Red River Catfish Bust

[hanson]

Grand Forks Herald

Sunday, August 20, 2006

"Red River Catfish Bust"

Kittson county fines anglers; officer seizes 57 catfish

Three Warroad, Minn., residents have been fined in Kittson County for keeping too many channel catfish while fishing from shore on the Minnesota side of the Red River.

A fourth member of the group is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday in Hallock.

According to a spokeswoman for the Kittson County court administrator's office, Siriamphone Hansana, 46, paid $222 for having four catfish over the limit; the court fined Somdy Syhananthalath, 36, $340 for 12 fish over the limit; and Khamphay Syhananthalath, 51, paid $460 in fines for having 12 fish more than the limit allows.

Souk Chitmany, 49, also from Warroad, is set to appear in court Tuesday, the spokeswoman said. He was ticketed for having 11 catfish over the limit, including one longer than 33 inches.

Anglers on the Red can keep five catfish, and only one can measure 24 inches or more.

Pat Znajda, conservation officer for the Department of Natural Resources in Karlstad, Minn., ticketed the anglers July 2 while on a joint river patrol with Mike Sedlacek, game warden for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in Cavalier, N.D.

The anglers were fishing from shore on the Minnesota side of the river south of Pembina, N.D., and north of the "Golden Grain" bridge that crosses the Red west of Hallock, Znajda said. He said the officers had received a tip that a group of anglers fishing from shore might be keeping too many fish.

After citing the anglers, Znajda seized 57 catfish from the group. The catfish varied in size, he said.

The angler's fines also included restitution costs for the catfish - $120 for Khamphay Syhananthalath, $180 for Chitmany and $40 for Hansana. Standard restitution is $10 for each catfish less than 26 inches. Catfish longer than 26 inches - defined as "quality" size under Minnesota statute - are worth $10, plus $10 for every inch over the quality size.

Znajda said he didn't charge restitution to Somdy Syhananthalath.

[harvey lee]

When will this state start to fine these people hard enough so the others just might think twice.Heck,you get a bigger fine for going 25 mph over the speed limit.

It is a good thing that I am not the person who would decide fine amounts as these thiefs would pay a real price.

Guess thats why I will never be one to deal out the penalties.

[hanson]

Gotta agree with you there Tom.

The fines that are assessed for illegal methods, such as an extra line, to catch fish are pretty high. Extra line is over $100. Yet, going over your limit on catfish costs you $10 a fish in restitution What!? They fine the h*ll out of you for trying to catch too many fish but go easy on you when you are over your limit. Doesn't make sense to me. Should be $100 a fish restitution, or more.

I'm upset because I finally read something about someone getting caught poaching my favorite fish. On the other hand, I'm glad to see the DNR is actually patrolling and responding to these types of calls. Catfish has a long way to go to earn respect in this state.

[big musk411]

Agreed, the fines are too small. How about they revoke your fishing privlages as well. If my fishing privlages were ever revolked, I would have to move

[harvey lee]

Thats sounds great to take fishing licenses away only problem is the law breakers would probably still go fishing,remember they dont care.

[Wiskers]

I agree also. I can see one fish over but numbers of fish over, that is blatent disregard for the regs and they should throw the book at them. Just think how many get away with it and how many fish are taken like that... there goes the neighbor hood.

[CatManLee]

I can't beleive how stupid some people are! I agree with Rusty, I could possibly understand if you some how, accidentally had one over the limit? If you had a bunch of people sharing the same cooler and lost count...alright, but there is no excuse for this. I think if the offense is a no doubter, and they had the intention of breaking the law, the angler should lose his/her license for 5 years and have very stiff fines. Or make extreme offenses felony's with possible jail time. I guarantee, these guys wouldn't want me in charge of the laws for this type of crime.

It is pretty stupid that the fines for extra lines is higher than that of the actual fish you have over the limit? That doesn't make any sense at all???? I know both are breaking the law, but I would think keeping more fish than you are allowed is way, way, worse than having an extra line in the water? Dumb...Dumb...Dumb!

I'm gonna right the DNR tonight and ask why this is? I'll let you all know what they say when I hear back from them.

Talk to you later.

[Catfishunter]

The sad thing around duluth is the game wardens don't know the limit of catfish. i was checked and he had to make a phone call to see what it was. I had four 2# fish and he watched me C&R two five pounders.

[Guest]

Screw the fines... REVOKE their fishing privileges and throw them in jail for a bit so they can think of what they did.. A law is there for a reason.