In the news at Lake Mille Lacs

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/192751551.html

Thanks for sharing Steve. This is not a good situation at all, unfortunately it seems that nothing is done until it is an emergency. I sure would hate to see a shut down not for my sake but for the area business and resort owners…

I have no idea if the “rumors” are accurate. If they are, and two bigger fish are keepable, I see the quota being reached, easily, by the middle of July or earlier. If that rumor were to hold up, the harvest in pounds would be much greater than last years 4 under 17″. Most didn’t get 4 under 17″ and when they did, the 4 added up to about 5.5-6lb.s at best. The limit last year was almost impossible to get after the first 3 weeks of the season. With two bigger fish allowed, that add up to at least 5-6 pounds or more, and the potential greater to find and catch two bigger fish, the harvest would be BIGGER than last year–even with two fish limits. Most boats could take home 2 per anglers–easily. Launches would fill out. I can’t believe they would allow that big harvest in such a short time to happen…

What do I think? I hoped the lake ( walleye fishing)would be shut down–officially. How we accomplish anything by harvesting any fish at this stage of the game is beyond me. But that said, I assume whatever the DNR proposes, it will be, in effect, to shut things down. Either reaching the quota early or by setting a size limit that targets the small fish (say 14″-16″) that don’t exist. Then you only have mortailty rate like you had last year and the season might stay open all summer–with very few fishing the tight restriction.(that’s what we saw the last time we had the 14″-16″ limit)

Either way….it’s a mess that was created by gutless DNR reps and politicians that were and are gutless–not standing up to fight insanity–until it was too late.

Other factors do play a roll, not just netting. But, and it’s a big one, netting takes fish that are spawning. They can net imo, just not in the spawn. Seems like a very harmful practice for long term sustainability to me but I’m no expert. There is no way around the issues facing the lake. Personally I think they need to start trying to look at the pounds/acre theory. It’s stacked full of big fish, period. Two and three years ago we started to see some small fish for the first time in years. We were actually hopeful for the lakes future. Boy was that a swing and a miss. I hope something happens to change it for the better, but I won’t be holding my breathe. Man my heart goes out to the business’s up there.

Bad news! Would a catch and relese walleye season be too hard to accept for four five years? If there is an abundance of smallmouth keep them shouldn’t be hard to get a meal. They taste great too. Bonus side would be we could help walleye numbers and reduce smallmouth populations. Zebra mussels are here to stay sadly. Just hope this fishery can be saved and the anglers and netters can do there part. STOP THE NETS!!!

Saw Mark Zona and Randy Moss fishing Smallies on Mille Lacs.

Seems like a good option

Dog

I would be in favor of a rule change, as long as the rules are the same for EVERYBODY.

Agree with Steve on the gutless DNR officials and also gutless politicians. I also agree 100% with stopping the netting during spawn.

How is the DNR gutless on this again?

Is everyone factoring in the fishing pressure on their gut-feeling detectors? I’ve been up twice this winter and its very apparent there is an incredible number of people fishing this lake. I dont see how it can handle that kind of pressure along with everything else. I think maybe this lake is being loved to death. Much because of its proximity to a major metro.

I agree, the fishing pressure is a factor. But when you are on the lake and can see first hand what goes on during the netting… the incredible damage that a very small group of people are doing is shocking.

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Is everyone factoring in the fishing pressure on their gut-feeling detectors? I’ve been up twice this winter and its very apparent there is an incredible number of people fishing this lake. I dont see how it can handle that kind of pressure along with everything else. I think maybe this lake is being loved to death. Much because of its proximity to a major metro.

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Check out page 58 of this DNR report. Tons of other interesting info in there too.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/aitkin/mille-lacs-creel.pdf

-J.

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Is everyone factoring in the fishing pressure on their gut-feeling detectors? I’ve been up twice this winter and its very apparent there is an incredible number of people fishing this lake. I dont see how it can handle that kind of pressure along with everything else. I think maybe this lake is being loved to death. Much because of its proximity to a major metro.

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Check out page 58 of this DNR report. Tons of other interesting info in there too.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/aitkin/mille-lacs-creel.pdf

-J.

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Wow. Thanks.

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How is the DNR gutless on this again?

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The Mn DNR has the right to stop netting per the Supreme court ruling. They have unfortunately stood idly by and watched the deterioration of this great lake. There is very little regulation around the netters each spring no matter what they may portray publicly. They don’t document much of their catches. They treat other species horribly. There is video documented proof of the above statements. Yet, the DNR turns a blind eye in an effort to stay politically correct. I get it to some extent, if the DNR was up there writing tickets for these infractions the netters would simply take out their anger on the lake even further by increasing their quota. If you were to look in the recent past on what the GLIFWC/WI bands have done to there local waters you’d see there blatant disrespect for our natural resources.

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How is the DNR gutless on this again?

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First of all, in 1998, the courts gave the Mn. DNR the ability to agree or disagree with how the Tribal regime wanted to exercise their rights. They( the Mn. DNR under Ron Sando)) agreed to the OPPOSITE of what they preached for 100 years! No gill-nets used to kill game fish and no harvest during the spawn.

2nd…the courts told the two parties that if either one’s harvest is NOT being done at acceptable “conservation” levels, the other should bring the case back to the court. The Mn. DNR has chosen not to–even though they have been begged to do so by the majority of the public–in writing.

Gutless is a nice way of saying how the mess has been created……by the MN. DNR. since the beginning 1998.

I thought this might be a good time to refresh a writing I did a year ago or so. Is the Mn. DNR our best target to end and fix this mess? I think so!

The “input group” meets with the DNR this week for the umpteenth time. Maybe be they should read this?

“Most Minnesota walleye fans are aware of the basics when it comes down to the Lake Mille Lacs scene these days. Most recall the fact that the lake is being gill-netted by a Tribal regime during the spawn every spring dating back to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1999. And most now know that there is grave concern about the direction the famed walleye population is headed these days.

This past December 12th, Minnesota DNR fisheries experts met with Lake MIlle Lacs resort owners and concerned residents to discuss the situation and potential options to protect it in the future.

Walleye population trends, according to the biologists, show a steady decline in male numbers for years and an overall 2011 population as the 2nd lowest since records have been kept. The lowest? 2007.

The experts say the reason for the decline is “speculative”. Huh? Anything change since the gill-nets have been stretched out over miles of spawning grounds? Angler harvest has been, as usual, up and down during the netting era. Angler harvests have been about the same as the 30 year average…some years higher and some lower. So why is this happening? What can be done?

Many decades ago, Minnesota DNR fisheries biologists convinced Minnesota lawmakers to create a walleye fishing season. They decided it is best to not target walleyes during the time while they are congregated in vulnerable areas where over-harvest could occur if the season were open. To this day, the thinking must be the same as they closed lakes in the northeastern part of the state to hook and line anglers in 2011 because a late spring had spawning walleyes in a few lakes too vulnerable to target by the usual opening day angling crowd. Think about this now…and don’t forget… gill-nets were deemed bad decades ago also. Are you thinking about this?

So at the latest meeting, questions were asked. “It doesn’t seem fair” Terry McQuiod asked. Ed Boggess, director of Mn. DNR fish and wildlfe, said “the fairness issue doesn’t really regard us. The fairness issue is for the federal courts and they’ve already ruled on that. If it is a CONSERVATION issue, then it concerns us.” Now think about that statement…re-read this several times. Say what?? A population decline and it’s not a “conservation” issue? Doesn’t concern the DNR? Oh my….

Bill Eno, owner of Twin Pines Resort, pointed out the Tribal regime has been the “Alpha” and the DNR the “Beta”. He asked, “when are you going to be the big dog and not just react?” The answer?? ” …….we’re under Federal mandate”, the DNR director Boggess said.

WOW! Does anyone else think the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of destroying Lake Mille Lacs? Does anyone else agree the Judges meant, simply, to go back to Minnesota and defy decades of fishery management philospophy and allow targeting spawning walleyes with gill-nets? Did they really MANDATE our DNR to agree to this mess? Mandated?? Director Boggess says “…we have to follow Federal law.” Say what??

It’s NOW time to ask the Justices of the high court if, in fact, the Tribal regime and our own Minnesota DNR is in contempt of their 1999 rulings…….NOW!!!”

contact Steve Fellegy at 651-270-3383 or [email protected]

So this is all the DNR’s fault.

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So this is all the DNR’s fault.

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The MN. DNR has had from the beginning, according to the federal court orders in 1998, the ability to agree with the Tribal regimes proposed plans ( how and when to exercise their rights)or bring it back to the court and argue for a plan more in line with modern day fishery management. The Mn. DNR chose to agree with the Tribal regime methods and timing of harvest and sat back and allowed this all to happen without argument via court intervention.

In fact, the Mn. DNR violated Mn. constitutional law by allowing this to all go on. The law plainly says the DNR has to manage the resources in the best interests of the general public. Sitting back and allowing this without going to court to show cause to end the method and timing of the Tribal harvest was wrong…per the law.

So–yes—the Mn. DNR is hugely at fault here. And that will be shown in court soon.

Assuming you are doubting that, who (other than the Tribal regime that have pushed their rights to the max) is to blame for the demise of Lake Mille Lacs walleye numbers if not the Mn. DNR? But don’t say sport anglers because they were FORCED to do what the regs said…that were and still are SOLELY in place for the past 13 years to accomodate the Tribal harvest.

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So this is all the DNR’s fault.

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This is helpful.

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So this is all the DNR’s fault.

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And by the way, I will gladly allow you the opportunity to laugh and point fingers at me, face face, at your convenience. Let me know the time and place…and bring facts to make your point(s).

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So this is all the DNR’s fault.

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Are they the ones who are actually ruining the resource? No. But are they doing their job to protect that resource?

Say for instance a farmer hires someone to watch over his heard of animals, but say that person just stands by and watches as every Spring someone pulls up to his gate and loads up a trailer full animals. Would you say that this person is doing their job? Would it make it OK if their ancestors used to live on the land that your farm is now on?

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So this is all the DNR’s fault.

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Who is getting paid to manage the resource ? Do you know of someone else ?

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So this is all the DNR’s fault.

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Well, it’s not mine … and it’s not Steve Fellegy’s

are you volunteering to take the blame ?

Today–from a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and echoed by several others–“laws run their course–times change”.

Don’t ever think for a heartbeat this treaty rights stuff can’t be changed and or go away all together!