Hmong Fisherman? I am!

[Mongro02]

I agree...but to me the issue isn't about Language. I think that is where many people are missing the point. See I can bet you that the majority of Fishermen (Whether Hmong or Not)know what the Reg's say and know the limits. To me it's Ignorance.

If I can do it and no one knows...who is it hurting? I know that for a fact because I know and have been around people who will take whatever they get.

See there is two words in the English Language that Hmong Language Doesn't have: Integrity and Ethics.

If I can get away with something...I will do until I get caught. That is the mentality. Once I get caught I know better, I will stop. And play dumb. By playing Dumb, I can get away with it, most of the time.

If you hand out enough $1000 tickets for Poaching, some one will get the point and stop. And you know what...when they recieve that $1000 ticket they will tell everyone they know that they did. Word of mouth...Just like the word spreads when fish are biting...

Believe me...I have heard...and then they will know the next time they hit the lakes to be watchful.

The Big issue is that as always been stated on these forums: The DNR DOES NOT have enough CO's to patrol the waterways...and people DO NOT call TIP enough.

And again...People want to make this about Hmong people and yes, I can agree that there are a lot of Hmong Fisherpeople out there who have to bring, their 10,000 kids with their mother and father and grandparents and every immediate family member to fish. But I know...that there are plenty of people out there who Poach and I know that it's not all Hmong People. I have made an attempt to turn in a plenty of people...and I know they aren't all Hmong.

To me all this talk about the language barrier and not understanding the Reg's is just an excuse and a reason to get out of something...Ignorance.

So how does this get resolved....I don't know.

What I do know is my cell phone is always with me and I don't care if you are red, yellow, black, white, green or blue...I will call the authorities on you if I see you doing something illegal.

I'm not going to confront you...I'm not going to "teach" you the regs...I have no problem having the Authorities deal with it.

That may not do much...but I can try.

[fishkaholic]

I agree with you mongro2.Im a hmong fisherman. I love fishing. There is not one day that I dont think about go fishing. But its not the race or language. I do agree, it is the IGNORANCE. I fish with respect of the game. I only bring in what is legal and just enough for dinner. The only thing that can get these resolved is for whoever is poaching get ticket by a CO. Therefore the more tickets gets passed around, than words will spread and that should be keeping everyone following the rules. But whoever is poaching, everybody who is a true fisherman to the sport will definitely call T.I.P. because I do want to be able to fish in the future and still have fish to fish for.

[MyThai]

Imagine if you will… you committed a crime and you were sentenced to appear in court. It does not matter if your crime was a motor vehicle violation, a fishing violation, a hunting violation, or a possession of illegal substance. These are hypothetical crimes and not intended to offend any person. If you were standing in front of the judge, what would you say in your own defense for these crimes?

My point is, NOT KNOWING THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE. Laws are made to keep order and about 98% will abide by them. Only the 1% - 2% will break them. This is basic human nature and it does not reflect on any national origin, any race, or any sex/gender. Please do not apply labels on any race or people in general. As sportsman, we all share the responsibilities to educate each other. Look at the basic foundation of the site. We share our vast knowledge of fishing to promote and help our fellow sportsmen.

[870Express]

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Anyways, i thought most 4 year colleges preferred for students to have completed more than ONE semester of a foreign language before entering college?

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Nope. Absolutely wrong. I attend and work in the admissions office of the largest private college in Minnesota. While we require two semesters, I have never heard of a 4-year college (state or private)in Minnenesota requiring four years of a foreign language in high school. Actually I know most (if not all) Ivy League Colleges DO NOT require four years of a foreign language.

[FWA]

OT-kinda...

Fellow Hmong fisherman,

How's the white bass bite?? I was duped my my old neighbor into buying a WI license last year, in order to fish the Apple River. Well, on the day he lead me to his money spot, we were skunked and he dipped out on us after only an hour and half. Anyways, anyone been out around there or elsewhere??? Please give me some 411 - either post or PM. I have plenty of room in the Lund if you wanna show me, too!

[FWA]

On topic,

To vister, your story is non-relevant to the Hmong you are referring to.

You have been educating yourself ever since you were a child. Going to school is all you have ever known since you were 4 or 5 years old. So taking a semester of Spanish is not going to be very hard because you have already trained your mind on how to learn and have techniques on how to learn. The old Hmong folks, that you say need to learn English, have never seen a classroom or even a chalk board until they came to this country. Their classrooms are the fields where they farm and the jungles where they used to fight in. The only training they have been doing is all based on surviving to see the next day or making sure there is food to feed their family. Learning a new language is totally new to them. They are starting from scratch.

It's almost like teaching a toddler the ABC's, except for that these are not children and their minds are not as quick to pick up new ideas and information like a child or toddler would. You even stated this fact in your post. Everything takes a lot longer and is a lot harder for them.

However, despite there difficulty with learning the language, its still no excuse for breaking the law.

[nofishfisherman]

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Anyways, i thought most 4 year colleges preferred for students to have completed more than ONE semester of a foreign language before entering college?

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Nope. Absolutely wrong. I attend and work in the admissions office of the largest private college in Minnesota. While we require two semesters, I have never heard of a 4-year college (state or private)in Minnenesota requiring four years of a foreign language in high school. Actually I know most (if not all) Ivy League Colleges DO NOT require four years of a foreign language.

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Not sure if you read the original post correctly, the post never mentions needing 4 years of a foreign language to get into college. The post just says that colleges want MORE THEN ONE semester of a language, 2 semesters would qualify as more then one.

[fishinfey8]

most 4yr. colleges require at least 2yrs of foreign language in high school, and even then you have to take an assessment test to see what lvl. your are. based on how well you do on the test is the determining factor if you need to take any in college.

[nofishfisherman]

Thats my experience as well. I went to the University of St. Thomas and thats the requirements I had to follow.

[fishinfey8]

really?!? I am thinking about transfering there next semester...its between st. thomas and bethel, any suggestions???

[JOHN T jr.]

Hay "Fishinfey8" try BETHEL......You will never be sorry .

[nofishfisherman]

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really?!? I am thinking about transfering there next semester...its between st. thomas and bethel, any suggestions???

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I loved St. Thomas. My sister went to Bethel along with a few other friends so I know alot about Bethel as well. Both schools are good it just depends on what you are looking for. What are you majoring in?

Personally knowing what I know now about each school I would not consider Bethel as an option for myself, Bethel tends to shelter their students a little too much for my liking.

Shoot me an email and I can help you with any questions you might have.

[email protected]

[fishinfey8]

yeah...haha well i'm majoring in general business...if i go to st. thomas i would go into the entrepreneur program, but the shelter is accually what i'm looking for. I have a bunch of friends at St. thomas, and its a little too crazy for my liking! I know about being sheltered though...i grew up in christian schools my whole life untill high school where i went to hermantown(public) and hit reality pretty hard. Now that i have expirenced the wild side i need to get back in an environment away from partying.

[nofishfisherman]

St. Thomas has the party scene for sure as all colleges do, including Bethel. But at St. Thomas there are alot of people who aren't into that though. I made it through all of college at St. Thomas while never going to a wild party and never drinking while underage.

At Bethel I know that type of stuff goes on as well they just hide it better. I have heard that if you go out into the woods on campus the woods are litered with beer cans all over the place.

Its just a matter of who you hang out with really.

If you are looking at going for business St. Thomas is probably your better choice from an education perspective. They're business program is very well respected nationwide and there are alot of good internships possibilities.

If you are looking for connections to Christian organizations at St. Thomas I can recommend a few, I actually help run a few of them at different times.

Any more questions just shoot me an email that way we aren't cluttering this thread any more, I'll tell you what ever I know. [email protected]

[walleyeJoe]

you wanna know what bothers me the most, i have been fishing for some time now, and i have been lucky enough to make a living out of it, but i am not lucky enough to leave mille lacs my second home, and come home to my hometown of prior lake and go under the bridge between upper and lower prior to see ethnic men and women probably in there 20's 40's sitting there allllll day long. but its not just that you can sit there as much as you want, the dedication is amazing, the funny part is it's at 12:00 in the afternoon on a tuesday. i fish for a job. but these guys shouldnt. but it makes me sick inside to see some of the fish that they keep. i mean some of the crappies and sun fish that they keep are about the size of bait i would use trolling for walleyes in middle of october for those trophy eyes. i mean come on maybe you should educate them on re- harvesting lakes? or maybe catch and release? because a walleye is about 6 bucks for a meal at the store, and i know they're better then 6 inch crappies!!!!

[vister]

You should take a look on the post "stupid poachers" under misc. forums in the outdoor discussion. It was in this forum, but moved. Lots of yays and nays about them little pannies.

[fisherman-andy]

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you wanna know what bothers me the most, i have been fishing for some time now, and i have been lucky enough to make a living out of it, but i am not lucky enough to leave mille lacs my second home, and come home to my hometown of prior lake and go under the bridge between upper and lower prior to see ethnic men and women probably in there 20's 40's sitting there allllll day long. but its not just that you can sit there as much as you want, the dedication is amazing, the funny part is it's at 12:00 in the afternoon on a tuesday. i fish for a job. but these guys shouldnt. but it makes me sick inside to see some of the fish that they keep. i mean some of the crappies and sun fish that they keep are about the size of bait i would use trolling for walleyes in middle of october for those trophy eyes. i mean come on maybe you should educate them on re- harvesting lakes? or maybe catch and release? because a walleye is about 6 bucks for a meal at the store, and i know they're better then 6 inch crappies!!!!

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I think your upset for the wrong reasons. I don't really see Prior being short of any small pannies as far as I remember. Plus the area I think your speaking of is one of the few public land access area's. So it's very concentrated in just that area. I think boaters by far outnumber them on fishing pressure with access throughout the whole lake keeping all the big fish. It's kinda vice versa and the lake can still produce enough for both.

Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with you. Selective harvesting allows fish to grow larger. Maybe by having those smaller fish taken it'll keep the pannies from becoming stunted? Again the area is very concentrated so I don't think it'll even affect the fish population at all in Prior.

We got to understand that not everyone have the same ethics as we fishing enthusiast do. But as long as they are doing it legally and within limit then I don't see this as an issue.

[magic_minnow]

Well said fisherman-andy.

[walleyeJoe]

that is a good point, but it just bothers me to see a fish go in the buckt that i dont even think i could fillet

[joeyquicksand*]

what should i start doing, should i want to be able to fish for work in the future?

[DinkADunk]

My wife is Thai and (i'm just an American mutt) and we make our own fish sauce by catching a limit of smallish panfish, rinse and degut, pack them in a jar with a lot of salt, wieght the fish down so they don't float, and then let them rot for a eight months with plent of time spent in the sun. After eight months we drain the liquid, filter it, air it out a bit and use it as fish sauce in cooking. The rotten fish carcasses are then tossed in the trash and we start again. This is the same process that commercial firms use but they generally use salt water species about 5-6" long. Freshwater panfish make a superior sauce.

[Slyster]

uhhhhh... I think think I prefer them beer battered and deep fried from the sounds of that! Egads!

[magic_minnow]

Whoa! that sounds good. Ive heard of Laotians using Catfish to make something similar. CARPE DIEM! u only live once, I'd like to say I would try anything once. Dink-a-dunk, your wife must make u that spicy noodle soup huh? that stuffs killer!

[DinkADunk]

If you've ever had any Thai food then you've had fish sauce. BTW, once all of the juices have been extracted and filtered from the rotting and fermenting fish it's just a clear brown liquid that's salty like soy sauce. It actually has a fairly pleasent smell and is great to cook with. One nice sauce is to take some fish sauce, soy sauce or Maggi, chopped garlic, chopped chili, cilantro, and lime juic. Mix it up and use it over fried fish, stir fry, or anything you want to kick up a bit (or a lot). And yes fish sauce does look a bit disgusting while you're making it, and yes we do keep track of how many fish we use so that we do not go over our possession limit of panfish. However, since I, my wife, and both kids fish for the pot we can keep a bunch of panfish (80). I figure once the liquid has been drained off and the carcasses disposed of then I am free to catch another limit.

[magic_minnow]

Yea thats a great recipe! Ive had it on fried white bass....man is that killer! You should post that on the RECIPE thread.

[LOTWSvirgin]

They elder hmong might not be able to be taught how to speak english but I am sure the could be able to count!!!!

10 crappies the black and silver looking fish

20 perch the yellow and striped fish

6 walleyes the white tipped fish

3 northerns the snake looking fish

ETC!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

[fisherman-andy]

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They elder hmong might not be able to be taught how to speak english but I am sure the could be able to count!!!!

10 crappies the black and silver looking fish

20 perch the yellow and striped fish

6 walleyes the white tipped fish

3 northerns the snake looking fish

ETC!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

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There is no reason to target Hmong elders or any Ethnic group as this whole thread has plenty covered that issue over & over. People of all ethnic & ages break the law mostly because they want to. Not because they can't speak english or can't count.

However feel free to add idea's and comment solutions but lets be courteous & stop with all this blame. It's getting old & no where.

[Johnny_Da_Der]

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...this whole thread has plenty covered that issue over & over.

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However feel free to add idea's and comment solutions but lets be courteous & stop with all this blame. It's getting old & no where.

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one would have thought that it would have gotten old by now.

i'm afraid it's pointless, fisherman-andy. responding to it provides some form of positive reinforcement. just ignore it.

don't feed the trolls.

[hondavxr]

Well, I guess a lot of people just take things for granted and think they are mighty cuz they can speak english. If they were in a situation where they were not speaking the native tongue, then maybe they can feel how it is to be in another person's shoes. My father speaks four languages , including English and he said English was by far the hardest. I see all these replies" Speak English, learn English." I am pretty sure most of those people want to learn and speak English. Just because you speak English are high and mighty. Try learning and speaking another language, it aint easy. I bet you will not be saying "speak (insert any language here)" anymore.

[fishrman]

Hello all I know I am joining this discussion late, but I am glad alot of what has been said was said. I am a Hmong fisherman. I appreciate those of you who are interested in learning the history of the hmong people. It is a big part of the hystory of this great country that is not being taught or even mentioned in our school systems.(I know it has already been said but if you are not clear on why Hmong people are here or want to learn more please ask) I agree there is a language barrier, but there is also alot of "I can get away with it". There are many problems in this world and we can take this kind of thinking and discussion to almost any subject. Can I blame any of you who like to drink beer for those who have multiple DWI's or for the drunken driver who killed my friends mother last year. We all need to educate ourselves about each other so we can look at each other as fellow fisherman. Problems take time to solve but if we all don't do something towards the solution all we are doing is spouting hot air (myself included). The one thing I can garantee is that there will always be new imagrants who come to this country. Our past shows this. So when any new group comes here it will take time for them to learn the language, laws, and so forth. Let's all work together at this no matter what background we come from. The Asian people might be the issue now, but they weren't in the past and who know's who will be 10 years from now. I'm sorry if I am long winded. I would love to meet all of you some day and share fishing stories. Not as someone of a different race, but as a fellow fisherman. God Bless and Good Fishing