Mat-Su

Wasilla city council member ticketed for fishing violation

WASILLA -- A Wasilla City Council member was cited for a fishing violation by Alaska State Troopers during Friday's opener for the popular dipnet fishery at Fish Creek.

Brandon Wall, 37, said in an email Monday that his family was still fishing at the creek that empties into Knik Arm near Wasilla when he walked back to his pickup with a bag of salmon bound for the cooler.

That's when an Alaska Wildlife Trooper handed him a $110 citation for failing to record personal use caught salmon, according to an online release posted Saturday.

"Apparently because I had left the fish site with salmon in tow, I needed to ... mark the salmon before taking them to the truck," Wall wrote.

Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said the agency issued a statement July 18 for anglers describing various regulations in play at personal-use dipnet fisheries on the Kenai Peninsula and on Cook Inlet. Among them: "The most common mistake wildlife troopers see people making is not recording or marking fish before concealing them from sight such as putting them in a cooler or vehicle."

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game requires salmon be marked by clipping both tips of the tail fin. Permits must be filled out each fishing trip and before leaving the fishing site, even if nothing is caught that day. Permits must be returned to Fish and Game at the end of fishing season.

Contact Zaz Hollander at zhollander@adn.com.

Zaz Hollander

Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com.

ADVERTISEMENT