Quota- Slot Limit Rumors

Slot limit may be reduced to 16-18 inches on July 15 was the latest I heard today.

Outdoor News Article

I still have a hard time believing there has been 40,000#’s of mortality against the sportsman. IF, (big if), the average weight was 2.5#’s, that would be 16,000 fish floating around the lake. I just don’t see it. I saw 1 floating in a whole week there the end of May. Leave the reg right where it is, not up, or down!

Every weekend that I have been up there – most access’s are full, mud, gravel and bobber spots are filled with boats. 20 to 30 fish days are common. I hope they don’t change the slot.

Sure as hell hope they reduce some other rights to than come early spring time

Just to be the devils advocate…lol

Assume the average “throw back” was 22″-25″. That’s 3.5 to 4.5 lb. average. Now if..big if…on sime days you see a dead fish every half mile…which I see more than that some days…that’s one very 100 acres of water. Do the math. 132,000 acres of water.

Now…fact is…many fish that die do not float up to the surface right away or even many days later..if they do at all. (how many times have you seen dead minnows on the BOTTOM of your bucket or a minnow tank? I do all the time.)

That all said..who’s to say how close the DNR is? Are they as close to ALL the inflated, imaginary numbers of fish the anglers are telling their creel survey clerks they are throwing back? That’s ALL they have to work with remember. Can they accurately phase in the “BS factor”?

Who knows…they could be off on the SHORT side of the issue! If, any of you actually catch a fish every 4-6 minutes non stop for 5-8 hours every day. lol (30 to 50 fish days I hear about all the time)

George made an anouncement yesterday at the tournament that the MN DNR called him and discussed a 14-16 inch slot to go in effect July 1st. I guess we will have to wait and see where this ends up? Steve, your right about the best guess by the DNR……they have a difficult task, trying to estimate the take and mortality rate. One guy at the landing asking fisherman how their catch was!! thats a very small sample to compute into facts that would support good numbers. Thats like counting deer “droppings” in the woods to determine the deer heards!!! ” our/their best guess”

I guess its time to chase some smallmouth!!!

Bob- I too heard of the proposed 14-16 inch slot! And yes it’s time to chase those smallies. They were a crackin today and yesterday evening!

It is really hard to know what is best?? I know I have been up every weekend since the opener and the lake has been absolutely awesome! It is hard for me to believe the number of big fish that are available to be caught every time out. Someone is doing something right to provide fishing like that. I trust that the right decision will be made, because they are definitely doing something right.

I don’t know, I have been seeing alot of floaters the bast two weekends. Impossible to guess how many or how much weight. I support being a little conservative of the slot if it means more of what we caught the past two weekends. Just my thought.

I agree, the DNR seems to be doing something right. So if they suggest a slot limit reduction, what is the big deal??? I would like to keep this fishery as good as possible. So if they (the DNR) impose a 16-18 or 14-16″ slot, I have no problem with that. I love to eat fish, but that is not the reason I fish this lake. I fish this lake for the tremendous fish in it (size and #’s). So if 14-16″ slot will protect it, I’m all for it.

I agree with saving the fishery by all means but I also agree if we should have to go by the new slot than I also beleive in the spring maybe the netting should be watched better or have there quota reduced as well but I am not up there enough to know for sure just how it would seem to me.

If your “average” fisherman has to drive 3 hours to fish the pond and only throw back every walleye they catch, with the possibility of taking home 1-2 fish that are in the 14″-16″ slot, it will put a big dent on the weekend warriors and thus hurt the local business for revenue.

I heard last night that they were just talking about not extending to the 22″ slot come July 15th. But that was “fish tales and Bear facts”, which isn’t always the best source for reliable info.

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it will put a big dent on the weekend warriors and thus hurt the local business for revenue.

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I think the regulars fishing Mille will bring in enough $$ for the businesses. Plus you will actually be able to fish without 100 boats at every spot, landing, etc. I’m 100% C-P-R so i wish they would turn it into a 3 fish 14″-16″ limit or just a trophy lake with no keepers.

I will have to watch this closely, we have four families meeting up there come July, we enjoy catching and releasing, but also enjoy a meal or two of the tasty walleye. I would dare to venture that our reservations could get canceled and our trip moved. I know of a few others around here who visit the Mille Lacs area are also watching, and may end up changing plans if this does materialize. Hate to see this happening, and don’t under estimate the economic benefit of the out-of-state tourism. Just look at how it effected Leech Lake (some resorts).

If my brain is functioning correctly for a Monday morning, I believe a few years back, when they first established the tight restrictions in the slot limit, it did have an impact on the local business’.

Am I off on this?

gary is right, when i moved up here 4 years ago, the slot was 14 to 16 inches, and it did have a adverse impact on the businesses around the lake.. the dnr uses formulas with numbers from the creel census folks. when you come in off of the lake and tell them about the 30 or so walleyes that you caught today, there is a automatic mortality rate that is figured into that 30 or so walleyes which goes against the hook and line fishermans quota. just a reminder, YOU DO NOT, i repeat, YOU DO NOT have to give any information to the creel survey people. the more information that you give them, the more it will affect the up coming quota change. we are our own worst enemy when we stretch the truth a little when telling the census people how many walleye we caught. i think that they will be out in force the rest of the summer. i for one will not give them any information on how many walleyes i caught or kept. i remember 4 years ago, they would have to have a warden with them to be able to check fish in livewells. just remember, loose lips sink ships, that is a old navy saying when over seas and talking about your ship to locals. it is the same situation here, the more we blab to the creel census people, the tighter the slot will be come july 15 or when ever the dnr says we hit our quota………….tom fellegy

***THE DNR CAN CHANGE THE SLOT AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR THAT THEY THINK WE WENT OVER THE SPORTSMANS QUOTA***

I also agree that the tight slots will effect the number of people fishing Mille Lacs. In 2002, my boat had numerous 30+ fish outings with only a few fish falling in the tight slot. I remember Saturdays with few vehicles in the parking lots and only a handfull of boats on each mud flat. I like CPR fishing one big fish after another, but I like to eat a few smaller fish too. I hope the slot stays the same, but I agree with the change if the DNR says it is needed to protect the lake.

A lot of great insight from the post. It is common for the DNR to make such a “big” change this quickly on a lake? I wonder do they take in account the numbers of boats and fisherman into this assessment as well?
Time will tell, but I agree with Lip I fish Mille Lacs for the potential of a big fish, so what ever decisions can be done to keep those fish I am all for it.

Absolutely!
We have to take care of our fisheries. Mille Lacs walleye bite is “hot” today. Harvest appears to be high. So, if in the best interest of the lake’s population, we need to do what we need to do.

We just need (or the DNR actually) to make sure the information is all correct to make the right decision. Our DNR is one of the best in the nation, IMHO, so I will trust their judgment on this.

what i am trying to say is, how can the dnr talk to a few fisherman a day and come up with a accurate accessment of how many walleyes have been harvested. we catch 6 fish and tell everybody that we caught 10 or 12. the lake has been here for ever, and i can’t remember when it was ever fished out. red is the only lake that was fished out and i don’t think we hook and line sportsman had anything to do with that. the more information that we give the dnr the more it will come back and hurt the business’s around the area…………………tom fellegy

I LOUDLY disagree with you, dear cousin in the south, that with-holding info from the creel survey people is best from now on. My oh my! You talk with forked tongue!

First you all want to protect the lake and these over fished skinny big ones and then you want them to keep the DNR from knowing what reality is! lol lol

JUST TELL THEM THEM THE TRUTH! NOTHING MORE…NOTHING LESS.

Quit telling them about all the days you catch a fish every 4-7 minutes, NON-STOP, because you are truly NOT doing that! “30 plus fish days” means in a 6-8 hour day, yes, you caught a fish every 4- 8 minutes you had the lines in the water…including traveling, moving from spot to spot, fighting fish from 25 ft. of water that are 24″ average on six pound line and so on and so on. NOT possible as many times as you all speak of.

Just tell the truth! If you’re gonna keep records, than keep records! All I hear and read (and the DNR hears)is 3 of you in the boat are each catching 10 to 15 or more per day, each time or “many times” when you go on the lake…no matter how good it is. (invite me along with a counter during the peak fishing days and prove me wrong!lol–let’s make a bet!)

The pressure and all the fish taken this year and in the past are due to these message boards. Like Tom says…we are our own worst enemies. That D$MN video showing everyone how to use long leaders was the worst thing to happen when you combine it now with the GPS maps/chips and these “blabbing boards”. (if you’re gonna lie about anything anywhere….lie here!lol About depth, technique and that you only caught one in an entire weekend.) Then the slot wouldn’t have to be changed….

Kinda like reporting ice thickness. Either it is what is ….not “or so” lol lol.

Tell the truth to the DNR! And to yourselves.

Erick, the tribes have limits on what/ how much they can net. Their allowable weight is separate from ours. I’m guessing that they did not over exceed their allowable weight…… at least what was reported , so their weight will not be adjusted, unless things go way out of whack.

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Erick, the tribes have limits on what/ how much they can net. Their allowable weight is separate from ours. I’m guessing that they did not over exceed their allowable weight…… at least what was reported :whistling

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my point exactly what do ya do though b!tching does nothing I guess

I got a call on the water while fishing Red Wing this past weekend from the Treaty Biologist. They are considering having a meeting after the 4th of July to take a look at Harvest. Nothing has been set to change yet.

In addition, the 320,000 lbs harvest that was released was wrong. A creel survey individual miscalculated angler hours and that created a falsely high harvest level to date. The correct number to date will be released soon and will be around 290,000 lbs.

There are not changes set to the slot yet. However, a meeting will happen mid July to discuss some options. I doubt you will see the mid July adjustment to 22″ that we have had the last few years.

If a creel survey individual wants to know about harvest, please talk to them and try to do it honsestly. Misrepresenting your catch and total hours is not a good practice to get into, high or low. This is important data and helps determine how the lake is managed. Do your best to give honest answers to their questions and we all benefit.

I’ve never been check at my dock by a creel clerk or a warden. A cousin who has a place a little north of me was checked by a warden who came down his driveway after another local had been sneaking in well after the 10:00 pm ban and using Micks dock to drop off his fish and gear before tying up at another dock where here kept his boat. The fish and gear would be picked up by walking back down to Micks.
I guess my point is that you can survey all you want but the local pressure and take is very hard to figure.
I’ve never had my box checked by a warden while on the lake. Earlier this year Dan Peron stopped me because the white anchoring light was losing connection as I was underway, & blinking on & off. I kinda know him and he told me to fix it and let me go to my dock @ 9:45 PM. I think he wanted to be hunting a bigger bust than an equip. problem.