Fish House Break In's

[waterwolff]

WCCO radio is reporting a recent rash of break in's in the west metro and Annandale areas of Minnesota stressing the importance of removing anything of value from your house when you leave. It should not have to be like this but unfortunatly if it is not nailed down it is as good as gone. So just a heads up.

Mike

[CrappieFshr651]

From KSTP HSOforum:

SHERIFF: Don't leave valuables in fish houses

Don't just lock up your fish houses; take your valuables with you.

That's the advice from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office after 11 fish houses were broken into on Lake Minnetonka early Wednesday.

A fish house owner discovered the break-ins around 11:30 a.m. The houses, all of which were about 100-yards from shore in Lower Lake North, had their door's pried open and windows broken.

According to officials, the structures sustained damage and numerous items including a flat screen television, stereo, and fishing equipment. Property damage and losses are estimated at $7,000.

In Sherburne County, officials issued a similar alert after five houses on Clear Lake were burglarized and hundreds of dollars worth of gear was stolen.

Items were also taken from four fish houses in Palmer Township in late December. Those thefts cost anglers in the thousands.

Anyone with information on the Lake Minnetonka thefts is asked to contact the department at (888) 988-TIPS.

[paceman]

It happened to me a few years ago. It just plain sucks. I was lazy and foolish and left most of my stuff in the house. They cleaned me out. I learned my lesson the hard way. Now I take everything when I leave.

[Beege]

It's sad. People work hard to get the stuff that they purchase and some jerk breaks into their fish house and walks off with it. I hope they catch whomever is responsible and punish them to the full extent of the law.

[Big Buck Buster]

If I caught the person(s) steeling something out of my house, it would be a simple fix. Knock them out cold,Grab the auger, make a spear hole, in they go. Problem gone, never to return till spring. If they go to jail, they will just get out and do it again. I have no sympathy for the one-who-thinks-I-am-silly criminals. Today's justice system doesn't work. The criminals have the upper hand with all the lawyers defending them, and they aren't getting what they deserve.

[eyebjim]

I like the cut the hand off thing. It's much harder to steal with one hand and on the second offense even tougher with no hands.

[deadeye]

Yowzaa! Dont mess with these guys!

Besides the Cops I would call their mothers and or wives and tell them what they were doing...

I know where you guys are coming from. Its really frustrating when someone takes the stuff that you work hard to get. I still remember someone taking my BMX bike that I mowed like 500 lawns to buy when I was 13. It was not good. That one stung pretty bad. I had someone take my auger when I was up north in college. That one hurt too, no money or job to get another.

I think the best way to stop it is getting to know your neighbors out on the ice and watch each others backs. It makes the freinds you make out there that much better when you can help each other out like that. Oh yeah and go fishing every night too.

[BoxMN]

Yeah, it stinks. But on downstroke, be sure none of us are helping those thieves by buying stuff that seems "too good to be true"... I remember years ago there was this guy at Demontreville trying to sell me a new reel. Really good price, too good. It was tempting, but I knew that it came from someone who was ripped off, and to this day I think those who buy hot stuff are just as bad as those who steal it. I too hate criminals, and hate to see this stuff happen.

I am sure there is hot stuff on that C guys HSOforum listing... I wish I would have called the cops back years ago on that guy at Demontreville - they probably wouldn't be able to do anything, but at least it might made him think a bit. These days I will call the police anytime something looks "not normal".

[63ihharvester4x4]

how did that saying go, 1st offense cut one hand off, 2nd another hand, 3rd a long walk in the desert with a short handled shovel, ya the good ole days of being able to leave things unlocked are pretty much over, thieves are the lowest most direspectful type of people id have to say.

[CrappieFshr651]

actually the best thing you can do is leave it unlocked and dont leave anything of value whatsover. At least if its unlocked you wont come back to find your door ripped off or windows broken.

[Shawnny B]

Yes its a shame that they lost all there stuff, but, if you ask me it was kinda asking for it, its like leaving your car running and running into the store when your parked in Frogtown, WHY???? yeah its a pain to take it all with you and back. but dont be so surprised when you do come back and find it all gone.

My .02

[McGurk]

I try to not leave anything out in the perm that I won't feel too bad about losing. And yes; I do lock it up knowing that it is just keeping the honest people out. But I have nothing to take, the windows are uncovered to look into. If they still want to break in, I really don't have that nice of a fishhouse to begin with, anyways.

The other issue about leaving it unlocked is that I don't want to arrive at the shack to find a frozen pile right of human feces in the middle of the floor. Dis. Gus. Ting.

Bottom line; there is no perfect way to keep your house safe while on the ice short of staying there 24/7.

[Finlander]

I always remove most of my stuff, and leave stuff that nobody nobody would bother breaking into my house to get.

And I do lock it to keep the honest people out and playng pranks.

Plus my lock wouldn't require Houdini to get thru the door so there wouldn't be much damage done anyways.

And I put a NRA sticker on the window in plain sight to give anybody second thoughts about breaking in!

[Big Buck Buster]

I don't leave anything in my house while I am away. I will not leave it unlocked when I am gone. I did that once with an old fish house I had, and of course they didn't take anything, because there wasn't anything to take. I can only assume that they got p-ed off because there wasn't any valuable in it, and destroyed the inside of the house. THERE IS NO GOOD SOLUTION TO THE NEVER ENDING CRIMINALS, other than take care of the problem yourself. All that officers will do is investigate, and try to solve the problem. If they find the suspects, they will be brought to court, slap on the hand, or maybe some time. When they get out, they will do it all over again. Good way to remedy the problem is good old fashion vigilante justice.

[Meaney]

Yeah until they open the door and see nothing is there to steal so they decide to trash it instead. I agree with you all with cutting off the hands

You think pretty soon the cops will start staking out ice houses or waiting inside them?? I doubt it, im sure they will say they have more important things to do.

[Sonicrunch]

Yeah until they open the door and see nothing is there to steal so they decide to trash it instead.

That's why you leave a bottle for them. Its harder for them to trash the place if they make a score.

[hoggs222]

I hope I don't ever walk in on somebody throwing a deuce in my house. I'd probably puke and then have to beat the rest of it out of them!

As far as everything else, I take anything of value out when I leave. Pawn shops won't give you much for a couple of old tip ups and an ice chipper!

[choppermn27]

Originally Posted By: Meaney

Yeah until they open the door and see nothing is there to steal so they decide to trash it instead.

That's why you leave a bottle for them. Its harder for them to trash the place if they make a score.

This is the same thing I said leave it unlocked, a pint of blackberry brandy and they'll get drunk and leave your house alone.

I have a hard time believing anyone would leave a flat screen in thier house(I'm sorry but if it were me i'd put my old CRT TV heavy POS in there).

This stuff has all been done before, and I distinctly remember being told don't leave ANYTHING in the house and leave it unlocked.

I remember back on the old days they made detatchable faceplates on cd players to deter crooks from the opportunity.

[Meaney]

maybe someday they will make a more secure ice house that you can leave your stuff in there...but then I guess it gets too heavy and expensive. Cant win I guess huh

[Drewski]

I never leave anything of value in my perm. When I go the valubles come with me.

It sure would be nice if you could catch one of them in the act and beat the snot out of em!

[Sonicrunch]

maybe someday they will make a more secure ice house that you can leave your stuff in there...but then I guess it gets too heavy and expensive. Cant win I guess huh

Armored Ice Houses. How sad.

[SSCHOPSHOP]

I was reading on another post that someone caught people stealing from ice houses. So they called the cops to come and get them. The cops could not come out on the lake, They had to wait for the DNR to come out and take the thieves to shore for the cops. But two weeks later the cops DROVE out on the ice to bust some minors drinking.... Funny how that works.

[Sandmannd]

Originally Posted By: Meaney

maybe someday they will make a more secure ice house that you can leave your stuff in there...but then I guess it gets too heavy and expensive. Cant win I guess huh

Armored Ice Houses. How sad.

Yea, how much ice would that take to hold. It's sad that you work your tail off and get a few things for fun and these loosers have to trash 'em.

[Dead-C-Force]

It's all only going to get worse in this economy, unless OBAMA has Santa bring us all new WHEEL HOUSES next Christmas... there's a economic stimulus package for us...

maybe someone should invite him fishin?

[Bigslugger]

What about leaving a trail cam in your house.

Catch em' red handed!