2015 Mille Lacs Regulations Released

Walleye limit cut to one.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/299048201.html

Basically C and R. Who’s going to dirty up things for one fish? Well at least if someone catches a TROPHY caliber fish, they will be able to keep it if they wish. I don’t keep fish on ML.
I predict a ghost town up there this year again. Hope the resorts can weather these years!

“What we need is for the walleye that hatch to grow into strong year classes for anglers to catch. That has’t happened since 2008. That’s why we are focused on protecting small walleye and our ample but declining walleye spawning stock.”

Hasn’t happened since 2008, but didn’t start protecting small walleye until 2014?

If the night fishing ban is expected throughout the year, I expect a lot more resorts to close.

Disappointing, but the DNR made this bed a long time ago, and now the residents and businesses on MLacs have to sleep in it. I will still be heading to Mille Lacs numerous times this year, as I really like catching big fish. Maybe the 11k lbs native harvest will keep the nets out for another year. The ice did a good job the last couple years, and surprise surprise those year classes look really good.

The northern pike regulation is interesting. It would be sad for someone who caught a trophy but couldn’t take it home because they didn’t meet their two smaller fish requirement.

Northern pike: Limit of 10. One fish may be longer than 30 inches only if two fish shorter than 30

They still don’t get it. Keep targeting the same age group. last year we were targeting 18-20″ now those fish are the ones we are allowed again. the larger fish need to be removed to adjust the age structure and predation on the baitfish. limiting to one fish won’t change anything as most had trouble last year anyway and way less anglers anyway. we will have years or this an don change in sight. Sorry state of affairs.

Politics and more politics. Its like they don’t now anything about walleyes. When will they learn to trust the fishermen who have their pulse on the lake?? I wont fish Mille Lacs this year and very few walleyes exisit in the lake. What a sad state of affairs.

NowthenJoe wrote:

The northern pike regulation is interesting. It would be sad for someone who caught a trophy but couldn’t take it home because they didn’t meet their two smaller fish requirement.

Northern pike: Limit of 10. One fish may be longer than 30 inches only if two fish shorter than 30

In what world do people catch 2 hammer handles and then their trophy pike? Not this one.

I foresee a lot of belly up +30″ pike in the lake BC the two unders never happened, and most live wells don’t handle large fish that well.

Yes you shouldn’t keep the trophy pike if you don’t already have the smaller ones, but cmon, anyone can catch 2 small northern right

I like the pike deal, should have been in place this past year. You are not supposed to even think about keeping a trophy if you happen to catch one and don’t have the little guys to make it legal. Hopefully people will follow the letter and the spirit of the law on this one.

Mike Klein wrote:

They still don’t get it. Keep targeting the same age group. last year we were targeting 18-20″ now those fish are the ones we are allowed again. the larger fish need to be removed to adjust the age structure and predation on the baitfish. limiting to one fish won’t change anything as most had trouble last year anyway and way less anglers anyway. we will have years or this an don change in sight. Sorry state of affairs.

The DNR picked the 19-21 inch slot knowing that the population of fish were the smallest in the lake. They are always managing the lake protecting the weight allowance per the treaty management.

It might just be me, but over the last few years, I have not caught the 25 to 27.5 inch fish like I have in years past. Since nobody could keep them, I thought maybe they just got old and died off?

That pike rule should have been 1 over 30 after you have 9 under 30 in the box. That should have been in place when they opened up the lake to spearing last year. The people that came from far and wide,that were spearing took many, many, many pike over 40 inches this last winter. I think it is going to be alot harder to catch that pike over 30 this year. On the other hand, I think the DNR wanted to see all those big pike taken out to see if that might help the walleye situation. Another shot in the dark at lake management.

puddlepounder wrote:

That pike rule should have been 1 over 30 after you have 9 under 30 in the box. That should have been in place when they opened up the lake to spearing last year. The people that came from far and wide,that were spearing took many, many, many pike over 40 inches this last winter. I think it is going to be alot harder to catch that pike over 30 this year. On the other hand, I think the DNR wanted to see all those big pike taken out to see if that might help the walleye situation. Another shot in the dark at lake management.

I couldn’t agree with you more! The amount of truly huge pike that were stuck this winter was disgusting.

I’ll be on the lake every weekend this summer as always, helping support the businesses and community. I’ll fish for walleyes, but don’t expect to catch many I can keep and prolly won’t keep them anyway. Target some smallies and might get some small slimmers for the pickle jar. I am betting I will have all my spots mostly to myself.

we have a big group heading up for Opener, may not even fish as we are at the point where it’s just as fun to get together as it is to fish, keeping a fish or two is just a bonus.