Stolen fish

[waterlike]

So my favorite lake where I catch trout and walleye is in that late season state where fish are turned on.  Yesterday, my 9 yr old daughter and I park, and get out to our spot about 3/4 mile away.  We each catch our limit, 6 fish each, and head back to the car to camp for the night.  Next day we go out again with a a couple friends with kids that were meeting us.  I take the walleye we caught and put them with some ice in a tarp under our car, all covered.  Mind you this lake might have 2-3 groups on it this day, and usually less on a weekday.  We go out, and then I come back to drop my friend off at the car.  I show him the walleye, then he leaves.  on the way back, there is a couple that is right by shore close to the cars.  I have seen them before last season, and the guy wants to talk for a bit.  We talk.  He is the only other car out there beside the ones from my group. I leave on the 4 wheeler.  Then come back at the end of the day...and four of the walleye are gone. Not all of them.  But...**censored**.  He is the only person that was left there that wasnt part of my group.  The tarp wasnt all open like animals got into it.  Has anybody every had this happen before?  At least it wasn't any of my fishing gear, but still.  Steal a mans fish?  My car was locked with a bunch of gear inside.  Im glad it was locked.  I have also had fish stolen at this lake by a fox, when we left our days catch outside our hut ice camping.  Getting stolen by a person was more frustrating for sure. 

[meandcuznalfy]

Dam, never had that happen before, the nerve of some people, pretty ballsy move.

[Rebelss]

May sound stupid, but you said you didn't know them.....any chance that they are really hungry or have no food?
People will hide the fact that they're hungry over anything else....fact. Just a thought.

[waterlike]

I didn't say, I didn't know them. I said I had seen them once before, I guess I didn't say that I had talked to them once before. Last season. More than a year and a half ago. Also, define hungry? If the guy could lose 70 lb and still be considered slightly husky, could he be hungry? I guess but most likely not. Also he fishes this lake regularly and he also spoke to me about fishing many other lakes in the region. Let's say he is hungry. Should he be spending money on a fishing license? He had 10 lines out with six jaw jackers and four dead sticks. I guess there's really no need in me going into all this because I didn't go into it in the first place, and that's why you responded and he may have been hungry. I find people that are actually hungry aren't ice fishing at a lake that is minimum two hour drive from where he lives because he had out of state plates. Anyways no, I don't think he was hungry, but I've been wrong before

[R.S.]

if he had 6 jawjackers he wasnt poor.  nobody on a budget would spend that much money on that crap. 

maybe it was mink or something that got in and pulled them out? 

hungry or not no excuse for steeling .

and yes if your hungry a fishing license is a great value.  well, if you can catch fish. lol

[Rebelss]

Didn't glean all that info from the OP. Call the fish patrol then and move on.

[SLAYERFISH]

Geez Jon, that lake is full of skunks, badgers, and other critters. When we camp we put large rocks on the coolers.

[SLAYERFISH]

Racoons and weasels also!

[waterlike]

Again, maybe I didn't explain it enough :-) The tarp was situated in a way that if a critter got it it would have been open. It wasn't. It was as if somebody with hands and fingers carefully opened it took fish and then carefully closed it back up to exactly how it was when I left it

[JonPerry]

Live & learn

[Doeslayer]

Weird someone would only steal some of them? I never get that lucky when something of mine gets stolen its all of it lol

[Shoe]

Just saw this post.  That is really low or a dirty trick by a territorial "local" or something.  If it happened during the day, I agree, probably not a critter.  If it was Sunday when I was there..., it wasn't me.   I suppose that I had opportunity but didn't prank ya Jon.  When I first got there, there was your group in the middle, a single guy out from the vehicles about halfway across to the right, and a group of 2 way up the lake shore to the left.  I went initially up the shore to left and fished somebody's old holes, the group of two people were further up the lake.  Another single guy showed up a short distance from the vehicles and left at some point. So, point is, there were other guys around.  I crossed over and waved at your group about mid-day.  At some point when I looked up, everyone had split and there was just us out there - and you had moved to where I fished those old holes.  You left before me.  Sucks.  I have never had that happen to me but don't always keep fish - my wife doesn't like them. 

s

[DR.SPECKLER]

I had a similiar situation my last time out icefishing this year.i was hole hopping and had 3 or 4 fish at a couple holes that i left to come back too.anyways i see a guy start fishing a hole i just left and my fish were flopping still, next thing i know the dude walks to my buddy and offers to give him a few fish he caught.i immediately looked and my fish were gone from that hole.i told him hes quite a ass giving away fish someone else caught.funny thing is the look on his face when i walked over and took them back out of my buds bag.the thief didnt know the guy he gave my fish to is my brother in law.

[Fisherman 1]

Should have put them in your cooler on snow or ice in the car.

[perch chacer]

When we go for a weekend we pack the 1st days catch in a cooler and then place the cooler in the trunk.  Ya never know about people today.  Better safe then sorry.

[slipperybob]

Yeah, open water season seen people steal fish from other's coolers or buckets.  When you have your back towards your stuff and reeling another fish, them scoundrels will just walk by and swipe a fish.

[Doeslayer]

I once caught a stringer with 2 fish on it and i felt guilty about keeping that lol but there was no.ine around and it was on the river so they were probably just slowly making their way down the river

[iceman260]

I've had fish stolen by eagles, sea gulls and fox. Never had a person steal them.

[Rebelss]

Never had that problem while in the boat............