Illegal netting-Crystal Springs trout hatchery, Rochester

[Realtree]

High water casts suspicion on illegal netting activity (DNR News)

Early on July 23, Kevin Cook, a DNR Fisheries specialist at the Crystal Springs trout hatchery near Rochester, noticed a van and group of men near the south branch of the Whitewater River. Recent rains have made the river difficult to fish. Cook contacted Rochester Conservation Officer Mitch Boyum.

"About 200 hundred yards from the road I observed four men standing on the bank of the stream," Boyum said. "None of them held or possessed a fishing pole. I watched a large net being cast into the stream by one man while three others assisted in pulling in the net and taking fish out. I watched them do this approximately six times."  Boyum asked Conservation Officer Tom Hemker of Winona to assist.

At about noon, Boyum noticed two of the men walking on the trail toward their vehicle, one carrying a bucket covered with a shirt. "I approached them and announced myself as a conservation officer and asked to see fishing licenses," Boyum said. "When the man set the bucket down, part of the shirt moved and I could see the bucket was full of fish. I could only see brown trout. I told them to walk to their vehicle and remain with officer Hemker."
Boyum observed the two other men standing in the stream holding the net.

"As I approached them, they saw me and dropped the net and started to walk away. I announced myself as a conservation officer and told them to stay there, but they kept walking out of sight into the woods," Boyum said. "I cut through the woods and found both of them hiding in tall grass. When I asked them where the net was, they said they did not know and that it was in the stream somewhere."

After the subjects were cited, Boyum returned to the area, searched the bottom of the stream with a pole and located the net. It was then taken as evidence, along with 79 brown trout.

Cited with an over-limit of trout were Carlos M. Bonete, 21, Angel Cardenas, 44, and Carlos Chalco, 47, all of Minneapolis, and Oscar Morocho, 30, Milwaukee, Wis.

The possession limit for stream trout from April 14-Sept. 4 in Olmsted County is five combined (not more than one over 16 inches). Each man faces a fine/restitution of at least $1,000. They were also cited for illegal use/possession of a net to take trout. Bonete was also found to have an active warrant, and was placed under arrest by the Winona County Sheriff's Department and transported to jail. A court date for the fishing violations is set for Aug. 31 in Olmsted County District Court.

"We always say the public is a valuable asset in deterring poaching, but in this instance it was a fellow DNR employee," Boyum said. "My advice is if anyone sees anything suspicious to give us a call or call the Turn-In-Poachers hotline at 1-800-652-9093."

[Big Slick]

Not to steriotype, but did you see the last names of all those people caught?
OK, I'm steriotyping, but thats just another example.

Do you really think they will pay that fine?    HA!!

[JohnWester]

makes me sick.... all of these reports... no matter what the race is.

[Realtree]

It is a pretty sad situation when you have a small amount of people that abuse hunting and fishing priveleges like that and make it tougher for the law abiding outdoorsmen to enjoy what they love to do. It makes me sick, and I hope they give these offenders the stiffest penalties possible for this. Until they start cracking down hard on these people, they will just keep doing it...they need a stiff penalty to deter them from taking the chance of getting caught.   :bandana:   

[h2ofwlr]

ILLEGALS.......

Put one of these every 500yds acorss the Mexican border and shoot a volley 10yds in front of them, if they do not return, then ::50cal::

[jonmzak]

I must not be reading the story correctly and missed where they said their race or if they were illegal residents or not.  Its attitudes like that hurt sportsmen and women everywhere by making poeple think we're a bunch of redneck idiots.  99% of the people that live in this country decended from imigrants.  I'm just happy these poachers were caught. 

[Realtree]

I must not be reading the story correctly and missed where they said their race or if they were illegal residents or not.  Its attitudes like that hurt sportsmen and women everywhere by making poeple think we're a bunch of redneck idiots.  99% of the people that live in this country decended from imigrants.  I'm just happy these poachers were caught. 

Well said Jonmzak!!!   ::cheers::

[kenhuntin]

I would find it hard to believe that a legal citizen of the United states would commit an act of this nature. And I don't see how calling a comorant a comorant harms sportsman.

[Realtree]

This article is about illegal netting, not illegal aliens. Let's try and stay focused on the main pont of this article please.

 :;hijacked::

[Spinach]

I would find it hard to believe that a legal citizen of the United states would commit an act of this nature. And I don't see how calling a comorant a comorant harms sportsman.

Legal citezens or not, this is a major problem and it has nothing to do with race!

[Mayfly]

I must not be reading the story correctly and missed where they said their race or if they were illegal residents or not.  Its attitudes like that hurt sportsmen and women everywhere by making poeple think we're a bunch of redneck idiots.  99% of the people that live in this country decended from imigrants.  I'm just happy these poachers were caught. 

Amen.

[kenhuntin]

I wanted to take Realtree's advice and keep this to ILLEGAL netting (some might misinterpret what illegal means) but if you guys want to beat a dead horse for the purpose of discussion so be it. Spinach sir, What did you get from my post that you construed race out of it? This is how people in Mexico fish. The problem is it should not be done here. I am assuming their origin. Also if this is a "major problem" and not an isolated incident I have not heard of it yet. Please share your extensive knowledge of some other occurances.