POST 1: The Largest Walleye Caught in North Dakota - Tom Volk's 16.59 Pound Walleye

Introduction

Thanks again for your interest in my story. It is important to know, I did NOT create this blog as a way to gain attention. And, I did NOT create this blog to change your mind about my walleye. This blog was created as a way to ask for changes, changes in the way record fish are verified and changes to the regulations. What happened to me should never happen to anyone else.  

Please read my blog thoroughly and don't take my words out of context. If you want to form an opinion about me, read my entire blog first. Understand where I am coming from. 

As a society, we would do better if we all took more time to listen, review facts and see both sides of a story before making a judgment on someone or something. 

Our country was founded on the principle of innocent until proven guilty, however this principle has been eroded away with the introduction of technology and social media where it has become common practice for people to make false assumptions and pass false judgment on a fraction of the truth. People are considered guilty before they are proven innocent. Furthermore, rumors and conspiracy theories are fueled by people hiding behind an online profile where they are not even required to use their real names. Then there are the cyberbullies empowered and emboldened hiding behind fake profiles where they are allowed to slander and spread their conspiracy theories without consequences. 

How bad does it have to get before we come back to our principles? 

I am not hiding! My face, my name and my reputation have been here the entire time. I am asking you to read my story, review all the information and advocate for changes. 

My 16 pound 9 ounce walleye caught in the Heart River in Mandan North Dakota.

Summary

My name is Tom Volk. Above is an image of me holding my 16.59 pound walleye caught on April 21, 2019 from the Heart River in Mandan, North Dakota. It is the largest walleye caught in the state and was verified to be the new state record by Game and Fish. 

Did you know, Game and Fish announced my walleye broke the North Dakota state record even though I NEVER filled out the application to be recognized for the new state record?

We will get into the details later, but Game and Fish published a press release announcing my new record the morning of April 22nd and a few hours later opened an investigation stating a "violation" occurred. Yes, they recognized me for the new state record in the morning and in the afternoon, stated a "violation" occurred. Again, this was done even though I NEVER filled out the application to be recognized for the new state record. 

On May 13th, Game and Fish "completed an investigation" and announced their conclusion and decision. They concluded "based on the evidence provided" my walleye didn't qualify for the state record because they believed it was foul-hooked. Game and Fish published a press release and provided their investigation report to the media. I was disqualified from holding the record and mailed a written warning.

I was NEVER convicted of a crime, and Game and Fish provided NO direct evidence to prove where the hook was located at the time the walleye was caught and netted. Yet, I was given a written warning and told my walleye didn't qualify for a record. 

So why this blog? This blog was created to provide the public with my evidence including images and videos to prove my walleye was hooked legally. I will also challenge the investigation, conclusion and report by Game and Fish and will prove witnesses lied about my walleye. I am hoping when the public understands everything that happened, they will voice concerns to Game and Fish prompting them to review policies, practices and laws in order to make changes.

Changes need to happen in the way Game and Fish verify state records and conduct investigations. 

What happened to me was awful, and I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else. Together, we will walk through the details of April 21st and the days following. I hope you stick it out with me because changes need to be made.

Some have asked why it took so long to release my evidence to the public. The short answer is (I will go into detail in a later post), I was giving Game and Fish the opportunity to respond to some of my questions, requests and proposed changes. I provided them my evidence and asked that they specifically retract false statements in their investigation report and retract the written warning. I have also asked for changes to their processes, protocols and laws. They just recently responded and it appears they are showing little to no signs of taking any action. I hope this changes.

I firmly believe walleye was hooked and caught legally, and many of you supported me through this whole process. I received emails, messages and phone calls. Some even donated money to help me with attorney fees. Thank you for that. Your acts of kindness are much appreciated and won't be forgotten.

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the few who believed my walleye was foul-hooked. I received messages and emails and someone even said I should "put a gun in my mouth and taste lead." For the few who believe my walleye was foul-hooked, I won't ask you to change your mind. It is not important to me what you believe as to where the walleye was hooked when it was caught. What is important to me is making changes so this doesn't happen to you or anyone else. Read what happened to me and identify any areas which could be improved upon. Not because I asked you to, but because you feel it is important for the future. Like me, maybe you have children, and maybe you don't want to see this happen to them.

I will encourage your questions and comments on this blog and will respond when able. However, I will be reviewing them to ensure they are appropriate before they will be posted. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, but I don't have to provide the platform for conspiracy theories, slander, bullying and the like. This is the time to share facts and evidence.

One last thing before we dive in, please don't expect me to be a writer with perfect grammar and sentence structure. English, although I enjoyed it, wasn't my best subject in school. I will do my best to provide the information as factually and accurately as possible while attempting to make it interesting.

Thank you for visiting my blog and check back frequently for new posts.

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