At least four people wound up in jail from the fall fish run last year. Don’t be those guys, says the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Conservation officers are urging good behavior and have enhanced patrols to reduce illegal fishing, camping and parking, trespassing, littering, and loud and abusive behavior during the September fish run in the Betsie and Platte rivers, according to a release from the department.
The fall fish run means an abundance of Chinook and coho salmon in the rivers and eager anglers in town, but too often it means an abundance of bad behavior, Lt. Joe Molnar said in the release.
Molnar is the DNR's district law supervisor who oversees officers in northwest Michigan.
Conservation officers worked more than 900 hours and made 3,875 contacts over two weeks during the northwest runs last year, officials said.
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“Snagging, littering and trespassing are the common violations we see during the fish runs,” Molnar said. “Landowners have gone above and beyond to clearly post their private property but continue to experience trespassers wandering their land to get to the next fishing spot — often leaving a trail of litter.”
Snagging is an illegal method of catching a fish using hooks, without the fish taking bait.
Anglers should walk through state-managed public land to avoid trespassing and remember that protecting the river system — now a part of new regulations — preserves the salmon populations, according to the release.
If that doesn’t work, anglers might remember that illegally taking fish could mean a misdemeanor, losing a fishing license, serving jail time and facing fines, officials said.
Tipsters who witness bad behavior are, in fact, encouraged to report it in exchange for anonymity and a monetary reward.
In 2019, more than $9,700 was paid to tipsters who aided in the arrest or conviction of poachers, officials said.
Those who see a natural resources crime or know about one can text or call the DNR’s Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800.
Contact Darcie Moran: dmoran@freepress.com. Twitter: @darciegmoran. Become a subscriber here.
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