Northwest Fishing Reports

Found a gill net in a lake full of white fish and some walleyes. What would you do?

Take pictures and call the WDFW.

Poaching Hotline
1-877-933-9847

All of the above and mention that you will stay at the site until someone shows up. Because of budget issues you may be asked to report it through 911.

I would also stand buy in the distance and continue fishing to see who shows up. If fish and wildlife cant show up quickly I would take pics and video of anybody that shows up to pull the net.

God I hate this crap, Man the deck guns and give em a few shots below the water line

Make sure the nets do not belong to WDFW first.
If there is no ID on the nets, then call the law.

All excellent advise, but one word of caution - don't get caught by the poachers!

The WDFW will probably tell you NOT to take pictures of the criminals because they don't want you getting into an altercation. Nevertheless, I probably would do it, just a little covertly.

Don't read too much into this gill net finding, folks.

It's probably just the Kalispel Tribe and the WDFW doing some "Studies" and trying to see how many fish are in that lake. Don't worry, they aren't rying to "Eradicate" anything.

I found a few gill nets up at the Pend Oreille River last year. LOL

AJ's Dad wrote:Don't read too much into this gill net finding, folks.

It's probably just the Kalispel Tribe and the WDFW doing some "Studies" and trying to see how many fish are in that lake. Don't worry, they aren't rying to "Eradicate" anything.

I found a few of them up at the Pend Oreille River last year

LOL - but they are trying to eradicate the pike in the PO.

Let's see, going to change the listing on Pike from Game fish to prohibited species next year? That is what I heard last. Even carp are considered food fish.

not advocating it but i hear that in canada, they throw hail bails through them.

sivart33 wrote:not advocating it but i hear that in canada, they throw hail bails through them.

That sir is a family tradition for some of us Only problem is that the op was talking about nets in a lake, we usually threw em in up river...

I can neither confirm or deny that it is a tactic of Boldt protesters........ Upstream is good and old 55 gal drums mostly filled with water work miracles

ya, calling in is the right thing to do, but like most poaching, it will just be pulled from the lake, they won't waste anymore of there time on it. And not prosocute anyone unless they catch them in the act. Its bogas but true they don't. Waste to much time unless they catch them in the act.