Cold Lake area. Poaching or not.

[Bob A]

Was up in the area this past week visiting and had my canoe with me. Went out to a couple of lakes and paddled around a bit. I sometimes drag a lure behind me but just catch and release. Have the barbs pinched as it makes fish easier to release. Any way caught two pike about ten pounds and another straightened out the hook. Before I went out I read about the lakes and it said catch and release only. When I came in to shoreI noticed three pike that had been filleted and the carcass tossed in the water. When I got back home I checked and the lake said catch and release but the zone said you could keep two, believe. I only looked on the web so what I read may have been wrong.
These fish that were killed were a couple of days old so I don’t know what went on. Just curious because if this is illegal and I was aware of what went on, I would report it. Thanks
Bob

[58thecat]

If you have/had any doubts call it in......

[mlee]

Theres a couple lakes in that area I fish quite a bit and yeah I see it all the time. Remote lakes with almost no F&W presence so people think they can get away with it. A couple winters ago we watched a guy cleaning some walleye on the ice (0 retention on walleye at the time)....he was confronted politely and his response was "nobody comes out here theres plenty of fish who cares". Fish cops had been called already by another group and I heard he was ticketed. One of these lakes I was at this year had trail clams set up by F&W....sign said they were observing lake traffic probably to determine if more presence is needed at this particular lake.

[58thecat]

I don't even confront no more...one guys says thx and sorry etc then most of them tell me to f off....and they know who I am so ….call it in and be done with it.....

[EZM]

If it's younger kids or what appears to be newer fishermen (you can generally tell by the way they are casting and what they are using), I do approach them, but more from a perspective of education and always non confrontational. Almost everyone I've approached like this has been thankful, pretty cool and we end up chatting a little.

If it's general poachers, I pick up the phone, get a few photos and descriptions and do my part to protect our resource from thieves. No point in getting into an altercation.

The one that really bothered me was this guy had a "really high end" boat - like $150K into his boat and all the big screen Sonars and trolling motor, etc.. so obviously this guy knew better. Later, talking to a local, found out he was a "tournament fishermen and guide" ....... yet there he was, scooping up walleyes and into the live well they went. He happen to conveniently have a cabin on the lake - probably where the guy was dropping them off.

Wasn't sure at first, but as we watched him, every time a walleye came into the boat, a second or two later the lid went up, went back down, and after about a dozen, he sped off across the lake.

Probably the same guy who complains about people poaching on "his lake".

[wind drift]

It could be perfectly legal harvest by FN and Métis folks.

[Talking moose]

What lake?

[Bob A]

Thanks for the comments.
Yes I did realize it may have been legal, but also maybe not. I did report it.
The location was Borque Lake.