Interesting day on PCR and F&W

[artrye]

Nice day on the ice today, Ice was around 16" by the boat launch.
3 nice burbots and about 8 walleye. In 23 FOW.

Someone called the F&W on our group saying we were cooking up walleye in our area. Sure enough when 2 F&W show up, they tore through all our belongings and through every inch of our vehicles. Apparently, the person who called in says we were stashing walleye in our vehicles and our backpacks. They also reported us cooking up a load of walleye. I kept all the burbot remains in a bag if we were to get checked, good thing I did. Cause it was the first thing F&W were looking for.
It is a good thing they are out checking, but this is ridiculous. Of the person actually witnessed us taking walleye why not confront us instead of making up false stories of stashing fish in our vehicles. Every part of the vehicle was checked even the engine bay, even my wife's purse was checked for walleye. My 8 year old daughter was asking "why are the police in my backpack, daddy?"
Geez a good relaxing day on the ice with te family turned into an embarrassing hunt for the falsely accused stashed walleye.
F&W apologized, for the intrusion, but I cannot blame them doing their job. As I have made frequent calls to them myself when I see or confront other poachers of their wrong doings.

I've fished for years and never encountered this... Funny thing is...
NOTHING we were doing were illegal nor one walleye was taken. All barbless hooks, eight licenses, one child fishing. Ok, maybe a warning on two cans of beer.

In the end all was good... Embarrassed but good.
On a side note though, no damn night Burbot was caught..