Ron and Rachel BUSTED for illegal fishing on Rattlesnake Lake

Sgt. Chandler said he suspects Rachel Belle is hiding out in a sour cream bagel shop in New York. Her last post on Facebook reads: Had a very old man morning: listened to Car Talk & went trout fishing. #getoffmylawn! (Image courtesy Facebook)

A couple members of The
Ron & Don Show staff are in trouble with the law after
broadcasting
details of a recent Rattlesnake Lake fishing trip.

Rachel Belle told listeners how she caught her first fish
when host Ron
Upshaw took her out on Rattlesnake Lake in his boat.

“It was thrilling,” said Belle.

When asked by host Don O’Neill how she managed to lure in
her catch,
Belle said she was using bait she identified as “a
nugget.”

“I had bait. It looked like a mini marshmallow. It was a
rainbow in color.”

Upshaw corrected, clarifying that the bait they used was
actually called a
“trout nugget.”

The type of bait is apparently not the issue. It turns
out, the two were in
violation of the law for using any bait at all.

“Rattlesnake Lake is what we call selective gear rules,
which means
single, barbless hook and no bait. It’s been that way
since dirt was
invented,” said Sergeant Kim Chandler, with the King
County
Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Chandler is a regular enforcer of fishermen up on
Rattlesnake Lake.

“This is the way this usually goes down. I hide in the
bushes all dressed
in camo. I see what I need to see and then I jump out at
you like a rat on
a Cheeto.”

Upshaw pleaded the fifth on what bait he used once
Chandler
confronted him with his violation on the air.

“How can he prove that I used that bait?” asked Upshaw.

Belle was out of state when Chandler appeared on the show.

“As I understand it, Rachel was part of this,” said
Chandler. “It sounds to
me that Rachel is now a fugitive from justice.”

“Libby told her the other day, ‘Hey did you have a
fishing license? We
got a call from a sergeant with fish and game.’ She said,
‘No.’ Next thing
you know, Rachel’s on a plane to New York the next day,”
said co-host
Don O’Neill.

The penalty for Upshaw and Belle’s crime is punishable by
a fine of
around $261, said Chandler.

Upshaw tried to defend himself, telling Chandler he is not
in the habit of
being a rule-breaker. He asked Chandler for advice on how
to avoid any
future law breaking.

“You need to get a copy of the fishing regulations and
read them,” said
Chandler. “The information is there.”

“I will read that,” Upshaw assured Chandler.

Listen: King County v. Upshaw and Belle:

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor