Drowsy History Week: A Very Fishy Scandal

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Nightly

Episode: Drowsy History Week: A Very Fishy Scandal

Date: January 21, 2026
Hosts: Jackie East (A), KP (C)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Nightly dives into the bizarre and hilarious story of one of America’s wildest fishing scandals—Lake Erie’s infamous walleye cheating incident. In a cozy, late-night chat, hosts Jackie and KP weave through the curious world of competitive fishing, unravel the details of a deception that rocked the sport, and muse about the strange consequences that followed. The tone is playful, relaxed, and peppered with wry humor, making it the perfect bedtime story for pop culture lovers who like their history a bit wacky and extremely drowsy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cozy Beginnings: Birdwatching and Chill (00:30–04:07)

• KP shares plans to unwind with birdwatching at Bolsa Chica, describing the process as a wholesome “I spy” style game where you identify birds by their features and log them in apps or notebooks.
• KP explains the ethos: “The ethos is really collectively cute and cozy.” (02:44)
• Conversation segues into the idea of leisure hobbies, setting the relaxed, playful tone for the episode.

2. Transition: From Birding to Drowsy History (04:07–04:45)

• KP proposes a “drowsy history” story: “We’re going to tell you a history story all from memory. And if we get stuck, we can just rewrite what happened.” (04:23)
• The approach is knowingly fuzzy, filled with improvisation, humor, and gentle ribbing.

3. Main Story: The Lake Erie Walleye Cheating Scandal (04:45–18:28)

A. The Setup: Fishing Competitions Explained (05:00–05:51)

• KP outlines how fishing competitions work: biggest haul by weight wins, with substantial prizes—this one for $29,000.
• “In the fishing world, there are these competitions...It’s like, who can catch the most weight of fish?” (05:00)

B. The Odd Winning Streak (05:51–07:22)

• Two average competitors, Jake Runyon and Chase Kaminsky, suddenly dominate the circuit for multiple years.
• Suspicion arises as their fish count and visible haul don’t match the reported weights.
• KP jokes: “Yeah, they sucked. And they started working together, and all of a sudden these two are winning year after year.” (06:20)
• Jackie quips: “They got 12 goldfish and it’s like, but this doesn’t weigh 50 pounds.” (06:47)

C. The Discovery: “We Got Weights in Fish!” (07:22–08:28)

• Contest leader, skeptical about the fish weights, cuts open the winners’ catch in front of a crowd.
• He finds metal weights and extra fish fillets stuffed inside the fish: “You need to leave!” (Recalling the viral video at 08:24)
• KP: “Little, you know, kind of ball bearings into this fish's stomach through the mouth.” (07:45)
• Jackie: “So when you’re squeezing the fish, you’d be like, still feels like fish to me a little bit.” (08:16)
• The revelation goes viral due to the dramatic confrontation and outrage.

D. Previous Suspicion and Failed Polygraph (09:05–09:31)

• KP recounts that the year prior, both men failed a lie detector test, but without physical proof nothing stuck.
• “They failed. Okay, the year before. But everyone was like, I don’t know...because they weren’t opening the fish back then.” (09:24–09:32)

E. Wild Consequences: Felonies and Forfeitures (09:47–12:28)

• Jackie speculates that punishment should be minor—return money and banishment.
• Reality is harsher: “They were indicted by a grand jury on fifth degree felony...three years in prison.” (11:02)
• Actual result: 10 days in jail, felony records, loss of a $100,000 fishing boat, and court-ordered repayments.
• KP: “They can’t work anywhere near fish. They can’t work in the fish market. And they had to pay the money, and they had to lose their boat.” (12:01)

F. Escalating Mishaps: More Petty Crimes (13:37–15:37)

• Kaminsky later passes fake movie prop $100 bills at a bowling alley, earning another felony.
• KP: “Gave them to his son to spend at a bowling alley. And now he’s got another felony charge. This is the most silly criminal I’ve ever heard of.” (13:52)
• Runyon is also caught poaching deer out of season, adding more charges.

G. Reflection: On Crime, Punishment, and Human Nature (15:37–18:19)

• Both hosts muse about the disproportionality of the punishments.
• Jackie: “He’s going to have, at this rate, he’s going to have like 15 prison trips...but only have served 32 days in jail. And that’s so funny to me.” (15:37)
• KP: “He’s got more charges than Al Capone. Just put some fish fillets inside of a fish is his biggest thing.” (15:53)
• Discussion touches on how money draws out bizarre competitive behavior, even in fishing.

H. Extra: Other Wacky Cheating Controversies (16:29–17:25)

• KP shares another story: “In 2012, a British fisherman stole a bass from the aquarium...He took it from the tank.” (16:29)
• The hosts delight in the elaborate lengths to win in niche competitions.

4. Closing Thoughts: A Love for Con Men (17:49–18:41)

• KP waxes poetic: “There is something really just like a con man’s going to con you...And I love a con man.” (17:49)
• Both hosts agree strange stories like these are what makes history entertaining at bedtime.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You gotta be quiet. You gotta be a little slow. You’ve gotta make sure you’re not spooking them.”
  – KP, explaining birdwatching, (02:58)

• “We’re going to tell you a history story all from memory. And if we get stuck, we can just rewrite what happened. It’s like history class, but maybe more funny and definitely not completely accurate.”
  – KP (04:23)

• “We got weights in fish! You need to leave!”
  – Recounting the viral reveal, (08:24)

• “They can’t work anywhere near fish. They can’t work in the fish market.”
  – KP on the harsh punishment (12:01)

• “He’s got more charges than Al Capone. Just put some fish fillets inside of a fish is his biggest thing.”
  – KP (15:53)

• “In 2012, a British fisherman stole a bass from the aquarium.”
  – KP relating another wild example, (16:29)

• “There is something really just like a con man’s going to con you...And I love a con man.”
  – KP closing thought, (17:49)

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

• 00:47–04:07: Foundational chat and the birdwatching vibe
• 04:13–04:45: Introduction to Drowsy History
• 05:00–07:22: Explaining the fishing competition and setting up the scandal
• 07:22–08:28: Dramatic cheating reveal (“We got weights in fish!”)
• 11:02–12:28: Felony charges, punishment, and boat forfeiture
• 13:37–15:37: The “silliest criminal”—Kaminsky’s additional offenses
• 16:29–17:25: Other zany cheating tales in competitions
• 17:49–18:41: Final reflections and bedtime wrap-up

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Tone & Style

Playful, cozy, and conspiratorial—hosts Jackie and KP riff off each other with gentle sarcasm and a warm bedtime cadence, transforming a “fishy” scandal into a soothing, sleep-ready story that’s both amusing and oddly comforting. Their storytelling leans into the absurd while pausing to laugh over life’s little cons.

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Perfect for drifting off with a chuckle, or for history buffs who don’t take themselves too seriously.

Transcript

[A]

Hello?

[B]

You're about to drift into an episode of the Nightly, a podcast designed to help you unwind and relax. For the full phone free immersive light experience. Visit Hatch Co. Enjoy.

[C]

Hello. Hello. Hello.

[A]

I'm Jack east and I am kp. Welcome to the Nightly from Hatch, a slumber party for pop culture lovers.

[C]

We are pop culture lovers.

[A]

That's the truth.

[C]

That's the truth. That's the truth.

[A]

Guilty as charged.

[C]

Guilty, guilty, guilty. How are you tonight, kp?

[A]

Good. It was beautiful weather, I'll be honest. So I got all up in it and I'm planning on doing some real cozy daytime activity soon. I'm gonna go bird watching on. On Sunday. Go down to Bolsa Chica. They got like an ecological reserve down there. Just kind of keep it easy going. That's what I'm all about.

[C]

I love that. What does one do when one bird watches? I know what I think happens, but maybe there are some surprises. I'm not sure.

[A]

You, you mostly watch the bird?

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

You grab some binoculars and then it's kind of fun doing it at these ecological reserves. Cause there's just like a lot of them. And then this is a water bird scenario. So those are fun for me because they're big.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

So you'll see like the herons, maybe some pelicans, just kind of big birds.

[C]

Okay. And so you watch the birds and do you like see them and then talk to your person. You are probably bird watching with, I don't know if you're doing it solo and say like, that's a parrot. And then you guys talk about like what parrots are and like. Or is it just like you are watching to see the activities of the bird and that's it?

[A]

No, no, I mean, it's the identifying. This is kind of like an I spy. Bird watching is like, oh, that looks to be this. But let's take a note of its tail shape and what it's doing and how big it is. And then you go in your app or your book and you make note of it. And then you're like, wow, that was that. So it's kind of a nice buy a little puzzle, search type activity.

[C]

So it's a little game almost as well.

[A]

It's a little game.

[C]

Do you ever play? Do you ever do it competitively? Be like, I bet you I can name 10 birds today.

[A]

Some people do.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

But it's kind of against the ethos of the hobby. I'd say the ethos is really collectively cute and cozy.

[C]

Okay. And are you like, laying or not laying, but, like, sitting in one spot or do you kind of.

[A]

You walk through? Yeah, you gotta be a little. You gotta be quiet. You gotta be a little slow.

[C]

Right.

[A]

You've gotta make sure you're not spooking them. You can, like, that's why some people bring the bird calls, so you can get, like, little whistles, little things to try and get the birds to come to you. But I don't do any of that.

[C]

Do you have a bird call, like, because some people can do it. Well, at least I used to watch Martin, the TV show, and Cole used to always bird call, which is a character on the show, and it sounded ridiculous. He would go do, like, stuff like that. So it's probably a very offensive, like, take on bird calling. But, like. And by offensive, I'm saying that in a funny way. But, like, do you.

[A]

The birds are offended.

[C]

They are offended. Is that a thing? Are mouth calls bird calls?

[A]

You can do some mouth calls.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

I'm not anywhere near that, but I could do, like, a little, like.

[C]

Yeah, hit me with one. Okay. All right.

[A]

A little something.

[C]

Who's in. Who's in charge here? Who's in charge here at Hatch? We got to get this on.

[A]

And I actually. Honestly. Speaking of kind of outdoor activities.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I want to take you down a fishing path for some drowsy history today. What do you think?

[C]

I love fishing.

[A]

Foreign. It is Drowsy History Week here on the nightly. So tonight we're going to tell you a history story all from memory. And if we get stuck, we can just rewrite what happened. It's like history class, but maybe more funny and definitely not completely accurate.

[C]

I love this. Kp, what are we recounting today?

[A]

Well, this is history, so I'm going to take you way back in time.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

To 2022.

[C]

Yes. Ancient times was different. Everything.

[A]

Everything was different. Yeah. I maybe had, like, one less wrinkle. That would have been nice. A few less gray hairs. But 2022 was the year. So in the fishing world, there are these competitions, and they're very, very, like, not even cutthroat. They're just, like, prestigious. You want to win these fishing competitions, and it's basically like, in this period of time, who can catch the most weight of fish?

[C]

Okay.

[A]

You pick your spot on Lake Erie, and there's like, weekend ones where you can hit, like, a bunch of different lakes in one. And it's like, whoever got the most, the whole weekend. But this one is, like, you hop up wherever you want to hop up on Lake Erie. You come at the end of the day or the end of the weekend, and whoever got the most fish wins. And this was a prize of $29,000.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

So this is, this is like a.

[C]

Big, nice little prize.

[A]

Yeah, this is kind of the biggest. The big, the big deal. The big ones in America. So we got these two competitors and their names are Jake Runyon and Kaminsky. Chase Kaminsky. Yeah. Now, when they were working solo, they were not even breezing past the top 10. They were not great fishermen.

[C]

Yeah, they sucked.

[A]

Yeah, they sucked. And they started working together, and all of a sudden these two are winning year after year. So this was like their third year. They had won the year before, and they were doing pretty good the year before that. And people started getting a little like, huh. It just looks odd because they're winning the weight, they're getting the most weight. But I'm looking at their pile of fish and it's nothing that crazy.

[C]

Yeah, it's like they got 12 goldfish and it's like, but this doesn't weigh 50 pounds.

[A]

And so the leader of this event was like, no, no. Like you guys are just being salty because you're not as good fishermen as them. You know, that's just what it is. They got some dense fish up in here, but 2022 comes and they turn in their fish and it's wins the weight. But that same person that was kind of defending them, the leader of this event is like, man, this fish that I'm holding in my hands is weighs like two times the amount that it should. I'm holding it. It just doesn't make sense.

[C]

Oh, interesting. He had been fish watching before and.

[A]

He knows, like, yeah, he's just like, the fish just shouldn't weigh this much. And so 2022, he takes out his knife that's in his pocket. He opens that fish up and he.

[C]

Finds weights, weights, like actual weights stuffed.

[A]

Little, you know, kind of ball bearings into this fish's stomach through the mouth.

[C]

How, when, when did they do this?

[A]

Not only just the ball bearings, because I think they were worried that, you know, when you touch the fish, you would be able to touch the metal parts of it. So they shoved in pre bought fish fillets. So they got some cod fish fillets with weights all in the middle, shoved into this mouth of these fishes.

[C]

So when you're feeling, when you're squeezing the fish, you'd be like, still feels like fish to me a little bit.

[A]

He was like, it did feel odd. It felt like, huh, that's bizarre.

[C]

Felt like lumpy fish.

[A]

So it was lumpy fish. So these two got. And this is the. This is how I even know about this whole thing, because I promise you, I'm not reading up on the Lake Erie fishing news. Usually there's a viral video. This is where it came from, where the guy opens it and he goes, we got weights and fish. You need to leave. And he's yelling, just being like, get out of here. Go, go. And they basically, God's honest, they basically got like pitchforked, mobbed, run out of this competition. Because everyone was pissed.

[C]

Everybody was pissed.

[A]

Absolutely.

[C]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

And so what is interesting is the year before they also had this rumbling of cheating because again, people were just like, the amount of fish I'm seeing doesn't match. But okay. And they said, we'll take a lie detector test. So this was the year before, and they took the lie detector test that lasted three hours and they had failed.

[C]

They failed. Okay, the year before.

[A]

But everyone was like, I don't know. I mean, we can't prove it because they weren't opening the fish back then.

[C]

Right?

[A]

So then 2022 comes, they find all the weights and fish. Now this is an. You know, they obviously didn't win the $29,000.

[C]

Right?

[A]

But what would you say? Throw out what you think a fair punishment would be.

[C]

But can I ask the question? Did they win the year before and win money or no?

[A]

Let's say they did.

[C]

Yeah, they did. Okay, so the first thing is you sue for the money back and you give the money to the second place winner. Right? So I thank you. Sue for anything that cost. And listen, cheating is bad, totally. But I'm like, I think that's it. You just sue and be like, you're banned. Your punishment is banned. And you know we're gonna shame you in the court of public opinion. But I do know, like, as a sports person that you can. Like, a lot of sports are governed by actual law abiding entities where you can find yourself in trouble with consequences if you do things like illegal within the sport or stuff like that. But even that's like a gray area. So I'm like, they weren't drugging anybody. They didn't hurt anybody. Like, even if this was governed, this just feels like a give the money back, you're banned, and we gonna talk about you on the nightly.

[A]

And I would have to agree.

[C]

Yeah. And yet what happened? What happened?

[A]

They were indicted by a grand jury on fifth degree felony. Felony, Felony. This is felons now, oh, my God. The charges are cheating, attempted grand theft, possessing criminal tools, unlawful possession of wild.

[C]

Animals because they, like, touched them and had to stuff them.

[A]

I have no idea if they got all of these charges. This was three years in prison.

[C]

Three years. Okay, that's wild. That is wild.

[A]

And so surely I was like, okay, they're doing this as a slap on the wrist. All right, that's wild. But no, they had to go to prison.

[C]

They got found guilty.

[A]

They got found guilty. And they did 10 days, which, listen, it's not a ton, but, okay, from what I thought, because I thought the same as you, I was like, all right, they gotta obviously not get that money, pay the money back, and then they're done.

[C]

But they went to.

[A]

They're now felons.

[C]

They're felons.

[A]

Yeah, they're felons.

[C]

They can't work at Walmart no more.

[A]

I don't. They can't work anywhere near fish. They can't work in the fish market. And they had to pay the money, and they had to lose their boat. Their boat just got given to the state, get auctioned off. They're like, nice boat.

[C]

You can't take my boat. You can't take my boat.

[A]

These are, like, insane fishing boats where it says, the ranger boat was worth a hundred thousand dollars.

[C]

That's wild.

[A]

And now they have years of probation.

[C]

This is wild. This is wild.

[A]

Truly wild.

[C]

I'm upset. I'm upset.

[A]

And you see real crimes that get, you know.

[C]

Yeah. Way less than this. But this is because I'm like.

[A]

They shoved fish filets inside a fish.

[C]

Yeah. This is plan. Listen, let me tell you. Let me tell you. I am of the mindset, like, and I know this is illegal, but I'm like, if you do some, like, planning, you do some real planning and you get away with it. There are some things that I'm just like, yo, man, we gotta chalk that up to the game. Like, you know, and they didn't get away with it. So then, you know the consequences of, like, you know, all right, within this competition or within this thing, you know, you can't do it anymore, blah, blah, blah. But, like, they got to lose their boats.

[A]

The $100,000 boat, gone.

[C]

See, this is why real criminals exist. Because I'm like, if I do something like this and I get that punishment, I might as well go further.

[A]

Well, so here's what's up. This is not the end of their crimes. Yeah.

[C]

At this point, I'm like, damn, I'm going to be a criminal. Then so they are.

[A]

This is what's happening. So 2023, Kaminsky, he did his 10 days in jail. He's now another felony charge.

[C]

What else he could do?

[A]

And this is what's funny too, because this is like the most. He gave a $200 bills that were fake. They were for use in like a film. And he gave them to his son to spend at a bowling alley. And now he's got another felony charge. This is the most silly criminal I've ever heard of. Ohio is going crazy on him.

[C]

I know federal means. Like, they would get in trouble anywhere.

[A]

But, like, film, propped $100 bills, and now he's another felon.

[C]

That's wild. That's also. You took my boat. Like, I need. I need money now.

[A]

I gotta go bowling. I gotta go bowling.

[C]

I gotta do something.

[A]

They've got another one, and this one is the other guy. Yes. And keep in mind, this only started in 2022. So he's racking them up.

[C]

This is wild.

[A]

This one he currently has. He switched to deer. He's off fish. He switched to deer. He shot deer in the wrong season.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Or like at the wrong times, which is wild.

[C]

I know that's. There's hunting seasons.

[A]

Yes, there's hunting seasons for sure. So he's got some white tailed deer, which, by the way, they're invasive. I get that. There's a season for him. I'm not protecting Kaminsky here, but I go, he's now got another felon in charge.

[C]

Another felon charge. I love that. All right. He's a felon. These crimes, These punishments don't fit the crimes, in my opinion. But I also do like. I also do love that. Like, he. But he keeps doing them is possibly. Like, he's gonna have. At this rate, he's gonna have like 15 prison trips.

[B]

Right.

[C]

But they're all gonna equal. They're all gonna equal, like 10 days, six days. By the time he's like, you know, 20 years from now, he's gonna have gone to jail 15 times, but only have served 32 days in jail. And that's so funny to me.

[A]

He's got more charges than Al Capone is. Just put some fish fillets inside of a fish is his biggest thing.

[C]

I love this.

[A]

I know. This is. I. I mean, I saw the video, I remembered it, and I was like, oh, let me see. You know, if that's just a funny little thing. But they're funnier than I thought. I mean, these are just silly, silly men.

[C]

Crazy.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Absolutely crazy.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Dang. Comiskey and what's the other one's name?

[A]

Runyon.

[C]

Runyon. Runyon and Kaminsky. It's like a rap band. A white rap band.

[A]

Yes. I guess this is also like, in any competition with money, you're gonna find people that want to cheat, of course. I mean, people are willing to do anything. And this prize money is. This is a nice prize money. And it seems as if in these fishing competitions, other people have tried to win by cheating, too. Including in 2012, a British fisherman stole a bass from the aquarium. I like that a lot. He said, I'm not catching anything in these waters. Let me run real quick down to the aquarium. And he took it from the tank.

[C]

And that's the crazy part to me is the planning. Like, you go to the aquarium, you do all that, and then what do you do? You, like, plop them in the water real quick and then take them out wild.

[A]

It shows that n. Any competition has this niche. Drama. I like this a lot. There's more to this than I thought there was. Which is the. The hundred dollar bill bowling one really cracks me up.

[C]

That's. That's so funny to me. That's so funny.

[A]

Yeah. Well, Jackie's. That was. Yeah. The Lake Erie walleye trial. Cheating scandal. That's what that was.

[C]

Wow. Shout out. Shout out. Kaminsky. Shout out. Runyon, you've been to jail more than my gangster cousins. And. And I love it for you. I love it for you. Find peace. And I hope you keep scheming.

[A]

Absolutely. There is something really just like a con man's going to con you. Put him anywhere and he will find a way to get some little con going. And they've existed for as long as humanity has. And I love a con man.

[C]

Love a con man.

[A]

Good job, you two.

[C]

Love a con man. Absolutely beautiful, kp. Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge with me. I will be delighted by this for a very long time.

[A]

Yes. Watch the video. It's a good one.

[C]

I will. I will. And honestly, I'm gonna go to sleep now thinking about fish fillets inside of fish inside of weights.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

And I think that's enough to give me some very interesting dreams through the night that'll take me all the way to morning. So I'm gonna say goodnight to you. And thank you so much for sharing this beautiful history with me.

[A]

Absolutely. I'll talk to you next time. Good night, Jackie's.

[C]

Good night, K.P.

[A]

Sam.

[B]

To learn more about our phone free light and audio experience, head to Hatch Co. You can also follow us at hatchpodcasts.