YouTuber Ben Milliken arrested for tournament fraud after fishing without valid license

Ben Milliken, a Bassmaster Elite angler and YouTuber, faces allegations of falsifying a fishing contest entry.

Benjamin Milliken, widely recognized for his YouTube channel, Milliken Fishing, and his role as a Bassmaster Elite angler, was arrested Thursday in Nacogdoches County on charges of freshwater fishing tournament fraud.

The allegations are linked to Milliken’s entry of a Legacy Class ShareLunker largemouth bass he caught at Lake Naconiche in February 2024. Officials from Texas Parks and Wildlife stated that Milliken provided false information on his contest entry form.

A redacted booking summary from the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office indicated that Milliken, 35, from New Caney, Texas, turned himself in for the misdemeanor charge. He was released 29 minutes after being booked.

According to The Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, Maggie Berger, a spokesperson for Texas Parks and Wildlife, stated in an email, “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.”

Berger also told the Daily Sentinel that Milliken has been disqualified from the program and cited for fishing without a valid license.

To participate in the Legacy Class ShareLunkers program, an angler must catch a bass weighing over 13 pounds during the spawning season, which runs from January through March. Anglers can then loan the bass to Texas Parks and Wildlife for the state’s breeding program and become eligible for prizes exceeding $10,000, according to Berger.

On Friday afternoon, as news of his arrest spread online, Milliken addressed the situation in a multi-part statement on his Facebook page, Milliken Fishing. He clarified, “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.”