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District 6 - Two Harbors
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) report higher than normal activity was noted for fishing opener. Success was overall good, although some local lakes seemed to present more of a challenge than others. Visitors and residents are reminded to be cautious with fire as extreme conditions continue in to the spring green up.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) spent the week primarily focusing on checking anglers in his station. Officer Ihnen also patrolled for watercraft operators. Additional time was spent monitoring AIS compliance at area public accesses CO Tom Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) checked anglers over the opening weekend. Few fish were caught as Water temps were very cold and some lakes still iced over. Enforcement action was taken for angling, boating and ATV violations.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Hovland) reports that cold water temps and even a fewlakeslockedwithiceledtopoorfishing for most anglers that were checked overfishingopenerweekend.Folksare encouraged to wear their lifejacket all season long but is emphasized during these cold-water conditions. Enforcement action was taken for varying violations.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) reports working a busy fishing opener weekend. Additional time was spent working a turkey hunting investigation, assisting with a wildfire, patrolling for early fishing, working a trespass complaint, and taking reports of train killed moose. Enforcement action includedfishingwithoutalicense,extra line, no/insufficient PFDs, watercraft registration violations, take turkey out of season, trespass, and driving without a license.
CO Megan Franzen (Silver Bay) spent the week primarily checking anglers. Warm, sunny weather made for abeautiful fish opener weekend, and anglers were reporting success. Time was also spent investigating property damage complaints. Enforcement action was taken for violations related to boating regulations.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on angling enforcement for the week over a warm and sunny fishing opener. Area conditions created unique angling experiences with some individuals reporting breaking ice to fish their preferred areas. Overall, the bite was slow with a few pike and walleyes observed on the stringer. Compliance was very good overall. Boaters are reminded to ensure their navigation lights, PFDS, and other safety equipment is in working order before hitting the water. Assistance was given to local agencies on a variety of calls.
District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls #1) reports the main emphasis of the work activities were focused on the fishing opener, mainly on Rainy River. Enforcement action was taken for taking sturgeon in a closed season, extra lines, license issues, and boating safety equipment violations. People are reminded of the dangerous fire conditions in the area and around the state.
CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports working area waterways this past week checking anglers. Trapping and ATV activity was monitored this past week. Time was spent working with neighboring officers over the MN fishing opener weekend. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license, fishing with extra lines, and being in possession of a 60 inch sturgeon during a closed season. The sturgeon was able to be returned to the river.
COJohnSlatinskiIV(Ray)Attended a job fair at the International Falls High School.COSlatinskialsomonitoredfor illegal fires, as conditions area ripe for fires to become uncontrollable quickly. The CO fielded questions about the ongoing spring trapping season and checked area campground and day use facilities prior to the fishing opener. One location was found to have people camping in parking areas prior to the facilitybeingopen.Alternativeoptions were provided.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring area lakes. Fishing overall very slow with little observed being caught.
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Public access sites were checked. Area forest roads continue to be monitored. Equipment work is on going. Fire danger in the area remains extreme.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent this week checking anglers on area lakes. Prior to the opener anglers were having mixedsuccesstargetingCrappie.Time was also spent monitoring trapping and ATV activity. It was a busy opener on Lake Vermilion, with beautiful weather untilthestrongwindsandheatonSunday. Success was mixed, but many anglers had a successful opener. Cannon also responded to a cabin fire on Lake Vermilion earlier in the week while out on the boat, when he arrived the fire was spreading through the woods towards other nearby cabins. Crews from Vermilion Property Services, a lake service provider on Vermilion, arrived shortly after with a pump and hoses, and assisted Cannon with extinguishing the spreading wildfire so arriving fire crews could concentrate on the burning structures.
CO Aaron Larson (Tower) worked primarilyanglingenforcement.Larson spentabusyfishingopeneronLakeVermilion and checked other area lakes. Anglers were having mixed success with both walleye and crappie. Violations encountered were taking fish out of season, allow youth to violate fish and game laws, boat registration, and boating safety equipment violations. He alsoassistedwithevacuatinghousesat a forest fire and assisted other agencies with a vehicle accident.
CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) primarily worked trapping, ATV, and fishing activity. Little activity was observed on local lakes over the fishing opener with most anglers choosing larger bodies of water. In addition, time was spent presenting at a firearms safety class in Buhl and responding to various calls. Violations encountered included illegal fires, angling license violations, and illegal ATV/OHM operation.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) Warm weather made for a busy week. Zavodnik handled a nuisance bear report at the Eveleth Golf Course and worked primarily OHV and angling enforcement throughout the week. Several anglers checked during the busy opening weekend were found to haveoptedontakingtheirchanceswith LAKE
not buying an angling license. One of these violators were also found to have a warrant for their arrest and had traveled on the roadway while cancelled IPS. Several assist other agencies calls were also fielded, one of which involved a gun pointing incident.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring fishing, boating, and ATV activity. Warm weather broughtout boatersandfishermenover thefishingopener.Fishermenreported limited success. ATV activity was lower than expected. CO Broughten also assisted with a wild fire.
District 7 - Grand Rapids area
CO Vinny Brown (Northome) checked on trapping activity, monitored ATV activity, and answered wildlife related calls. Fishing opener was busy with good numbers of people out fishing. Success rates seemed to be better than usual overall. Enforcement action was taken for fishing without a license, possession of slot walleye, minor consumption of alcohol, and safety related violations.
COJaysonHansen(Bigfork)Worked ATV,smallgame,andfishingactivities. He patrolled a rea t rails. N umerous gameandfishquestionswereanswered. He also responded to wildlife-related complaints.
CO Mike Fairbanks (Deer River) checked anglers, worked boat and water, monitored OHV activity and investigated wild land fires this week. CO Fairbanks and his K9 partner fennec also provided a K9 demonstration at the governors fishing opener event and attended training with area K9 teams. Enforcement action was taken for angle without license, no throwable device, expired registration on water craft, minor consumption of alcohol and possession of illegal length fish.
CO Thomas Sutherland (Grand Rapids) worked a busy and warm fishing opener with more boats on the area lakes then ever remembered. CO Sutherland took enforcement action for not having enough life-jackets on a watercraft, not having a throwable device on a 16 foot or longer watercraft, not having an angling license in possession, for possessing a protected slot walleye and for operating an unregistered ATV.
