friday evening I was contacted by a club member expressing concerns of potential cheating within our tournaments. These concerns were not taken lightly and I immediately started putting things in place to ensure a level playing field for all participants in yesterday’s tournament. We performed thorough live well checks and a polygrapher was retained. 1st and 2nd place winners were tested and both passed. Awards were made based on those results.
As SLCC club president, I am not judge and jury. I have to remain impartial and use the tools available to me to provide fair competition. Unfortunately, I can’t control the court of public opinion and I’m disappointed that this event has shed a negative light on our great club and its anglers. Cheating, if proven, will NOT be tolerated. Not only will the team be banned from our club, law enforcement will be brought in. In this case, solid proof is not available and I stand by the actions taken and the decisions made. I welcome anyone having concerns to reach out to me personally so I can address them,” said Willey.
The Santee Lakes Catfish Club gets back in action on Nov. 13. This tournament will be held out of Hill’s Landing and RV Park, with fishing taking place on the upper lake. Livewell checks and registration will be conducted 6 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. Scales will open at 3:30 p.m. Click here for more information about the Santee Lakes Catfish Club.
