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POST 20: April 23rd (11:00am) Review of my Wife's Recorded Video

My Wife's Recorded Video

Another piece of evidence was a video recorded by my wife of me reeling in the record walleye. I was unaware of this video until sometime after my interviews with the media. 

Her video is 4 minutes, 25 seconds long and documented the final few minutes of me catching the record walleye. My wife stated she started recording her video as soon as she figured out it was a big fish. At the start of the recording, I was standing approximately 10 to 15 feet in front of her. When the recording ended, she was approximately 140 feet away from where the walleye was netted. The video started at 2:54pm (as recorded by the time-stamp on the video) and is broken down into two parts which were uploaded to YouTube. I have done my best to transcribe the video below.

My Wife's Recorded Video – Overview Part 1: https://youtu.be/A--mcCaz8HM.

:00 - Head shakes can be seen in the rod.
:09 - My wife, “You guys are giggling…”
:18 - Me, “I can’t move this thing.” 
:25 - Me, “Someone get a 2nd harpoon in that thing.”
:31 - Gibbs is looking out into the water. The walleye is not visible.
:42 - My wife, “Someone just lost one.”
:50 - Head shakes can be seen. 
:56 - My wife, “Dad’s got a gigantic fish.”
1:06 - My wife, “Where is it?”
1:11 - I changed hand position and pulled. Giant head shakes and drag.
1:21 - Video pans out over water. Fish not visible.
1:25 - Me, “Someone get eyes on this thing.” 
1:30 - Me, “Is it going upstream?” 
1:49 - Head shakes.
1:55 - My wife, “You see it yet?” – I reply, “No.” 
2:00 - M.V., “I don’t see it.” 
2:04 - Walleye appears to breach the surface.
2:05 - Me, “Is that a walleye?” Gibbs, “Sure looks like it.” Witness – “I don’t see any white tip.” 
2:08 - Walleye fights its way back under the water. Giant head shakes.
2:19 - Big head shakes. I pulled back on the rod. 
2:31 - Fish breaks surface. I said - “Big walleye.” “That is a monster.”

Some points to be made on Part 1 of my wife's recorded video: 
  • The record walleye fought underwater for over 2 minutes before breaking the surface. 
  • During the fight, the fish completed several head-shakes which can clearly be seen. 
  • I fought the fish aggressively and pulled back hard on the fishing rod with both hands to the point where Gibbs stated, “Don’t break your line."
  • After 2 minutes and 30 seconds my fish broke the surface of the water a second time. The top of the head/mouth appeared to breach the water.
My Wife's Recorded Video – Overview Part 2: https://youtu.be/d5WinLLbVB0.

2:43 - Me, “Big walleye guys. That is a monster. Joe, get ready. That’s a hog.” 
2:46 - Me, “Might want to get down there.” Gibbs, “Don’t break your line.” 
2:48 - Gibbs leaves with the net. 
2:49 - Me, “Here we go guys…reel up…reel up.”
2:54 - Me, “This is a pig.”
3:00 - Me, “It’s a hog.” (Witness #1's video started recording.)
3:02 - Me, “He’s coming down to that middle spot…get down there bud.”
3:22 - Gibbs runs to peninsula and gets into first position.
3:24 - Gibbs re-positions – the walleye is not visible.
3:36 - Gibbs re-positions again – runs further downstream.
3:39 - I start walking downstream.
3:48 - An ATV pulls up behind my wife. (This is believed to be witness Quad Rider)
3:51 - Gibbs reaches way out to net the fish.
3:55 - Fish is flopping in the net and Gibbs turns to walk back to shore.
3:57 - Gibbs lifts net and people cheering. Fish is upside down in net.
3:58 - Fish flips/flops in net and is upright.
4:01 - Gibbs puts net over his shoulder while he continues to walk. Fish flops to upside down position in net.
4:10 - Fish is upright in the net. I am walking back towards family. My back is to Gibbs.
4:15 - I look back at Gibbs and reel in some slack line. 
4:18 - Gibbs says, “…you got to get that mounted.” I reply, “…getting that mounted.” 
4:20 - I turn and start walking back towards my family again. Gibbs has fish in the net over his shoulder. Fish REALLY flops in the net to upside down position.
4:22 - Me,  “Done…Done.” 
4:25 - Gibbs walking upstream with the fish. 
***** END VIDEO *****

Some points to be made after watching Part 2 of my wife's recorded video:
  • My bait was not visible on the back, body, fins or tail of the walleye when it was caught and flopping in the net. See the images below: 

Image taken from Amanda's Video at a distance of 140 feet right after my record walleye was netted (approximate time 2:59pm). Note how far away witnesses were at the time my walleye was netted. 
Closeup of the image above. Note how the hook was not visible on the body, back, tail or fin of the walleye.

  • After 2 minutes and 30 seconds, the fish appeared to give up and break the surface of the water. 
  • When the fish broke the surface of the water, the hook was never visible on the outside of the fish. 
  • The walleye does not appear to be coming in backwards or sideways.   
  • The record walleye pulled drag and did several head-shakes throughout the recorded video. 
  • The record walleye fought for over 4 minutes before being caught.
  • When the fish was netted, it was netted with the head upstream towards where I was standing. 
  • The walleye flopped and changed positions several times in the net. 
  • Witnesses cheered and celebrated when the walleye was netted.  
  • My wife was estimated to be 140 feet away at the time the walleye was netted. 
The video my wife recorded contradicted some of what I stated to the media about how the walleye fought. The fish did not appear backwards or sideways at any point. The fish stayed down under the water for nearly 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the fight before it appeared to give up and breach the surface. The walleye's head remained upstream while it fought. The walleye fought its way back under the water several times including at the point of when it was netted. When the walleye was netted, the head was upstream towards where I was standing and the left side of the walleye was upright. The walleye flopped and changed positions in the net several times. The hook was not visible anywhere on the back, body, fins or tail of the walleye when it was netted or after it was caught.

Video Clips from My Wife's Video


Additional Images from My Wife's Video







The walleye flopped and changed positions in the net numerous times. If the hook was spit when it was caught, it could have easily ended up somewhere else.

The video and screenshots document how the hook was NOT visible on outside of the fish on either side when it was caught and changing positions in the net.
My wife's video supported my beliefs the walleye was caught legally. 
The hook was not visible anywhere on the body, back, fins or tail of the walleye when it was caught and netted. This fact along with the fresh tear/hole in the mouth of the walleye support the walleye was caught legally in the mouth and provide the only explanation as to why there is no hole or damage from a hook on the outside of the fish. This too is the only explanation as to why witnesses never saw the hook on the walleye as it fought and was netted.


Changes

If the investigator wouldn't have stated a "violation" occurred and the current regulation was a noncriminal offense, Game and Fish would have been provided this video a lot sooner. They could have used the video to prove how the walleye flopped and changed positions in the net and documented how the hook was NOT visible on the outside of the walleye. Again, the current regulation needs to change.
The current regulation for keeping a foul-hooked fish is a criminal offense. There is no reason for this, and Game and Fish would receive a lot more cooperation if it were changed. It could save the state and its residents a lot of money.


#northdakotaslargestwalleye  #volkswalleye  #justiceforthelargestwalleye

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