This might make your blood boil

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Guess what………Daves not in!!!!!

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It’s Friday. he’s probably out pre-fishing for the big day.

It looks like bass vs walleye will be the focus of many future battles. Part of the problem is that Walleyes were easier to catch in most walleye fishermen’s minds in these shallow mesotrophic lakes, but this was likely due to a few good spawns and year classes. Fish populations rise and fall in a cyclic nature. Also as we clean up septic systems and other forms of pollution, lakes get clearer and the littoral zone increases. Fish like Bass will increase with the available habitat. The biggest “correlation” between species seems to be that between Walleyes and Crappies, they both are open water feeders and forage on schools of suspended bait fish. My guess is that most DNR’s are now managing the social aspects of fishing as much as they are the biological. But our voices can make big things happen. Making comments on this to the DNR, to newspapers, to local tourism groups will go far to help you present your side of the story.

Here is the link to the Nelson Lake Resort Assoc. Not sure if anyone is interested, but thought i’d pass it along.
http://www.nelsonlake.net

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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?

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brovarney, Do you know where Potosi is??

Just south of Lancaster. In my day as a theatrical equipment supplier I did the new theatre at Lancaster. I love Pool 11 although people don’t really want to go there because there are not many places to stay. The state park files up quick. The new place soth of town (deer ridge or what ever it’s called) has potential but it needs the trees to grow in and I’m not much of a fan of kereoce. (although that is more Cassville isn’t it).

Am I close?

You got it. The campgroud you are talking about is called Whitetail Bluff. There is another campground only a few miles from there called Big H campground. Big H is right on the river in McCartney Lake area. If you are ever down this way let me know. We will have to hook up.

Is Big H the kind of place a bass club could come and spend a weekend? Do they have a launch?

The kicker with this whole issue is the Walleye Guys, including me, at least every now and then keep for a few for the table. And Nelson Lake is relatively small and fiarly heavily fished so not many Walleyes anymore.

The Bass folks on the other end are almost always catch and release, especially largemouth because they are not exactly tasty. Combine that with the relatively small size of Wisconsin Lakes, the large number of tourists, and the State’s cave in on Indian rights and the Walleye fishing deteriorates big time.

Perhaps people need to recognize Wisconsin fishing is simply not as good as so many of the Minnesota lakes such as Mille Lacs, Leech, Rainy Lake, etc. and never will be.

Apparently in Nelson Lake the Walleye have literally disappeared. I doubt eating the Large Mouth will help much.

The Following summary of nelson lake was presented in the Nelson lake Fish management plan:

DNR survey records indicate three distinct periods in the history of the Nelson Lake fishery. Prior to 1970, Nelson Lake was dominated by largemouth bass and panfish, though stocked walleye contributed to the overall fishery. Between 1970 and 1990, a self-sustaining walleye population dominated the fishery. Estimated density reached an unsustainably high 16 adults per acre during the height of walleye dominance. Excessive numbers led to slow growth and poor size structure. Since 1990 walleye density has declined; and it is widely perceived that largemouth bass abundance has increased dramatically, resulting in an excellent bass fishery. High bass density has probably contributed to low walleye recruitment and continues to keep adult walleye density below 2 per acre.

That gives a pretty good overview of the lake.

The fish management plan resulted from a visioning meeting that was attended by:

Date: June 19, 2004
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Place: Veterans Hall in Hayward, Wisconsin
Facilitator: Dave Neuswanger, Fisheries Supervisor, Upper Chippewa Basin, WDNR
Technical Advisor: Frank Pratt, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Sawyer County, WDNR
Profile of 41 Participants:
Lakeside Landowners – 32
Hayward Area Anglers – 5
Fishing Guides – 0
Business Owners – 3, including President of the Nelson Lake Resort Owners Association
Special – President of Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin

Something is wrong with this.

If someone out there can tell me where to send the report so it is accessable to everyone I would be glad to do it.

I don’t know why some of you guys are so upset about this? The best thing that could happen to most bass lakes….is removing a fair share of the small bass. Who wants to fish for 12 inch bass all day? I say let them catch and kill all they can(within the limits)

There is nothing wrong with keeping and eating some fish….even if they are bass.

Some bass guys will kill every musky they can.

Many bass guys want all of the carp killed.

SLee send me an email address and I will send you the management plan that the guy from the dnr sent me. you will have a diferent opinion after reading it.

I agree with the face it might help for bigger bass although not the issue at hand. I don’t know about this walleye group or anything but I think that they are going about this the wrong way. Why not fundraise for a walleye stocking program or something? Killing bass isn’t the way to do especially with a little tournament that’s only going to get rid of 150 bass tops. In the Hayward area there are a ton of lakes, alot of them are good walleye fisheries, fish those lakes, let Nelson be known as a bass lake. These guys claim to be conservationists….yeah right. All they are is selfish.

According to the DNR Nelson was a bass fishery prior to the 70’s. That’s when they introduced walleye and watched the walleye population sustain for less than 20 years.

What bothers me is that this lake was never a walleye lake to begin with, but now that the stocked walleye population is declining the fight is on because nobody wants to eat bass.

I believe if the DNR wants to play God and re-create another walleye fishery the results will only be temporary just as the 80’s and 90’s were. HELLLLOOOOOOO… The lake is only 10 feet deep with good light penetration and aggressive weed growth. Of course the bass are going to thrive. I say let Nelson remain the great bass fishery it was years ago and let the walleye fisherman target the many other excellent walleye fisheries up there for the tasty fish they would rather catch…

Well if this lake is only 10 ft deep and weedy…..it is no wonder the bass are the dominent species. The only thing that stocking walleyes will do….is make the bass fatter.

Studies have shown that bass are the one species that can decrease the walleye population. So….they have some of the facts right…but lets face it…..some lakes will never be good walleye lakes. Same as some lakes will never be good bass lakes.

My point is that most biologists will say that harvesting small bass is good for quality sized bass in the future. When you have an abundance of small bass….they take so long to grow that by the time they are big enough to eat good sized sunnies and other small bass….they are so old they die.

I like fishing for big bass. I would rather catch a limit of hard earned big ones than 100 12-14 inchers. It is a problem with to many lakes. I wish people would keep limits of small bass and let those go that are over 2 pounds.Of course that will never happen.

Sometimes when you see it in person it is hard to take but they have as much a right to eat those fish as I/we do to use them to fish tournaments. Case in point: I saw a stringer of 18 2 -3 pound smallies down in the Lake city marina. On their way home to the fillet knife. Sure it sucks but thats just they way it goes. I

Prediction….

Resort owners start crying more when there is no more good fishing at all once the bass are gone.

Walleye population does not come back.

The “balance” someone mentioned much earlier will be so screwed up that fishing will be bad for many years.

Personally, with such a irresponsible, ignorant solution, I hope all the fish come back stunted with the loss of the primary predator in the lake.

It’s WI, what do I care. I’d expect nothing less from cheese eaters.

Funny, the walleye’s look pretty healthy to me.

Notice the picture of a pig walleye ON THE CLEANING TABLE!

If you keep the brood stock to eat, the population will decline.

As was said, some lakes are just not meant to be walleye (or other species) lakes.

These are from the association’s website, among MANY others.

Glenn

Is that dude lipping a walleye??? Ouch…

I never said Nelson wasn’t a good walleye fishery. I’m sure most lakes could be great walleye factories if the DNR repeatedly stocked the lake to help maintain the population…

Without the stocking, what would the lake be natually?

I’m glad I don’t live near that area. There’s an evil side of me that thinks it would be alot of fun to fish that tournament and bring in a limit of walleyes for them to clean.

They appear to be a real smart bunch of meat hogs.