A Texas angler has landed in hot water after state officials accused him of illegally submitting a fish for prize money.
Ben Milliken, a fishing influencer with over 500,000 YouTube followers, turned himself into authorities last week after Nacogdoches County issued a warrant for his arrest. Millikan had submitted a large bass to the state’s Toyota ShareLunker Program, which awards $10,000 prizes for contest-winning anglers.
However, a review process from Texas Parks & Wildlife determined that Milliken didn’t have a valid fishing license when he caught the 13.15-pound bass at Lake Naconiche in February. As a result, he “knowingly falsified the contest/tournament entry form,” state officials said.
“In addition to the charge for fraud in a fishing tournament, Milliken was disqualified from the Toyota ShareLunker Program and cited for fishing without a valid license,” a spokesperson for Texas Parks & Wildlife said.
Milliken, a 35-year-old Nebraska native now living in Texas, was quickly released after surrendering to authorities, he said. In statements posted to social media this week, Milliken called the incident a “massive misunderstanding.”
“In fact, the incident arose while I was recreationally fishing, and not in a tournament at all,” Milliken wrote in a Facebook post. “I very much look forward to creating a video(s) explaining this entire situation. But due to ongoing investigation, it’s best I wait.”
