Gladwin angler caught with over 1,400 panfish
GLADWIN, Mich. — A Gladwin resident has been issued a ticket for hoarding over 1,400 panfish in his freezer. While there are no size restrictions for these kinds of fish, there is a limit to how many an angler can possess.
Tips led conservation officers to investigate and confront a man whose boat trailer matched the description. They spoke with him twice throughout the day and found he was over the daily limit. After consent was given, the man led officers to the freezer in his garage where over 1,400 frozen panfish were discovered.
Conservation Officer Mark Papineau was on the scene. “The way that the law is written, you can have three days’ possession, or three days’ limit in your possession at any one time,” he said. “So in this case you would have been allowed 75 fish.”
Officer Papineau added that overfishing could have negative effects on the ecosystem as a whole. 70 plus bags of filleted will be donated to a local food bank or church after it is no longer needed as evidence.
