Erie or Winnipeg?

Anybody been out to Erie or up to Winnipeg? Kinda waiting for a Erie show on IDO.

That would be cool to see them out in the boat on Erie in January hauling in some big girls.

Ice is pretty much gone on Erie. It was shaping up to be an epic season then a big blow, then warm, then… well… I think the boat will be out of the barn early this season again. Thank god for fuel injected four stroke yammies!

Lots of big big eyes on lake winnipeg now.

I think they did an Erie show 2 or 3 years ago. I remember them talking about the TUCR Commander as a prototype or new rod at the time.

I know Gillespie did a show on Erie 2-3 weeks ago. Pretty good numbers of fish and few big ones but not sure they ever caught a Slobbo or a Slobasorous! Definitely a different style than IDO but at the end of the day it is entertaining.

My group was to Winnipeg 2 years ago. We caught a ton of fish over a few days including 2 over 30”. Didn’t go last year because of all the bad reports of less big ones. But the way it sounds this year seems to be better again. We r trying to get a return trip planned right now. Anyone ever find a cabin up there to rent?

Friends are posting a lot of current pics of Erie on FB.if you go, take the boat. Lots of open water

I’ll be heading to winnipeg March 14-18 been there the last 4 years….pulled alot of nice fish out last year we iced a 28 that went just shy of 10.5….had to work really hard last year to find 20+ inch fish but the nets were all over the southern basin as well…sounds like most commercial guys are north towards hecla this year so the south basin has been producing nice fish again

If you need cabin rental info, message me. I can forward names and numbers.

Winnipeg is unfortunately on the way out in a big way. You will continue to see photos of big fish (just like you do on any other major walleye fishery) because the local businesses and outfitters are trying to hang on to the last few years of the business boom as long as possible… truth of the matter is Winnipeg was/still is the most mismanaged walleye fishery in modern day commercial walleye fishing. Watching what has happened to Winnipeg over the last 5 years+ as the regulations caught up to the resource (with absolutely zero response from the governing party to change netting regulations) would make anyone sick… fisherman or not.

I agree Blake but I have heard several firsthand reports from this year and it sure seems to be at least better than last year. Time will tell. Hopefully the government up there can get it straightened out. Winnipeg is a hell of a resource to let it go to waste.

I’d have to agree with Blake on this. Last year the amount of nets in the south basin was astonishing and they were targeting the bigger walleyes. Our groups numbers were way down in regards to anything over 20″. And a few of the locals we have gotten to know up there told us the same thing with the number of qualify fish going down significantly last year, so it wasn’t just a bad week for us. I know they were looking into some possible changes, but I haven’t heard if anything happen. We are going again this year in March, so hopefully I’m wrong.

I’m heading up for the first time in March, but like always, sounds like I missed the boom…

Is winnipeg really going that downhill? Just when I thought I should plan an epic trip there in a year or two…

Or is it a temporary shift in location, forage, etc?

curleytail wrote:

Is winnipeg really going that downhill? Just when I thought I should plan an epic trip there in a year or two…

Or is it a temporary shift in location, forage, etc?

No it is not a temporary shift in location or anything like that. Blake is absolutely on target with his assessment of what’s going on. There was a thread or two on this forum perhaps a year ago about this concern with links to articles/information that was not hypothetical or opinions. It was fact based and it was pointing out the Canadian Provincial Government being more or less powerless in being able to do much about it.

The arrangements they have up there are similar to mining rights that are set for a period of many years. The commercial outfits have quotas allowed for so many #’s of fish and like mining rights it is irrevocable until it expires if it expires? In a sense, they already own a set minimum quota or poundage of fish. And not surprisingly to stay in business and remain profitable, they will continue to exercise their full harvest allowance.

The only thing that might change would be if they can “buy out” these quota ownerships. This may have all originated in that many years ago the resource was not at all recognized as any kind of sport or recreational fishery. Merely a commercial fishery exclusively and then maybe it made sense to manage it as such, once upon a time however many years ago.

From what we were told from the locals was last year was the first time the processing plants were paying the same amount per pound no matter the size of the walleyes. They used to turn away or pay less when they were over a certain size. Given they were paying the same, it was a lot less work for the netters to deal with bigger fish to reach their quotas, so they targeted the bigger fish. We saw some pictures one of the guys had from the plant in Gimli and it was just crazy the size of the fish. All were bigger than I’d ever want to eat.

Lake winnipeg is the worlds largest producer of walleye. 65 percent goes to the states. If you have eaten walleye in a restaurant, it probably came from here. And the thick fillets… they just slice in half. Quotas can be bought if a fisher retires.

Winnipeg is on about a 10 year countdown as a relevant Walleye fishery. Don’t be fooled by biased reports or outlooks from resorts or guides. Happy customers toting the 10# walleyes prove nothing about the future of the lake.

I graduated with a friend in college whose family owns a place near the lake. He regularly cites the technology and quotas as the biggest issue. In decades past, setting nets was far less of a science. Now with side-imaging, cameras that show bottom content, transitions, spawning areas, etc…It’s literally like shooting fish in a very large barrel with even bigger nets. Unless the government steps-in and buys out some of the quotas to essentially save the resource, Winnipeg will no longer be a destination walleye fishery.

From what I’ve read on Winnipeg it seems like you still have a chance at epic trophies from the 97 and 2000 year classes, although they are few and far between. And once those classes are gone it will be quite a while until there are huge numbers of tanks again due to the commercial netting. I haven’t followed Erie as closely, but seems it’s only a matter of time for a correction there with the huge increase in popularity and amount of tanks taken out by anglers and a significant commercial fishery as well. It’s almost like netting and angling make it hard to manage a lake effectively…

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ice-fishers-world-records-lake-winnipeg-1.4499912?cmp=rss

BigWerm wrote:

It’s almost like netting and angling make it hard to manage a lake effectively…

Yes, it does. And since netting is obviously irrevocable on said (or implied) walleye fisheries, the only tool left in the box is narrow slot allowances, with one fish bag limit, or only C&R, or ultimately a complete shutdown of walleye angling allowed for sport anglers for extended periods during the popular open water season.

The proverbial question…can you catch your walleye and eat it too?

That’s a shame about Winnipeg. Watched a couple past IDO ice episodes out there and figured I better put it on my bucket list. I imagine the fishing is still “good” for now, but too bad that what seemed to be an iconic fishery is on a downward spiral.

I wanted to fish Mille Lacs back when the musky boom was going on out there too and never did. Gotta jump on those hot bites I guess!

Tucker

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

And since netting is obviously irrevocable on said (or implied) walleye fisheries

I think it’s important to remember these are just contracts, and contracts are rewritten or amended all the time. The economic impact of anglers per pound of walleye taken vs. commercially netted walleye are so significantly skewed in the anglers favor we are missing an opportunity imo.

BigWerm wrote:

The economic impact of anglers per pound of walleye taken vs. commercially netted walleye are so significantly skewed in the anglers favor we are missing an opportunity imo.

That’s what I was curious about as well. Why would a government that seems fairly protective of their resources let that go on other than money. Perhaps the commercial interest is greater than angler? Idk.

One man’s opinion here, but the lake better have great reports of many big fish coming out bc that’s a long long drive for some just better than average walleye fishing, with some bigguns here and there.

BigWerm wrote:

I think it’s important to remember these are just contracts, and contracts are rewritten or amended all the time. The economic impact of anglers per pound of walleye taken vs. commercially netted walleye are so significantly skewed in the anglers favor we are missing an opportunity imo.

Agreed…but it’s important to remember that both (or all) parties involved have to sit down and come to some kind af agreement before said contracts can be rewritten or amended. That there seems to be the biggest hurdle.

nhamm wrote:

That’s what I was curious about as well. Why would a government that seems fairly protective of their resources let that go on other than money. Perhaps the commercial interest is greater than angler? Idk.

I’m not sure what or if the Manitoba Provincial gov’t makes on this arrangment but this “ownership” of quotas by the commercial operations have been agreed upon years ago and are set forth for many years going forward. They would have no incentive to forfeit that unless they can be bought out. Which would be at a cost that would be unaffordable for the Provincial gov’t or other public agency.
As in both examples, both Winnipeg and (or implied) other walleye fisheries…there is not much that can be done. Or?…you would think it would have been done by now already.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

Agreed…

So it’s not “obviously irrevocable”? We agree on most things Andy, but your attitude toward netting will never make sense to me. Netting is, imo, the biggest enemy of anglers, and as anglers we should be united in removing it from all fresh water fisheries. The political influence of all anglers organized together, would end netting on Winnipeg, Mille Lacs, Erie and any where else we would want in under 5 years. But too many of us think things can’t change, or it’s obviously irrevocable…

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:</div>
Agreed…

So it’s not “obviously irrevocable”? We agree on most things Andy, but your attitude toward netting will never make sense to me. Netting is, imo, the biggest enemy of anglers, and as anglers we should be united in removing it from all fresh water fisheries. The political influence of all anglers organized together, would end netting on Winnipeg, Mille Lacs, Erie and any where else we would want in under 5 years. But too many of us think things can’t change, or it’s obviously irrevocable…

Well…what is my attitude toward netting other than I accept that it is happening? Where did I post that it is a good thing?
I suppose I should “amend” my comment from obviously irrevocable to obviously a significant challenge to change the status quo.

And by significant challenge I repeat that if it were all that simple, they would have amended or renegotiated those agreements, treaties, quotas before walleye populations decline or crash. We’ve seen it before and we’re seeing it again.

Stop buying walleye. Stop ordering it in the restaurants. Its a simple supply vs demand thing. It probably won’t matter because there are more non anglers that would just buy it rather than catch it. I shake my head when I walk by the seafood counter and see walleye at $18 per lb. Maybe in some states that don’t have walleye lakes but here in the walleye capital. Blows my mind.

eyeguy507 wrote:

Stop buying walleye. Stop ordering it in the restaurants. Its a simple supply vs demand thing.

If only it were that simple? The exception would be Mille Lacs because the netting is not a commercial harvest. The netting harvest out there is for tribal tradition and sustenance.