MUSCATINE, Iowa — Wildlife officers have charged two men with multiple violations after catching them illegally using hoop nets to try and harvest catfish from the Cedar River in rural Muscatine County.
Facing charges are Cody Frye, 32 of Nichols, Iowa and Derek Brase, 30 of Wilton.
DNR officer Joe Fourdyce said the men were intending to catch catfish, “But because of their lack of experience and knowledge of commercial fishing, they did not catch any catfish. “However, because they were not attending the net frequently enough, they ended up killing some rough fish and soft shell turtles.”
Each man is charged with unlawful use of commercial gear in prohibited water, failure to attend commercial gear, no valid commercial fishing license, unlawful take of softshell turtles, unlawful take of buffalo, no commercial fishing gear tag.
They face fines of up to $800.
To report poaching, the DNR has established a TIP line at (800) 532-2020.
