Bootleg Walleyes Now Available

[swedishpimple]

Has anybody heard of "bootleg" walleyes now being available??? I am starting to hear this rumor floating around in the area.

[swedishpimple]

I appologize for not being about "just the fishing" with this post, but.....it is important to me and many others like me.

[Pikester]

No worries. All I can say is if you get any solid info, call TIP. Good luck.

[Meadow Creek]

Isn't that place where the boot leg walleyes come from out of reach of TIPS authority. The problem has been happening for years. I feel the only thing you can do is to refuse to buy them. Take down the licences plate number, and spread the word to you friends and neighbors not to buy.

[upnorth]

A person could contact the Red Lake DNR, I am pretty sure they would like to nip that kinda stuff in the bud too.

[halad]

How many went home from upper last weekend?

[LABS4ME]

Touche'

Good Luck!

Ken

[S.O.S.]

You heard a rumor? I heard a rumor the Vikings are going to win the Superbowl! Will They? Hell NO!!! Until you have solid proof all this subject does is get people worked up. If you have proof give the evidence to the DNR or Red Lake DNR. They will handle it from there. Rumors and innuendos are the root of all evil! So please have the facts before you start spreading the; he said, she said, I heard crap Your headline of "Bootleg Walleyes Now Available" is a pretty bold and unwarranted start to a conversation that may not even be true. Just My Two Cents Worth

[swedishpimple]

The information I got was from local person very involved with local law enforcement and politics. Not some guy from a chatroom in Minneapolis, Chicago, or some other far removed place.

Some of you come up here and fish a lot. Most people in area will appreciate that, but you don't live here, and see what happens on a day to day basis. To be honest the culture and tension in the area is a little more tense then many of you may know, but we get by.

I was talking with a RL Band Member friend of mine about the lake. He told me the 10 fish limit means nothing and laughed. He told his nephew to get him some fish for a fish fry and he came back with 4 gallon sized ziplocks full of fillets. The boys response was...."well you did not say how many, so I got you these". I don't really see isolated incidents like this as a big problem......yet. There is a lot of lake on the Reservation and I rarely see anybody on it when I drive by. The problem I see is more of a financial issue than a fishing one. Desperate people do desperate things. "Bootlegged" walleyes have cash value this is a depressed region. If good jobs are increased and the demand is decreased the problem will solve itself.

To let you guys know I live in Bemidji and have my entire life. I have land very near URL and LRL, I have a pretty good understanding of how things work around here. I did not start the thread to start an uproar, I am very curious to see if anybody has been offered any fish or just how brazen some of these guys are. I see the "bootlegged fish" as kind of like drugs. I have not been offered any on the street, but I bet I could go and get some within the hour.

[Mike L]

First place to look would be the beerjoints around Clearbrook.

[The Donk]

Second would be any little town north of 2. My uncles talk about how you didn't go into a bar in Leonard or Solway if it was payday in the area...

[Mike L]

any place there's a construction project going in the area, on payday, is the place to look

mid-80's a lot of dressed fish and fillets were sold in Clearbrook and Oklee to construction crews working on my wastewater projects

[kelly-p]

Don't forget that while it is illegal to sell the walleyes. It is also illegal to have more then 2 Red Lake walleyes in your possession. Buying Red Lake walleyes is just as illegal as keeping more then your limit and sneaking them home under the seat of your pickup.

[halad]

As long as they dont use gill nets i have no problem with what they do with their fish. Soon they will have a place where they can sell them legally.

[swedishpimple]

I know of a little "grey area" on the possession of Red Lake Walleyes. It is possible to legally take a limit of 6 Lower Red Walleyes. (MN Regs. apply, no more than 1 over 20") It may even be that the fish come out of another lake.

This was true last year and as of now is true this year. Who knows if the regs will be changed by the "Opener".

[cookie129]

Yes there is always someone that finds loop holes

[swedishpimple]

Not a "loop-hole", just a forgotten area for the last 10 years.....until last "opener", you being from Waskish should be able to zero right in.

[Eric Wettschreck]

My guess in how to stop boot-legging, if it is happening, is to not support the business and call TIP anytime you see "Business transactions" taking place. If you have a camera on ya take a picture. If you have a video camera on ya, make a home movie.

[swedishpimple]

I would have to think that Minnesota's only weapon against "bootlegging" is to go after the "user". In my opinion, I feel the "dealers" are largely untouchable. Kind of like the D.A.R.E program fro 6th graders. Nip the demand and the supply should go away.

[kelly-p]

I'm sure that the wording in the law creating your "grey area" will be corrected by this opener. It upset a lot of people.

[Slabby]

thanks for bringing the issue to light pimple.I understand why some people get upset about the mere mention of these kinds of issues. Personally I think enlightenment to a larger group of fisherman is more likely to bring about action and change

[big drift]

For questions regarding Red Lake Band Conservation Law Enforcement call Red Lake DPS CO Sgt. Pat Graves 218-679-3313,

Pat is a great guy and a good cop who is really out to protect his peoples resources.