The Largest Walleye Caught in North Dakota

The only witness willing to testify on behalf of Game and Fish lied!  Click on the link to  WATCH !! Knuth stated, “I seen him unhook a couple fish…he let his kids reel in a couple little fish…and they bring in the fish…and the hook would be in the back fin…or center of the fish…I seen em pull two fish in before that which were 2 pounds…4 pounds and they both had the hook in the top fin...the fish aren't biting at 3 o'clock...”  Below are pictures taken on the day I caught the record walleye with Knuth in red in the background. Knuth stated in his official statement to Game and Fish that these two walleye were hooked in the top fin. Do these fish looked hooked in the top fin??!!  Game and Fish had these images. Why didn't they use them to prove their witness lied? Why didn't they reference these images in their investigation report?  Read POST 6 for more detailed information. 

Did you know Game and Fish TOOK pictures and videos documenting the condition of my walleye? They did this during the certification process. I wonder why they kept that information from the public. Did you know there was a hole in the mouth of my walleye, string burn on the cheek, and blood on its jaw?  Is this a hole in the fish's mouth from my hook?  Is this string burn from my braided line? It points directly to where the hole is at in the mouth. Game and Fish took this image while my fish was being weighed.  Is this blood on the jaw of the walleye? This image was taken by game and fish when the walleye was being weighed. The blood is right where the hole in the mouth is.  Game and Fish had these images and TOOK many more images and videos showing the condition of my walleye. Why didn't they include them in their investigation report for the public to see? 

In a recorded conversation with Game and Fish, I offered the walleye and all of my images and videos to the investigator. Did you know they refused to look at any of it? Did you also know, Game and Fish referenced this conversation in the investigation report but specifically omitted this detail? Why would Game and Fish not want you to know I offered my walleye, images, and videos to them?  Here are sound clips from the recorded conversation between the Game and Fish lead investigator, myself and my attorney recorded on May 10th prior to G&F publishing their investigation report: click to LISTEN . Again, why did Game and Fish leave this information out of their report? Why didn't they want the public to know I offered my evidence and the walleye to them?  You can see more in POST 28 and can listen to the full recording of our conversation here:  full conversation . 

Knuth was Game and Fish's witness who provided an official statement believing my walleye was foul-hooked. He admitted he wasn't sure the walleye was foul-hooked and stated he was "almost positive...never saw the hook" on the walleye, but "later put 2-and-2 together" and believed in part the walleye was " snagged " because it "didn't fight quite right." He stated, " I'm like...99.5% sure it was snagged." "I don't know..."   What?! You mean you missed some of these comments in Game and Fish's investigation report? Oh, maybe because they intentionally left the information out. Funny...why would they leave these statements out of their report? Maybe because their only witness willing to testify in court just admitted doubt.  I have the recorded voicemail from Knuth. You can hear him say exactly what Game and Fish didn't want people to hear: click to LISTEN .  There are two other statements Knuth mad...

The taxidermist reviewed the physical condition of my walleye and documented it with images (see below). His expert opinion and conclusion was:  "There is a fresh tear in the mouth of the walleye. That is for sure. There is also a deep tear in the soft dorsal fin which has scar tissue between the rays. It is an old wound, and I don't believe it could have been hooked there. Neither the back, body or tail have any holes or damage so it could not have been hooked there.   "The fish was most likely hooked in the mouth when it was caught. The deep tear in the soft dorsal fin was most likely caused when the string got caught in the old tear of the fin further splitting the fin. This would have caused the fish to fight all kittywampus similar to being wrapped in the string. This is especially true if you use braided line."   The taxidermist came to this conclusion just by a physical examination of the walleye...the same examination Game and Fish could have done on May 10th...

Questions and Answers Even after more than a year, I often get asked a lot of questions. Because of this, I have decided to create a list of frequently asked questions and my responses:  Why did you create this blog? This blog was created to initiate change. G ame and Fish published their side of events with the deliberate intention to mislead you. They omitted and added information to make me appear guilty. For example, they left out the fact they refused to review my evidence which included the walleye itself. Game and Fish intentionally left out key witness statements in their report. For example, they intentionally left out images, videos and statements from the officers who verified my walleye. Then, Game and Fish made a "conclusion" without any evidence. If that wasn't bad enough, they didn't allow me to appeal their decision or defend myself in court which violated my Due Process. This blog is providing you with all of the information. If there are areas where ...

Changes Let me be straight with you. I don't care where you believe my walleye was hooked or how you believe my walleye was caught. This blog was not created to support me holding a state record. All I am asking is for you and others to read what happened to me and identify places where changes could be made for the better. If you identify areas to improve on, advocate for those improvements. If we request changes to the laws, protocols and procedures, it will make it better for everyone. *My next statements are "what if" scenarios. In NO way shape or form am I implying anything with the scenarios listed below. I firmly believe my walleye was caught legally with the hook in the mouth. Verification of Records Currently, there is no process or procedure used by Game and Fish to verify record fish and all they do is "verify the weight." They don't provide information, images and videos to the public. They don't inspect the fish for any holes or damage. They...

Potential violations by Game and Fish It is my belief Game and Fish acted unethically, and even unlawfully in the way they handled my case. Let me make it clear, I was NEVER convicted of a crime, yet I was punished by being given a written warning and told my walleye didn't qualify for a record. Game and Fish published a press release announcing my walleye broke the state record even though I NEVER filled out the application to be recognized for a record. Game and Fish created a one-sided, misleading investigation report which was published in the media. Game and Fish refused to review my evidence when it was offered to them on May 10th. Game and Fish also stated, there was no way to appeal their decision. Below, I have highlighted different sections of law where I believe Game and Fish committed violations. *Let me be the first to point out, I am not an attorney. The points listed below are my interpretation of the laws. ________________________________________ Due Pr...

Did Game and Fish demonstrate a bias? Please take your time and read through this post carefully. It is the most important post of them all. I will detail actions by Game and Fish which demonstrated a potential bias. 1. Game and Fish contacted Gibbs's place of employment and stated, "witness to the violation" just hours after announcing my walleye broke the state record. If you remember, I caught my walleye on April 21st. It was around 9:00 am on Monday, April 22nd, the day after I caught my walleye, Game and Fish published a press release stating my walleye was the new state record for North Dakota. Again this was done even though I NEVER submitted the application to be recognized for the state record. See the image of the press release below: It was less than four hours after the press release, Game and Fish contacted Gibbs's place of employment and stated my fish was "under investigation" and Gibbs was " witness to the violation ." T...

State's Attorney's Letter to Winkelman The Investigation Report included the following letter from the Morton County State's Attorney. If you can't read the letter from the image, here is what is written: "Dear Warden Winkelman: Thank you for your referral to review the submitted investigative report and attachments involving the activities on April 21, 2019, on the Heart River downstream from the North Dakota State Highway 6 Bridge, in Morton County.   Several members of the prosecution team here at the Morton County State’s Attorney’s Office, including me, had the opportunity to review your report and the accompanying video of the incident on April 21, 2019, involving Mr. Volk’s angling activity on the Heart River and the landing of the walleye fish in question. After a careful and considered review of the report, along with the witnesses’ statements, and the actual video of the event, our team is of a consensus view that the walleye in issue ...