A commercial fisherman in Sitka, Alaska, was cited after a wildlife trooper found an undersized king salmon and then discovered two more king salmon hidden under ice aboard his vessel, despite the fisherman repeatedly saying there were no other fish left on board.
Bodycam footage released by the YouTube channel WildlifeWarden shows the encounter involving permit holder Timothy Robinson and an Alaska wildlife trooper, who had been called to Sitka Sound Seafoods after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported an undersized king salmon from the F/V Evening Star.
According to the channel, the first fish measured 27 inches, one inch below the required 28-inch minimum, but the case became more serious when the trooper found two additional salmon with their heads removed, making them impossible to measure in the usual way.
The First Salmon Was Already Too Short
When the trooper met Robinson at the processing facility, the conversation initially sounded routine.
Robinson said he had been fishing for two days, had finished his trip and had already completed his fish ticket, while also telling the trooper he had caught about 20 fish.
The trooper then asked whether any fish remained aboard the vessel for Robinson to keep personally.
Robinson said no.
That answer later became important because the trooper soon climbed aboard to inspect the boat and look at Robinson’s measuring setup.
Robinson showed him the mark he used to determine whether a king salmon met the 28-inch requirement, and the trooper explained that the way a fish is positioned can affect the measurement, particularly if the tail is pinched or stretched.
The discussion was technical but calm, and at that point the apparent issue was simply whether one salmon had been measured incorrectly.
Two More King Salmon Were Buried Under Ice
As the trooper continued looking through the vessel, he noticed newer ice in the hold and asked to take a closer look.
That search changed the direction of the encounter.
Under the ice, the trooper found two additional king salmon.
“What’s up with these ones?” he asked.
Both fish had their heads removed.
Robinson said the heads had been taken off at the dock and eventually explained that he intended to keep the fish for personal use and give some away to friends.
The trooper questioned why Robinson had not mentioned them when directly asked whether any fish remained aboard.
“I wish you would have just told me that they were there,” the trooper said, adding that the omission created more suspicion than if Robinson had been upfront from the beginning.
That is really where the case stopped looking like a simple measuring mistake.
One short fish can happen through carelessness or a bad measuring method, but repeatedly denying the presence of additional fish while they are sitting under ice creates a much harder explanation.
Removing The Heads Created Another Problem
Robinson also told the trooper he believed he could remove the heads because the fish were for his own use.
The trooper disagreed.
He explained that commercially caught king salmon taken for personal use still had reporting requirements, and that head removal could create problems because the fish could no longer be measured in the normal way.
One of the salmon also appeared to have a clipped fin, which raised additional questions about whether a permit was required before removing the head.
Robinson asked whether the rules were different for personal-use fish, but the trooper maintained that the regulations still applied in this setting.
With the heads gone, the trooper used another available measurement standard based on the distance from the back of the gill arch to the tip of the tail.
He concluded that neither fish met the alternative requirement either.
Robinson reacted with frustration and asked whether he would be allowed to keep them.
The answer was no.
Robinson Had Already Said The Fish Ticket Was Complete
The reporting issue was another part of the problem.
Earlier in the encounter, Robinson had told the trooper that his fish ticket was already finished, which meant the two king salmon he intended to keep had not been listed as personal-use fish.
Once the trooper learned that Robinson planned to keep them rather than sell them, the omission became a separate violation.
WildlifeWarden said Robinson was ultimately cited for possessing undersized king salmon and failing to report king salmon taken for personal use.
All three salmon were seized.
According to the channel’s description, two were later donated to the Sitka Pioneer Home, while the third was retained as evidence.
The practical lesson here is fairly clear: fishery rules do not become optional simply because the fish are staying with the fisherman instead of going to market.
Commercial harvest, personal use and reporting requirements can overlap in ways that make recordkeeping just as important as the physical size of the fish.
The Trooper Says The Situation Could Have Been Less Suspicious
Throughout the bodycam footage, the trooper remained relatively calm and repeatedly explained why the situation had become more serious.
He did not accuse Robinson of a major criminal scheme, but he made clear that the repeated omissions mattered.
After finding the two hidden fish, he again asked whether there was anything else aboard that he needed to know about.
Robinson said no.
The trooper continued checking the vessel and noted what appeared to be other scales near the bin boards, although he said they did not look like king salmon and may have been old.
By that point, the search had become broader because Robinson’s earlier answers had not matched what the trooper found.
That is often how these encounters escalate.
Once an officer catches one inconsistency, every later statement gets more scrutiny, and what might have ended as a minor citation can turn into a much more detailed inspection.
A 38-Year Fishing Career Ends Up In Court
The trooper later met Robinson back at his slip and handed him two citations.
One was for possessing undersized king salmon.
The other was for failing to report king salmon taken for personal use.
Robinson asked whether the violations would affect his commercial fishing license and how much the fines might be, but the trooper said those issues would be handled through the court and the applicable commercial fisheries point system.
Robinson also said this was the first time he had ever had a problem like this in 38 years of fishing.
By the end of the conversation, his tone had shifted considerably.
“Stuff happens. I made a mistake,” Robinson said.
The trooper responded that he appreciated the attitude and said the important thing was not repeating it.
WildlifeWarden closed the video by noting that even someone with nearly four decades on the water can end up in court over a handful of mistakes.
In Robinson’s case, though, the most damaging part was not just the undersized fish itself, but the fact that two more salmon were sitting under the ice after he had already said there was nothing else on board.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
