POST 7: April 21st - Witness "Quad Rider" Emails Game and Fish

Witness "Quad Rider" 

Witness “Quad Rider” approached on an ATV on the dike behind where my wife recorded her video of me fighting the record walleye seconds before Gibbs netted my record walleye out on the peninsula. His quad could be heard in my wife's recorded video.

"Quad Rider" could also be seen and heard in the Witness Video when he walked in front of the camera from upstream to downstream while my family and I were taking pictures of the walleye.

Quad Rider asked, "Are you guys done with that spot?" I responded, "Ya, but Joe's still got his spot there...but ya...you can take mine." Quad Rider responded, "Awesome." Here are the video clips documenting the above events: https://youtu.be/HMkIa8fhQwM.

It is also believed "Quad Rider" appeared in the background of pictures taken at the bank of the Heart River. The image below was taken right before my family and I left the shore of the Heart River with the walleye.

Witness "Quad Rider" is believed to be one of the two individuals in this image. They asked if they could take my spot after I caught my record walleye. 

"Quad Rider's First Email to Game and Fish - April 21, 2019 at 10:53pm

Quad Rider wrote, "I just wanted to let you know that the big fish being what everyone is saying there catching but really there snagging them which is illegal. And then being the fish are snagged they by law havr to release them back into the water immediately and they are not following that rule either. I was riding my quad down the dike when the guy brought that fish in that weighed 16.9lbs. And he did not catch that fish it was snagged." 

Quad Rider admitted he, "was riding his quad down the dike when that guy brought that fish in that weighed 16.9lbs." His statement confirms he was at an estimated distance of 230 feet away.

Quad Rider didn't say where the hook was located or even why he believed my walleye was foul-hooked, but based his decision on the perception "other big fish" were being snagged. 

How fair is it to judge me and my specific event on a perception of "other big fish are being snagged therefore yours must be snagged?" This logic doesn't take into consideration the bait I was using, the technique, the fact that I caught a lot of walleye prior to the big one and all were hooked in the mouth, etc.

We are in a bad place as a society if we start making conclusions based on assumptions and perceptions of what others are doing.

Investigator Replies: May 2nd, 2019 (4:03pm)

The Game and Fish investigator emailed "Quad Rider" and wrote, "I am inquiring to see if you have any further details on the potential snagging of this fish. I am curious if you witnessed the fish being reeled in and netted and if you saw the location where the fish was hooked."

Why did the investigator wait 11 days to respond to Quad Rider's email? 

"Quad Rider" Responds: May 3rd, 2019 (7:11am)

Quad Rider responded to the investigator's email and wrote, "I actually was there when he was reeling in the fish and did see it while it was netted. What it looked like to me was it was hooked in the right side dorsal fin. It wasn't hooked in the mouth that's forsure. I actually ended up taking the guys spot where he was fishing when he went to weigh it in." 

Quad Rider pulled up behind my wife on the dike as she recorded me fighting the record walleye seconds before Gibbs netted the record walleye out on the peninsula.

"Quad Rider" was estimated to be 230 feet away at the time the fish was netted backed up by his statements and video evidence. 

Quad Rider stated, “…looked like to me it was hooked in the right side dorsal fin. It wasn’t hooked in the mouth, that’s for sure.” Quad Rider believed he saw my hook on a flopping walleye, in a net at over 230 feet away while riding on an ATV.

He claims it was hooked on the right side dorsal fin even though my walleye was netted with the left side showing - not the right side. 

He also claimed he saw the hook when the walleye was netted when neither Gibbs or I saw the hook at that time at much closer distances.

Quad Rider stated he saw the hook on the walleye even though it was not visible when the walleye was caught and netted in either of the recorded videos.  

If "Quad Rider" believed he saw what he says he saw, why didn't he raise his concerns with me when he spoke with me on the shore of the river and asked to take my fishing spot?

Investigator Replies: May 3rd, 2019 (12:08pm)

The Game and Fish investigator responded to "Quad Rider's" email and wrote, "Would you be willing to give me a written statement about what you saw?" 

"Quad Rider" Responds: May 3rd, 2019 (6:10pm)

"Quad Rider" responds to the investigator's request for a written, official statement, "I could I just dont want to have to testify in court if that would at all be possible. I would like my name not to be seen."

 "Quad Rider" never provided an official statement because he didn't want to testify in court or have his name seen. 

Potential changes 

After my walleye was caught, Quad Rider NEVER voiced any concerns as to how my walleye was caught when he spoke with me at the shore of the Heart River. In fact, he asked to take my spot so he could try his own luck at catching fish. He can be seen smiling in many of my images taken while I was holding up the big walleye just prior to me leaving.

If you were truly concerned as to how a potential state record walleye was caught, wouldn't you voice your concerns? If not, please consider doing this. 

Game and Fish didn't reach out to Quad Rider for a statement until 11 days after his initial email which gives someone a lot of time to corroborate a statement especially considering the witness video was making its way around on social media.

Why did Game and Fish wait 11 days to respond to Quad Rider's initial email? 

If Game and Fish would have responded right away, they could have asked very specific questions to see what Quad Rider truly witnessed at 230 feet away on a moving ATV. 11 days is a lot of time for someone to fabricate a story.

In court, I would have made Quad Rider prove what he saw. I would have placed a small white jig on a large, flopping walleye in a net and placed it over the shoulder of a person walking at a distance of 230 feet away while the witness was riding on a moving ATV. I would have then asked the witness to identify the location of the hook along with the color. This would have determined exactly what this witness was able to see. Does he really have super-vision? Because, the hook never appeared in any of the recorded videos which were recorded at much closer distances - even when they are zoomed all the way in. And, the hook was never visible by witnesses standing at a fraction of the distance.

Maybe Quad Rider didn't want to testify in court or want his name seen because he didn't actually see what he says he saw at the time. 

If someone doesn't want to testify in court or have their name seen, how credible is that witness? The simple fact is, considering Quad Rider NEVER provided an official statement because he didn't want to have to testify in court or have his name seen, his statements should have NEVER been included in the investigation report. If my case would have gone to court, Due Process allows me to be able to cross-examine adverse witnesses. I was never able to do that in my situation.

Publishing Quad Rider's statements in the investigation report was wrong to do.

If you witness something you are unsure of, and you don't want to have to testify in court of have your name seen, maybe it is best NOT to provide any kind of a statement against someone during an investigation. Providing an anonymous statement goes against peoples' rights to cross-examine. And as you can see, your statements will be used against someone which can cause damages.

#northdakotaslargestwalleye  #volkswalleye  #justiceforthelargestwalleye