Complaint Review: Indy Lakes - Indianapolis Indiana

  The last I looked two of this company employee's had responded and have told everyone what happened.
I'm not for sure, but they seem to want to talk about this, did they even work there at the time this happened ?   Were they there ?
  I suppose they can talk and say what they want. I don't much care anymore. I was there and know what I was told.
 They should declare I was a winner, I'd for sure like for them to tell everyone publically that I was a winner and just to be honest.
  By the way, this is a non-profit pay lake. I think that over the years, and including a few stockings and improvements, where does all their money go ?

Requirement.....  At the arrival to Indy Lakes before fishing, you signed your name, stating you would fish at Indy Lakes, by Indy Lakes fishing conditions, rules and regulations.  When you signed your name you should have taken the time to educate yourself on the fishing conditions, rules and regulations.  All fisihing conditions, rules and regulations were and are posted in the store, on the website and copies were and are available at the counter.  If you would have done this you would not need to be reporting false and inappropriate accusations about Indy Lakes across the world wide web. 

Reputable and Repute.....  Nothing has changed with Indy Lakes.  "Always a contest.  Always played by the rules.  Always a winner."  This will not change.  If you do not play by the rules you will not win.  In your case, you did not play by the rules and you did not win. 

Conclusion.....  Being dishonest and in denial is not sportsmanship behavior.   Trying to defame Indy Lakes for your wrong doings is not going to happen.  Please think about your behavior, actions and statements.  Fishing is a sport; a particular game or physical activity with set rules.  Sporting: of or related to risk taking; displayed sportmanship.  Sportmanship: fair play; the ability to win or lose graciously.   This is the behavior Indy Lakes conducts. 

Sam Fisherman, your conduct is not sportman like and your false and inappropriate behavior is delude.  It is shameful to use children and children's hospitals to try and profit.  Your threatening post on your administered website and other websites is illicit.  Please consider getting some professional help. 

Sam for years now has been harrassing, slandering, trying to give a bad reputation of Indy Lakes, owner and staff with his false and unsportsman reports.  Sam signed his name stating he would follow all rules, regulations and conditions for fishing Indy Lakes and Indy Lakes pools and/or contest.  Sam did not follow the rules, regulations or conditions for fishing at Indy Lakes and therefore he did not get paid.  It was a simple and most known rule "Fish must be brought in a net."  

Sam on the otherhand has his own website Indianainfo.net, where he can lie, say/type slanderous statements and try to trash the reputation of Indy Lakes.  Just the same as he has done on this website.  His claims and statements are lies.  He continues to post bad reviews many times a year all over the world wide web.

Sam should know that in the angling business we call this behavior poor sportmanship.
Sam did not fish at Indy Lakes regularly and was not known when he and his fish were disqualified for not "Playing by the Rules and Permit Conditions".  That is the explanation Sam asks for, but already has known for years now.
I can say I have consistantly told the truth to all the other anglers that have read Sams/Indianainfo.net, "Proboards" the real story of his weigh-in fish ("not playing by the rules") and they (read customers) can see for themselves that indianainfo.net and Sam the administrator, is slandering and harrassing Indy Lakes.  Customers also see that Sams posts of a dirty, nasty, trashy paylake is far from true.  Not including all the other illiegal claims Sam has posted. 

As an angler, it is a disappointment that Sam continues this poor sportsmanship behavior.  I am surprised the owner of Indy Lakes has not filed a law suit himself.
Indy Lakes still has it's same reputation as it has had for ~20 years with the current owner;  "Trustworthy/Honest, Always Play/Played by the Rules, No Excepions to the Rules, All Anglers are Equal, Clean, Fun and all around good fishing."  Become an educated angler and participate in reading before signing.  Just because Sam has thoughts, does not make it true.

I do wish Sam all the best in his angling.  I do not recommend Indianainfo.net until the administrator, Sam, stops the false accusations and daily misleading mental thoughts he has in his own head and then post them online.  Indianainfo.net is not recommended.

This incident occurred around 2004-2005, a long time ago.  Sammy (alias, who is the webmaster of indianainfo.net) has been trashing us since.

The angler did not carry his fish in a net.  Unfortunately, this is a rule violation.  The pool amount at the time was about $400.  He was disqualified.  I do not know if the attendant "told him he won" as I didn't ask.  It does not matter.  The rules, posted at our website, paylake.com, says  (and said at he time) "must carry fish in a net" and also says "pool is not official until paid".

An angler won this particular catfish pool a few months later, also seen at our website.

Sammy is a very poor sport.  I, the owner, did not laugh, quite the opposite.  We do not enjoy disqualifying anglers, but it does happen often, usually innocent mistakes as was the one by "Sammy".  The attendant on duty is also the one who brought the violation to me, and was never authorized to pay out anything until ruled official by the owner.

We are sorry he holds such a long and unnecessary grudge, but this was really not complicated.  He admits violating the rules of the sport, yet thinks he should take the money from other anglers because he thinks the cashier said "you win".  (these pools are 100% payback, we are the trustee/referee, paid by the ticket entrance price).

Sammy also wasted government resources by reporting us to the Attorney General's office (which flatly refused him).  He then tried to extort us by telling us to donate his "winnings" to Riley's Children's hospital and then based us as child-haters when we did not, as there were no winnings.  This, I think, is disgusting.


James Page
Owner, Indy Lakes

"8. In my part of the country, and many paylakers agree. If your told you have won, then that's the bottom line, and payment should be rendered.  "

   Your entire complaint is based upon the fact that you think if an employee tells you that you won, it overrides anything else.  What if the employee said you won a million bucks?  Are you really entitled to that just because the employee said it?

   In all other parts of the country, you don't win if you break the rules.   In auto racing, if a post race inspection reveals an illegal part or configuration, you lose.   In horse racing, if the horse doesn't pass the drug test, it doesn't win.  There are lots of reasons that one might appear to have won something and later that decision is reversed.

    Did you happen to see the news last night where a kid won $50,000 for shooting a hockey puck through a tiny hole in a barrier.    They told him he won $50K.  As it turns out, his twin brother was the person whose ticket was chosen for the contest. The brother wasn't available, so the kid stepped in and won.    Even though he was told he won $50K, he may not get it after all because he broke the rules.  Most people can understand this concept.  Good luck to you.

Instead of talking and posting about your case why don't you do something about it.  If you say you can prove your case then do it.  Go file a small claims suit and let a judge decide.  For that amount of money it will probably cost you around $50 and if you prevail they will be responsible for paying that as well.

I hope that when you do you come back and post the result..no matter what it was.

Ok, let's see !
 Put yourself in my shoes (imagine this happening if it was you).
 1. First you catch the fish.
 2. Then you take it to the bait shop to be weighted.
 3. They tell you that your a winner. Count the money up right in front of you, and tell you exactly how much you have won in US dollars.
 4.  They say I must go back and get my fishing ticket for the night. No problem there. I return with a friend 15 minutes later, and I'm told I didn't win. They refuse to pay out.
 7. Why was I told I had won ??
 8. In my part of the country, and many paylakers agree. If your told you have won, then that's the bottom line, and payment should be rendered.
 9. Down out told I had won, even counted the money in front of me telling me how much I'd won, and then tell me I didn't win. Why couldn't they just say that in the first place. Why did they even tell me I had won?? I suppose the owner doesn't care if he hurts peoples feelings long as he doesn't pay out. I was actually thinking of the bills I owed and what I was going to pay off first, at least for 20 minutes or so, till they changed their minds and refused to pay out
 10. About the Indy Lakes owner. I myself used to get along with him, and we used to be freinds, but when this stuff happened, we became enimies.
 I mean I feel for the guy. Things have changed, and I really think he needs treatment at a mental health care faucility.
 Nope, I won't back down even if he is impaired. I just want what's rightfully mine !!!
  
 

  Having read your post and follow up, it seems pretty clear that the only reason that you think you should be paid is because some clerk mistakenly told you that you won.   You keep harping on that, rather than emphasizing actually winning.    You seem to acknowledge that you broke one of the rules, but seem to think that since the clerk didn't realize it at first, you should get away with it.

  What are you, five years old?   Actually, I have a nephew that is five and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't resort to such petty whining.  

" Offered me no explanation at all. "

  What are you talking about?   Your own post states that they did tell you why.   You broke one of the rules.  Remember?

  Your baseless allegations and inuendos do a lot more harm than good in your post.  They paint you as a childish whiner.   Only a child would lend credence to allegations which you yourself admit have no foundation.    Your post was a classic case illustrating why there should be an entrance exam to get onto the Internet.

  There is no problem proving this as I had witness with me who heard every word said. He even watched as the clerk counted up the money and told me how much I had won.
  Even when I went back to the bait house, another person was with me as the clerk explained how much money I had lost.

  Yes, I can prove my case ! It is not my fault the clerk told me wrong. The clerk is an employee of Indy Lakes. If he told me wrong, then it is up to Indy Lakes to correct the problem and pay out. I was told I had won ! If they hadn't of told me I won, I would of expected nothing, but because they did tell me I won, I feel they should pay out.

 It's just not right to tell someone they have won, and then refuse to pay out.
Hear-say has it they fired the clerk the next day. 

 I have heard many other stories about this pay lake doing the samething to other anglers fishing there. Although that is all hear-say and rumors.

 The owner of this pay lake laughed as I walked out the door.

I really think I deserve my pay out, and I also think the Indiana state police need to go in there on a Friday or Saturday night and raid the place. Let's also not forget about the water quaility in this lake.

 I just fish for big fish, but for those that take home the channel catfish to eat, they just might glow in the dark for a few days. Check out the fish consumption advisories from the Indiana state board of health and IDEM for all lakes in Marion county Indiana. Bet you'll be surprised !

Basically, if I understand this correctly, a clerk made a mistake and told you that you won, but you actually didn't.  Now you're disappointed.  I would be too.

Instead of just mumbling to yourself a little and accepting it, you decided to make all kinds of allegations that you yourself say can't be substantiated.  Why even mention them if you can't prove them?

It really doesn't sound like they owe you anything to me. Don't be such a big baby.

And, no, I do not work for this outfit.  In fact I never heard of it before.