Game and Fish's actions exposed me to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule
As we learned, I NEVER submitted the application to be recognized for a state record yet, Game and Fish published a press release stating my walleye broke the state record. They then "concluded" (without reviewing all the evidence) my walleye was foul-hooked when it was caught but provided NO direct evidence documenting where the hook was located at the time the walleye was caught and netted. They issued me a written warning, and their one-sided, misleading investigation report was published by the media. Because of these actions, Game and Fish opened me up to public hatred, contempt and ridicule.Here are just a few examples of what this looks like:
This guy obviously hasn't tried paddle fishing. If everyone was required to "snag" every fish they wanted to keep with a 1/4 ounce jig and a plastic bait covering 3/4 of the hook, that would be more of a "sport" and there would be a lot more fish swimming free. And to point out the obvious, this guy was trying to lecture me on being a good role model while calling me a "fucking loser" and telling me to kill myself for catching a fish.
This image states: "At the end of the day, all a person has is their reputation. It takes an entire life to build it up and one small mistake to tarnish it. It's sad and pathetic that it had to come to this. And Tom was boasting about how great it was with this family getting to see it all and take part in the record fish. What does this situation teach your kids and younger sportsman who we're supposed to be teaching to be "ethical" and make the right decision? Also, his buddy who is a law enforcement official, should be real proud of himself. His buddy with held the truth from G & F that day, and he's out there to "Protect & Serve"!! What a piece of work."
MarbleEyez, you are right about one thing. It does take a lifetime to build up a reputation. What you forgot to mention is, it can take a few jealous people who lie to an investigator to destroy it. Then when you combine that with a published investigation report which was written intentionally to mislead, you have a lawsuit. The only ones who withheld the truth are the witnesses who lied and the investigator who believed them. Anyone who has had contact with Gibbs knows he is a professional with integrity. He cares deeply about the residents he serves and has even won awards for going above and saving lives. He expressed no concerns about how my walleye was caught.
I have no words for the guy who posted this. I do however have experience in public laws and state systems. Laws are supposed to be citizen-focused meaning give the benefit of the doubt to the citizen. State agencies are held to a higher standard and have to ensure they follow state laws. There are multiple levels of oversight. Where is the oversight with Game and Fish? Who reviews their regulations to ensure they follow state principles and provide transparency to the public?
Hey WLYHNTR, there is a reason why my walleye will be hanging on the wall in my living room, and it comes down to one specific fact...I was NEVER convicted of a crime because I NEVER committed a crime. Where is the image or video documenting the location of the hook at the time the walleye was caught? Where is an official witness statement documenting where the hook was located at the time the walleye was caught? Why is there NO hole or damage on the outside of the walleye but a huge hole in the mouth? These facts are why I was "allowed" to keep the walleye.
The only ones who mislead you were Game and Fish and the witnesses who lied.
These are just a few examples of public hatred, contempt, and ridicule made by people on social media. I am sure I could find more if I looked.
Changes need to be made.
No matter what you believe about my walleye, I hope we can all agree there are a lot of things that need to change.
Game and Fish should have had a process in place to verify record fish. This process should have included a physical examination of my walleye to check for the location of the hook and any acts of fraud. It should have included witness statements, images, videos and a published report for the public.
Game and Fish should have waited to announce my walleye broke a state record considering I NEVER filled out the application to be recognized for a record. Waiting would have also allowed for a neutral, more thorough investigation to be completed.
Game and Fish should have conducted a more thorough investigation which included interviews with and statements from the actual officers who verified my walleye. They should have done this with any and all witnesses who could attest to how it was caught, the condition of the walleye and any statements I made on how it was caught. They should have reached out to people on public forums who made statements like, "It was caught right across from me. Looked like it was hooked in the mouth. Not snagged."
Game and Fish should have reached out to me for more information prior to implying a "violation" occurred - especially since I was providing more information and asked if there was anything else they needed.
Game and Fish should have maintained a neutral stance during the investigation in order to objectively review evidence. A neutral stance would have allowed for the review and inclusion of all the information in an investigation report to eliminate any potential bias and skewing of a conclusion.
My evidence should have been accepted and reviewed when it was offered which was prior to issuing me a written warning and making the statement my "walleye didn't qualify."
My evidence should have been accepted and reviewed when it was provided to the investigator which was before they published a statement about how a "conclusion" was made based on the "evidence provided."
If all the evidence and information was reviewed and included in the Game and Fish investigation report, it wouldn't have mislead people who relied on it to determine a conclusion.
The public should have been provided all of the information in my case including the images and videos taken by the officers who verified my walleye. It should have included all of the statements made by witnesses. The public should have been made aware I offered my evidence which included the walleye.
Because Game and Fish did the things listed above, I was opened up to public hatred, contempt and ridicule.We the people deserve transparency and accountability to increase our confidence in state agencies. Where is the oversight? Why was this allowed to happen?
#northdakotaslargestwalleye #volkswalleye #justiceforthelargestwalleye
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