MANISTEE COUNTY, Mich. — This time of year, droves of fishermen line the banks of the Manistee River near the Tippy Dam for a chance to hook into a Salmon.
October is prime time for coho and Chinook salmon running upriver.
Earlier this week, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says an angler tipped off conservation officers to an out-of-state group illegally taking salmon.
The tipster let conservation officers Josiah Killingbeck and Scott MacNeill know about the illegal methods and fishing equipment. The officers were on fish Patrol Tuesday along the Manistee River near the Tippy Dam.
The conservation officers found the group, and authorities claim several members attempted to break off their fishing lines.
The group of anglers traveled from Colorado and did not have valid fishing licenses. They were also using illegal tackle, and took 17 salmon illegally, conservation officers said.
The anglers from Colorado admitted to illegally taking the fish, the DNR said, and led officers back to their vehicles in the parking lot where they had an additional 40-50 fish in coolers. Some of those salmon had already been filleted.
If properly licensed, the group would legally have been allowed to possess 30 fish in total. The total amount of illegal fish in the group’s possession weighed 463 pounds.
“It’s a shame that this group invested so much time and money to travel all the way to Michigan only to illegally take these salmon, a valuable, public natural resource,” Emery said.
“We are grateful for the angler who approached Killingbeck and MacNeill, which allowed them to recover the fish with enough time to safely donate to local families in need.”
Those anglers were cited for using illegal fishing methods to take an over limit of salmon and fishing without a license.
Combined, they face more than $4,630 in restitution and other costs.
They have until Oct. 21 to contact the 85th District Court in Manistee County for arraignment. The DNR is not releasing names prior to arraignment.
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