shame on Midwest Outdoors, and Ted T, and Perry G

Anybody else think the Midwest Outdoors exercised bad judgement in the way that they aired the segment of T Takasaki (and family) & P Good (and son) catching walleyes on Red Lake?

No problem with the fishing method. They were using bona-fide crappie technique in bona-fide crappie water.
No problem with incidentally catching walleyes either, it happens to most every crappie fisherman on that lake.

BUT . . .walleyes are to be IMMEDIATELY released . . . not held up to the camera for however long it takes someone to finish with his commentary!!

I saw that segment. Two things bothered me. One, they never said anything about the fact that walleye fishing is closed on URL right now. Second, if you were supposedly looking for Crappies and weren’t finding any, but catching Walleye after Walleye, wouldn’t you move? I’d be a lot more impressed if they showed us something about finding the Crappies they claimed to be after.

Rootski

Thank you for posting this. I watched the segment and I was very confused. I was thinking that they were fishing for crappies and just catching walleyes by mistake. After seeing the tackle and two walleye pros in the boat, I realized that this was not the case. I thought that fishing for walleyes up there was illegal.

On a side note, the fish they were catching looked very skinny and almost unhealthy.

I did see the show as well! Was it a live show? Are the walleyes closed year round? I thought the show was pretty good, nice to see a family fishing together and from what I saw, every fish was released and swam away. I doubt that showing a fish on camera for a bit did them any harm, how many times have we all taken several pictures of big fish or small fish before releasing them? These shows are taped and this one could be several years old even. I personally find no issues with it at all.

Some of these peolpe that are on Outdoor shows need to always remember that many of us are watching them alot closer than they think. Being in the public eye they need to take a more active role in explaining fishing ethics. Thanks

Ted posted this on our boards:

These type of issues are always the tough ones…

I am certainly able and willing to stand up to the scrutiny of the public and want to address this issue quickly.

To summarize…

Perry Good, his son Jason, my wife Lori and daughter Kristi were on Red Lake last spring to fish for crappies. If you did notice, we mentioned at the very beginning of the show that we were there to catch crappies.

We were fishing with a center slider slip float and a 1/64 oz. Little Nipper jig. We were also pitching 1/16 oz. Max Gap jigs and 2″ Munchies Grubs, all crappie oriented baits. We moved several times to look for crappies and walleyes obviously got in the way. We just couldn’t catch any crappies that day.

We released every fish that we caught and just had a fun time catching them…that’s all. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ILLEGAL about what we did. As I mentioned earlier, we did move several times to locate the crappie. I would guess that all I’m guilty of is being a lousy crappie angler.

Now, Midwest Outdoors captured the action as it happened. I agree 100% that they should NOT have aired the segment as a Red Lake piece.

Nobody would have even noticed if it was shown as a fun family fishing outing. But, there’s nothing that I can do after the video is shot and the editing done. Maybe they should have just destroyed the tape… But, again I do not work for Midwest Outdoors and there’s nothing that I could have done about it.

Midwest Outdoors does the very best that they can do to provide quality programming and “as it happens” fishing. They obviously missed on this one.

I apologize if I personally offended anyone, but as I have described above, we were completely legal. I do look forward to fishing Red Lake for walleyes in 2006, but not until then!

Sincerely,

Ted Takasaki

I have seen this to often on the fishing shows. Screwing around with pictures for too long and probably a an eventual dead fish released. I have missed a few nice Musky photos, but would rather have the fish released to live again then die.

Thanks for posting Ted’s reply Joe!! I’m going to play devil’s advocate here and keep in mind I have not saw this piece yet.

These two guys are well known pros and have opened themselves up to a large amount of scrutiny from the general public. I believe these two guys have as much to make off the walleyes as any of us. Do you really think they are were intentionally trying to hurt the fishery? I’m sure not! So, then is it safe to say they probably are more educated on handling walleyes than most? I’d venture a most likely.

If you are taking your family out fishing, don’t you just want a tug on the end of the line? I know I sure do. I think keeping kids interested in fishing is much easier this way. Now if I’m on a lake that has bass biting like mad, but the season isn’t open yet, does it make me wrong to stick around and let the fun continue?? Assuming I’m slip bobber fishing for crappies. All of a sudden we catch an 8lber. I allow my daughter to hoist it up for a picture before releasing, now I’ve broken the law right?? Come on, let’s use a little common sense.

I guess I have a hard time cricizing a couple of guys who probably were just having fun fishing with the family that really didn’t do any damage to the fishery.

I think we have a lot more important and bigger issues we should focus our efforts on. Sadly this kind of criticism probably keeps many pros from joining our ranks. I know I wouldn’t want to have my life watched with a microscope. Remember, it’s just my opinion, not directed at anyone!!

Nothing personal CK, but a few of your questions and comments remind me that non-Minnesotans may need to be brought up to speed on this issue.

Yes, this lake has been closed for walleyes ALL YEAR LONG, every year since 1999. The age of Ted’s daughter would indicate that this wasn’t “more-than-six-year-old footage pulled from the archives”.

It’s not that I think any of these fish were harmed that bothers me. It’s that I know if certain Conservation Officers observed me doing what they were doing (holding up walleyes to a camcorder and talking about them rather than IMMEDIATELY putting them back into the water), I would get a ticket.

I saw the show, and I agree with you Kooty, everybody likes to get their families involved in fishing and especially the catching….but I also agree that some errors in judgement were made by both the anglers and by Midwest Outdoors in letting this show air. Neither of those guys work for Midwest Outdoors and my guess is they both had to sign a letter of release or else got payment in some form for the show. That being the case, they need to assume some responsibility in the content of what was aired. The fact is there is no open walleye season on Red Lake. If they were targeting crappies, they didn’t make it very apparent. And since they didn’t catch any, in my opinion, they shouldn’t have aired the tape.

“And that’s all I have to say about that.” – Forrest Gump

“There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ILLEGAL about what we did.”

B as in B and S as in S!

If you are targeting crappie and are catching walleye after walleye and do not leave the area or change tactics, you are breaking the law. At the very least you are bending it so far backwards it deserves ridicule.

It’s definitely against the law. Have seen this same situation 2 times that resulted in tickets. Once on Lindstom once on Mille Lacs. Guys get popped on Mille Lacs every spring “Perch Fishing” a spot, catching walleyes and not leaving! I think a call to the Minnesota TIP line would be in order. Let’s see what the DNR thinks of it. Turn In Poachers > 1-800-652-9093.

Jon J (You da man, also)
If Gary Wellman declines my “draft GARY for DNR Commissioner” effort, would you accept the nomination ?

The DNR actually rights tickets for guys who are perch fishing in a walleye spot?? I would throw a tantrum from the Pond to the Govenor’s office. It’s one thing if I’m throwing a muskie bucktail, for “bass” but when I’m using a small jigging spoon with a minnow head, any fish could hit it. That’s bogus getting a ticket. Although in the “land of more stupid laws than you can shake a stick at” it wouldn’t suprise me if the regulations stated this. “If you are catching fish that are out of season, you must leave this spot immediately.”

I understand it was very poor judgement on these guys and Midwest to air a piece like this, but come on. Don’t we have real poachers to worry about??

I know of someone who recently caught a paddle fish out of season. He hoisted it, took a pic the fish was released. Should he get a ticket? By some folks thinking, yes. I called the DNR to ask. This is an exact quote from the head of the fisheries department, “I would hope my CO’s would use their best judgement and not ticket an angler for documenting a prized catch. It is however technically illegal to take a photo, but we have more important issues to deal with than this.”

Like all laws, there is an interpretation. All I’m asking for is some common sense, which back to the original post, wasn’t used by any of the parties!!

PS. I would vote for Jon or Gary!!!

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The DNR actually rights tickets for guys who are perch fishing in a walleye spot??

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Yes, they do.

It’s one thing to accidentally catch a fish out of season. It’s another to intentionally do it over and over.

-J.

I agree with Kooty! Well put!!!!!!!!!!

Jon,

I totally understand what your point is. As Ted said in his response, they had moved several times, and were not targetting walleyes. Do you, and the rest of you, think that someone in their position would have actually done this with intension of catching walleyes, and breaking the law? Really now, have you ever sat on a reef, in March, on Mille Lacs, fishing perch and caught several walleyes? I’ll bet you have, I have…and did we move…I didn’t, because the perch were jumbos mixed in with the eyes. I saw a show put on by the Capra’s a while back fishing for perch on Devils Lake. In the segments they showed several walleyes being caught along with the perch. They filmed the catch, the CPR, and the drop back in the hole. I really think everyone is making much more of this than it really is. As far as targeting a species of fish, and catching something else is concerned…..we have all done it.

It is a common practice, right or wrong to take a picture of a nice Red Lake walleye, people do it all the time. I did not see the show but I have no problem with someone catching walleye instead of crappie while they are targeting crappies. I am not advocating breaking the law, just stating that people handle walleye all winter for pictures.

I talked to Perry Good at a boat show last year and he told me about this trip. They were targeting crappies and that is why they went to Red Lake. It just happened to be one of those days when the walleye were on the chew and the crappies were not. It happens a lot in spring.

I do agree that not saying anything about the fact that it is illegal to keep walleye from Red Lake was a mistake on their part.

Q. Do you, and the rest of you, think that someone in their position would have actually done this with intension of catching walleyes, and breaking the law?

A. I think people do stupid things all the time.

Q. Have you ever sat on a reef, in March, on Mille Lacs, fishing perch and caught several walleyes? I’ll bet you have.

A. No

Q. I saw a show put on by the Capra’s a while back fishing for perch on Devils Lake. In the segments they showed several walleyes being caught along with the perch. They filmed the catch, the CPR, and the drop back in the hole.

A. Walleye season does not close in North Dakota.

Jon, I understand your point. However, if you fish perch on Winni in March you are going to get walleye, everyone does. If you moved every time you got a walleye you would not be able to perch fish. I understand the law, but common sence has to be taken into account also. There is a reason walleye season is closed and perch season is still open on Winni, so you can still fish. Same thing holds true for Red, as it is very hard to fish for anything on Red Lake and not catch walleye.

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I understand the law, but common sence has to be taken into account also.

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Where is the common scense in airing a show on crappie fishing and catching almost all walleye?

-J.

If we are worried about fish not making it because someone holds it up for a picture why do we have tournaments where we keep fish in a live well and then bring them in to be weighed etc. I say that the DNR or anyone else that authorizes or participates in a tournament is a hypocrite if the say holding a fish up for a picture will harm it.

JIM

Jon, I do not know if you fish Red Lake in the spring much. But, if you go fishing and the crappies are not going, all you are going to get is walleye.

They went to Red Lake crappie fishing and all they could catch were walleye. They aired the footage they got from the day. If all you catch is walleye and you are targeting crappie, I would say that is a typical day of fishing on Red Lake. Sometimes the crappies bite and sometimes it is only walleye.

Jim,

I don’t think that was the point. Holding the fish up for a picture directly conflicts with “Must be Immediately Released”, not “Released after I take a picture”

-J.

I guess it was the “That’s a nice eating size walleye” comment that confused me…..

Come on, Scott that show was not well thought out. If Takasaki did a walleye show on the Mississippi and caught only sheephead, that tape would be in the garbage can!

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I guess it was the “That’s a nice eating size walleye” comment that confused me…..

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Not to mention “there’s a good walleye chop out here today”.

Jim
Tournament fish in a livewell still have to be “in season”.
Walleyes haven’t been in season on Red AT ALL for the last 6 years!

And it isn’t so much that I’m worried about those fish not surviving that bothers me as much as:
I know if certain Conservation Officers observed me doing what they were doing (holding up walleyes to a camcorder and talking about them rather than IMMEDIATELY putting them back into the water), I would get a ticket.

LOL…I hope the typical day walleye fishing on the river does not routinely yield only sheephead.

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LOL…I hope the typical day walleye fishing on the river does not routinely yield only sheephead.

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I usually hope so too !!
But I have had those days

2 points i have. First one is about 5 years ago i was crappie fishing a spot at night in april and catching nice crappies, but i was catching a walleye for every crappie i caught. I fished next too a guy for about 2 hours, both of us catching craps and eyes. We got too talking about some “slobs” that were fishing there and actually keeping the walleyes. He then gives me his cell number telling me he is a warden and is trying too catch the fellas keeping the walleyes. Bringing me too my point, he didnt ticket me for sitting there and catching walleyes as i was catching craps also. Whats more important, someone like me catching some accidental eyes or the guy that says hes crap fishing and keeping 5 lb female walleyes every night out of season. (by the way i did assist that warden that year as i witnessed a guy keep 3 walleyes from 26-28″, threw them all in his trunk thinking i didnt see what was going on. Warden caught up with him and busted him with those fish and a severe overlimit of eyes in his freezer. Turned out it was his 3rd offense of this nature and lost his liscense for a long time).
My second point, how bout we worry about the people on Red who go up and keep the dang walleyes despite the laws and take them home, or clean them and bury the remains in the snow. Those are the people we need too be making a fuss over. People on this site and the other site i read are all up in arms over this, i agree it may have been in poor taste too air the show, but come on guys. Ted Takasaki isnt the one thats potentially damaging this fishery, its the “slobs” who go up too Red and keep dozens of walleyes all the time. We all know its happening. The resort owners see the remains when they replow the snow after people rent their sleepers. Lets crack down on the people who really deserve it!