Einhorn is a man
I've been over this just like everyone else, but I'll give the guy credit for sticking to his guns. If I felt it was a legal catch and had been slandered throughout the state and nation I'd want my name cleared too. I mean the guy was on the main page of Fox News being called a liar. The longer it drags on the more it turns into an uglier situation for everyone involved.
I’m going to gather signatures for a measure removing all state records pertaining to anything and everything. Heading to NDSU to recruit signature gatherers now.
My thoughts exactly!!Why let him keep it if they believed it might have been snagged? I'm no attorney but I'm guessing that the evidence wasn't there to prove in court that he did snag it, thus being illegal. But a walleye record isn't determined in court so they don't need that kind of evidence. They had enough evidence in their mind that it was snagged but not enough evidence to take him to court. Kind of like OJ Simpson. Couldn't convict him of murder but had enough evidence to sue him for wrongful death.
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A lot of people stick to their guns even if they know they are wrong. Lance Armstrong.
The fact they let him keep it is really kind of strange. Illegally obtained fish/animals are generally not given back.
If I remember correctly he got his fish back because he was talking about suing to get it back and the G&F probably didn't have all the evidence they needed or want take the time and expense to litigate the thing.
Have you not ever accidentally snagged a walleye that missed your crank or jig that was in the 16" - 20" range and put it in your livewell or did you release it knowing it was illegally caught? Not much difference.
The G&F seems to be riding the fence by allowing him to keep the fish they are suggesting that they don't have enough evidence to prove it was an illegal catch while at the same time publicly saying it was an illegal catch.
Or if you're not cynical you could say they don't have enough evidence to convict but they do have enough evidence that they don't have to put it in the record books because they unofficially keep the records of fish.
There is no law about what fish are records. The GNF makes their own rules. If you guys want to believe its a record, then guess what, its a record in your books. If it makes you feel better, make a book of records and your own rules. There is no law that the GNF has to keep records or how they keep them. Thus if you don't like it, too bad.