You may have been told that you get wiser as you get older, but that’s not always the case. Four people were fined nearly $3,500, $872 each, for being over the legal limit of perch. 116 fish over the limit!

Those charged were John C. Hansen, 52, and Lucille V. Hansen, 50, both of Whitehall, Wis., and Wallace R. Mortenson, 67, and Marian R. Mortenson, 65, both of Maple Grove.

The incident happened Oct. 16, when State Conservation Officer Dan Perron was following up on a report of poaching. Perron said he saw the two men cleaning fish and saw more fish in a pot and in a freezer.

The Hansens had 196 perch between them, or 116 fish over the limit. The Mortensons had 182 perch, or 102 over the limit. The perch limit in Minnesota is 20 perch daily and 40 in possession per person.

There is no excuse for poaching, but sure enough they’ve got one.

“They said the fish were really biting and they just kept fishing, and they would use all the fish they take and nothing would go to waste,” said Perron. “They all said they were sorry and were wrong to do it.”