Our thanks go out to Warden Stone for sending this out to us and making this follow-up information available to those of us that care so much about the tremendous resource we have on the Mississippi River. Take down that T.I.P. Hot-Line number at the end of this post, keep it in your wallet or program it into your cell phone. It only took one phone call to stop these guys. Something you see on the water the next time you’re out fishing might result in halting the next group of poachers on your favorite body of water.
CONTACT:
Conservation Warden Martin Stone
(715) 273-4624
Conservation Warden Brad Peterson
(715) 425-5357
SUBJECT: Fish Poachers Boat, Tackle Confiscated, Penalties Exceed $6,000
ELLSWORTH, Wis. – Four anglers from Colorado and Iowa found in possession of 756 walleye and sauger fillets taken by the group in eight days were fined more than $6,000 after being found guilty Aug. 13 in Pierce County Court by Judge Robert Wing. Judge Wing also confiscated the fishing tackle and boat used in the violations. Three of the four also lost the privilege to hunt and fish in Wisconsin for three years. One lost hunting and fishing privileges for one year.
Conservation Wardens Martin Stone and Brad Peterson initiated surveillance of the anglers after a citizen complained that the men were over-bagging on walleye and sauger while fishing on the Mississippi River below Lock & Dam 3. The surveillance resulted in discovery of the 756 walleye and sauger fillets frozen in coolers.
The four were: John G. Simmons, Evansdale IA., Rance G. Simmons, Colorado Springs, CO., Chance W. Daves, Colorado Springs, CO., and Clifford W. Duzenack, LaVeta, CO. John G. Simmons paid a penalty of $168.20 and his boat, a 1998 Lund 18-foot Pro-V with 115 horsepower motor, valued at an estimated $12,000 was confiscated. His privilege of hunting and fishing in Wisconsin was revoked for one year.
Rance G. Simmons, Daves and Duzenack each were charged with possession in excess of the bag limit and also charged with restitution each paying penalties of $1,974.50. Simmons and Daves also were charged with littering, and each paid a $150.50 penalty. The Pierce County Court also confiscated the fishing poles and tackle used in the violations. In addition the court revoked the privilege of hunting and fishing in Wisconsin for three years for all three.
Stone said the case was initiated in 1999 when he received a complaint of overbagging by individuals who were staying in a cabin along the Mississippi River near Hager City, WI. During March of 2001, a caller provided Stone the best information he had on the violators and their boat and remarked that he hoped he wasn’t sending Stone on a wild goose chase. Stone told the caller that Conservation Wardens aren’t bothered by complains. He said most complaints are valid and usually more is going on than what’s at the surface of what a complainant observes.
Stone said it’s extremely important for people who suspect or observe violations to call their local Conservation Warden. He said there are very few wardens in the state, normally only two per county, and they need all the help they can get. Observations and complaints from citizens and sportsmen really assist a local Conservation Warden, he said. “Great cases that are made in the state are normally generated from a single citizen complaint. Most of these come from citizens who are concerned sportsmen and want to take part in protecting their natural resources and the sport they love,” he said.
After receiving the complaint Stone enlisted the help of the second Pierce County Conservation Warden Brad Peterson. Stone and Peterson made a game plan to observe these individuals. For a period of four days Wardens took shifts surveying these four individuals. The shifts were from approximately 6:00 a.m. until midnight on a majority of the four days. Wardens noted suspected double tripping violations, which is catching your limit in the morning and then going back out in the afternoon and catching your limit again in the same day, explained Stone. Anglers are only allowed the daily bag limit per day.
Wardens also noted several littering violations that occurred over the surveillance period. The Wardens documented all suspected and actual violations that they had observed.
Then on the fourth day it appeared that three of the group were loading up a truck to head home. This was in fact the case; the three climbed in the truck and left. Peterson radioed Stone who then conducted a traffic stop. There, Wardens found two coolers containing 756 frozen skinless walleye and sauger filets. The three confessed that they had caught these fish over an eight-day period while vacationing here and just wanted to bring a lot of fish home.
The Wardens seized all equipment: poles, fish, fillets and coolers. The Wardens also seized the boat from Simmons that had been used to commit the violations.
The combined possession limit for these three individuals is only 36 fish total. Stone estimated that these individuals were approximately 342 fish over their limit. Through the hard work of Pierce County District Attorney, John O’Boyle, the four were charged and found guilty of possession of fish over their limit. Stone explained this type of involvement between wardens, the district attorney, and Wisconsin’s citizens is paramount to the protection of our natural resources.
Stone said the case was the direct result of an alert citizen calling in a complaint. Both Stone and Peterson said it’s important for all people who see what appears to be a violation to call a Conservation Warden. Complaints can be made anonymously and if inconvenient to call direct to a local warden anyone can call toll free to 1-800-TIP-WDNR to file a complaint.
