DNR Round Table – Mille Lacs

From today’s Strib:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/239782761.html

Round table: DNR sets bold plan for Mille Lacs

Article by: DENNIS ANDERSON , Star Tribune
Updated: January 11, 2014 – 9:51 PM

Mille Lacs: DNR sets bold plan

New, perhaps radical changes in management of Lake Mille Lacs walleyes and perhaps other of the lake’s game fish are planned, recently appointed DNR fisheries chief Don Pereira told stakeholders Friday at the agency’s round table in Bloomington.

“The goal is to improve the Mille Lacs walleye fishery as expediently as possible with as little negative impact to the community as possible,’’ Pereira said.

Helping the DNR will be national experts who will review fish surveys and other data to help understand why so many Mille Lacs walleyes fail to mature.

Mille Lacs appears to have a sufficient number of spawning female walleyes, DNR researcher Melissa Drake said. And the lake appears to have plentiful spawning habitat.

Perhaps the lake’s increasing water clarity is helping predators such as northern pike and smallmouth bass become more efficient consumers of small walleyes, Drake said.

Pereira conceded that past DNR Mille Lacs bag limits and slot-size restrictions might have contributed to the problem.

Neither Pereira nor Drake mentioned whether netting of spawning fish in spring by Chippewa bands affects Mille Lacs walleyes.

New regulations intended to increase anglers’ harvest of Mille Lacs northern pike and smallmouth bass might be in the offing, Pereira said, along with restrictions on the harvest of young walleyes.

The article really did not lay out any “Bold Plan”…

Was anyone at the round table? Care to elaborate on what was discussed?

-J.

1) The fish don’t reach maturity because when they are young they get caught in nets…2) Of course Pereira or Drake didn’t mention the adverse effect of the Indian netting. Heaven forbide we urine off the natives…

Bunch of idiots over there. That lake is broke and they won’t admit it’s their fault…RR

It was brought up about the wording in the treatie “conservation issue” could be used to stop the netting.

Don, pointed out they haven’t anything to use as solid evidence the netting is causing the shortage of young walleye.

I hope I have that correct.

Everybody needs to just settle down. The walleye population is just in a down swing in the natural life cycle of the lake. This sort of thing has been happening since the beginning of time on every body of water and every ecosystem that exists. Look at the huge population swings in rabbits and grouse. I’ve never heard that being blamed on the Indians netting. A couple years ago when the walleye fishing was phenomenal they were still netting. I’m definetly against netting but we certainly can’t blame this on netting or the pike or smallmouth.

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Everybody needs to just settle down. The walleye population is just in a down swing in the natural life cycle of the lake. This sort of thing has been happening since the beginning of time on every body of water and every ecosystem that exists. Look at the huge population swings in rabbits and grouse. I’ve never heard that being blamed on the Indians netting. A couple years ago when the walleye fishing was phenomenal they were still netting. I’m definetly against netting but we certainly can’t blame this on netting or the pike or smallmouth.

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Huh??? I can never remember “swings” like this where there are more 20″-26″ fish caught in that lake than eater fish. Nope’, I respectfully disagree that this is a “swing”…

One more thing…Clear water is making it easier for Northerns and Bass to see young walleye and eat them…Seriously???

I guess one can only HOPE that this may be a start to the end of what we all know IS NOT helping the lake. It will take a lot of research and proof to prove a case.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the increase in pike and bass is due to a tight slot and no fish being removed from a system for an extended period of time.

This is so typical of the people in charge ,could it also be that all those slot fish are eating the the small eyes too!This is just to unbelievable to comprehend,blame the smallies and the pike and not mention the nets,so the next step is to up the limits of pike and bass and destroy that fishery also!
BB2

I do believe the lake has been hurt by poor management but it will rebound on its own, I can promise that. As far as the clear water comment, I don’t ever remember mille lacs have dirty water. If bass and pike can see easier couldn’t the walleyes.

I hope your right Bbasser…RR

To me Mille Lacs has literally strayed into “uncharted waters”. I seriously doubt the state of the lake today has any comparable point in the past. Historically the lake never had zebra mussels, netting and the politics of management, changed and changing population profiles, etc. It’s no suprise to me they don’t know what’s going on. If you can’t define where you currently are, how can you come up with an effective management plan???

IMHO, Wherever the lake ends up don’t be suprised if it’s noticeably different.

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I do believe the lake has been hurt by poor management but it will rebound on its own, I can promise that. As far as the clear water comment, I don’t ever remember mille lacs have dirty water. If bass and pike can see easier couldn’t the walleyes.

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Haven’t fished it too much, more as a kid. Remember one time up with my father it was pretty calm for a day or two, and we must have dove and got at least 6 anchors an other stuff that day. Very clear water back then.