Sounds like NG&P is finally going to do the right thing at Mac and shut at least part of the dam off to fishing for at least a short while. I would love to see them shut it down for the entire spawn but this is a step in the right direction. Well Done NG&P 
I know this may garner a response from Daryl, but I believe the only reason they’re shutting the dam down for a short while is because they are needing to collect more eggs, and not because of the fishing pressure and problems. I may be wrong on that, but I believe that’s the case.
What kind of problems do you guys see down there?
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What kind of problems do you guys see down there?
A lot of the fish are foul hooked and taken home and also I have seen guys using nets to scoop up the big females as they swim by. At times some of the dams get so crowded that fights break out too. I used to be in favor of leaving things open during the spawn until I whitnessed illeagal activity with my own eyes several times in one night. I’d like to see things change by having dam areas and rip rap shoreline areas closed from sundown to sunrise March 15 – April 15. It wouldn’t be an issue if people could just be honest about how they catch some of these fish. I like to fish a little during this time myself. I prefer to target hungry males with jig and plastics just before and just after the majority of the females show up. This year I even did a little trolling before the crowds started showing up. We were able to catch a few small males and even a nice prespawn female on the deep side of the boat.
Here is a quote from Daryl Bauer, the Nebraska Game and Parks Lakes and Reservoirs Program Manager.
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First of all, the walleye spawn in Nebraska waters is around the first of April. I believe that photoperiod or the day length is one of the primary cues that prompts walleye spawning in our reservoirs. Therefore the spawn occurs near the same time every year. Sure there will be some variation from one water body to another, from one year to another depending on weather and water conditions, but a real good bet is that the walleyes will be spawning or very near spawning near April 1 in most Nebraska waters. McConaughy, probably because it is our largest reservoir, tends to be a little later than that, but that would be the only water body that I would consider to be much of an exception to the April 1 “rule of thumb”.
We have not closed the season for walleye fishing during the walleye spawn because biologically there is no reason to do so. We have never seen any evidence that fishing during this period has any negative impact on walleye populations. Let me bore you with some data to back up what I have just said. In 1992 we collected walleye eggs for our hatchery production from Harlan County Reservoir. In that year we also had an angler survey on the reservoir (which included surveying anglers during the night during the walleye spawn) and we estimated the actual numbers of walleyes in Harlan. Using all of this data I calculated that the walleye population in Harlan produced 1 billion eggs that spring. Now if every female that anglers harvested during the spawn was full of eggs, I estimated that anglers removed 2% of the total egg production. In our egg collections that spring, we removed 4% of the total egg production. So 94% of the 1 billion eggs produced by the walleye population in Harlan County Reservoir in 1992 were spawned. That was more than enough eggs to maintain that population, and as a matter of fact, Harlan is probably fished as hard as any reservoir in the state during the walleye spawn and the walleye population there is maintained by natural reproduction.
Since fish produce such a large number of eggs, an 8-pound female walleye would produce around 200,000, it takes only a handful of adults to maintain a population. In fact in walleye populations the maximum production of young walleyes usually occurs when there are low to intermediate densities of adults. At high adult densities walleye recruitment is usually reduced. This occurs because of competition between adult and young walleye or because of cannibalism (i.e. adult walleyes eating young walleyes). Therefore, you do not need to protect the maximum number of adults in order to have good recruitment.
If we needed to protect female walleyes in any reservoir, we could protect more fish by closing the season during May and June than we would protect by closing the season during the spawn. Angler surveys on reservoirs across the state have consistently shown that more walleyes, including more large, female walleyes are caught during the months of May and June than during the March-April spawn period. I have always said we could protect more females by closing the walleye fishing season during Memorial Day weekend than we could protect by closing the season during the month of April. I am sure nobody would go along with a Memorial Day closure. May I also point out that a female walleye removed in July or October will not produce any more young walleyes than a female removed in April. If you want to protect large, female walleyes, those fish should be released year-round not just during the spawn period.
We have dam closures in effect on two reservoirs in the state–Sherman and Minatare. Neither one of these closures were enacted because they were necessary to protect the walleye populations in those two reservoirs. Both closures were enacted because of illegal activity–snagging and dip-netting–that was occurring after dark while guys were fishing for spawning walleyes. Since snagging and dip-netting are already illegal activities, I would much prefer that we enforce those laws before taking the extreme stance of closing the dam to all fishing. Nobody is talking about closing the interstate just because a few people are speeding. Many anglers like yourself like to fish for walleyes during the spawn period, and as long as fishing is not harming the population, we would like anglers to have as many opportunities to fish as possible.
I hope you can understand these reasons why we have chosen not to close the dams on more reservoirs during the walleye spawn. If you have more questions or comments, I would be glad to discuss them with you.
Daryl Bauer
Lakes and Reservoirs Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
[email protected]
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I know this may garner a response from Daryl, but I believe the only reason they’re shutting the dam down for a short while is because they are needing to collect more eggs, and not because of the fishing pressure and problems. I may be wrong on that, but I believe that’s the case.
That is exactly why they are closing the dam off, to collect eggs. Reason or not, I am still pleased at the move. In my opinion there is more illegal stuff that goes on this time of year than any other time and as a sportsman, I hate to see that 
Is there any reason why they don’t vigorously enforce the existing laws prohibiting dip netting and snagging?
I would assume it has to do mainly with manpower. The CO’s in Nebraska get spread pretty thin, budgets are in decline. I think everyone needs to become pro-active in this respect and if you see it, you need to report it immediately. 
I have no patience for these people and would say that they better hope that I am not on the scene when that stuff is going on. I have the Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers programmed into my cell phone and would love to ruin some losers day. 
Some of the CO’s in the Lincoln area have night vison goggles and try to get out and keep an eye on things but I have been told that it is very hard to bust these guys in the dark even with night vision. The best thing we can do as true anglers is to try to educate people first. If you see someone doing something illegal try to see if they even know that what they are doing is wrong. If they don’t care then dial the poachers number. I know I have the numbers stored in my phone. I was told by a CO once that you can’t believe how many people honostly don’t know the regs and think they are out just enjoying the outdoors like the rest of us. He said they really try to give those people the bennefit of the doubt but you get caught twice or playing dumb they’ll throw the book at you.
Educate, educate, educate!!!!! We come here to IDO to educate ourselves, now just be sure to pass the word around!!
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NGPC news release, 4/10/09:
LINCOLN, Neb. – A portion of the face of Kingsley Dam at Lake McConaughy will be closed to boat and bank fishermen to protect netting operations by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission over the next week. The closure begins Sunday, April 12.
“The area of the dam that will be closed will be from where the rocks begin on the north end of the dam to a point south of there that the Commission deems necessary to complete their netting operation,” according to Darrol Eichner, the southwest Nebraska fisheries supervisor. “The south point will be marked with a flashing light.”
Eichner said the netting operation will collect walleye eggs for hatchery production. He said that the spawning run has not begun at Lake McConaughy but should develop soon.
Eichner said that fisheries personnel will be using four, 200-foot gill nets with mesh size that is selective for large female walleye. He said it is important to keep boat and bank fishermen out of the area to ensure the success of the operation.
The Commission has not netted Lake McConaughy for walleye production for the past two years because of its tendency to be a late-developing spawning run. Biologists normally conduct walleye-spawn collections on reservoirs that offer early spawning runs. Lake McConaughy, however, is included in the backup plan if other attempts at egg collection fail. This year, the Commission decided to initiate the McConaughy operation when the collection of eggs from Merritt and Sherman reservoirs and the state of Colorado came up short.
Here’s the latest on the egg collection from around the state.
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Walleye Egg Collection Completed
LINCOLN, Neb. – Walleye egg collection efforts for this year’s production of walleyes for stocking in Nebraska waters wrapped up on April 14, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Supplying all the eggs collected this year were Merritt and Sherman reservoirs, as well as Lake McConaughy.
Merritt Reservoir contributed 448 quarts of walleye eggs, while Sherman produced 85 and Lake McConaughy 63. A total of 596 quarts of eggs were collected. Walleye eggs were collected from several reservoirs in order to collect the maximum amount of eggs with the least effort.
Commission Fisheries Division staff netted seven nights at Merritt, five nights at Sherman and one night at Lake McConaughy. Netting efforts at McConaughy were very successful, with 144 females netted during the one night, of which 60 were ready to release eggs. The following morning, Nebraska Fish Hatchery staff collected the eggs from the ripe females, which resulted in 63 quarts of eggs.
Commission staff appreciates the cooperation and support shown by anglers. The collection of walleye eggs from Nebraska reservoirs is important to the statewide management of walleyes. Many reservoirs in Nebraska have limited or no natural recruitment of walleyes, so stocking is an important management tool for maintaining fishable populations. This year’s walleye stocking requests for Nebraska waters total 28,174,000 fry and 2,126,345 fingerlings.
Walleye eggs take 10 to 14 days to hatch. Fry are stocked shortly after hatching and those stockings already have started and will be completed over the next couple of weeks. Fingerling walleyes are raised in hatchery ponds for approximately 40 days until stocking, which will occur in late May through early June.
“This year’s walleye stocking requests for Nebraska waters total 28,174,000 fry and 2,126,345 fingerlings.” 
Anyone else think it’s kind of funny that they say 2,126,345 fingerlings. I’m glad I’m not the one counting them. 
I noticed that too Chad. I definately wouldn’t want that job.
Good stuff, Ben. Thanks!
Thanks Ben 
Really makes it easy to see how they dip net and snag in the night a Mac when you see those #s of fish netted in that small of area in one night of netting.There are tons of screwed up anglers around that lake this time of year do all kinds of illegal stuff.
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