LANSING, Mich. – Two brothers from Kent County have pleaded guilty to poaching walleye last spring.
Benjamin Schrouder, 54, of Ada and his brother Steven Schrouder of Lowell, were spotted filleting the fish at a dock at Libra Marina on the Detroit River last May. The witness saw them go back and continue fishing and repeat the process of filleting more fish three times.
Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers made contact with the Schrouders and found them to have 75 walleye fillets. The legal limit for walleye on the Detroit River is five, 15-inch walleye per day.
The brothers were ticketed, but failed to appear for their court date. They were arrested last week. Each of them has been ordered to pay $2,070 and had their fishing licenses revoked for a year.
The DNR says that the Detroit River is a world-class walleye fishery, particularly after the spring spawning run.
