District 3 – Fergus Falls area
CO Troy Richards (Fergus Falls) reports shelter removal compliance was good overall. Richards checked recreational vehicle riders and panfish anglers, who were enjoying good ice conditions and great weather. Conversations with anglers usually consist of talking about fishing technology and the perceived need to reduce limits on certain species.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the past week focused on checking anglers and ATV operators, and monitoring fish house removal. Additional time was spent following up on deer-feeding complaints, and inspecting aeration permits.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) spent time this past week ensuring all fish houses were off the ice by the deadline. Plautz worked with firearms safety instructors obtaining needed supplies to start classes. Calls related to car-killed deer and nuisance wildlife were handled.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) monitored panfishing activity on station lakes as the hard-water season is hitting the home stretch. Quite a few anglers were having success with sunfish, and a few crappies were observed. A few ice shelter owners were issued citations for leaving their shacks on the ice several days past the removal deadline. A detail was worked on Lake of the Woods with several other COs. Lots of good contacts were made and numerous citations were issued for fishing and drug-related violations.
CO Brian Holt (Osakis) monitored angling activity and fish house removal from area lakes. Time was also spent on miscellaneous wildlife-related complaints and checking recreational vehicle activity. Ice conditions are starting to deteriorate, especially around accesses. Enforcement activity involved angling license violations and various fish house violations, including failing to remove after the deadline.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) continued to work angling and recreational vehicle enforcement. Several fish houses remained unattended on station lakes after the deadline and enforcement action was taken.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) continued to monitor fishing and recreational vehicle activity. Fish houses and litter were monitored for the removal deadline. Calls/questions from the public were followed up on.
CO Emily Leeb (Morris) monitored predator-hunting and trapping activity. Anglers and recreational vehicle operators were contacted and preparations are underway for upcoming firearms safety classes. Fish house removal went well on station lakes.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2021-03-08
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports responding to a TIP call related to deer hunting. Time was also spent checking anglers and ATV operators. Various angling related violations were encountered this past week.
CO Tim Gray (Bagley) finished Divisional training, took care of seasonal maintenance requirements and checked a few anglers.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) monitored angling activity on area lakes. The eelpout bite continues to improve and anglers are having good luck finding jumbo perch. He worked a detail on Leech Lake with CO McGowan. Two individuals were cited for an overlimit of perch after it was determined they were 26 over the legal limit. Vollbrecht took time to mark shelters and look for garbage left behind.
CO Hannah Mishler (Bemidji #2) checked snowmobilers attending the Snodeo races in Naytahwaush. Despite quickly deterioration conditions, a few riders attended the event. Training was also attended in St. Cloud and Division projects were worked on. Assistance was also given with a car-killed fisher and a wolf-depredation claim.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports ice conditions remain OK with lots of water on the ice, though many of the accesses are beginning to break up. Travel was mostly by ATV. Angling success was spotty. Vinton received a TIP one night of a group of anglers that had been out all day on one of the new quality sunfish lakes. The caller was concerned they may be over the new reduced limit. Vinton contacted the anglers as they came off the lake and were not found to be in violation. Enforcement action was taken for leaving a shelter on a public access and not acquiring a new angling license.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the past week checking ice anglers and following up on cases from the deer season. Ice conditions are quickly deteriorating in the area, especially along the shorelines. Swedberg reminds anglers to check for new regulations, as several area lakes have new sunfish regulations.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) worked Upper Red Lake and Lake of the Woods for angling enforcement. The fish bite was slow to moderate, with extra lines and no license being the most common violations. Peterson also worked local cases and attended training.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the past week working sport fishing, trapping and ATV enforcement. Time was also spent responding to miscellaneous wildlife-related calls.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) worked angling activity and monitored fish house removal. A possession permit for a car-hit deer was issued. Warren monitored activities around the Snodeo races on North Twin Lake. ATV riders were checked for regulation compliance. Required online training was completed.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the past week checking angling activity on area lakes. Anglers are finding a good panfish bite on almost all lakes, but conditions are deteriorating rapidly with the warm weather. Anglers are urged to use extreme caution on lakes, as one vehicle fell through the ice on South Lida Lake over the weekend. Fortunately, the angler was able to make it out safely. Anglers are reminded to purchase new fishing licenses and read the regulations book as numerous lakes in the area have new sunfish regulations. While working new special regulations lakes with CO Swedberg, one angler was found to have misread the regulations and possessed an overlimit of sunfish. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license, angling without a license in possession, sunfish overlimit, illegal-length crappie, failure to renew ATV registration, juveniles on ATVs without helmets, and other ATV-related violations.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2021-03-08
CO Calie Kunst (Remer) checked anglers throughout the past week. Many questions on new fishing regulations were answered and complaint calls were taken about various angling violations. The snowmobile trails are melted in the Remer area and are in poor condition.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) and COC Baum patrolled Park Rapids and the Cass Lake area. They observed angling activity on Pike Bay, Cass Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish. Mathy and Baum encountered violations including no license in possession, angling without a license, failure to display ATV registration, and no shelter identification. Mathy and Baum remind anglers to get their 2021 angling license and check ice conditions.
CO Mike Cross (Lake George) worked ice angling and continued with ongoing training. Some good success was seen for perch, tullibees, and burbot on Leech Lake. Crappies were hitting on some of the smaller lakes. The ice is going to go fast, so it is advised to take your fish house off before the March 15 deadline. Enforcement action was taken for angling, ice shelter, and ATV violations.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) checked angling activity throughout the past week. Enforcement action was taken for expired ATV registration.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) verified shelters had been removed from area lakes. He also assisted area Wildlife staff with removing abandoned property and litter from wildlife management areas. The warm weather is bringing a quick end to the ice season, with shoreline access points deteriorating quickly.
Comments