Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are law-abiding folks, there are a few that run afoul of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officers. Periodically, the DNR provides a report of some of the miscreants the Conservation Officers (CO) have encountered. The News-Herald shares these stories as a reminder to all to be safe and to follow the rules!
CO Darin Fagerman (Grand Marais) reports that on the second weekend of the fishing season, a few Cook County lakes had ice cover. The big part of Saganaga was still iced over. If you cut through the islands you could get down to American Point. People found plenty of open campsites and fishable water on Sag. Ice was still on Devil Track and it should be out soon. The ice on Devil Track stole the sea plane base dock and took off with it. Not many people took advantage of the open water and nice temps inland. Those who did caught some nice fish. A couple of walleyes in the high 20-inch class and one over 30 inches were reported to the CO. The CO did a quick paddle into the BWCA and found a few paddlers out and about.
CO Mary Manning (Hovland) helped volunteer safety instructors with ATV Safety Class in Grand Marais. Manning seized several untagged minnow traps from one small lake. Anglers are reminded to check page 76 of the 2014 fishing regulations booklet for specifics on minnow trapping for personal use. The officer also checked anglers on Lake Superior tributaries and inland lakes; some ice was still seen on the inland lakes.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Tofte) checked anglers and boating activity on area lakes in Cook and Lake counties. The officer helped teach at an ATV Safety Class where the students demonstrated their skills at riding an ATV. Wahlstrom monitored ATV activity and checked steelhead anglers along the North Shore.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck) responded to a report of an injured pelican. The pelican was found entangled in a landing net which appeared to have come detached from its handle while an angler was landing a northern pike. Regas cut the pelican from the netting. It appeared not to have been injured and was eager to return to cruising about Blackduck Lake.
CO Robert Gorecki (Baudette) observed an angler catch what appeared to be an illegal length fish and place it in a compartment in the front of the boat. After watching for a while longer Gorecki eventually approached the boat and checked the anglers. They reported a couple of walleye and opened a livewell in the back of the boat which contained a couple legal walleye. Gorecki then had them open the dry storage compartments in the front of the boat and found three illegal length pre-spawn female walleye underneath the life jackets in the compartment. Appropriate enforcement action was taken.
CO Joyce Kuske (Little Falls) encountered one family which was very proud of the fish (smallmouth bass) they caught (and kept), and were surprised to hear that bass season in the area did not open until May 24.
CO Brad Johnson (Ham Lake) reports that he heard a new excuse for not having a fishing license recently. An individual said that his cell phone died when he was trying to make an online license purchase. Of course that same individual had been observed fishing prior to his attempt to purchase a license. He was attempting to make his purchase as officers approached in their boat.
Leave a Reply