REPORT OR NOT, Bad experience

I was not going to post this, but I did report this to the MNR so maybe I should share this. I have always said something and reported things that happen when I see a violation. The other night when I went fishing on balsam in that terrible weather I saw someone loading up their vehicle. I asked how the fishing was and this person said fishing was good and had caught a big walleye. Long story short this walleye was clearly only 18 or 19 inches. I told this individual that walleye had to be over 21.7 to keep. He told me to mind my own business and who was I to question him. I said to him that I am just telling you about the regulations. I said he should put it back in the lake and if he did not that I should report it. Well he freaked out took out his phone and said he was recording me. I could not tell if he was or not but he kept on telling me not to yell at him and to stay away from him. I was not yelling and I was actually walking away from him back to my car about 100 feet away. He followed me to my car saying he was going to get my plate and report me. I tried to defuse the situation but that was not working. I opened my hatch and in my vehicle are various things that I carry to protect myself from a bear or or other wildlife, or maybe even a crazy person. I stood by my car not knowing what would come next. It did not matter what I said to him, I even said I was sorry and that I had a bad day and was in a grumpy mood...which I was not in a bad mood, I was happy and just wanting to go fishing and have fun. Eventually he walked back to his vehicle and I got in mine and drove across the road and called the 24 hour MNR line. Explained the situation and she gave me an incident number so this can be further looked into if necessary. SO the reason I posted this is, I have done this many times and almost every time the person has said they did not know about slot sizes or fish limits. Almost every time it has ended with no hostilities, That was only the third time I thought something bad could happen. So if you see something think carefully on how you decide to say something or not. There is no shame in not saying something. There are some strange people out in the world now, and you never know what could happen Stay safe and make sure you think of your safety first. If I knew that night was going to start like that I may have just walked away first and then called the MNR. I was just being nice and genuinely interested in this individuals walleye that he caught. I started off the conversation the way we all do with the phrase...HOW IS THE FISHING...Who knew it would turn into that crap. I went back 10 mins later made another call and started fishing, he did not come back.

The world is full of very strange and sometimes nutty people.

Good on you for reporting the incident to the MNR. I have also made the call several times, but I have yet to actually confront the person(s) committing the violation(s). I understand that your first concern was for the unfortunate walleye that was illegally taken, but sometimes it is best to just wait for the individual to depart and report their license plate number or boat description instead of getting personally involved. Think about yourself before the fish. The critter can be replaced, you can't.
Be safe my friend.

Confrontation is always hard to deal with, but i think it’s a good idea to report these things. I have caught a few walleye in the Balsam slot and its hard to throw them back when you have fished all day without a keeper but the limits and slots are there for good reason. I believe a lot of fish are kept in this slot because many have not researched the regulations and or don’t care.

Good for you. I cant stand ppl like that. Ignorance is no excuse - maybe if buddy had said - "oh crap, I read the regs wrong - thanks for clarifying etc ect" and returned the fish then no harm no foul but this guy is dick and didnt care about the regs at all. welldone.

Probably should have stopped after he told you to mind your own business, that could have gone bad in a hurry.

Sounds like you did the right thing. Not following the regs is a sh*t maneuveur, especially for fish like walleye that often get kept.

Thank you for the well thought out comments, I respect all opinions. Every person will have their own individual thoughts on such a topic. None being wrong because they are based on what each person might do in that situation. To bad we do not live in a perfect world, just turn on the news. I always tell my friends and family...It is still a beautiful country we live in, it is not perfect by any means. But we are so lucky to live here in Canada. It is a shame that some individuals do not follow the simple rules in life. Be honest and be nice, my grandfather taught me that. STAY SAFE ALL...Jamie... aka... CRAPPEEEMAN.

Good on you , Jamie ! You did the right thing , for sure !
Still people out there either ignoring the regs or pretend they don’t know …

Thank you JB. That sure was a cool picture you put up...two big bass on the same lure. I love taking pictures now because they last forever. Just have to find a way to make better photos at night.

I've had that situation as well, but without the confrontation. I've made 5 or 6 calls to the MNR to report different infractions. I was fishing in a stream near my home where salmon get trapped at the base of a dam. After catching and releasing 2 fish, I started to pack up to leave when I noticed a guy 20' away who was casting with what I'll describe as a surf rod. After each cast, he would snatch the rod pretty hard during the retrieve. When I paid attention to what he was using, it had a weight that was between ½ to 1lb bell sinker and a miniature grappling hook. He was trying to snag a salmon. So I left to head up the hill toward my truck. At the top of the hill, I made the call. The officer I talked to asked for my specific location because there was an officer in the area. By the time I got to my truck, the officer was pulling up. He asked for a description and location. I gave him that and told him to stand at the top of the hill and watch. As I was driving away, he was coming across the hill with the guy in tow and his fishing gear and 2 salmon. He didn't look very happy.

That is a great example of an individual breaking the law and not caring. Who knows if getting caught would teach him the lesson he needed to learn. Reporting that was the correct thing to do Lionel. The day after I ran into the crazy walleye fisherman, my friends and I were on sturgeon. My one friend noticed a guy throwing a few minnows in the lake, My friend informed him of the regulation and this guy actually said thank you, and that he was not aware he was doing anything wrong. Sounded like an honest mistake to me. I carry the regulations with me in my vehicle, just in case I may need them.

Exactly how I see it.

Exactly how I see it.

Hey RM I am going to balsam on wednesday I will PM you details. I have to get to fishing with a couple of you guys before the fish go and hide before winter.

I would have said something too, but you never know what your going to get these days.

That sad you ran into a jerk because everyone I've ever run into while in the bush are friendly helpful and out for the same reasons and honestly looking out for each other.

But those regulations are hard to read sometimes, but that's no excuse.

Hi Crappeeman, calling MNR is right and only way, safety is always the 1st priority. Whenever I notice people doing illegal fishing I will call MNR telling them where was it and take photo to show them. You just doing your part to protect the fishing sports. One time I was fishing for crappie at north during sunset and found two people was using two lines each and using lantern to attract fish, I told them it’s not allow then they asked me just mind my own business. I didn’t argue with them just took a photo of their Boat and report to MNR the next day. Eventually I have never seen this boat again!