More lost nets found on Mille Lacs!

[Mayfly]

Net Losses
Aitkin man fishing on Mille Lacs hits lost gillnet, with about 70 fish in tow
By BRIAN S. PETERSON  Brainerd Dispatch

The "stringer" of fish flowed from behind Dave Quast's boat on Lake Mille Lacs.
Walleye, perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, even eelpout. About 70 fish in all, he figured.
And Quast was devastated.
While it resembled a monstrous stringer - and essentially served the same purpose - Quast pulled a gillnet behind his boat after hitting it with his motor Tuesday night off Myr Mar Reef, about 4 miles north of Garrison, Quast said.
The net was likely one of about 15 lost by Chippewa band members when ice flows trapped the nets April 30. Each year the bands are allowed to set the 100-foot nets and spear for spawning walleyes in Mille Lacs under an 1837 treaty. At least two of the nets were lost north of Garrison, the rest on the south side.
Eight of the nets were reportedly recovered soon after, and tribal officials estimated that each contained about 40 pounds of walleyes. So officials subtracted that amount - for each net lost - from the tribe's annual quota of 122,500 pounds of walleye.
As of Thursday morning, Ron Payer, DNR fisheries section chief, said he thought only two of the nets remained unaccounted for, although he didn't know if that number included Quast's find. Either way, there's at least one net still out there.
"It wasn't a pretty sight. They (the fish) were pretty well decomposed," Quast, 59, of Aitkin said. "One of the walleyes was pretty fresh, so that net was still killing fish. And a perch was still jumping around. And they (nets) are still out there and still killing fish."
"It's sinful the fish that died in that net," said Quast's wife, Gloria.
Quast was fishing at about 7 p.m. Tuesday in 8 to 9 feet of water about a quarter- to a half-mile off shore when he hit the net.
"I didn't know what it was. It killed the motor. I thought something was up," he said. "I restarted it and put it in gear and went a little ways and it stopped again. I tried to start it one more time and it locked up. I looked behind and I was pulling a string of walleyes. (Then) I knew what it was right away.
"I untangled it and hooked it onto the boat and dragged it home. There were 70 fish, but actually a few more than that because some got off in the lake when I started pulling it. There was just about everything ... a 22-inch walleye and the northern was probably 30 inches."
Quast immediately contacted the DNR and they picked up the net.
"There's so many stories you don't know what to believe," Quast said of the number of nets that were lost - and remain - in Mille Lacs. "The DNR couldn't tell me either."
Said Payer: "The ice will often roll up the net. But if a net is lost it can keep fishing for a while until it gets saturated. It's not a good thing."
Nor has been the fishing on that side of Mille Lacs, according to Quast. The net was about the only thing he caught Tuesday.
"It's terrible," he said. "There's no fish left on this (the Garrison) side."

[Spinach]

This story keeps getting more interesting..... Was it 15 nets that were claimed to be lost, that # is higher than i heard a couple of weeks ago, I thought they originally claimed 10?

[Mayfly]

Pictures used by permission from James Holst and Idofishing.com

[Mayfly]

[GirlGuide]

Tim, was the date wrong on the camera?  Or are these pictures from 2006?

Regardless, it still makes me sick that they can do this...how  pathetic!!

gg

[Randy Kaar]

thanks Tim for the story and pics, thats just plain wrong
and wasteful.

randy aka bh

[Mayfly]

The dates on the pictures are obviously wrong as this was just last week and there generally isn't open water and green grass in February. 

[Randy Kaar]

i heard he didnt have his kids there to show him how to set
the date on his camera

randy aka bh

[Mayfly]

It will be interesting to follow this story. There was a tag on the net that will identify the person that lost this net and they should be getting a ticket for the loss of the net according to the regluations set by the GLIFWIC.

[Mayfly]

Here is a quote from Quast:

"These are pictures I took last night on my property on Mille Lacs lake. I went out fishing and caught this net in the prop of my boat and pulled it to shore. There were more than 70 fish in this net, in all stages of decomposition. Some were as fresh as a day old. These nets continue to kill fish. These nets were put out by the indian netters this spring, before the ice was completely off the lake, and were lost when the ice shifted. This is a travesty that should not be allowed to happen, but it continues because our politicians and media do not have a backbone to speak of. I would appreciate it if you would publish these photos in your paper to spread the word about this disaster that is happening on Mille Lacs lake."

This quote came from an article in the Mille Lacs Messenger:

http://www.millelacsmessenger.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=18457

[repoman]

 

[Wagz]

That is too bad..

You wish the real story would come out about how many nets were lost ...

By the way who pays to fix the lower unit on the boat ?

[Cody Gruchow]

i say this is one reason why it shouldnt be allowed at all.  and also who's ever net it is should have to pay to repair the boat motor

[DollyGirl]

Nice Article Brian!  More attention needs to be given to errors such as this in the hopes that there will be changes made in the future.  One can only hope.

[tbrown]

Can anyone say RED LAKE This is just pure LAZZINESS AND BEING INCONCIDERATE. The Indians (native americans) consider themselves the protector of mother earth when in acctuality they are helping to destroy it (natural resources).They could careless if this happens and the DNR probably just shrug there shoulders and said ol' well!! did the Indians (native americans) tie our hands behind our backs and there is nothing we can do about this.

[DW17]

Interesting that I come back from Lunch and see this.  At lunch we were talking about the huge spearing controversy in the Butternut Lake area here in Wisconsin 20 years ago.  It was bad everywhere at the time, but I guess here was the epicenter.  Locals were amazed no-one got killed; it was that volitale.  They had the national guard out and troopers from all over.  Local protesters contracted with Miller Brewing and produced a beer called "Treaty Beer" and It sold at local bars for $2.00 a can (1988 Prices) and $1.00 from every can sold went to fight the Natives treaty "rights".  That was the only beer local softball organizations sold and drank all summer.  Makes me sick to see these pictures.  Unfortunate all the way around.

[Mayfly]

Interesting that I come back from Lunch and see this.  At lunch we were talking about the huge spearing controversy in the Butternut Lake area here in Wisconsin 20 years ago.  It was bad everywhere at the time, but I guess here was the epicenter.  Locals were amazed no-one got killed; it was that volitale.  They had the national guard out and troopers from all over.  Local protesters contracted with Miller Brewing and produced a beer called "Treaty Beer" and It sold at local bars for $2.00 a can (1988 Prices) and $1.00 from every can sold went to fight the Natives treaty "rights".  That was the only beer local softball organizations sold and drank all summer.  Makes me sick to see these pictures.  Unfortunate all the way around.

DW17:

What was the outcome after the protests??

[Mayfly]

I read some article on-line and answered my own question.

Honestly the only way anything wil be done, I think, is if there was a very very large protest next year at the ramps. What is there 30, maybe 40 of them there? Well if there were 500+ of us there, which would not be a problem we would get the attention that we want and need. They would bring in the National Guard like they did in Wisconsin 20 years ago. Media outlets from every where would want a peice of this. They don't care about a petition. That is just a peice of paper they can sluff off. According to the supreme court this is a done deal. Seriously, I need about a 6 hour notice and I will be up to join. It would have to be a professional and law abidding protest. We would need to portray a good image. I read an article about the Wisconsin protests, which I think did nothing and one reporter stated that the protesters were drinking beer and shouting racial slurs, which is probably what hurt them. We aren't against Natives, we are against the raping of a resources. I read one comment by someone stating, "what is the differenct between harvesting a big female in the spring compared to the fall?" The difference is huge because we have a PROTECTED slot put in place that PROTECTS the MAJORITY of our spawning females in that lake.

If you all are serious about this we need to rally together, keep momentum going and converge on the landings in a peaceful protest next spring!

[DW17]

Yep, Tim, you pretty much nailed it......

[robpatmc2326]

What are these natives thinking when they take those nets out there and end up losing them in the lake? The amount of fish that are dead because of one lost net is sickening, let alone the fact that there are more out there that are just waiting to be found. how many more fish will have to go to wast before the DNR and the rest of the people in office that will be able to do something about this take a stand and say enough is enough. Stories like this make my blood boil and careless netting needs to be illegal.

[repoman]

I read some article on-line and answered my own question.

Honestly the only way anything wil be done, I think, is if there was a very very large protest next year at the ramps. What is there 30, maybe 40 of them there? Well if there were 500+ of us there, which would not be a problem we would get the attention that we want and need. They would bring in the National Guard like they did in Wisconsin 20 years ago. Media outlets from every where would want a peice of this. They don't care about a petition. That is just a peice of paper they can sluff off. According to the supreme court this is a done deal. Seriously, I need about a 6 hour notice and I will be up to join. It would have to be a professional and law abidding protest. We would need to portray a good image. I read an article about the Wisconsin protests, which I think did nothing and one reporter stated that the protesters were drinking beer and shouting racial slurs, which is probably what hurt them. We aren't against Natives, we are against the raping of a resources. I read one comment by someone stating, "what is the differenct between harvesting a big female in the spring compared to the fall?" The difference is huge because we have a PROTECTED slot put in place that PROTECTS the MAJORITY of our spawning females in that lake.

If you all are serious about this we need to rally together, keep momentum going and converge on the landings in a peaceful protest next spring!

tim sounds like your gonna be a busy man , putting all this together !!!!!!   but count me in 

[kenhuntin]

I heard a rumor of some language in the same treaty that states something like: if there are more than five native americans seen together that is considered a war party and they can be shot on sight. If this is true, this part of the the treaty is as outdated as modern netting practices. I want to emphasize that I do not condone Violence as a solution. The way to hurt the netters is to quit paving the roads to the casinos. And stop offering electricity to the soverign nation. I know that taxpayer support of that kind was not in the treaty.

[stalker]

What would the citizens of Minnesota say if they knew that the tribe from Danbury paid mileage and per diem, ex. hotel, restaurant, gas, and the nets are issued by the tribe.  All of this to harvest for subsistance.

Do you go to casinos?

Thank your elected officals.