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| I could not believe these guys and how many fish over the limit they were running.
13 guys and over 2,000 fish over the limit?
I am also thinking this is not the first time it happened up there.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/95969774.html
Edited by firstsixfeet 6/18/2010 4:09 PM
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Location: Madison WI | That is completely sickening, worst part about it is they are up for losing their license for ONLY 3 yrs..... |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | It happens alot, actually. Maybe not to that extreme, but double limiting and filling freezers is common, and a waste in most cases. I'd like to see the limit on crappies at 10, and the bag total at 20, and the penalties for overlimt severe. Then maybe the 'hogs' will fish elsewhere. |
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Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | What's really disturbing is that they were all members of the same church and that they have had this organized outing for years. The pastor was one of the people cited. |
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Location: APPLETON, WI | They should be strung up by their own fishing line and their licenses should be revoked. |
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| Seems like this was probably going on for years. Wonder why it took so long to be reported. Amazing number of fish that weren't even filleted. You wonder how they were all being preserved and also, how many already went home. |
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Location: oswego, il | I would have a hard time believing they thought this was legal. I have been to resorts where people were bringing in fish that were not legal but stopped once they knew but 2000, they have to know. A Wisconsin fihsing lcense should forever be a thing of their past. |
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| This is a fun case to bring up to people who believe that tribal spearing is a waste of the resource. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I don't think crappies are speared much, U. |
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Location: Land of the Musky | Make it easy. $100 fine and lost license for 5 years PLUS $50 per fish over the limit and all fishing gear used confiscated. That would have been an easy $100,000 fine plus gear right there for this little group. No appeal on the fines too.
I see the fines may be stiff but I bet they are reduced significantly once this is done ;( |
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Posts: 1168
| sworrall - 6/18/2010 8:04 PM
I don't think crappies are speared much, U.
Nope, they aren't, but it's the principle of the situation that makes certain individuals squirm....those that point the finger elsewhere and refuse to accept that hook and line anglers, targeting any species, can and will do irreparable harm to a resource if said resource is not treated with respect. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Absolutely. |
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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | Years ago I finally figured out that this happens a lot. Guys pay a lot of money to go out of state on a trip and they convince themselves that they're owed those fish. They believe they're less guilty because there are more of them doing it. What they are is arrogant. These are the guys who scoff at C and R and slot limits. They catch their limit in the morning and are back at it in the afternoon if they're fearless or the evening if they're sneeky. Then we all wonder why the crappie and walleye numbers seem to be lower, particularly on smaller waters. Have seen this at resorts and on our small, local lake. Only way to take care of this is to call the local DNR guys and put them on it. The best weapon against this is public humiliation in addition to the big dollars they ought to lose. |
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Posts: 283
Location: beloit | They catch their limit in the morning and are back at it in the afternoon if they're fearless or the evening if they're sneeky. Then we all wonder why the crappie and walleye numbers seem to be lower
and they have the nerve to blame it on the muskies |
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Location: Yahara River Chain | Fiedler - 6/19/2010 7:00 AM
and they have the nerve to blame it on the muskies
Heard this happened at a meeting about removing the muskies from the Holcombe Flowage. The guy actually said that they use to be able double bag, but the muskies have clean out the lake. I wish the WDNR warden had given him a ticket right there for his statement of double bagging.
I knew another guy that would take his limit of perch in the morning, give them away and then get another limit in the afternoon on Mendota ice fishing. Then he pi$$ and moaned when he couldn't catch them blaming the WDNR for mismanagement. I asked him if he ever thought the double bagging had any reason for this? He said, Heck, no you'll never fish out that lake. Yeah right!
Edited by muskie! nut 6/19/2010 8:15 AM
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| ulbian - 6/18/2010 9:18 PM
those that point the finger elsewhere and refuse to accept that hook and line anglers, targeting any species, can and will do irreparable harm to a resource if said resource is not treated with respect.
Well said! |
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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | muskie! nut - 6/19/2010 8:13 AM
Fiedler - 6/19/2010 7:00 AM
and they have the nerve to blame it on the muskies
Heard this happened at a meeting about removing the muskies from the Holcombe Flowage. The guy actually said that they use to be able double bag, but the muskies have clean out the lake. I wish the WDNR warden had given him a ticket right there for his statement of double bagging.
I knew another guy that would take his limit of perch in the morning, give them away and then get another limit in the afternoon on Mendota ice fishing. Then he pi$$ and moaned when he couldn't catch them blaming the WDNR for mismanagement. I asked him if he ever thought the double bagging had any reason for this? He said, Heck, no you'll never fish out that lake. Yeah right!
i heard stories of 5-6 guys with 100+ tip-ups fishing for waleyes on dunns bar at night.
the guys in this story should never be able to fish or hunt again and if caught doing so or even just having the gear to do it, $10,000 fine. i think management of the resource should also include stiffer pentalys and spread the word about what happends if you get caught doing this kinda of thing. in my exprience alot of people that have a fishing licence dont even know the size limits of what they are trying to catch. |
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| A couple years ago the DNR busted a bunch of guys for double plus baggin perch on Winnebago. They would go out, catch a limit in the morning, go back in afternoon and sometimes again in the evening. Most were retired guys. I could not believe some of my co-workers comments about they should not be "picking on" those old guys. I told them they were crooks who were stealing from their fellow citizens. And that is really what this is, theft of a valuable, finite resource that belongs to all citizens, not just a greedy few.
I like the idea of a limit of ten crappie. This spring when they were up in the shallows, I had a ball catching one after the other on a tiny plastic jig, released all of them immediately, but I could have easily made a meal for four out of 8 or 10. |
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Location: Ames, Iowa | I do not mean to start anything here with this comment- and by the way I am 50, prolly older than most of you guys... but why does it seem that many of the guys who ignore slots, bag limits, and rail against c and r are older and definitely know better (hell... an 18 year old is supposed to know better). I say that because I know people like this and they are all older than me. The guys at the Chip were all "older". I wonder if they feel privileged because of their age? |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | No more than you might because of yours, I'd bet. They broke the law, and knew they were breaking the law. This time they got caught, and a few of them were not that 'old'. |
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Location: NE Wisconsin | Watch the video:
http://www.wisn.com/news/23838377/detail.html |
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| sworrall - 6/19/2010 10:54 PM
No more than you might because of yours, I'd bet. They broke the law, and knew they were breaking the law. This time they got caught, and a few of them were not that 'old'.
BTW, Sworrall DOES FEEL ENTITLED, to the arthritic twinges, memory loss and general sub par performance for guys in his age group. He IS that old!
This video is at odds with what other stories say about this group. One stated that they had been up there a few times. It would be hard to square that with ignorance of the law, and you can't square it anyway, the regs are right there in print for everyone. I believe also if you comb the stories you can find where the resort owners claim they were doing some education.
I do think in this case the law enforcement should have made a general sweep of both resorts, just to avoid this kind of claim by the guilty. But on the other hand, blatant disregard of the rules invites interventions. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Today I'm entitled to work. New Suick, Bait Rigs, and Volent Strike video, and a DVD for the Jiffy Ice Drills folks. Wait till you see the new drills...
'I didn't know' never works very well with law enforcement.
Witch hunt, my toe. Righteous bust is more like it.
I'm sure they are nice guys, and I'm glad they are otherwise excellent citizens; I bet they won't ever over-bag again. |
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Location: Ogden, Ut | Like it or not, this type of violation will continue until society (as well as the legal system) begins to see this for what it really is. Criminal activity. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard someone complain about being 'harassed' for not having a fishing license, often telling the officer to his/her face "Why don't you go catch a real criminal." Even County Attorneys and Judges have a propensity to marginalize the severity of the violation and are more likely to throw the book at multiple traffic infractions than egregious wildlife violations. State Legislatures are also reluctant to increase the severity of the crime by raising the class of the violation from Class C Misdemeanor to Class B, A or even 3rd Degree Felony in the most extreme cases. It's a shame, but the general public doesn't see this as much of a crime. Neither does most of the legal system. That leads to the whole 'entitlement' mindset.
Unfortunate for all involved, but particularly for the law-abiding sportsmen that were victims of theft.
S. |
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Posts: 123
| I wonder if many of the guys doing this are "older" because it was simply how they grew up during tough times and/or when food wasn't as easy to get? I think many people back then hunted and fished for food, and not so much for sport. They didn't put in 10 hour days on the water then hit the Taco Bell on the ride home. You ate what you caught/shot. It may be a hard habit to break if you did that for 20-50 years before catch & release became prominent and fast food was so easy to get. Just a thought. |
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| I can't seem to catch many Crappie on the Chip anymore. I wonder what's happened to the Crappie population??? |
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| When I was growing up in the 70's, it was common practice to eat what you caught. From what I remember we obeyed closed seasons, but I don't ever remember throwing fish back unless they were too small to eat, no matter what species they were or how many we had caught. I do remember that most of our friends had a real problem with the DNR, and often said things similar to what's been mentioned already. "They ought to mind their own business" "The DNR is worthless", etc. Generally speaking, there was great disdain for any sort of regulation, and the general consensus was "there's plenty of fish in the lake. " I don't even remember hearing about C&R until the mid 80's, from guys like Meisenkomer and Babe Winkleman. And thinking back? The fishing was no bargain back then, either.
I guess it stands to reason that attitudes like that are still prevalent today, because those same folks are still around. If there's anything I've learned dealing with folks over the age of about 55, it's that you aren't likely to change their minds about much of anything. You can change their behavior if it causes them to be seperated from their money, though. |
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Posts: 402
Location: Eagle River, WI | "And so all of us were shocked because we thought that we could catch 25 a day," said Johnnie McGlaston.
"If I would have kept just 50 fish and not just that," said Zachary Bynum. "There's no way in the world I would have gone 300 miles, pay $1,200 for a condo just to catch 50 fish. Come on now."
"I thought I was right, but I was wrong on the possession," said Levell Willis. "But I understand now that I can only have 50 fish in your possession."
The D.N.R counted this group as being 371 fish over the possession limit.
"We got caught up this time, but why just us?" asked Bynum. "Why didn't you check everybody?"
They say they've learned their lesson. Each loses fishing privileges for at least a year and will pay a fine, ranging from $1,000 to $2,700. Except, what bothers them most is why they were the only ones targeted.
"I don't like being part of a witch hunt and that's what that was," said Walker.
Really. They are gonna pull the race card here.
What a joke. They should get a lifetime ban/death penalty. Their choice. |
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Location: Pittsburgh | "They should get a lifetime ban/death penalty. Their choice."
Holy judgement batman
Edited by Simple fisherman 6/20/2010 4:27 PM
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| BenR - 6/20/2010 3:50 PM
Perhaps they did just make a mistake...seems crazy to really go after tourist in WI though, I mean what is the unemployment rate and state of the economy in WI and especially places that rely on tourist to survive. I would welcome tourist and educate rather than fry them...or live with consequences perhaps....BR Really? With a group that went 2,000 over the limit? At what point do you start enforcing the laws?
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| BenR - 6/20/2010 4:21 PM
firstsixfeet - 6/20/2010 4:01 PM
BenR - 6/20/2010 3:50 PM
Perhaps they did just make a mistake...seems crazy to really go after tourist in WI though, I mean what is the unemployment rate and state of the economy in WI and especially places that rely on tourist to survive. I would welcome tourist and educate rather than fry them...or live with consequences perhaps....BR Really? With a group that went 2,000 over the limit? At what point do you start enforcing the laws?
I am good with the law being enforced, it is the comment that the death penalty should be used on them by posters on here when their state is slowly sinking...but again FSF...perhaps you should read the quote I was responding to before providing your such enlightening comments....BR
Well, I read the post you were responding to, and I read your post, and my question remains. Your comments are simply argumentative, and your grounds somewhat bizarre, have laws, but don't enforce them? Yes, that's enlightenment.
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Location: Pittsburgh | Unless I read incorrectly the laws in this case are being enforced. Lynch mobs make poor neighbors. |
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Location: Eagle River, WI | BenR - 6/20/2010 4:21 PM
firstsixfeet - 6/20/2010 4:01 PM
BenR - 6/20/2010 3:50 PM
Perhaps they did just make a mistake...seems crazy to really go after tourist in WI though, I mean what is the unemployment rate and state of the economy in WI and especially places that rely on tourist to survive. I would welcome tourist and educate rather than fry them...or live with consequences perhaps....BR Really? With a group that went 2,000 over the limit? At what point do you start enforcing the laws?
I am good with the law being enforced, it is the comment that the death penalty should be used on them by posters on here when their state is slowly sinking...but again FSF...perhaps you should read the quote I was responding to before providing your such enlightening comments....BR
First of all "posters" didn't say it, I said it.
How is our state slowing sinking? And, how will allowing people to get away with keeping over 2000 fish help our "slowly sinking" economy?
Perhaps you should read before responding to my post. I was irritated that they were trying to use race as an excuse for getting caught. Never once did they say that they were sorry for what they did, they were sorry they they were singled out and got caught. That's the way I interpreted it anyways. |
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| BenR - 6/20/2010 3:50 PM
Perhaps they did just make a mistake...seems crazy to really go after tourist in WI though, I mean what is the unemployment rate and state of the economy in WI and especially places that rely on tourist to survive. I would welcome tourist and educate rather than fry them...or live with consequences perhaps....BR
With no fish left to fish Call me crazy, but I belive tourism would dry up faster in Wi than bad press about some people who break laws. And with no fish left here, tourist fisherman may travel and spend money someware else like mn.
I guess I will live with the consequences. Since I like to catch fish, when I go fishing.
They do have fishing regulation handbooks wherever you can buy a licence. And I bet they can read. |
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Location: Pittsburgh | In the vein of lightenin this up looks like them tourist can outfish yous locals
Edited by Simple fisherman 6/20/2010 6:51 PM
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Location: Columbus, Georgia | And this is a Bible study group?
Hypocrisy has no bounds.
Edited by cjrich 6/20/2010 7:18 PM
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| cjrich - 6/20/2010 8:13 PM
And this is a Bible study group?
Hypocrisy has no bounds.
Have you taken into consideration that perhaps they were preparing for a re-enactment of Jesus feeding the 5000? Who knows...they might have caught less than their limit but one of them is a miracle worker and voila...thousands of fish. If I would represent them this is the defense angle I'd go with. |
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| We can't say that they were being hypocritical, because we don't know what they did or didn't know. It is possible that they went over there and caught all of those fish without checking into the regulations first, thinking it was OK. It's not like they were professionals or something. And they didn't appear to be trying to hide matters.
But ignorance of the law is no excuse, as they say. They got caught breaking the lawand now they'll pay their due fines. And that's that.
This is a matter for the DNR to handle. As for the rest of us, as they also, 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone.' I might've broken a law or two myself somewhere along the line in life.
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