I also let my subscription lapse. I got tired of slanted journalism. I enjoy the heck out of URL and I don't go there for the walleyes. I go there for crappies and perch, if I happen to catch a "safe" 16" walleye thats just icing on the cake. I won't stop going just because the CO's are doing their job. IMO clancy did a very selfish thing by using his column(soapbox) to air his grievances. He forgot about how well he has been treated by the folks who make our trips enjoyable and worthwhile on URL.

No worries there. It does not have to be the ODN, anyone that unlawfully takes fish or game is on my sh*t list. If you follow all the fishing forums in town you know they have been pretty shaky lately with their one sided stories with nothing to back them up. All I can do is email them and voice my displeasure and let the subscription slide.

Why is it that our society thinks cops, game wardens, troopers, deputies... should be handing out warnings? Mr. Clancy thought he should get not one warning but two. It appears that there are two clear violations in this incident and they only got one ticket.

Maybe his article should have started: Thanks, Mr. Game Warden, for not writing us two tickets and taking our fishing poles...

How is this a mistake or accident? Mistake (mis·take) noun 1.an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc. 2.a misunderstanding or misconception.

So is Mr. Clancy saying that he made an error in calculation due to poor reasoning, carelessness, or insufficient knowledge? Which is it Mr. Clancy?

Accident (ac·ci·dent) –noun
1.an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap: automobile accidents.
2.Law. such a happening resulting in injury that is in no way the fault of the injured person for which compensation or indemnity is legally sought.
3.any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.
4.chance; fortune; luck: I was there by accident.
5.a fortuitous circumstance, quality, or characteristic: an accident of birth.

Mr Clancy must have "unintentionally" put those TWO walleyes in his livewell and it was "unexpected" that the warden would be at the landing.

Wow lots of holier than though opinionated wanna be writers out there!

The law is 17 and not 16.5 if he measured them and thought he was legal I can see why he was upset.

The DNR did the right thing in this instance. Whether it was 1/4" or 1/64", its over the protected slot, and is against the law. The slot is there for the reason of protecting the fish within its limits. If the DNR lets a person get away with breaking the law, even if its over 1/4", what is there to stop that same person from taking a fish that is 3/4" over the slot? Eventually the slot limits would be completely ineffective and serve no purpose. The DNR needs to continue to stand up and hand out tickets for fish kept in the protected slot, regardless. It probably wasnt intended, but that article is going to make those who read it or heard of it throw back fish a few more fish that they would have previously kept.

As I stated on another forum, I fished Red for the first time in 06 and again in 07. I found it beautiful! And I dont mind the D.N.R. doing their job, and I recieved 0 violations.
But, I really did get tired of being checked twice a day on the water, and then every time at the boat ramp. I found that excessive! If a officer sees a violation, prosicute all you want. But if people are just having a good time, hurting nothing, not breaking any rules, than why hastle them so much.
I also do not like ramdom stops on the interstate. In this country you used to have to have probable cause to stop and check people. If the DNR continues to harrass (and I think being stopped 3 times a day is) they will not have to worry about checking people, because people will not come. Our party of 10 to 15 did not this year and probably will not next year.
I will feel sorry for the resort owners and guides, they seem like VERY nice folks and I know they need and want the business. Again, it was a very interesting area, and beautiful. But the DNR did not make anyone feel welcome. Sorry, just how we felt, maybe I am wrong.
P.S. We fished 7 days in the glacial lakes region of S.D this spring. Were never once checked on the water or at the ramp. Just seemed more relaxed.

I guess as a sportsman I have to disagree. I am very glad we have more CO's than the Dakota's. I know that North Dakota has 32 Game Wardens for the whole state. I am glad we have plenty. If you are not doing anything wrong why should you be so offended. I am very polite and answer all the questions and I am off in a little over a minute. If you are nice you can get some good info too. I guess if you go to high profile lakes with strict slots then you have to expect it. It is too bad a few bad apples have to make it that way, but it is what it is.

It's not the DNR's problem to figure out what Clancy "thought".

His first mistake was to keep the over-slots, and his second was to pI$$ and whine about getting a ticket.

Thanks, Mike L, I believe you hit it right on the head with your post.

'Nuf said.

Onward.

I also let my subscription lapse a year or so ago, but I decided that I missed the ODN so I signed back up at Game Fair. I think this Gary Clancy rant edition was the first one that I received since re-subscribing.

Regardless of how I may feel about the CO's decision in this case I think that Clancy should not have Ranted about this in his column. In fact I would think that he would want to try and keep it quiet.

I too was embarrassed for Gary Clancy when I read it.

SkitterPopper, as I said I recieved no violations and I love the area. But would you visit or live in a town where everytime you left your driveway you were pulled over?
I read this forum everyday, to see whats happening in the great North woods. I hate to see everything on here turn into a [PoorWordUsage] match. But as a salesman, when I loose a sale, or a client, I like to know why. If Red lake is seeing less and less fisherman, the overbareing DNR may be the reason.
John P is a folk hero here in N Iowa!!!!

I applaud Clancy for his challenge to the overzealous nitpicking of the DNR. Do we want the Highway patrol to ticket drivers for driving 56mph in a 55 zone. Should we tremble at the power of the police and drive 51 MPH just to make sure. The fish are protected as long as the spirit of the law in honored. Taking on the "Sacred Cow" of Treaty Rights in Minnesota is risky for any writer but the silliness of worrying about a 1/4 of Walleye while a group with special status carries fish out in barrels is obvious.

URL is an interesting fishery to say the least.

There are some who will say it's only a 1/4 inch over the slot so let me be. There are others who say it's the slot and the rules are the rules.

I'm embarrassed, (As another poster wrote), that clancy brought it up. His party was in violaton, they got ticketed, that seems fair to me.

As I said earlier, this is another reason my ODN subscription has not been re-newed. Celeb or regular guy, you still have to follow the rules. Like em or not. If you want to play tbe I'm famous caard be prepared for the end result.

Well said Boilerguy!

So now Clancy's "honest mistake" is a challenge to the DNR?

Geez, at least get on the same page.