Overlimit of Perch on Mille Lacs

[slick814]

Doesn't it make you sick?

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/news/releases/index.html?id=1130259944 .

[Northland Sportsman]

Unbeleivable! I bet they consider themselves great sportsman for their catch too. What a joke, they should lose all fishing and hunting privledges for a long time!

[FOOT]

Read about this last night in Outdoor News. They also said that the perch could not be given to a food shelf or other organization due to them being cleaned. The State will not put themselves in a liability position since they are cleaned.

The fine should have been 4 to 5 times higher then what it was. It's an old excuse - we just couldn't stop, they were biting so good.

Why does a fish biting so good have to equal them keeping everything is beyound me. Catch one less then your limit and then just keeping fishing BUT throw the ones you catch back. Have the fun of a great bite but stay within the limits.

[WxGuy]

That's crazy. I just don't understand the connection of "the fish were really biting" to having to keep 378 fish.

[Guest]

I can... Its called POACHING

Quote:

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I just don't understand the connection of "the fish were

really

biting" to having to keep

378

fish.

---

[hanson]

Just like every other gross overlimit case that has come up in this state during the last year or so, this one involved people in there 50s & 60s with a couple of nonresident anglers as well.

[JWB475]

Glad to see that the TIP line is being put to good use.

Make sure you have the number handy, you never know what moron you might come across out on the water...

TIP Hotline: 1-800-652-9093

[WxGuy]

Quote:

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I can... Its called POACHING

Quote:

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I just don't understand the connection of "the fish were

really

biting" to having to keep

378

fish.

---

---

Just in case there was any confusion, I was stating my lack of understanding of what in the world is going through their heads. I don't see how people justify this kind of dump while they're doing it, or to the game warden. But, the world is full of unscrupulous people...

[slick814]

I agree with the wondering what they were thinking...

Well, then again, obviously they weren't!!

What's wrong with keeping your limit and having a blast catching & releasing a TON more? Heck... makes for great stories to tell the kids (grandkids in this case).

[mtreno]

i just dropped them a line and no one is home - the maple grove couples phone number is still listed. give em a call and ask em.....

[Duffman]

Poachers will come in every color and age. Yes, the older generation still has the mentality that they must keep everything, but that's just burnt into their mindset from growing up back whenever. Yes, there will be out-of-staters that come and think that they are owed an over amount of fish just cause they came all this way and spent such n such amount of money. But don't kid yourselves into thinking that the locals aren't doing their fair share of poaching, maybe even more, cause they know the ins and outs of the local territory, therefore they are harder to catch in the act. Just sayin

[FOOT]

Hold on there Duffman, I take exception to your statement "Yes, the older generation still has the mentality that they must keep everything".

I'm of the older generation (close to 60) and I've had a rule on my boat since 1984 that all Walleye between 3 and 10 pound is immediately returned to the water and NO ONE will keep an over limit either daily or possession.

Opening weekend we keep enough to eat a couple of meals Saturday and Sunday nights and then bring one meal back home for the wife and I.

Poaching is not a generational thing it is environmental. If you are brought up to believe it is ok to skirt the laws whether they are wildlife, traffic or other laws then you have a pretty good chance to becoming a poacher.

Don't worry Duffman, even though it sounds like I am upset with your comment, I am not that thin skinned and I'm not that nobel either. It's just something I and several friends have decided to restrict ourselves to so we can enjoy the outdoors for many more years and pass it on to our children and grandchildren.

[Duffman]

Yes, I'm guilty of stereotyping, but stereotypes are generally formed from peoples personal observation. I wasn't saying that all older folks are poaching and I'm not inferring that the entire older generation is like this, but I'm sure you have run into a few friends of yours that do have the mentality of once it's in the boat it stays in the boat. Yes, there are members from every generation that do this, but it seems that the folks that grew up during harder times have a problem releasing fish. I commend you sir for your own personal slot limits, and doing it for so long makes it even more special.

I didn't type in the above post to offend anybody, it's just my personal opinion from observations while fishing this great state for the last twenty five years.

[FM_Mike]

Quote:

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Just like every other gross overlimit case that has come up in this state during the last year or so, this one involved people in there 50s & 60s with a couple of nonresident anglers as well.

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I am a Nonresident angler and have been for over 30 years! I travel to your great state and the otter tail lake area since I was 14. I vacation there at least 3 times a year and have always been a C&R fisherman. I too have been on the BIG bite during my many trips and enjoy the opportunity to catch fish when the bite is HOT. I also would also like to catch fish on each trip I make. Maybe it's nieve on my part, but I figure the more I leave the better the chance of a good bite the next time I come up. I am not by any means trying to push my C&R on anyone else, just my way of doing things. I and my family enjoy the fishing and since I do not have the same great areas to fish in my area it makes me enjoy even more the area i regard as my second home away from home.

Please be careful how you portray non resident anglers. We too enjoy the great fishing and would like to keep it that way.

Those that abuse the area really peeve me off!!! As said the fines IMO were way to small.

[MSRiverdog]

I remember something of 16 or 19 Chicago Cops a number of years ago that got busted with, correct me if I'm wrong, around 800 or 900 Sunfish and Crappies. Bad thing is this happens over and over with a lot of out, and instate anglers, seems mostly outstate. A guy I used to work with years ago, "they were really biteing, we went out and got our Bass limit 4 times on Saturday and Sunday." This guy had a cabin on Whitefish thought he was in the right.

Keep the TIP's number on your cel phones. TIP hotline at 1-800-652-9093.

[Slyster]

What surpirses me is who would want to keep PERCH? They are so tiny I can't imagine filleting even 10 for a meal.. much less 300+.. if fact, don't they have worms or soemthing so you shouldn't eat them? Unless it's winter or something like that.. probably a myth.. I just was taught that.

And it is true, "most" of the time, that the older generations tend to keep more fish.. my parents (70's) can not BELIEVE I let fish go.. "what a waste" they say.. grandparents were like that.. great grandparents.. etc.. it's a relativley new thing.. the last few decades I would guess. All their fishing pix have giant ropes full of fish lined up side by side.. you've all seen those type of pix.

[CrappieJohn]

Indeed, we need to keep in mind here the real travisty....which is the number of illegal fish killed. This is not about age or where someone is from.

[Mark Christianson]

Who would want to keep perch??????????????

Holy smokes, the best eatin fish swimmin if you ask me.

Hands down my favorite fish to eat.

Back to the topic. Sad to think how many get away with this every day of the week. Cripes.

Put TIP in your cell phone and make the call when you see something happnin' that just aint right.