New Mille Lacs Smallmouth Regulations

according to google zebra mussels are a main source of food for crayfish and perch. So why not take out more smallies so the zebs main predators can do there thing?

I’m not saying that I agree with the netting because I don’t but the sport fishermen take out a lot more fish. The problem is mismanagement by the dnr and I don’t want to see that happen to smallmouth. The crappies on red are nowhere near what they were and the walleyes have made a serious comeback. Mother nature has a way of fixing it self. Maybe the reason the smallies are booming is because they need to fix the lake. Look at lake Erie it was dying because of invasives, smallies population exploded, zebs are alot less and now the walleye fishing is the best its ever been. But I don’t know for sure so I’m in no position to change regulations. And that is my point, the dnr has done no research on this either and they make a huge change like this on a whim, that is just bad management.

You beat me to it Basser. I was going going to post the Crappie were the culprit for decimating the Walleye population on Red Lake so the Bass must be the reason the walleye are gone on Mille Lacs. Typical blame it on something else mentality In setead of placing blame where it belongs….. in this case as with in most other population declines with OVERHARVEST

Netting ruined a Top 5 walleye lake, so now let’s take it out on the Smallmouth, which Mille Lacs is a Top 5 lake for that species too. Soon, we’ll have neither…

to be more specific Corey, it’s not just over harvest, it’s over harvest of a specific size of fish which was dictated to us through rules and regulations. Keeping a few bass for the pan isn’t the whole answer either. I look at the perch crash as the first indication of a troubled lake. The tullibee population went south, the #1 on the food chain focused on perch. There are way too few walleye due to the overharvest of a particular size fish over and over again. The bass fill the void left. There has always been smallmouth bass in the trophy category. So how do you manage a booming smallmouth fishery to keep it in the trophy category? I’d like to see why the indians don’t net smallmouth. To think that 100’s of boats will be out fishing smallmouth for meat is false.

Thats what im talking about if the Walleye would quit getting pizz pounded year in and year out mother nature will restore her natural balance. I also argee with the lack of forage, if the fish have nothing to eat obvously the entire lake is doomed. But again this whole issue has very little to do with the bass.

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

For instance wouldn’t it be silly for the DNR to change the walleye regulations to allow only 1 fish over 28″ to be kept? That’s essentially what the regulations for smallmouth were set as before… Now they are on equal ground with walleyes allowing for some harvest but still requiring release once they reach their prime breeding age.

---

If the walleye and smallmouth regulation is on equal ground as you state;How come one fishes’ limit is 6 and the other fishes’ limit is 2?????????????????

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

For instance wouldn’t it be silly for the DNR to change the walleye regulations to allow only 1 fish over 28″ to be kept? That’s essentially what the regulations for smallmouth were set as before… Now they are on equal ground with walleyes allowing for some harvest but still requiring release once they reach their prime breeding age.

---

If the walleye and smallmouth regulation is on equal ground as you state;How come one fishes’ limit is 6 and the other fishes’ limit is 2?????????????????

---

The point I was trying to make is that under the previous regulations there was virtually zero harvest of smallmouth bass and therefore the population was allowed to grow unchecked. Under the new regulations limited harvest is allowed for both walleyes and smallmouth.

Yes the walleye limit may be only 2 while the smallmouth limit is at 6, but if you actually believe that there will be more smallmouth harvested then walleyes I will strongly disagree

Quote:

---

Thats what im talking about if the Walleye would quit getting pizz pounded year in and year out mother nature will restore her natural balance. I also argee with the lack of forage, if the fish have nothing to eat obvously the entire lake is doomed. But again this whole issue has very little to do with the bass.

---

Regardless of the cause (I totally agree Bass aren’t the cause) if there is a lack of forage (there is) how exactly do the bass not have an effect on the forage population? They eat the same baitfish that walleyes do right?

If the current problem results from Mille Lacs currently having too many large predator fish (it does) how exactly would you propose that we fix the baitfish issue without removing predator fish? I also would be fully in support of allowing people to keep larger (24-26″) walleyes and leaving the smaller ones alone, but we can’t leave the bass population grow unchecked.

Heck I don’t even think I disagree with what you guys are saying as I would have no problem if the smallmouth limit was also 2 fish since I don’t think people are going to keep 6 smallies either way.

I think we all know that having a bigger Smallmouth Bass limit won’t affect anything on Mille Lacs. There are so many Bass in the lake with so few fish being kept that a 12 fish limit won’t make a difference. Yes the Bass are eating baitfish, yes that may effect the Walleyes. But I think the reason for the raising the Smallmouth limit was to divert attention off the Walleye issue. But, that’s just the skeptical me thinking out loud.

Agree with this post. I thought the bass guys would like the change. Allows for more bass tourneys on the lake. Might offset the loss in revenue on the walleye side for local resorts and businesses. (See first annual SMB tourney at Hunters Point Resort for example.) I’d venture to guess that a vast majority of SMB being caught are by walleye guys like me who would never conside keeping one. Well, unleess it was a state record.

This is a non issue.

-J.

Bass fishermen to don’t keep bass. They practice catch and release. They are a self policing group of anglers. Walleye fisherman practice catch and eat…unless the regulations say otherwise. I promise there will be plenty of launch boats and deep v walleye rigs with limits of the newly legal smallmouth. DNR won’t let you keep walleyes, so I expect bass to be kept because walleye guys feel they are entitled to a meal of fish.

I know netting is a problem, but if walleye fishermen let half the legal fish go that they caught, I doubt there would be much of an issue on Mille Lacs. Slot limits only exist because walleye fisherman don’t practice catch and release. #itsthetruth

Quote:

---

Bass fishermen to don’t keep bass. They practice catch and release. They are a self policing group of anglers. Walleye fisherman practice catch and eat…unless the regulations say otherwise. I promise there will be plenty of launch boats and deep v walleye rigs with limits of the newly legal smallmouth. DNR won’t let you keep walleyes, so I expect bass to be kept because walleye guys feel they are entitled to a meal of fish.

I know netting is a problem, but if walleye fishermen let half the legal fish go that they caught, I doubt there would be much of an issue on Mille Lacs. Slot limits only exist because walleye fisherman don’t practice catch and release. #itsthetruth

---

Quote:

---

Bass fishermen to don’t keep bass. They practice catch and release. They are a self policing group of anglers. Walleye fisherman practice catch and eat…unless the regulations say otherwise. I promise there will be plenty of launch boats and deep v walleye rigs with limits of the newly legal smallmouth. DNR won’t let you keep walleyes, so I expect bass to be kept because walleye guys feel they are entitled to a meal of fish.

I know netting is a problem, but if walleye fishermen let half the legal fish go that they caught, I doubt there would be much of an issue on Mille Lacs. Slot limits only exist because walleye fisherman don’t practice catch and release. #itsthetruth

---

I turned two limits of eater walleyes around last week at Mille lacs. I think the new regs are a good thing, should attract some tourneys and bring some more revenue to the area. #knowitallbassfisherman

Quote:

---

Smallmouth are not a table quality fish[…]

---

Has this guy ever consumed Smallmouth? They are great table fare. I don’t make it a general practice to keep smallies, but we do it every time we take a boundary waters trip and rely on fish for 1 meal a day. Side by side with a walleye, they are equal. The meat is super white, flakes great, and isn’t oily.

I agree that the bass population is not going to suffer at all. Bass are not going to fill the resorts, and launches. The general vacationer is making the trip to Mille Lacs for walleye. Out of all the fisherman that anyone on this site knows, how many know someone that has brought home a limit of smallies from any body of water? I am will to bet that the number is very small.

It is a bummer that the DNR has the bass and walleye people bickering. This is starting to take energy and focus away from walleye issue. Just as Will mentioned, show me one lake that has had the bass population ruined due to overharvest. That is a big task, good luck!

-Drew

Green Lake in Kandiyohi County reputation as a trophy smallmouth fishery was destroyed. Now it’s just a good smallmouth lake with a much smaller average size fish than used to be there. I don’t think Green ever had a protective slot in place though.

Quote:

---

Green Lake in Kandiyohi County reputation as a trophy smallmouth fishery was destroyed. Now it’s just a good smallmouth lake with a much smaller average size fish than used to be there. I don’t think Green ever had a protective slot in place though.

---

I caught 5 Bass on Walleye opener this year on Green. They were smallies that measured 16,16, 19, 19.5, and 20 inches. There is no slot and it hasn’t hurt the trophy Smallmouth fishery. From what I’ve seen on Green, the only people that keep Bass are those fishing from shore and they keep every fish they catch regardless of the species. Most of the stringers I have seen have 10-15″ Largemouth mixed with some Bluegills.

I didn’t hear of any launches advertising “Bass opener specials” this weekend.

As a bass tournament fisherman who has fished mille lacs the new regs don’t change much for tournaments out there. it is still going to take a limit of largemouth to win out there. the protected slot for smallies is the size of fish a tournament angler is looking for. one fish over 20 inches is a little easier to do but to go with a bag of fish under 17 inches largies are still better. anyways, for fun mille lacs smallies are fun.