Bismarck Tribune - North Dakota News - More North Dakota fish records being landed

More North Dakota fish records being landed

Jul 20, 2007 - 04:04:10 CDT

By BLAKE NICHOLSON
Associated Press Writer

Anglers have caught almost as many record fish in North Dakota in the last 16 years as they did in the previous four decades combined. A state wildlife official says it is no coincidence.

"We have a lot more fishing pressure, and a lot better fishing conditions," said Greg Power, fisheries chief for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, only five record fish were caught in North Dakota. In the 1980s, anglers hooked 10 records. From 1991 on, 14 record fish have been caught - 11 in the last 10 years and eight since 2000.

Power said there are more than double the number of fishing lakes in North Dakota than there used to be because of more intensive management by Game and Fish in the past 30 years, including more stocking efforts.

"Smallmouth bass and muskie are good examples," he said. "Neither of those are native to North Dakota. Back in the '80s and especially in the early '90s, we got pretty intensive in our stocking programs in a number of lakes across the state."

A record smallmouth bass was caught this year, in Lake Darling northwest of Minot. A record muskie was caught this month, in New Johns Lake northeast of Bismarck.

A DNA sample of the fish has been sent to a lab to determine whether the fish is a pure muskellunge or a hybrid tiger muskie, a cross between a muskie and a northern pike. Either way, it is a state record. Power said lab test results could take months.

"When you get into native fish, like walleye and (northern) pike, those (records) are the ones that go way back," Power said.

The record pike was caught in Lake Sakakawea in 1968. The record walleye was landed in Wood Lake, in the Devils Lake region, in 1959.

Devils Lake is one of the finest walleye lakes anywhere, and fishing has gotten even better as more than a decade of wet weather has tripled the lake's size.

"We've seen some pretty nice fish come off the lake in the last couple of years," said Kyle Blanchfield, a local resort owner and president of the North Dakota Professional Guides and Outfitters Association. "We see anglers from all over the country coming to fish Devils Lake now."

The state record walleye is 15 pounds, 12 ounces. The Devils Lake record is 12 pounds, 15 ounces.

"We just can't seem to break the 13-pound barrier, but we know they're out there," Blanchfield said.

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Comments

anonymous wrote on Jul 20, 2007 4:45 PM:

" "Past fisherman" has a very valid point. State driver's licenses have quit using SSNs because they say it's too dangerous to carry all the time, but G&F can demand it because they .....? It is true that banks & other state agencies advise against keeping your SSN in your wallet. It's just very unfortunate that G&F can't understand that. What happens when someone distracts the clerk for a while and then gets some numbers from that book on the countertop? Can G&F be liable for that, or the store? or will it be a legal battle? It's something to think about for sure. "

Past fisherman wrote on Jul 20, 2007 12:49 PM:

" Answers: 1. Yes, I am not fishing because I don't feel they need my SSN. 2. I don't go to game & fish because they also want my SSN. 3. CEO, there is no reason why they need my number so I can fish. We ALL need to be more protective of our SSN's regardlous if it goes to a local or on the net. 4. Caveman, I don't buy online becuase I am still required to give out my SSN. Read what Oracle CEO wrote, it don't matter who you give it to, giving it out can cause one to have tons of problems down the road. To all: Can any of you tell me why it is necessary to give something as personal, private, and critical as your SSN instead of another form of i.d. to simply get the right to fish? "

Caveman wrote on Jul 20, 2007 9:41 AM:

" Yeah I have a response.....ahhhh WHAT?? Here's an idea...why don't you buy your license online that way you don't have to trust the nice toothless lady behind the counter at Stamart with your SSN (which is a valid concern btw). As long as it says https at the beginning of the web address you can rest assured that your info is encrypted and safe from anyone. Just don't leave yourself logged in at the library. "

Oracle CEO wrote on Jul 20, 2007 9:32 AM:

" Past fisherman, I don't think you realize that writing down you social security number in a book is way more secure than having the government or banks or any other business putting it in their computer system. Every week you hear about a company or government agency being hacked into or just plain losing personal info. Computer systems are vulnerable to every crook in the world with a computer. The Game and Fish book is vulnerable to only local crooks. I have never heard of a single instance of identity theft resulting from the Game and Fish book. "

Crank wrote on Jul 20, 2007 9:21 AM:

" Holy smokes man!!! You're not fishing anymore because of that?! Why don't you go to the Game and Fish office to get your license? "

Past fisherman wrote on Jul 20, 2007 7:27 AM:

" I no longer fish. The reason: In order to get a fishing license, you are required to write down your social secruity number. You know that number that everybody is trying to steal so they can steal your identity and credit. That number that the giving out of is being scrutinized by everyone now days. Every company, business, agency, and government is moving toward protecting and hiding your social security number. That is except one. Our state N.D. Game & Fish. They think they can justify having you write down your social security number in the license book that is in convenience stores, bait shops, Wal Marts, sporting goods stores, and every other small nook and cranny of a place that sells fishing license. How secure is your number once you write it down? I don't care what excuse or reasoning they use to justify needing our social security numbers; there has to be another form of i.d. they can use other then our social security numbers. In this day and age, we ALL need to protect our social security numbers with the utmost care. And readily giving it out to any place that sells fishing license is asking for trouble. We need to take a stand and demand our ND Fish and Game use a different form of i.d. "

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