District 6 - Two Harbors
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports a cold, windy, occasionally snowy start to the spring fishing season in the Ely area. Despite the weather, it was one of thebusiestopenersinmemory.Angling success was generally good although most anglers checked reported only spendingafewhoursonthewater.Lake Countydeputieswerealsoassistedwith a wildland fire investigation.
COBrentIhnen(Ely#2)patrolledhis station this week focusing on checking anglersandwatercraftoperators.Ihnen also monitored AIS compliance near area public accesses. Additional time was spent checking ATV riders.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) worked the cold and snowy fishing opener. Some lakes were still completely frozen over in the area. Enforcement action was taken for fire and ATV violations.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Hovland) spent time working angling activity over the regular season fishing opener. High winds, blowing snow, and general cold conditions didn’t stop anglers from hitting the lakes. Fishing was extremely slow with most folks only having one or two fish to show for their efforts. Calls were answered about nuisance bears looking through trash cans and bird feeders.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) worked a busy and very cold fishing opener weekend, with only moderate success noted. Time was also spent working those pursuing smelt in the Duluth area. Enforcement action included no fishing license citations, taking smelt in a closed river, extra line, insufficient PFDs, and expired watercraft registration.
COMeganFranzen(SilverBay)spent theweekprimarilymonitoringangling activity across the area. Time was also spent assisting with EMT training in Camp Ripley. The weekend of fishing opener was cool and windy, but several anglers were still found on the lakes braving the snow. Anglers, however, reported limited success.
CO Trent Anderson (Tofte) focused on angling enforcement over the busy opening weekend. Time was spent checking anglers and handling nuisance- bear-related calls. Cold and windy weather conditions kept many anglers fishing from shore or around the campfire. Boat operators are reminded to review the condition of their PFDs. If they are torn and tattered, please replace them.
COCassieBlock(TwoHarbors)spent timethisweekcheckinganglersonarea lakes and streams. Block also assisted other law enforcement agencies with a K9 search and a fire investigation. Time was also spent patrolling for ATV activity.
District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Paul Kennedy (Int’l Falls #1) monitored angling activity through the week. Sturgeon anglers reported a tough season with low temperatures andfewbeingcaught.Openingweekend forwalleyefishingsawlowanglernumbers withmostavoidingthewaterdueto thehighwindsandlowtemps.Kennedy helped with a presentation at a local career class for students. Enforcement for the week included angling without a license, no PFD, operating an ATV without lights, and passengers under 18 on ATV without a helmet.
CO Curtis Simonson (Int’l Falls #2) spent time this past week monitoring trapping activity and checking anglers over the weekend for the Minnesota walleye opener. Anglers reported having success but faced challenges with windy conditions. Enforcement action was taken for angling and trapping without licenses.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) attended a career fair at Falls High School and answeredquestionsaboutcareerpaths to becoming a conservation officer as well as duties of the position. Slatinski answered questions and addressed concerns about boat registration and safety equipment prior to the statewide angling opener as well as questions aboutdockconstruction.Animal-related complaints increased as the spring season has progressed.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports handling numerous otter catches from trappers over the week. Opening day fishing activities were down from previous years. Cold weather and strong winds limited time on the water. ATV activity was monitored, and area forest roads were checked. Public access sites were visited. Equipment work is ongoing.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent the week checking anglers and preparing for the fishing opener. Time was also spent assisting with watercraft operations training at Camp Ripley. The cold and windy fishing opener was not as busy as normal on Lake Vermilion. The bite was tough on most of the lake with anglers having to work to put a few fish in the box.
CO Aaron Larson (Tower) worked primarily angling activity. He spent time on lakes throughout his station. Fishing opener activity seemed less than previous years, most likely due to the cold and windy weather. Fishing was moderate with anglers finding eater-sized walleyes. Violations were fishingwithoutalicense,failuretohave a life jacket in a boat, angling with an extraline,takingsmeltinaclosedriver, and registration violations.
COMarcJohnson(Hibbing)primarily worked ATV, trapping, and fishing activity. In addition, time was spent speaking at a firearms safety class in Buhl and working the fishing opener. Cold and windy days appeared to have kept many anglers off local lakes as fewer boats were observed than in past years. The anglers who did brave the cold reported limited success.
COShaneZavodnik(Virginia)spent time assisting the Marine Unit with Deputy Boat School at Camp Ripley over the week. Angling activity over theweekendwasquiteslow,mostlydue tocoolerweatherandstrongwinds.Zavodnik responded to several fires over the weekend. One of the calls involved asmolderingfirethathadreigniteddue to the strong winds that day. Several boatingsafetyandATVviolationswere also addressed.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring fishing, boating, and ATV activity. Fewer anglers than past years were observed on the water for walleye opener. Cold and windy weather may have been a factor in the low turnout. Anglers encountered reported low to moderate success. Broughtenalsoinvestigatedagrassfire.
District 7 - Grand Rapids area
CO Vinny Brown (Northome) checkedanglers,patrolledstateforests, and monitored trapping activity. Questions wereansweredaboutturkeyhunting, bear lottery, and nuisance bears. Training was attended, investigations were conducted, and time was spent patrolling walleye-spawning areas.
COJaysonHansen(Bigfork)worked ATV, small-game, boating, and fishing activities. He patrolled area trails and campgrounds. Numerous game and fish-related questions were answered. He also responded to wildlife-related complaints.
