Mille Lacs Citizen Input Group Meeting

Tonight is the Mille Lacs Citizen Input Group meeting with the DNR Fisheries people.

For 2010 the total walleye allocation has been set at;

544,000 pounds
State’s allocation 411,500
Tribal allocation 132,500

Total fishing mortality for 2009: Anglers caught about 612,000 lbs. of walleye in 2009. Total yield (kill) was 141,333 by anglers, and 101,225 by the tribal fishery. That equates to a total kill of 242,558 lbs.. That’s 55% below the safe harvest level of 541,000 for the 2009 season.

Will have more info for you after the meeting.

I know they want uniform regulations but I still dont get why they dont let us get nearer to what the safe harvest is.

How does the DNR regulate the harvest other than daily and posesion limits. Do they regulate licence numbers also.
The walleye club I’m in just had a presentaion by the GFP in Pierre. They were talking harvest rates of around 300,000 on Oahe, and 200,00 on Lake Sharp.
Stonecutter

They need to make the tribal netting after the walleyes have spawned. I saw the catch at the public landing on the north end of the lake last year it would make you sick. Big females spurting eggs in their buckets. Dosent the casino pay enough so they can buy fishing poles?

Everything is going to remain the same as the last 2 years.

4 fish a day

18-28″ protected slot.

Most if not all resort people asked for slot to be relaxed to 20-28″ in July to help increase business, but the DNR would only say they’d think about it. They’re objection seems to be that a change like that would be against the groups desire of a few years ago for a consistant regulation. Input group members are of the opinion the state doesn’t want the aded headache or expense of monitoring the harvest if the regulations fluctuate during the season.

Since 2000, only one year did the harvest actually exceed the safe harvest level established by authorities. That year the harvest was 9% over the safe harvest level. All other years were 14-75% below the safe harvest level except 2007 which was basically a wash with the overage estimated at 0% +/- over the safe harvest numbers. The average underage during this time span was 39.55%.

Recruitment numbers indicate another good hatch for 2009 walleyes, but their survival thru the winter is in question because of their below average size (condition) during the fall surveys.

Spawning stock biomass numbers indicate a continuing downward trend in the numbers of males in the surveys. The DNR is not surprised or concerned about it at this point, saying that the downward trend is expected since the tribal gill net harvest is predominately males.

In short, don’t expect to see any changes in the regulations this year, but rest assured that the issue of opening up the slot is being raised by the Input Group members.

Jack,

Thanks so much for keeping us posted on these meetings. I for one really appreciate it!

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They’re objection seems to be that a change like that would be against the groups desire of a few years ago for a consistant regulation.

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I actually agree with that comment! I would not oppose to making it a 10 or 15 year rule. Pick something and stick with it. Probably 2 years in ten we go over the state quota. Just a guess.

I don’t see this year going over with all the bait in the lake. The years hook and line anglers go over are the years where the bait crashes. That mixed with a couple good year classes in the slot!

-J.

Jon,

This is going to be a huge year for keepers. There are so many fish in the 13-18″ range right now. I expect to see more boats on the lake than we’ve seen for a long time. It might be the second biggest year since the “bite of the century” we had in the early 90’s.

Should be fun!!!

-J.