This might make your blood boil

  • BomberA
    Posts: 649
    #1216084

    Courtesy of my main man Kenny Snow on a different web site.

    Apparently, bass are the number one predator of walleyes or is this an excuse to keep bass boats off “their” lake.

    “Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin holds Bass Jamboree on Nelson

    June 17th will be the first annual “You Hook’em We’ll Cookem” Bass Fisheree on Nelson Lake. The Tall Pines Resort and Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin are planning a day of fishing and fun with Board members from WFNW weighing, cleaning, filleting and cooking any bass caught on Nelson and brought to the resort! The catcher and/or designees can then eat their catch-no strings attached, so to speak. Other food will also be available.

    Fisherman and women must buy a button at any resort on the Lake, Hayward Bait or Minnow Jim’s for 5 dollars adults, 3 dollars under 12. Prizes will be rewarded for largest bass, largest stringer of bass by weifgt, and a prize for the person guessing the number of bass caught during the event. The Grand Raffle Prize will be a brand new Evinrude 8 horsepower outboard motor, donated by Hayward Power Sports. Other prizes too numerous to mention.

    Get your Largemouth Bass rigs ready and we’ll see you on the lake on

    June 17th. Fishing hours fro 7AM to 6PM

    All proceeds will go toward walleye stocking programs, and any fish fillets noy eaten will be donated to the Hayward Food Shelf.”

    kooty
    Keymaster
    1 hour 15 mins to the Pond
    Posts: 18101
    #447456

    Where can I sign up???

    Just kidding.

    Blue, they are having a tourney for you and JC!!

    farmboy1
    Mantorville, MN
    Posts: 3668
    #447459

    This has to be a joke, right

    robstenger
    Northern Twin Cities, MN
    Posts: 11374
    #447469

    Koot make sure you put me on the list also.

    Koots, we should go. Can you imagine the Pics with a Knife to all the Largies. Of course we would then bring a good eatin fish along. Not thanks, on those foul tasting green carps.

    Hey Blue don’t get your panties in a bunch I was just joking

    BomberA
    Posts: 649
    #447474

    Can we get the bass forum password protected to keep the riff-raff (lip-ripper) out.

    bowhuntr24
    Somerset, Wisconsin
    Posts: 533
    #447476

    Is this really going to happen? where is the ad?

    chewes
    Lansing, IL also known as the Flatland by the Border of IN.
    Posts: 144
    #447477

    We could sign up and accidently bring in a bunch of dead eyes.

    That would be instant carma!

    ryan-hale
    NW Ia
    Posts: 1548
    #447481

    Correct me if I’m wrong,but do bass eat that many eyes??? I always thought bass had an min. effect on the eye population.
    Ryan Hale

    bait_caster
    Spring Valley, Wis.
    Posts: 142
    #447482

    This ad was posted in the spring news letter of the Nelson Lake Association news.
    I spoke with Frank Pratt at the WDNR office in Hayward and he says they do have a permit for this tournament. I’m not sure who these Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin folks are though. I haven’t been able to find a web site or any information on them.
    The WDNR is looking to remove the size limit on bass, and manage the lake for trophy northern pike. So apparently trophy northern pike do not eat walleyes. Makes no sense to me. If there are any fish managers out there could you help us understand your thinking here??
    Bait Caster

    kooty
    Keymaster
    1 hour 15 mins to the Pond
    Posts: 18101
    #447489

    On a serious note, there are catch and kill tournies for eyes all the time. Why not bass??

    I don’t like the excuse they are using, to better the walleye fishing. Just have a kill tourney, simple enough.

    jhalfen
    Posts: 4179
    #447490

    I’m not going to come down on one side of the fence or the other here…I’m just going to relay some information that my family has received, as we are property owners on a lake east of Hayward (not Nelson).

    The WI DNR has noted several instances of lakes in this area, including Nelson, that used to be consistent walleye producers, and now have very limited walleye opportunities but at the same time have been “overrun” by smaller-sized LM Bass. Those two things (downturn in eyes and ramp-up in bass populations) are *correlated* but I don’t know if someone has established a causal relationship (in other words, I don’t know of any scientific proof to the notion that bass are a primary predator of yearling eyes).

    The WI DNR has been holding lake management meetings for the past several years for each of the big hayward area lakes…Nelson had its meeting 2 years ago, I think. The stakeholders at that Nelson lake meeting (property owners, area business people, guides, etc) decided that they wanted Nelson restored to a quality walleye lake that had a population of trophy northerns. The Hayward area DNR office’s attitude is to try to give the stakeholders what they want, if feasible.

    The primary approach is currently to restrict northern harvest to a narrow slot and to stock extensively (in conjunction with the tribes) with extended growth walleye fingerlings…that is the DNR’s approach to addressing the desires of the Nelson Lake stakeholders. In my opinion, the DNR is not advocating for the removal of all of these bass, but rather this is something that the lake association people would like to do, to (in their minds) help out the eyes as they are trying to rebuild the popluation.

    Again, I’m not coming down on one side or the other, just wanted to add a little more information from a Hayward area cabin owner.

    brovarney
    Posts: 662
    #447491

    I started this as a seperate post. They following information should be helpfull.

    Re: Your help is urgently needed!! NELSON LAKE BASS KILL SOON TO COMMENCE

    Here is the DNR’s Mission statement that I copied from their website:

    DNR Mission Statement
    Our Mission
    To protect and enhance our natural resources:

    our air, land and water;
    our wildlife, fish and forests
    and the ecosystems that sustain all life.

    To provide a healthy, sustainable environment

    and a full range of outdoor opportunities.

    To ensure the right of all people

    to use and enjoy these resources
    in their work and leisure.

    To work with people

    to understand each other’s views
    and to carry out the public will.

    And in this partnership

    consider the future
    and generations to follow.

    Somehow allowing a planned fish kill does not seem to fit into the “To work with peopleto understand each other’s views and to carry out the public will”
    If a PERMIT has been approved it could be resinded. If no permit has been issued then this event and it’s should be planners should be prosecuted.

    ozzyky
    On water
    Posts: 817
    #447494

    WOW!! I guess I’ll have to rent some PWC and buzz the shoreline and urine everyone off! To bad the idiots fishing the tournament don’t have some sort of logo on their boat so I don’t bug the wrong guys.

    brovarney
    Posts: 662
    #447496

    This is wrong. This is bait bucket fish management at it’s worst. There are a lot of Trophy Muskey lakes out there where the walleye populations are way down. Will those Muskey’s be the next on the list of this plan.

    If the DNR allows this to happen it opens up the door to all kinds of unauthorised fish management.

    Can the argument be made that the perch decline in Lake Michigan is because of the Smallmouth…..or Salmon…….Should we have a fish boil?

    Isn’t the healthy Northern Pike population in the Mississippi river the reason they had to decrease the bag limit on Gil’s? How about a Potosi pike pickling party?

    I know that I would love to have the Musky out of Pewaukee so the Bass would come back. What if we……..

    The DNR can stop this or they can let it go on. It is in thier court and may be one of thier defining moments.

    freitag
    Osseo, WI
    Posts: 335
    #447497

    The problem is that there are no walleye on Nelson anymore.. be it from over fishing, spearing, or an increasing bass population. I have had land on Nelson for 5 years plus and have yet to catch a walleye. I suppose this could mean that I just know how to catch walleye. If that’s the case, then I really don’t know what to say about the difficulty of bass fishing when I can catch 2-3 in any bay. The lake used to be known for its walleye fishery as well as one of the top 10 pan fisheries in the state. I, for one, won’t shed any tears. Hopefully, a little balance can be brought back to an otherwise beautiful lake. As long as they’re eatin’ which is more than what can be said by the speared walleye.

    amwatson
    Holmen,WI
    Posts: 5130
    #447502

    I guess as a multi-species fisherman who doesn’t keep many fish, I can’t really see a problem with this tourney. If they are within the letter of the law, they are practicing their right as an angler to catch AND eat the fish they catch. Now, if they were to catch these fish and not use them, my viewpoint would be different. We have to be more tolerant of other people’s choices. Most people try to interpret laws based on their own emotions. We are all different. All we can do as anglers is to practice our own set of ethics and try and teach others. If they choose not to listen, that is their choice.

    haywood04
    Winona, Minnesota
    Posts: 1073
    #447506

    I have been to Nelson Lake and if memory serves it is pretty shallow and tons of weeds?
    It remined me of the way the Lake Winona looked before the dredging.
    It would be sad to see a huge Bass kill. What is the evidence that this will bring back the walleyes? Or is that even the intent of the kill?
    SAD to say the least.
    Not to mention that a fat old 6lb bass would taste like

    kNelson
    Posts: 104
    #447507

    hmm..this just happens between a BWSTA and Team Supreme for me and i have a cabin south of Ladysmith. My cousin has a Jet Ski too..I know where i could possibly be going on June 17th..

    brovarney
    Posts: 662
    #447511

    Mike,

    I to believe that you should be able to harvest what you eat.

    I do not believe that a group of resort and land owners should be allowed to set bounties on naturally reproducing species that they don’t “like”. These people met with the DNR and convinced them to change the size limit on the Bass to increase harvest. Those changes have come about. It appears that they don’t feel that the steps the DNR took are enough. They have taken steps to change the make up of the lake on their own.

    If they get to do it then doesn’t everybody.

    kNelson
    Posts: 104
    #447512

    This is basically for muskies, but it pertains highly to this topic. Really talks about the idiots who want their agenda pushed because they “know” what fish are eating what. At our cabin on the Holcombe Flowage, our neighbor kills any muskie he catches because they supposedly eat too many crappies..yeah..great logic there..

    Dave Neuswanger
    Fisheries Team Leader, Upper Chippewa Basin
    Wisconsin DNR, Hayward
    October 7, 2005

    It is challenging to incorporate public input into fishery management plans in an appropriate manner. In Wisconsin, we have a culture that has allowed and even encouraged anglers to greatly influence management strategies such as fish length limits, bag limits, stockings, and habitat projects. Often such influence is wielded by only a handful of people who have not been trained professionally in the management of fishery resources. Even more troubling, strategies usually are selected before the priorities and desired outcomes of a majority of stakeholders have been identified (for example, how many fish of what size are possible and desired in a particular lake).

    As the old saying goes, If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there. Asking or allowing anglers to direct strategies to achieve undefined results seems to put us on one of those many paths quite frequently. We can do better.

    Since spring of 2004, DNR fishery managers in my six-county Upper Chippewa Basin have held 16 weekend sessions with a total of 448 civic-minded people in order to develop shared visions (desired outcomes) for 32 lakes totaling 98,543 acres. This represents 59% of all publicly accessible lake acreage in the basin.

    DNR biologists open these four-hour visioning sessions with a presentation about the history of each fishery. They address participant questions regarding the potential of each lake or chain of lakes to produce various types of fishing. After this status review, we facilitate a process to determine the relative importance of each fish species, followed by an exercise that allows us to understand the extent to which folks are interested in numbers versus size, and catch-and-release versus harvest, for each of the most important species.

    Participant preference information is then used to craft realistic goals and objectives (desired numbers and sizes of fish) for the most important species in each system. Biologists help by suggesting measurable objectives consistent with stakeholder-influenced goals. To my surprise, we have had virtually unanimous agreement on goals and objectives. Fishery management strategies (length limits, bag limits, stockings, and habitat projects) are not discussed. Participants agree that professional biologists should choose such strategies provided they are consistent with stakeholder-influenced goals.

    A handful of non-participants seem to feel threatened by this new approach. These are the proverbial squeaking wheels who have developed the expectation that if they persistently make strident demands, DNR will yield to the pressure and implement their pet strategies. Often this has been done without regard for the impact of such strategies on the silent majority of stakeholders who may not share the priorities and preferences of a few activists. Often it is done based upon flawed assumptions and misunderstandings of fishery science by activists who presume to know more than the professionals. Almost always it is done without a shared vision that clearly identifies desired outcomes. My fishery management team seeks to reform business-as-usual in the Upper Chippewa Basin. We relish the opportunity to serve you based upon the priorities and desired outcomes of a representative majority, not the misguided pressure tactics of select individuals and special interest groups.

    We learned a lot during our 2004-2005 visioning sessions. In the Hayward area, sessions were conducted for Nelson Lake, Lac Courte Oreilles, Grindstone Lake, Round Lake, and the Chippewa Flowage. Our lake association cosponsors were gracious hosts, and all participants were polite, open-minded, and extremely helpful. The fishery management plan for Nelson Lake has been completed. Implementation has begun. Stakeholders helped develop the goals and objectives, professional biologists developed the strategies, and everyone is pitching in to implement them, including the Nelson Lake Association, Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin, and the Red Cliff Tribe. Other fishery management plans for Sawyer County lakes are currently in preparation. Our goal is to complete them by June 30, 2006. If all goes well, we will schedule additional lake fishery visioning sessions next summer.

    We have learned a lot about angler priorities and preferences in the six-county Upper Chippewa Basin. Results of our visioning sessions have reaffirmed that walleye are Number One. On a scale of zero to 100% (where all 448 participants would have rated a species to be of the highest importance), the relative importance index for walleye was a very high 79%. Thats no surprise. But some folks may be surprised to learn that black crappie were a close second with a relative importance index of 75%. Bluegill scored third at 70%, followed by yellow perch at 57%.

    These three panfish species (crappie, bluegill, and perch) were of relatively high importance to visioning session participants in the Upper Chippewa Basin, yet DNR fishery management programs traditionally have placed walleye, muskellunge, and trout at the top of the priority list. Obviously walleye should remain our top priority. But these local visioning session results, in addition to past statewide surveys, suggest that we should spend a greater proportion of our time and money trying to create and sustain good fishing for panfish in area lakes. We plan to do just that in the Upper Chippewa Basin, where some of the most progressive methods for managing panfish were being piloted by basin biologists when I moved here from Missouri in 2002.

    Muskellunge ranked fifth in sport fishing interest among our 448 visioning session participants, with a relative importance index of 50%. Smallmouth bass (47%) were almost as important as muskellunge. Northern pike (41%) and largemouth bass (33%) were the only other species of significant sport fishing interest to our participants, but even they were locally important on certain waters.

    Basin-wide visioning session results may be interesting, but we must be careful not to over-generalize. Any one of the top eight species in this basin may be among the top three on a particular lake. For example, muskellunge are of prime importance at Lac Courte Oreilles, so we have plans to transfer overabundant muskies from Butternut Lake near Park Falls to LCO in order to bolster the musky fishery there and shift dominance away from northern pike. (Implementation is pending a determination that the fish are genetically compatible.) At Nelson Lake, where walleye were the primary concern, stakeholders felt northern pike were important enough to develop objectives to produce low numbers of trophy-size pike. Habitat conditions and angling traditions often dictate what is most important on individual waters. For example, largemouth bass will be the featured species at Miller Dam Flowage in Taylor County, where walleye and musky spawning habitat is practically nonexistent. We will take all these factors into account, in addition to LCO tribal interests, as we complete our fishery management plans for Sawyer County lakes.

    It is remarkable and a bit disappointing to see the occasional Letter to the Editor alleging that local DNR fish managers are arrogant, unenlightened, and lacking in plans. Perhaps I need to do a better job communicating our plans. But I will not engage in a point-counterpoint debate with amateur researchers who routinely distort the truth in pursuit of their own misguided agenda. Such people are threatened by our initiative to provide a fair opportunity for a broad spectrum of fishery stakeholders to provide input at an appropriate stage in the planning process.

    Exemplifying this problem are those advocating that DNR stock an exotic strain of muskellunge from Minnesota into the Upper Chippewa Basin. These activists have made faulty assumptions and are willing to ignore unacceptable risks in pursuit of their short-sighted agenda. They would have DNR devote its limited resources to importing this exotic strain of fish and evaluating the results. But we have learned our lessons about importing exotics. We also have higher priorities for the use of our time. We have walleye populations to improve. We have three important species of panfish that need much more attention than they have received in the past. There are things we can and will do to improve our native muskellunge stocks in order to achieve musky population objectives developed by hundreds of basin stakeholders. But we cannot act on these high priorities if we spend our limited time and dollars pursuing a misguided strategy that no professional fishery scientist in North America will publicly endorse. For details on this complex issue, read my comments and those of leaders in the musky fishing community on the research forum at http://www.muskiefirst.com.

    I thank the many supportive people in this community who have welcomed me and encouraged our fishery managers to continue this new way of doing business. My commitment to you is that we will not yield to the unfair pressure tactics of individual activists or special interest groups. As a community of concerned anglers, we will make fishing better than ever in an area where few things matter more to our economy and our quality of life.

    bait_caster
    Spring Valley, Wis.
    Posts: 142
    #447513

    Why doesn’t the DNR try and manage the walleye population? Let’s look at Red Lake in Minnesota. The walleye population crashed on that lake, and the Minnesota DNR closed the season for walleyes until the population reestablished itself. Why are we not considering a slot limit on walleye. I undersatnd there is only a 2 fish bag limit, why not cut it to one. I hear early winter first ice is a very productive time to catch big walleyes on Nelson. Maybe we should close that season. When they implement the no size limit on bass, imagine how hard it will be for game wardens to enforce the law with all of the other lakes in the area.
    My point is there are other options here.

    I have a friend who has a cabin on Nelson Lake, and he is telling me people are actually catching bass and throwing them up on the bank. This has gotten out of hand.
    If the DNR does not provide scientific factual evidence that this approach will help the lake. I will stay in opposition to this plan. I’m sure our friends at BASS Times would like to publish an article on this. In my oppinion this type of BS gives the Hayward area a Black Eye!! Too bad for them.
    BC

    mikemac10
    Eau Claire, WI
    Posts: 52
    #447533

    So, I wonder how many bass boats will be in the tournament, considering most people who own one are advocates of C&R.

    mwal
    Rosemount,MN
    Posts: 1050
    #447536

    I have had a cabin in the area since Nov 1970. Nelson once was a great panfish/walleye lake. I think it was overharvested it has many resorts on it. THe pannies are hurting as well as the walleye. If it wasn’t for bass there would nothing to fish for. Catch and release is not a term the typical resorter on that lake would know. Just my observations

    Mwal

    cade-laufenberg
    Winona,MN/La Crosse, WI
    Posts: 3667
    #447559

    u eye guys are just jelous beacause us bass guys go out and accidentally catch bigger eyes than you!

    In all seriousness, This really ticks me off. Give me a number to call or a adress to email.

    bait_caster
    Spring Valley, Wis.
    Posts: 142
    #447573

    The guy you need to speak with is David Neuswanger. He is a regional team supervisor with the WDNR out of Hayward Wisconsin. He can be reached @ 715-634-9658

    Jeremiah Shaver
    La Crosse, WI
    Posts: 4941
    #447603

    It’s called “principle”.

    I would bet if this was a Spring Spawning Walleye Catch and Kill tourney some of you would be singing a different tune.

    What kind of message are they trying to send by this? Even if this were not Bass I would be upset about it…

    freitag
    Osseo, WI
    Posts: 335
    #447671

    I personally wouldn’t support any “fish kill” program either….unless some sound scientific evidence could convince me otherwise. In my opinion, this Bass Fish Jamboree (or whatever) may provide a better balance in game species available in that particular body of water. I have carefully released every single bass and northern ever caught on Nelson only to fo off and keep a limit of crappies for the table…perhaps contributing to the increasing Bass population.
    Can one make a correlation between harvesting the whitetail does to provide an improved deer herd ratio? Or is that comparing apples to oranges? I know Nelson is dealing with multi-species management vs just deer. Just a thought.

    BomberA
    Posts: 649
    #447676

    One thing that concerns me is that the DNR stocked this lake with largemouth bass a while back and now they are cooperating in an attempt to wipe out largemouth and introduce smallmouth. I grow suspect of their policies and motives when stuff like this starts to happen. Apparently they didn’t have a good handle around things when they introduced largemouth, and now they are implementing another method of managmeent with little to no research or back-up. Squeaky wheel gets the oil I guess.

    brovarney
    Posts: 662
    #447715

    Guess what………Daves not in!!!!!

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