I didn’t fill the box

I’m sure lots of people won’t like this thread too much but it seems all I have been reading is filled box this and had our limit by this time.
Thought it might be nice to start a post about enjoying and outing and not needing to fill the box or freezer.
I have no problem with selective harvest and keeping some legal fish to eat, just get a little concerned when a boat of 3-4 guys fish a 3 day weekned and think they need to keep all 12 every day. I’m sure I will get riped for this but…
went out fishing last night and enjoyed good success and nice mix of small and big fish our group ended up putting 3 in the box for a fresh meal and putting everything else back for another day. Anybody else?

1. I don’t recall any 1 person or one group saying they were doing it and
2. it would be against the law if they were (multiple limits).

I have seen reference made by many different people stating how nice it was to catch some fish they could keep.
And by others that still weren’t catching anything to speak of.

Please lets not blow it out of context!

And your threads fine with me, I just have a different take on what i’ve read and seen.

Most all of what I read and understand on this site is that most fisherman catch some and only keep enough for a meal or so. A lot of times they state they caught their limit plus by such and such a time to give others a reference to how well the fish were biting–and only take home a few…if any.

On the site is a lot of Catch, Photo, Release (CPR) recommended for bigger fish.

Yep, lots of guys say that they caught a “3-man” limit, but it doesn’t mean they kept the 3-man limit.

Your post is fine! Nothing wrong with stating to throw fish back! All is good.

But there is also nothing wrong with taking home some “eaters” once in awhile too!

All is good! I don’t think anybody here kept more than their 4 fish limit.

Not sure where you are getting this or if it is from my posts but I can tell ya this last weekend my keepers were donated to the fish fry we had at the Wharf.The 4 fish I kept on Monday were cooked up last night and Tuesday I told the guys I fished with before we got to the lake I wasnt going to take a limit.It may sound like I take more fish but I can tell you I throw a lot back as I am up there more than most people and dont eat fish all that often and when I do they are fresh not frozen.Lets make sure we get the facts before we start assuming anything.

The lake is very healthy and always has been. Back in my launch days the slot was 1 over 20 with a 6 fish limit. Many trips kept over 200 fish. I would guess the walleye population in Mille lacs to be over a million + fish..
But I do respect your concern..

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Not sure where you are getting this or if it is from my posts

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Lets make sure we get the facts before we start assuming anything.

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I don’t think he mentioned you specifically. It looks like you were also assuming something.
I don’t think there is a problem with what he said. We are all in agreement on this issue, so far on this thread anyways, so lets catch some fish, keep one or two occasionally and enjoy.

Whatever…Im going fishing

I agree with everyones post about refering to a limit as a mark of how they did. But, we (The non-Native Americans amongst us) have not come even close to the alotted limit for the last 4 years! The limit for the lake is only 4 per person. At that rate, with the relatively few people fishing the lake right now as opposed to earlier in the year…the fish population is very safe!

My $.02.

I hope you don’t feel ripped. I am not meaning to do so.

Post deleted by Bendit

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It seems that if anyone speaks there mind they pull the post so they don’t have to hurt the feelings of friends.

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Really? We do? I must have really defined this site with one of the 4 posts I’ve deleted this year.

Seriously, about the ONLY thing that gets deleted regularly are spammers and unpaid advertisers + the ocassional political post gone bad. As far as favoritism is concerned… it doesn’t happen.

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I’m sure lots of people won’t like this thread too much but it seems all I have been reading is filled box this and had our limit by this time.

Thought it might be nice to start a post about enjoying and outing and not needing to fill the box or freezer.

I have no problem with selective harvest and keeping some legal fish to eat, just get a little concerned when a boat of 3-4 guys fish a 3 day weekned and think they need to keep all 12 every day. I’m sure I will get riped for this but…

went out fishing last night and enjoyed good success and nice mix of small and big fish our group ended up putting 3 in the box for a fresh meal and putting everything else back for another day. Anybody else?

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I don’t “dislike” this thread at all. It touches on a good subject at its core. Anglers cannot possess more than 1 legal limit. What’s in the freezer counts. Most of the regulars here know this being rather avid anglers but some may think there’s a “possession limit” in place like other states. No so here in MN.

There is a very good “numbers” bite right now on the pond and the poster does a good job of reminding all that read to show restraint and follow the limit regs. If we all do this mille lacs will easily be able to absorb this level of sustainable harvest and remain a world-class fishery far into the future.

There is more fish in the lake than in any time I can remember.
Great sign in the former Wahkon mayor Bill T.’s garage:

Catch and Release..

In too hot oil.

Just under 22″ & no more than 4 / angler.

First off I will say that I haven’t read any posts that said anything about filling the livewells. Well, I can say that this past weekend on ML myself and everyone in my boat kept every eye between 15″ and 22″. If I broke a law, feel free to contact the local warden. At no time was anyone in our crew over the legal limit. We had a crew of 8 and everyone wanted a few fish frys over the weekend. There’s absolutly nothing wrong with that. I fished the pond all summer and released EVERY fish during the “open water” bite even though MANY were keepers, that’s right, EVERY fish. Why? To lazy to clean them! Are there guys out there that are meat hogs? Sure. But I for one will not be cast into that crowd.

P.S. A pic of a full well, we had 2 limits of eye’s and a couple limits of bottle bass.

BIRDDOG

Bendit, welcome to the click. The click that opens up boat seats for almost anyone needing to get out and wet a line. To the click that if you participate and ask, you will most likely get the information you desire. Welcome to the click that strives to shorten your learning curve for catching the fish you come to this site to gain knowledge to catch. I don’t get it…I thought everyone here was being very truthful about what they feel. There may have been a misinterpretation of what was implied as far as “Catching a limit” is concerned. But I don’t see where anyone was crucified. Anyway, welcome to the site, and please show up for one of our clicky fish fries up at Mille Lacs, and I bet you may think a little differently afterward. You don’t have to agree to anything posted here, just show up with your own opinion.
Tuck

For the love of all that is good and holy… its clique.

LOL

“Click” is the sound my knees make in the morning. “Clique” is a small, exclusive group of people.

Since IDA is open to all we really didn’t earn the clique brand but I let it slide the first time.

And you Mr. Tuckner cook a MEAN batch of fish. Thanks again for tending the fryer. As a guy that eats a couple fish a year MAX because of the hassle involved in prepping and serving fish I want you to know whow much I appreciated your expertise. Mmmmmmmm GOOD!

Oh my goodness, look at the cloque! I gotta run!
Wherever and whenever is my motto. Have beer batter, will fry.

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But, we (The non-Native Americans amongst us) have not come even close to the alotted limit for the last 4 years!

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Oh but there are some Native Americans amongst us. I for am one. BUT…..I only fish by the state regs, not what is allowed by my heritage. There hasn’t been a fish in my freezer in years.

Yep,

I’m all over that Beer batter fried fish, especially the perch, their the best.
I have the belly to prove it too!

Oh my god, I started to post this under my wifes sign on!

I must of missed something about a clic?

I just don’t see the “Clique” thing either.

Tuesday night I was invited to fish with a couple of guys I have never met before.

What it is, is a bunch of people sharing thier love of fishing, getting together and having a good time.

GOtta agree with the “Dawg”. Websites are a great way to meet and fish with other folks. Most of you that know me, know I don’t keep fish….well I slipped up a couple weekends ago, I kept some of the eaters we caught up on Winni…..had them tonight, on the grill…wow..tasty little critters. On Mille Lacs..I only fish for the Sumo Piggies….and they all get a kiss and back to swim for another day.

I’ll click in on the clique, even though I don’t think I ever saw the remark.

If IDA has a Mille Lacs clique than it is the one I would choose to be in, especially for Mille Lacs lake. I do frequent all the other places as well and there is no better site for quality info and quality people fishing Mille Lacs than this one.

For instance, last fall I forgot my headlamp and any other flashlights. IDA pro-staffer and guide Steve DeZurik, who I did not know basically because I didn’t come to IDA much before this point, happened to be waiting for clients at the time and not only gave me some hints on places and lures to try but borrowed me an extra head lamp that he had.

As far as the catch-n-keep thing. As the name implies I am mostly a bass fisherman thus a CPR/Selective harvest kind of a guy by nature. If it was up to me, in the Fall everything I catch would be 22″ or bigger; I really want that true 30″, 11lb plus Mille Lacs eye, which I may or may not release if and when I ever get her. However if I catch 4 keepers than I’ll keep em because walleye are the easiest cleaning fish of them all and somewhat more tasty than a mid summer 12 inch bass.

Little eyes are 4 eating, Big walleye’s and all smallies are for catching. That’s my story and I’m sticking too it.

I got to go clean em now.

Fair enough guys. Castaway I like how you mentioned your going out to have a good time and not planning on keeping fish again because you already enjoyed a few good meal. That is all I’m talking about. To you guys you see “caught our limit by such and such time” and know that it means most, maybe all were put back and it is esentally a guage of performance. However, to new comers and people that don’t frequent the site often. They see a bunch of posts about guys going out and keeping everything they can and still be legal.

It is not true and reflects poorly on us ida people so that is why I thought it would be nice to start a post so when people browse the site they also see some people catching and releasing most of what they get and only taking what they want for a meal.

I’ll be honest guys.. most of the time I release just about everything I catch. When I feel like cleaning fish, or my significant other insist I bring some fish home… I do. I am not a freezer stacker, but occasionally when the fishing is good, I will keep enough for a meal, and I will keep enough to have an extra meal on hand in the freezer for another day I dont feel like cleaning fish.

I think pretty much everyone here has good harvest ethics when it comes down to keeping a couple fish here and there… I havent seen anything I would debate.

Sometimes you get that boat with 3 guys out there that keep a *limit* that will serve a higher purpose(fish fry for family, friends, etc).. or some of those guys are just weekend warriors that rarely catch enough fish to worry about keeping an unethical amount of fish… I didnt say all fo them, but some. If we do encounter someone we know that has poor harvest ethics.. all we can do is make our best attempt to educate them.

I think this post was started more as a watch what you say. I agree. Maybe saying that you caught a limit in a few hours should just be called 4. To me “limit” implies fish in the box, so maybe just change the words a little.

I know there is nothing illegal going on, but lets just word things so that everyone knows there is nothing illegal going on. There are some other internet sites that get some very heated arguments going. That is part of the reason why this site is set as my homepage, no bickering. I have a girlfriend so I get enough of that.

Please no Just cashing in the old 2 cents.

Fine Fife!

If you do’t want any of that….. TAKE THIS

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But, we (The non-Native Americans amongst us) have not come even close to the alotted limit for the last 4 years!

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Oh but there are some Native Americans amongst us. I for am one. BUT…..I only fish by the state regs, not what is allowed by my heritage. There hasn’t been a fish in my freezer in years.

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CFG, what I meant is that there are two different harvest quotas at play on Lake Mille Lacs. There is the Native American quota, and the “Everyone Else” quota. That’s all…

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I’ll click in on the clique, even though I don’t think I ever saw the remark.

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Bendit deleted his post about the “click.”