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CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports he focused on ice fishingandsnowmobileactivity after a few mild snowfalls made trails more passable. Ice fishing success was found to be generally good for both walleyes and panfish. Violations included no shelter license and failure to display snowmobile registration.
CO Brent Ihnen (Ely #2) spent the week checking anglers on area lakes. Ihnen also patrolled his station for smallgame hunters and trappers. Additionally, he checked ATV, snowmobile, and offroad vehicle operators.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) worked the BWCAW trout opener with area officers. Some nice limits of lake trout were seen on the ice. A few snowmobilers were out enjoying the fresh snow. Enforcement action was taken for angling and snowmobile violations.
COHudsonLedeen(Hovland) spent the week patrolling for angling and snowmobiling activities. Trout season began on Saturday for lakes that are entirely within the BWCAW. Many anglers were contacted and a few even had some fish to show for their efforts. Enforcement action was taken for various violations.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked angling andsnowmobileenforcement and continued to work on decorative materials cases. Time was also spent following up on deer season violations. Enforcement action included expired ATV registration, expired snowmobile registration, youth ATV violations, extra lines, unattended lines, fish house ID and shelter tag violations, and deer registration violations.
COMeganFranzen(Silver Bay) spent the week monitoring angling and snowmobile activity around the area. Time was also spent checking trout anglers during trout opener in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Snowmobile trails near the shore remain rough with little snow cover, but recent snow has made the trails farther inland more easily traversable. Caution is still advised.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on angling andsnowmobileenforcement for the week. BWCAW trout opener anglers encountered cold weather and mixed success. Ice conditions varied greatly across area lakes. Enforcement action was taken on a variety of angling related violations.
CO Cassie Block (Two Harbors) spent time checking anglers on area lakes. She also focused efforts on snowmobile enforcement. Time also was spent training with K9 Jet.
District 5 - Eveleth area CO Paul Kennedy (International Falls #1) patrolled area lakes and trails over the past week. Snowmobile trails in the area have been worked on, but more snow is needed. Angling activity in the area was monitored, with a slow bite reported. Enforcement action included illegal-length walleye, no shelter license, litter, expired ATV registration, and no license in possession.
CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports checkinganglersandworking recreational vehicle activity. Trapping activity continues tobemonitored.Enforcement action was taken for various fishing violations and shelter license issues.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports ice conditions continue to improve and allow anglers to venture farther out on area waterways. Caution is still advised and be on the lookout for newly formed ice heaves. A lack of snow is allowing trappers in some areas to access locations with highway vehicles that would normally be only accessible by snowmobile. A couple bigger groups of snowmobile riders were encountered and, aside from wishing for additional snow, were happy to be riding.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports monitoring area lakes and checking angling activity. Snowmobile trail activity remains minimal due to lack of adequate snow. There’s been no trail grooming locally due to lack of snow. Trail work continues waiting on snowfall. Administrative tasks and equipment work were completed.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent most of the week checking anglers and monitoring snowmobiling on area lakes. Most anglers were having difficulty finding fish willing to bite this week. All the pressure ridges healed nicely with the cold weather this past week, but they could be popping back up with the warmer weather coming. The snowmobile trails are still in rough shape and remain ungroomed.
COAaronLarson(Tower) worked primarily angling enforcement. He spent time in the BWCAW over the BWCAW lake trout opener. Several violations were addressed such as beverage cans in the BWCAW, motorized equipment in the BWCAW, taking trout without a trout stamp, and no angling license in possession. He also addressed other violations related tosnowmobileandATV registration. A spruce top theft case was also worked on.
CO Marc Johnson (Hibbing) primarily worked angling and small-game activity. With little snow accumulation so far this winter, snowmobile activity remains minimal. Local anglers targeting northern pike on tip-ups were finding more success than anglers targeting walleyes and panfish. A reminder for all to check their ATV registrations since many expired as we entered the new year.
CO Shane Zavodnik (Virginia) spent time following up on several angling related TIP complaints over the week. Anglers checked throughout the week reported a slow bite for both crappies and walleyes. Snowmobile activity has started to pick up slightly throughout the week, but trail conditions remain poor due to lack of snowfall.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring ice fishing and spearing activity. Anglers reported limited success. Ice conditions have improved. Snowmobile trails are still in need of more snow. Broughten fielded calls regarding snowmobile registration, trout regulations, and youth helmet requirements.
District 7 - Grand Rapids CO Vinny Brown (Northome) checked ice angling and spearing activity on area lakes. Time was also spent patrolling state forests and monitoring ATV and snowmobiling activities. Enforcement action was taken for no fishing license in possession, no shelter licenses, possession of walleyes within the protected slot, and numerous extra line violations.
CO Jayson Hansen (Bigfork)
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worked ATV, snowmobile, small-game, and fishing activities. He patrolled area trails and campgrounds. Numerous game and fish-related questions were answered. He also responded to wildlife-related complaints.
COMikeFairbanks(Deer River) checked anglers, patrolled snowmobile trails, assisted the State Patrol with motor vehicle accidents, and monitored trapping activity this week. Fairbanks and his K9 partner Fennec also visited the vet. Enforcement action was taken for no shelter tag, possessing an illegal-length walleye, and angling with extra lines.
CO Thomas Sutherland (GrandRapids)workedsnowmobiling activity mostly on area lakes and being used for ice angling. Full-sized vehicles have now become common on area lakes, but there can still be bad areas of ice, especially near moving water. Sutherland took enforcement action for angling without a license in possession, no identification on a permanent angling shelter, and expired registration on an ATV.
