Pro fisherman Ben Milliken was arrested earlier this week for illegal fishing. The angler has garnered a large following thanks to his YouTube page and being a Bassmaster Elite Series pro.
In fact, he recently got named to the Bassmaster Elite Angler Board of Professionals (ABP). That makes his arrest earlier this week all the more surprising. I mean you're dealing with a professional. So you wouldn't think Milliken would wind up in trouble. What exactly happened? According to The Daily Sentinel, Texas Fish & Game caught Milliken fishing without a license.
He was charged with fishing without a license as well as tournament fraud. Back in February, the fisherman caught a 13 pound largemouth. He submitted it in Texas Park and Wildlife's ShareLunker Program. It's a conversationalist competition that helps regulate the fish population and also offers some prizes.
The only problem is that Ben didn't have a license to fish at the time he caught the fish. So, authorities caught him instead.
Ben Milliken Speaks Out
Authorities said, "During the due diligence process this fall, prior to distributing program prizes at the Toyota ShareLunker Banquet, it was discovered that Milliken did not have a valid fishing license at the time the fish was caught and knowingly falsified the contest/tournament entry form."
Unlike other tournaments, the ShareLunker Program is more of a leaderboard that you submit when fishing on your own time. I will avoid speculating too much, but Ben may not have been aware he didn't have a license in Texas. He often has to juggle multiple licenses in several states, so it's likely he got confused.
Milliken ended up releasing a statement about the issue. He said, "By now, some of you have heard of recent legal issue I'm facing for an incident last February. This issue is due to a complete misunderstanding and unrelated to any Elite Series or local fishing tournament I've participated in.
In fact, the incident arose while I was recreationally fishing. And not in a tournament at all. I very much look forward to creating a video(s) explaining this entire situation. But due to ongoing investigation, it's best I wait.
In the meantime, I'm going to continue working seven days a week to film and produce the best fishing content possible to help spread my love of the outdoors and promote the sport of fishing to as many people as possible. Thank you all for your patience and understanding."
