Casting Digital Nets

June 3, 1933.

Dear Bob:

As program chairman for the state Izaak Walton League Convention, I have put you down for a 15 minute talk on "Future Fishing Conditions in South Dakota". Please prepare the best talk of your young life and give the boys something to remember and something to look forward to. Your talk will come Monday, June 19. Due to the fact we have just a one-day convention, this year, we are asking the boys to adhere strictly to their time limits and we are going for Shorter and Better Speeches.

Please let me have your confirmation of this speech assignment as soon as possible.

I hope fishing operations are going along fine, Bob, and there are just two things we'd like down here before Convention time which would do a lot for Bob Ripple's popularity and a lot for Lake County Lakes:

(1) We should have some more Pike fry for Lake Herman. We got some nice fry, Bob, but not very many of them as we put some of them in Lake Badus. Can't you send us a few more for Herman??

(2) You have long promised us some more BASS for Herman and Badus but they have never been forthcoming. You were going to get them from the ponds at Lake Andes or from some salvage work along the river. What has happened in this regard? Can't you locate us some bass, adults or fingerlings, and send them down before the 18th?

Best wishes.

Cordially yours,

Karl. E. Mundt.

Watertown, June 6, 1933.

Mr. Karl E. Mundt, Vice Chairman, Department of Game and Fish, Madison, South Dakota.

Dear Mr. Mundt,

A million thanks for the opportunity extended in your letter June 3rd, to talk about fish and fishing for 15 minutes at the coming convention in the Izaak Walton League at Madison Monday, June 19th, and I will endeavor to plan my work so that nothing will stand in the way for me to attend so far as possible. We have put over a big program this spring in fisheries work and have now turned to getting rough fish from the Sioux River above and at the Flandreau Dam where people were getting quite sour to have something done. With my short crew combined with so many things to look after at this particular season its rather difficult to cover it all but Karl I am out to endeavor to show those people at Flandreau that we will co-operate with them and so my men and self are making an effort that I hope will be a success and ask that you back me in this endeavor.

About the wall-eyed pike fry, you did not get so very many cans but you did get a wonderful number and quality of fry in them since that trip was a short one from our hatchery so I could pile them in thick. I wont say anything about the planting of pike fry in Badus lake instead of placing them all in Lake Herman however they may do well at Badus. Those pike fry were nearly two weeks old and of very fine quality and just a couple days after that shiptment was sent forth along with others, our hatchery was closed up for the season. I have had no end of letters from people around our lakes like Big Stone etc. telling of their appreication for the wonderful plants of pike this year.

Those breeder black bass I spoke of sending to Lake Herman this spring could not be had as I learned from E. E. Allgier, Lake Andes. Duffy first told me he would get them down there however later he told me he did not have them to send so thats all I know about this deal. During our work this spring I havent been in position to get any bass breeders even for our state ponds although we have a good supply left over from former years that will fill the bill. Although I am extremely sorry the Lake Andes bass did not terminate for Lake Herman there is nothing I can do at this time.

Mr. Karl Mundt . . . 2

When the man went to Madison with pike fry I told him to let you know that Duffy had said he did not have the bass breeders to send and again when I met warden Cliff Coffey here at Watertown I told him to let you know. Although I am not passing the goat to Duffy, I had depended on him to get you these bass after he told me he would.

I am planning out a new program at our Redfield bass hatchery this summer to create an output of large bass fingerlings this fall season that will put that place on the may in a big way and from a letter received from Liebig last night it looks as though this program will bear fruit to the extent that everyone will set up and take notice. I wont brag to much now but the propagation of black bass fingerlings will have its day this fall at that hatchery. The supposed lowly bullhead will also have its day there.

With my total crew and self tied up with the Flandreau work of getting out rough fish above that dam I wont have any opportunity to get further fish to Madison previous to the coming meeting however may you realize that to me it is very plain what the people want in more and better fishing in that locality and its ever in my mind to do all possible to that end.

While we were on the pike work at the Kampeska hatchery, Mr. Coffee asked me for some perch for Lake Herman saying there was such a demand for same and although possibly it is not just proper to start perch in there with the pike, I did send down about 1,100 good sized perch for Herman.

Again thanking you for the invitation Mr. Mundt, Cordially yours, R. L. Ripple

Watertown, June 27, 1933.

New Bedford Cordage Co. 230 West Huron Street, Chicago, Illinois.

Gentlemen: Replying to yours June 23rd, asking for list of commercial fishermen in South Dakota, will give the following names and addresses.

Chas. Smith Arlington, S. D. W. W. Williams Watertown, S. D. K. J. Kjellsen Arlington, S. D. Garage Jerry Wilson Sisseton, S. D. Pool Hall Dick Allen, % Jerry Wilson, Sisseton, S. D. Joe Kiner, Lake Norden, S. D. Chas. Nitteberg, Castlewood or Estelline, S. D.

The above seven names are about all the commerical fishermen who have been engaged in such work in South Dakota during recent years.

Very truly yours, Department of Game and Fish, R. L. Ripple Supt. of Fisheries, R. L. Ripple