What happened to 30″+ fish?

My memory may be faulty here; but it seems to me that years ago there were many more reports of fish 30″ and over coming out of Mille Lacs. I’ve had this conversation with a few people and they tend to agree that there are absolute tons of fish that are big in the pond; but the real huge ones seem to be few and far between in comparison to years past.

Just curious if others think this is the case as well or their thoughts in general. Thanks!

dd

People started measuring!!!

You might be on to it there HS. People didn’t have measuring sticks in their boats years ago.

However, I am refering more to the weekly posts you would see in the newspapers. You would see a huge walleye out of Mille Lacs (and sometimes multiple huge fish) every week. And the weight (and measurements sometimes) would usually accompany the pictures. I know I’ve seen pics of fish as big as 33″ I just think I am not seeing them anymore. And if this is the case. Why?

dd

I do not believe there are very many of those 30″ fish that were in the lake years ago. I remember watching Wave Wacker weigh ins as a kid and seeing 11 and 12 pound walleyes coming to the scale. During those same years I remember only picking up a couple 21-28 inch fish on a good day. On a good day now the number of 21-27 might be as high as 10 fish. I think this increase in 3-6 lb. fish is fighting for less forage therefore resulting in less big fish. I’ve also heard that there are less Tullibee in the lake, so that could be causing it too. I still love catching all those 25″ fish, but I think the opportunity for a 30″ 10 pounder has decreased considerably.

My belief is that the low forage year(s) in the early 2000’s have taken their toll on the largest fish. Look at how thin the over 28″ are that we see from tournaments up there over the last few years. Now the 26″ and under are just footballs and were able to adapt when times were lean.

That’s my $.02 – get back up there and enjoy!

How much more fishing pressure is there today versus 20 yrs ago, or 5 years ago? It takes time for those fish to get to 30″+ even in the catch and release age. Add the 5-15% mortality associated with catch & release and there you have it. I also agree with only remembering the “Good OL’ Days” theory. I can’t tell you how many flathead are in the paper at 50-75 lbs. that look like they might be 40.

I personally know of only a few guys who have caught legit 30+”s from Mille Lacs. Myself NOT included

I would think that one of many reasons may be pressure on those fish that dont make it past the 28-29″ mark due to harvest, tullibee population seems to be low, and the excessive heat may have caused some of the old fish to die off.

I know of some dang good sticks out there that havent got one over 30″

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People started measuring!!!

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I’ll agree with that comment.

Say 10 years ago or so you would hear a lot of “I caught two 10 pounders” today. Stuff like that. In other words, if it was “Big” it was ten pounds! Lol. Well, the truth is those fish were really 28 inchers that went 8 or 8.5 at the best. Once people started questioning the weights and only wanted to know how long it was is when all those “Big Fish” (10+ pounders) went away.

Mille Lacs walleyes generally top out in that 28-29 inch range. That’s anywhere from 6.5 to 10 pounds. Thirty to 32 inch fish are there, but are rare. I have only personally seen one fish that was over 12. If I did not see that fish in person, I probably would not have believed it came from Mille Lacs.

-J.

The lake is managed differently today that is was many years ago. Mille Lacs fish are light for their length when compared to many other bodies of water and grow slowly.

In addition, people relate to “inches” more now than weight so we hear more about length versus pounds anymore.

I would have to disagree that the ponds walleyes are light for their length.. I think they are healthier and heavier there than a lot of lakes.. a 16 on Millie and a 16 on Cass don’t even compare… The reason there are less 30″ being caught is because of the digital camera era mixed in w/ rulers.. they are 2 pieces of standard equipment in your walley boat! If you post a 28 on this site and say its a 30.. people are going to throw the BS flag your way!

Its hard to catch a 30! that’s why we all want one!!

Don’t worry, those 28″ inch fish that are being caught right now will be 30″ fish when you are telling your grandkids before you know it. Those fishing memories have a tendency of growing with each passing year.

I have caught a 30 on the pond, I mean exactly 30. It was not an impressive fish. To be honest, I’d rather catch those 26’s that are fat as footballs when it comes to picture fish. That fish was caught 5 years ago or so….Getting old. The closest I’ve come since was a 29.75. I just don’t think Mille Lacs has the genetic pool you see down on 4 or the consistent forage base you see on the river.

I’ll take 26″ fish all day long though!!!

The fish on Mille Lacs are skinny compared to the fish on pool 2 that I have caught this year. My boss got a 30 last weekend on Mille Lacs but I haven’t seen the pics yet.

I have 1 29.5 this year on millacs and it looked horrible. I caught a 27 about and hour earlier that was a tank compared to the 29.5.

I appreciate all the replies! I guess I’m still not convinced that there never was a lot of 30″+ fish coming out of Mille Lacs. I would think Mr. Fellegy would have some insight on this. And I would be interested in what the former DNR guy who writes magazine articles and was involved with PERM would have to say about it. I can’t remeber his name…. Anyway, the fishery is still a great one and I just posted this more out of curiousity than anything.

dd

I have caught one 30″ walleye on Mille Lacs, and that was back in ’01. There have been lots of 28’s, a few 29’s, and more 27’s than I can count.

In somewhere between 30-40,000 Mille Lacs walleye hunting hours spent in my lifetime here, I have seen, maybe 10-15 that went 30-31″. Biggest in my boat? 31.5″ at Mille Lacs in the late ’80’s. Biggest I’ve verified…33.5″ caught through the ice on the west side about 15 years ago if I remember right.

That said….30-50 years ago and beyond, catching a 26″ incher was HUGE! A 27″ ‘er was touted for years! 28″-29″ was a once in lifetime…maybe!

Eileens Point as an example, which many might know of as a skinny north-south running Mille Lacs mudflat just west of the Backer, was named after a gal from Easton Mn.(around Wells in the southern parts), after she landed a 26 3/4 incher (6.75 lbs.) on my dad’s launch back in the early 60’s.

In those days…ANY 25″ walleye would win 99 percent of any big fish jackpots on Mille Lacs.

The old Barnevelds, who fished the lake as guides from the late 30’s through the early 80’s….died without getting one 30″ fish themselves and maybe a couple in all those years by clients.

Around the turn of the century(1900), Mille Lacs walleyes were sold by the barrel full for a short time. They were so uniform in size, (around 2.5 lbs.) that they only needed to be counted…not weighed…to get a close weight for per pound $$ value purposes.

These fish from 24″ on up in MIlle Lacs now, for the most part, are the worst looking walleyes on the continent. They are 20-25 percent lighter than their Mille Lacs relatives the same size years ago.

That is some interesting historical accounts. And now I am thinking I need to re-think. Thanks Steve! I guess I am probably better off chasing that 30″ down here on the pools. And thats ok because thats where I fish most of the time.

dd

You guys got me rethinking my strategy also, I am heading up there this weekend, but with all the nice 29’s coming out of Red wing maybe I should be going south.

Thanks Steve for that flash from the past. The Fellegy’s are Mille Lacs historians. Always a interesting read. I’ll never complain about being able to go out and catch a bunch of 16″-28″ Walleyes so close to home. Why waste my money going to Canada, LOW, or the Missouri River?

part of the problem might be .. “if its 30″ its going on the wall”.. and then there are always the nets and spearing. I caught a 30″ last year.. and a bunch of 28″ers
so.. they are out there.. we just have to watch our recource very carefully.

I caught one over 31″ last fall on Mille Lacs. Unfortunately I have had 28″ fish that have weighed just as much. She weighed just a little over nine pounds.

How do I post a pic here? I have a pic of my daughters 31″ from 2005. I got a 32″ from 2004 but didn’t have a camera in the boat at the time…..figures!!! The 32″ I got was caught within 100 yards of where this one came from.

My son is the only one this year to catch one over 28″, although, my boat has pulled in 18 fish between 27″ and 27-15/16″, just can’t seem to cross that elusive 28″ mark!!!

wow 31″ and 32″. I have been fishing the lake 12 years and finally boated a 29.5 in the fall of 05, other than that I have never pulled in a fish over 28.
I am pretty good at the 22-26 fish. and that’s ok with me.

Doug,

Alot of people head to the mud after the big girl’s and that is a good place to find them but both the 31″ and 32″ came in the month of July and both were caught in less than 10′ of water during the day.

Sniff….sniff sniff…. I smell cabbage.

dd

Got my 31.25 incher on Shaws bobber fishing on Memorial Day in 1995, I believe a year before they started netting the lake. I’ve caught some 28 and 29’s in Vinland area, too.

Thanks for the insight Ole1855. July is just around the bend. Can’t believe the summer is flying by.

I believe there are many 30 inchers swimming around in Mille Lacs. I have fished the big pond pulling cranks via planer boards for the last 7 years from early June to Labor Day. The biggest fish caught in my boat on Mille Lacs was my daughter’s (8 years old at the time) very first walleye – 31 inches in 2004. How’s that for a start? Second biggest was a 30 incher caught last year by my girlfriend Tina. Last year alone my boat caught 9 legal fish over the 28 inch mark (none by me). This past weekend, my buddy Joe caught a 29.5 and a 28.5. All fish were released except for my daughter’s 31 incher. She chose to keep that fish and it’s now on the wall.

The point I’m trying to make here is that the big ones are out there. Are there more or less than years ago? I don’t know and no one else really does. Mille Lacs is truly a special fishery and it will continue to produce 30 inch walleyes if we continue to practice catch and realese.

Here’s Tina’s 30 incher that was caught and released last year.