I’m sure the conservation officer may take a periodical visit to the area. Keep in mind there is only 1 co to cover the area from Stillwater down to Afton state park over to St.Paul.
It’s up to us to help out with tip line or calling him directly.
Nhamm,
No problem if that’s your intent. But if you pick up 1, 2, and then 3 or 4 walleyes and none of your intended target, you should either switch baits or move. Staying in same spot with same bait and catching walleye over and over and over is illegal targeting.
The video is clearly illegal activity.
If you continue to catch a certain fish in a location and you expect to catch another you are targeting them therefore illegal. Although many times legit I am so sick of the “I’m fishing crappies” excuse on the Croix.
I think this is the reason why the current status is so hard to enforce.
In order to really enforce the law, the CO would have to see someone repeatedly and deliberately catching out of season fish AND all without making any effort that could be construed as changing tactics, locations, etc such that the angler could claim they at least tried to avoid catching the out of season species.
So a CO would have to spend a considerable time observing a suspect and watching them catch multiple fish AND in a manner that suggested they were making no effort to try to avoid catching these fish AND they were using tactics that were of little to no use for another species that were in season.
All of this sets the bar pretty high.
Also, while this is annoying, IMO there are bigger fish to fry (sorry) as far as poaching. Fishing an area of P2 last spring, we were watching guys on shore catch walleyes and every time they landed one they would do the “look-around”. We had the binocs on some guys and it was so damn obvious that they were checking to see if anyone was close enough to see them drop that walleye in the bucket instead of back in the river.
Grouse
Just a thought ,The native Americans get to fish for walleye before season and they get to use nets!Who is being desciminated against?
Once again just a thought.
We are talking about this video. These punks were targeting walleye based on catching them over and over and the fact that they were using large cranks. Also it shows him walking with walleye #1 toward an area on the shore where he had some equipment and then the guy stops video taping. I bet that one went home with them. This is fishing for walleye out of season and hopefully justice is served. This is a slam dunk case…RR
Newsflash! This has been going on every year as long as I can remember. Well over 20 years now. The DNR seems to have little interest in stopping this activity. Keep calling, keep reporting. Nothing will change. Good thing about this vid is the fish were released. Go down there many evenings and look in the buckets!
Same thing on upper pool 2. People keeping buckets of walleyes/saugers all year. DNR could care less IMO.
Funny to see it on video. Reminds me of the Ted Takasaki video on upper red. Fishing for crappies…. Opps, another walleye, opps another walleye, opps another walleye for a half hour show on open water.
I did watch the DNR checking people on shore Tuesday on pool 2 along with all of us in boats.
I guess my point is when you see this stuff and report it, it’s too late. Not like they send a DNR officer down to try and make a bust. Seen too much of it over the years and just gave up trying now. I’ve made a few confrontations with these idiots. But at the end of the day, I’m probably the one going to jail……
You young guys….Go kick some buckets!
-J.
It’s kida fun to read the comments and people’s views on this. However it’s wrong what they did and at least should get a visit from a co. Like I said before if they know damn well them fish are there how do we know they didn’t go back at night and start keeping them.
You all can try to justify it in your own minds, but those that did it know it was illegal. No different than fishing in a trout stream out of season with a rooster tai, claing to be fishing for creek chubs. Go down strean to the Mississippi if you want to catch and release. Or keep them for that matter.
The video is already gone, so I’m not commenting on the fish handling aspect, but as for catching fish out of season, big deal. Yeah, I’m gonna get flamed for this, whatever. It seems to be an obnoxious trait of “internet fisherman”, everybody on the internet is a junior Warden ready to handout citations for the slightest infraction. I don’t come across these types of fisherman much in real life. Usually fisherman just want to relax, and forget about the arbitrary rules of regular life. The fisherman I know, mind their business as long as somebody isn’t stepping over that obvious moral line of taking too many fish, polluting the waterway, etc.
Perfect example of how arbitrary laws are: last year it was illegal to fish sturgeon, except for 1 month. Now this year it’s ok! But the truth is, it was okay last year too, as long as you didn’t hurt the fish and let it go, then mother nature was just fine. Arbitrary.
Consider chilling out. Life and fishing are better when you do.
This post is intended for the video and only this video not for the all-around observed illegal activity going on elsewhere. So not to get off subject the video clearly shows these individuals fishing with intent, out of season walleye PERIOD.
In the same place there is a lot of snagging of our native buffalo and those are going home in buckets and nets.
This video is just an example of the amount of laws being broken that go on not just at the power plant but many other areas.
Would you guys be upset seeing snagged buffalo being kept? I am.
To everyone on their legal high horse, please explain to me who has a more adverse effect on the fishery.
A) The guy who starts in May on opener and takes home a couple limits per month.
B) The guy who starts in April, but lets them go all season.
The guy that starts in May and takes home limit every day and feeds the whole neighborhood !
Stan 
To everyone on their legal high horse, please explain to me who has a more adverse effect on the fishery.
A) The guy who starts in May on opener and takes home a couple limits per month.
B) The guy who starts in April, but lets them go all season.
Legal high horse? Are you trolling, baiting or fishing?
Which one has a more adverse effect? 
Those fish are lucky they decided to hang out in the Croix as opposed to the Miss. Not too far south of where they were caught, in some of the best walleye producing waters on the planet, they could (and likely would) have been given the hot grease release under full protection of the law!
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>croixski wrote:</div>
To everyone on their legal high horse, please explain to me who has a more adverse effect on the fishery.A) The guy who starts in May on opener and takes home a couple limits per month.
B) The guy who starts in April, but lets them go all season.Legal high horse? Are you trolling, baiting or fishing?
Which one has a more adverse effect?
Yes, I’m illustrating a point to the outraged debbie doogooders of the msg board that simply because something has been deemed illegal by lawmakers, doesn’t make it inherently detrimental to the ecosystem, and vice versa. Independent thought is a magical thing…
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>hl&sinker wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>croixski wrote:</div>
To everyone on their legal high horse, please explain to me who has a more adverse effect on the fishery.A) The guy who starts in May on opener and takes home a couple limits per month.
B) The guy who starts in April, but lets them go all season.Legal high horse? Are you trolling, baiting or fishing?
Which one has a more adverse effect?Yes, I’m illustrating a point to the outraged debbie doogooders of the msg board that simply because something has been deemed illegal by lawmakers, doesn’t make it inherently detrimental to the ecosystem, and vice versa. Independent thought is a magical thing…
I’m not following or catching your point. I could type out a few guesses but could you explain what you’re getting at?
And for the responder above pointing out these fish could have been legally kept in the Mississippi, what’s that got to do with anything? Should I tell the cop who tickets me for speeding, that the speed I was doing in a 45 zone was legal just a few miles away in a 65 zone?
The video that was posted here and is now gone, showed 2-3 gentleman catching walleye after walleye after walleye with gear often used for walleye, then filming it and putting it on youtube. Some of the scenes did NOT show a fish release.
This is no high horse debby do good response, it’s brazen neglect of the law.
I’d love to get an answer on what point an illustration is attempted above!!
ET
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>croixski wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>hl&sinker wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>croixski wrote:</div>
To everyone on their legal high horse, please explain to me who has a more adverse effect on the fishery.A) The guy who starts in May on opener and takes home a couple limits per month.
B) The guy who starts in April, but lets them go all season.Legal high horse? Are you trolling, baiting or fishing?
Which one has a more adverse effect?Yes, I’m illustrating a point to the outraged debbie doogooders of the msg board that simply because something has been deemed illegal by lawmakers, doesn’t make it inherently detrimental to the ecosystem, and vice versa. Independent thought is a magical thing…
I’m not following or catching your point. I could type out a few guesses but could you explain what you’re getting at?
And for the responder above pointing out these fish could have been legally kept in the Mississippi, what’s that got to do with anything? Should I tell the cop who tickets me for speeding, that the speed I was doing in a 45 zone was legal just a few miles away in a 65 zone?
The video that was posted here and is now gone, showed 2-3 gentleman catching walleye after walleye after walleye with gear often used for walleye, then filming it and putting it on youtube. Some of the scenes did NOT show a fish release.
This is no high horse debby do good response, it’s brazen neglect of the law.
I’d love to get an answer on what point an illustration is attempted above!!
ET
Well said! Thank you
TURN THEM IN!!!
Obviously it is illegal to purposely target fish out of season. It’s also illegal to drive a vehicle under the influence. How many people here that are screaming, “turn them in”, turn in every person who drinks and drives, even if it’s their buddy or relation?
I find it odd that people get more in an uproar about fish, but are more lax on human lives…
It’s just an observation I have noticed through the years. Yes, I turn in any illegal activity I observe weather fishing, hunting, driving, etc.
This isn’t a post that advocates what this video portrays, but more of a realization where our morales as a whole are. If you turn these guys in, good, but I hope you are turning in every person you observe doing anything illegal, including speeding, drunk driving, etc.
I find it odd that people get more in an uproar about fish, but are more lax on human lives…
Where did someone say they are against human life or in favor of drunk driving?
The topic is targeting fish out of season so that’s what is being discussed.
It’s frustrating and upsetting to see but like Jon said it’s been going on forever and will continue to happen. It pi$$es me off to see it but I think it’s unrealistic to expect that calling the DNR will cause them to try and track these morons down and cite them. The best way to deal with this is is when it’s actually happening.
As far as the guys that don’t think it’s a big deal, that’s your opinion and you’re certainly entitled to it but that doesn’t mean you can jump down the throats of people with a different opinion.
Just my thoughts on the matter…
Had I witenessed this myself I would of said something and called it in.. There’s a lot of law abiding folks that goes down there to fish. Let’s not just everyone that goes down there with a broad brush.
Regardless of if it is detrimental or not, it is illegal, and last I checked, we don’t get to pick and choose which laws we obey.
I did not see the video…so I will just say…shame on those who breaks the law willfully and knowingly…and let the law catch them and punish them willfully and knowingly.
They were just fishing for “white bass” I’m sure. See it all up and down the Croix every year before opener. The DNR won’t enforce any fishing laws on the Croix until opener as they have been made aware of this year after year yet they don’t seem to do anything about it.
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