Let’s Talk Mille Lacs!!!

Hello everyone, Please excuss my typing as I am very new to this computer thing. My son got me logged in so that I could share my views with you about my frustrations with fishing my beloved lake (MilleLacs). Keep keep it short, I have fished “the pond” for 45 plus years, I love that lake but I truely feel the DNR is ruining it. I have fished the lake again this year every weekend since openner and am amazed with the quality but very frustrated with the so called “slot fish”. This last weekend for example, my son and I caught approximately 35 fish, none in the slot! We try very hard to release the fish in the net without harming them but with the water temperatures as they are we did lose some. We fished Sunday, 11 hours only to take a lunch break at Carlsonna Beach. With the water levels as low as they are (especially on the North end) we anchored our boat about 1/2 a block and wadded to shore. I was amased at the amout of “dead” fish lining the sandy beach. It mad me rather sick to my stomach, there has to be a better way.
I think I have one. I have heard rummors the DNR is thinking of cancelling all tourneyments on the lake for the rest of the year? I have heard rumors that they are considering dropping the slot size from 0 to 20 to 14 to 16 inches? My respnse to those rumors is “fine” with the tourneys (although the ecconomy with suffer)but so be it but with the slot change? Tell me….how does dropping the slot size prevent the slaughter of all those big fish, it doesn’t. With 95% of the fish hooked being between 21-29″, what good would changing the slot limit?
My thoughts…….give us a 60″ limit per day. (Example) I catch 2 23″ walleyes and 1 14″ walleye, I’M DONE! I’m happy, there are no dead fish floating from my boat and I have a nice meal for my family. Keep in mind, the current limit is 4 fish.
Think about it Millacs lovers and let me know what you think. Thanks for listening

Welcome Randy! We have a Mille Lacs Forum which deals with “All things Mille Lacs.” If you have not found it already, go here and you will see many like minded comments, and some opposing. Very informative none the less…

The DNR holds meetings around the State at different times of the year and looks for comments from the public. These meetings also give you some idea as to how they plan to manage the lake.

Good to see you on IDA!

I do not see what the new slot would accomplish. The problem is dead fish. Do you see any 14″-16″ dead fish? Of course not. There has to be a better way to control this!!

I think this is by far the best fishery in the 5 state area for walleyes and would even venture to say best all around fishery in north america! The number of quality eyes, and every cast you could hook into a state/world record ski or a state record smallie. With many 40″+ pike and very respectable jumbo perch fishing it would hard pressed to say the dnr is doing a poor job. I would suggest that the slot is what provides us with 30+ 24-28″ fish a day. And that’s a bad thing?

I like the idea of putting the spawners back. It has been working for quite some time. When the slots first started everyone was freeking out over dead fish, but even if only 50% of the released fish have a chance to live, I would put it back, and we know the survival rate is higher than that. The only way something like a total inch rule could work and not have any dead fish is if you had to quit fishing completly when you hit it, with no released fish allowed, and that would be aweful.

In my humble opinion, the DNR should just close the lake. Why kill more slot fish between 21” – 29”? It does not make sense to reduce the slot to 14” – 16”.

If we are truly trying to protect the slot (breeder) fish, why would we cause harm to them by reducing the slot to 14” – 16”?

If the slot is reduced to 14” – 16”, I will not be fishing Mille Lacs for the rest of the season!!! It is a personal choice and I hope many anglers will take the stance to protect our great fishery!!! Surely the DNR does not share our interest!!!

Alrighty then !

Hey Bucky12pt,

I was at rainbow foods tonight, walleyes were selling for $11.99 per pound. Like many others, I would rather enjoy a burger at McDonalds or a good Steak!!!

I understand it’s your choice. Please save some walleyes for my children and grand children (if you don’t have any). I have a 15 year old son and my daughter is 11 years old. It’s more fun to catch walleyes from our local lakes during our vacation.

IMHO, Mille Lacs fisherman, typically, are going for the trophy. When you pound out 9 miles, in a $35,000 boat, with another $2000 in electronics, to drag the mud, your not after the 15 inch fish. The mortality of the bigger fish, this time of year, is going to happen. Unless you shut down fishing the lake all together, it is going to happen. I for one commend the DNR for the job they have been doing with Mille Lacs. It is no small task to monitor and then attempt to control this size of water, with the amount of pressure it receives daily. Maybe changing the slot size (I refer to the slot size, as the size you can harvest, not the breeding size) will stop some people from fishing the lake, which may be the desired outcome the DNR is looking for…

big g

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Hey Bucky12pt,

I was at rainbow foods tonight, walleyes were selling for $11.99 per pound. Like many others, I would rather enjoy a burger at McDonalds or a good Steak!!!

I understand it?s your choice. Please save some walleyes for my children and grand children (if you don?t have any). I have a 15 year old son and my daughter is 11 years old. It?s more fun to catch walleyes from our local lakes during our vacation.

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Just for the record I might keep 20 walleye a year out of mille lacs. I fish it on average twice a week during open water and closer to 3 during hard water. I definitly catch my share of fish including muskies smallies and perch. But I enjoy catching not keeping. I hate cleaning fish! I only keep them when I have people with like my nephew, grandpa or friends that get out maybe once a year.

Hey Guys…
I would have to agree the DNR is doing a great job…the fish are strong and healthy.
We as sportsmen and women need to take some responsibility as well for the mortality….how many times do you see those 20″+ fish that are held out of the water WAY too long for pictures, people dropping fish in the bottom of the boat, letting them flop around on the floor or digging out swallowed hooks…..some people just don’t realize that is a death sentence for the fish.

I started using one of those lindy gloves for handling walleyes I can’t comfortably grab behind the gills with my hand. Using the glove I just grab them by the bottom lip similar to a bass, the glove prevents my thumb from getting carved up.

It works great I have complete control of the fish at all times and by holding the bottom lip the mouth is open so I can easily get the hook out or cut off quickly and get the fish back in the water. It also eliminates any chance of damaging a gill with a hand or finger in the process.
JB

“..give us a 60″ limit per day. (Example) I catch 2 23″ walleyes and 1 14″ walleye, I’M DONE!”

That’s a good idea, and down right smart. I know when I pull a 23 inch walleye from the depths and I can tell right away that it doesn’t stand a chance to recover… I get pretty disturbed at the fact that I’m releasing a fish which has little or no chance to survive. I hate the thought of targeting this size fish for the table, but if you know it has no chance, sure would be better on the table than the beach.

I disagree with the total inch thing, because then the lake would be even more overfished. People who knew, they could go to the lake and almost guarantee themselves 60″ of fresh walleye, would devistate the fishery. People who never even thought about fishing Mille Lacs, because of the harvest limits, would now flock to the lake to get “their fill” daily…IMHO

big g

to disagree is good, but how else can we curb the mortality and dead fish floating around on the beaches? I know it is hard to explain to my kids when walking along the beach coming accross a bunch of trophy walleye half burried in the sand, (how the person had no choice but to throw them back, even knowing full well that the fish had no chance to survive). Maybe someone has the answer to why a dead walleye is better in the sand, than on someones table. If a very limited slot is put in effect, does this stop the mortality? Would this cause possible economic hardship for area reosrts and bait shops?

Allowing a fisherman to keep a protected slot fish because of it’s likelyhood of dying, opens the door for “fishermen” to intentionally wound a healthly protected walleye for the sole purpose of table fodder.

Unfortunately, they must go back into the lake.

as the law is now, which I’m not too sure, do you have to quit fishing once your limit is filled? I know you can’t cull or party fish. I know this would be very hard to enforce, but when I saw the idea, I thought it sounded pretty good.

If two people are in the boat, (assuming you have no walleyes in your possesion. ie. freezer, fridge, etc)the minute you put the 8th fish in your livewell on Mille Lacs you are done, PERIOD. Not for the day either. You are done until at least one of those fish are consumed.

It is sad to see the dead fish, but the difference I believe, is mortality rates would go up. If 50% of the released fish die now, that is better than the 100% that die in the pan, if there is no slot limit. I think man has proved that he cannot police himself, when it comes to managing a lakes resources, and things like the DNR having slot limits,seasons and quotas that are adhered to, are required, to ensure your kids have the opportunity to take their kids fishing on Mille Lacs in the future. There is no simple solution and ultimately, we are all responsible for how we use the resources. I for one, do not spend any time fishing the flats or any deep water for that matter, when it is this warm out. I instead go to the Whitecap beach, do some swimming, have some coolies, and then maybe fish the rocks in 12 foot of depth in the evening.

big g

i also would have to agree that the dnr is doing a great job. my parents own a small resort on the south end and everyone i talk to are haveing a great time fishing out there. you would not believe how many people will tell us that the dnr is doing a good job keeping a lake so great for fishing. of course your going to lose a few fish but thats fishing, thats the way it goes. no doubt we dont want to lose any but thats just mother natures way of dealing with things. sure the fish die but then other things feed off that. i say the dnr can keep doing what they are doing and keep up the good work.

It seems to me that the fishing on the lake has improved greatly in the last fifteen years. Kudos DNR. As far as catching a 24″ walleye from the depths and letting it go knowing its gonna die I guess I dont understand. When I let them go they seem lively as heck. Do they all die even though they seem fine?

I really have no idea what percentage of fish actually die, I just threw out 50%, which is probably way high, for the sake of comparison. I guess it all comes down to what Buckshot says, if they get flopped on the floor, get held up by 3 different people for 6 pictures, hit the judge and then are plopped back in, they probably are not gonna make it.

big g

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If two people are in the boat, (assuming you have no walleyes in your possesion. ie. freezer, fridge, etc)the minute you put the 8th fish in your livewell on Mille Lacs you are done, PERIOD. Not for the day either. You are done until at least one of those fish are consumed.

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Done fishing eye’s or done fishing period? You should still be able to go after another species, correct?

Learned last weekend at the Evert’s GTG about “fizzing” fish to restore order to the air bladder and allow the fish to settle down return to the depths–is this currently being practiced by many?

Jeremy

Hello fellow fishermen: I would like to thank all of you (23) some Pro some Con but all very informative.I just have a few more comments for the Con letters to consider.
I had one person tell me that it is better to see a nice walleye laying on the beach than to see it in a frying pan! That upset me because this may sound selfish but truely enjoy a fresh beer-battered fried walleye dinner. Another said that mortality is all part of the “big” piture.That I agree with but if you look in the rules and regulations that the DNR provides us,(wanton waste) is discribed as illegal not to be intentional. Mother nature is fair but would you do the same to a deer,grouse,duck or pheasant? I still feel very strongly about the 60″ rule,it is up to us “real sportsmen” to abide by the rules and to be satisfied with “a meal” than to want bragging rights about catching 20+ fish a day (with mortality) that is the way to ensure future generations the same oppportunity to enjoy what we did. I have never taken over my limit and I am VERY proud of that. When she gives me a nice meal for myself and my family,I thank her and I go home. In closing, I want it to be known that I have no “ill feelings” for the DNR but I would like to see them consider other options. I look forward to your additional comments………thanks and good luck on the water

Big G mentioned fish(any species) hitting the judge or any other metal measureing device….this is something people may over look as well…keep that thing in the shade or wet it down good before using it. A few years ago on Devils Lake during the FLW we measured a fish on a hot judge….the side of the fish burned right to the judge and we had to peel it off, it was a keeper and we ended up weighing it but it was stone dead in 10 minutes. If that thing is sitting in the sun it gets REALLY HOT!!
I have my judge in a hunk of gutter, I leave it upside down so the sun isn’t beating on it and I always dunk it in the lake before measuring any fish no matter what the conditions are.

OK Big….

Consider this…..Like yourself, I also know the lake. You seem to me to be a trophy fishman with the picture you show on your screen..so be it! But having fished MilleLacs for over forty+ years, I realize that during the “prime” fishing months there are “very” few days that the “average angler can get to the desired spots due to weather…..think about that? The average angler is “no” threat to me or you, what we as true fisherman of this mighty fishery have to understand and abide by is the love of the lake, it’s potential and most importantly following the given restrictions(if indeed appropriate). I truely believe that “if” the DNR would like (RED LAKE) limit us to 2 maybe 3 fish a day, MilleLacs would survive,the resorts would survive, the economy would survive and “most” fisherman would survive. I’m still “PRO” 60″……I’m looking forward to hearing replys fisherman.

Welcome to In-Depth Outdoors Randy!!!

Thanks for posting this it is a good topic