have you seen this yet? unbelievable

IDO should do a webisode on youtube with a fisheries biologist talking about proper fish handling, proper ways to release fish, what size fish to keep of all different types of species, impacts of invasive species and importance of doing what we can to prevent the spreading of them, and so on, you all get what I’m saying. I just think it would be cool to hear from people who have the data and expertise on some of these topics. Much is talked about when it comes to all of this but having factual information from a trusted source would really help solidify things…at least for me. Just a thought.

im with all of you. selective harvest is something i pride myself on. if you have the video to prove you caught all those fish why not keep one to mount and put the rest back? i don’t think that big of a fish is going to taste that good. but as others said if they aren’t breaking the law we cant really hate on them. that’s on the biologists over the lake.

Biggill,
thanks for clearing that up, makes sense.

I’ve been seeing this floating around lately, I’m jealous of the quality of those fish but it’s a bit tough to watch. Buckets full of 10lb Walters.

I had friends that did that out there 20 years ago. You cannot compare Erie to an inland lake. Plus in the case of Mille lacs etc read up on slots based on biology that protect the real productive spawners like Ontario did with Lac Sueul. They protect 18 to 21 inch females they are the ones in that system that are the most fertile. Our slots are just to limit take and create trophies. Careful what you wish for. The lake is totally unbalanced between prey and predators. The info is out there from real scientific studies if you look. Do 70 year old women have many kids or do college age women? Trying to save every giant walleye to say that they are the best spawners is arguable they have more eggs but are they more prolific? Any how Erie has the forage base to promote fast growth for large walleye and the guys I know say they eat just fine they keep whatever the captain said some years they had 24 inchers some years they had monsters mixed in but they were always much larger than out walleyes.

Mwal

Seeing the overall negative opinion of the big fish harvesting taking place on Erie, what is the opinion of people on here regarding the taking of a lone big fish in this state? Take LOTW for example….with a protected slot of 19.5” to 28” and one over 28, is it acceptable to kill the one over 28” for most people, or is that a bad thing? And either way, why? With the huge percentage of the adult population being protected, is the harvest of some of the big old ones an issue? The DNR seems to think it is just fine. I know the people here generally look down on it, but the general population seems to be more liberal, as I commonly see 8lb fish being boxed up there both on private boats and on the charters.

I know that on the last few openers up there, I saw several 28-30”+ fish in the cleaning shack, and the resort manager commented to me that in the last 10 or so years, he has seen a lot more big fish hitting the cleaning table, which he took as a sign that the slot was doing its job, and doing it well.

T

The last two posts couldn’t have described it better. It’s absolutely nuts to compare Lake mille lacs or even LOTW to Lake Erie. Thanks Timmy and mwal.

with this lucrative fishery I would bet that it is being managed by the best biologists probably in the world. yet we are quick to assign our own beliefs and convictions that pertain to our small slice of the world. as far as how these fish are treated yes I believe every living thing should be given respect and it has me second guessing how I treat the minnows in my minnow bucket. one has to ask themselves does not a small minnow deserve the same respect as a 30 inch walleye? as far as the question of how many fish does one man need, I myself have upon receiving a plentiful bounty have fed many mouths both family and friends when I fry fish at a get together. if the walleye are so prolific in Erie is it not better to harvest them properly than to have them over populate and create a situation similar to stunted panfish lakes?

I guess what bothers me most, besides the carelessness of what goes on there, is the fact of the instant gratification these days that sportsman seem to crave or need.You have to have a picture or a video to prove that you belong in the inner circles of hunting and fishing websites. I am not stating that I have not fallen into this rut also.”Guilty as charged”
It seems credibility is only as real as the pictures or Videos that you can post.
Personally I think it is getting out of hand.

But Mille Lacs is protecting the 22-28″ fish. These fish are not really helping the population of harvestable fish.

I say implement a slot that protects all 18-22″ fish. 4 fish limit, keep no more than 2 over 22″.

Or short term to regain some balance of harvestable fish, require only 2 under 18″ and 2 over 22″.

I think Erie is proof that conventional thinking needs to be reconsidered. I never said they were comparable fisheries.

I don’t think them taking all those big fish hurts anything. The lake is in great shape and this is the way things work out there.

The tossing them around and treating them like crap bothered me some though. Overall, the guys in this video are tools and came off like fish pigs and idiots.

This is very interesting to see all the opinions on lake Erie.

I seen this stuff years ago watching a documentary the did on erie walleye fishing. They were fishing and keeping tons of 10+ walleyes and its encouraged to do so there! they showed maps of schools of fish they were following and some of the schools were like 10 miles long and 2 or 3 miles wide and made up of adult fish many over 10 pounds. It is very hard to imagine. and its hard for some of us to understand that taking these big fish is good for the ecosystem but in eries case it is.. and those 10 pounders taste just as good as any 20 incher..

I fish the river a lot and i let everything go over 20 inches I try and keep those 16 to 18 inch fish.. I think many of the guys that fish the river a lot follow much the same rules that they make for themselves.

you know If i were to decide to keep larger fish I would be within my rights and be breaking no laws.. I would not be harming the ecosystem.. but I too like you guys want to keep that fish in the water to give myself or you a chance at that fish when its a bit bigger..

If I were to go to Erie I would keep the big fish and not have a second thought on it.. I guess I understand that every body of water is much different from the next.. read the rules on the body of water your fishing and fish and keep whatever is legal and within your own rules you set for yourself. be happy and proud of doing what you believe in.. Dont look down on the other guy that dont follow your personal rules as long as they are within the law.. maybe take the time to educate yourself on the water your fishing instead of crying some one dont have the same view as you!!!

TheguN

Weird, people keeping lots of walleyes? Jeez I thought the bass were eating them all.

Just because keeping limits of fish – any kind of fish – (and large ones, such as the video above) is legal doesn’t make it ethical or a good idea. Humans are the problem in our fisheries, big or small. Plain and simple.

Erie is a totally different fishery. Read an article a couple years ago that said 1.6 million walleyes a year die of old age in Erie. That is a statistic that is just hard to believe.

Wow that is crazy!!

mxskeeter wrote:

Erie is a totally different fishery. Read an article a couple years ago that said 1.6 million walleyes a year die of old age in Erie. That is a statistic that is just hard to believe.

In the Spring, I used to get sick seeing all of the big females floating around the reefs. Some of them were exhausted from the spawn and never made it back to the deep water to recover. You think the small sauger pulled from the deep hole at the pool 4 dam is bad….

FDR

francisco4 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mxskeeter wrote:</div>
Erie is a totally different fishery. Read an article a couple years ago that said 1.6 million walleyes a year die of old age in Erie. That is a statistic that is just hard to believe.

In the Spring, I used to get sick seeing all of the big females floating around the reefs. Some of them were exhausted from the spawn and never made it back to the deep water to recover. You think the small sauger pulled from the deep hole at the pool 4 dam is bad….

FDR

Rest assured FDR, as unconcerting as it may look, in the long run it is necessary for the circle of life to continue. While those fish were never intended to live forever, they also serve a greater purpose besides ending up directly in our belly or on a wall. They provide the nutrients necessary that begins the food cycle starting with the smallest microbes leading up again to the mighty walleye. Rest assured, nothing in nature goes to waste.

While I really don’t think I could bring myself to keep pigs like that, I have to say watching that video left me feeling somewhere between jealous as hell and horrified. Have to admit, it’d be hard not to lose your head a little when getting hammered by ‘eyes that size through the ice.
I won’t dive into the good/bad discussion-I don’t know much about that fishery at all, so would be speaking to what I don’t know.
All I know about that fishery is that I’ve fished it ONCE a long time ago-AND I wish it was closer to here!

reverend wrote:

While I really don’t think I could bring myself to keep pigs like that, I have to say watching that video left me feeling somewhere between jealous as hell and horrified. Have to admit, it’d be hard not to lose your head a little when getting hammered by ‘eyes that size through the ice.
I won’t dive into the good/bad discussion-I don’t know much about that fishery at all, so would be speaking to what I don’t know.
All I know about that fishery is that I’ve fished it ONCE a long time ago-AND I wish it was closer to here!

I hate the drive through Chicago…maybe we could petition Amtrak to institute a “Walleye Express” . Fargo to Minneapolis to Madison to Milwaukee…no stops in Illinois…then on to lake Erie.

castle-rock-clown wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>reverend wrote:</div>
While I really don’t think I could bring myself to keep pigs like that, I have to say watching that video left me feeling somewhere between jealous as hell and horrified. Have to admit, it’d be hard not to lose your head a little when getting hammered by ‘eyes that size through the ice.
I won’t dive into the good/bad discussion-I don’t know much about that fishery at all, so would be speaking to what I don’t know.
All I know about that fishery is that I’ve fished it ONCE a long time ago-AND I wish it was closer to here!

I hate the drive through Chicago…maybe we could petition Amtrak to institute a “Walleye Express” . Fargo to Minneapolis to Madison to Milwaukee…no stops in Illinois…then on to lake Erie.

Kinda funny, I fish Lake Erie in the winter and all summer and I wish Minnesota and all those wonderful lakes were closer!

James and Co. should get their tails over there and fish it this season.

troutbum wrote:

James and Co. should get their tails over there and fish it this season.

I heard that they were practically on their way last year but something came up.

castle-rock-clown wrote:

I hate the drive through Chicago…maybe we could petition Amtrak to institute a “Walleye Express” . Fargo to Minneapolis to Madison to Milwaukee…no stops in Illinois…then on to lake Erie.

Drive through the night, hit baitshop, then put boat in between 5-6 am has been out plan of action on our trips out. Don’t for get the iPass. Totally worth it.

FDR

I won’t get all lathered up over it. These are two distinctly different fisheries that cannot be compared in a reasonable fashion and we are dealing with two distinctly different geographic regions.

What I don’t care for is how those fish were handled after the catch but dead and headed for the knife is dead. How many voicing opposition to this handling take pictures of their 9″ bluegills with a size 13 thumb shoved down their throat? Why not just lay that fish in your hand for a picture. How would you like to be held by the mouth using a backhoe? Just something to think about.

jeff_huberty wrote:

I guess what bothers me most, besides the carelessness of what goes on there, is the fact of the instant gratification these days that sportsman seem to crave or need.You have to have a picture or a video to prove that you belong in the inner circles of hunting and fishing websites. I am not stating that I have not fallen into this rut also.”Guilty as charged”
It seems credibility is only as real as the pictures or Videos that you can post.
Personally I think it is getting out of hand.

Pictures or it never happened!

I just think to myself if I kept all the fish I get a lot of fisheries would be in trouble. I think a lot of people on here can say that. A lot of people say that a 10lb walleye doesn’t taste as good . That funny taste is guilt. I say that because we all care about the fisheries we have and know what happens when they are over harvested without a care. I read somewhere that it takes the average walleye 10 years to grow 28″ look at url as an example first it was over harvested for walleyes. Then the crappies. Nobody thought they could ever run out..schools that could be seen by airplane over a mile long. Word got out. Didn’t take long. Erie is a proven fish factory and all but don’t think for a second that it is bottomless and can’t be over harvested. It is very impressive to have a limit of 10lb eyes anywhere else in the world, but not from there. As the video showed any dumba** can go out and get them and have a “photoshoot” or whatever. Sorry for the rant but I run into this poor mentality all too often and it at times makes my blood boil. I’m in awe at the amazing fish but to see the lack of respect and need to fill there limits cause getting 1 10lb fish isn’t enough we have to get our full limits of 10lb attitude blows my mind. But that is what I’ve been taught and maybe I am the one with the wrong attitude. I’ve heard some “new”ideas being used that do make some sense in regards to fish life span and size etc basically it boils down to keeping the biggest “oldest fish” and returning the young adults which seems to be what they have been doing on erie.

hey if its legal…. whats the problem ? throwing em in the pan will hurt more than the bucket ride…

For those comparing ML to Erie… size alone dictates that its not even remotely close. You can just about fit 48 MLs onto the surface of Erie. 48 times bigger… You would laugh if someone compared a lake 48 times smaller than ML to it. That doesn’t even begin to address, depth, forage base, fertility, pressure, geography and on and on.

I agree with what others have said in that I don’t like how the fish are treated. It doesn’t help sportsmans’ image as a whole. Its like leaving garbage on the ice or muddy ruts through a farmers field. Its just as easy to gently release a fish or treat it with respect while keeping it… so why NOT do it? You’re not saving anything by throwing them across the ice. Just because its legal doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t seem like there should need to be a law dictating how fisherman handle fish that are kept… we should be able to handle the responsibility.

Agree with above. Harvesting fish is essential to maintain proper health with a higher chance of having a viable resource. The handling of fish is dramatically different between commercial harvesting and sportsman harvesting. While it is near impossible to dictate commercial tactics, we as sportsmen should police ourselves both for moral reasons as individuals and what others see in us as a whole. The million dollar question is how to effectively do this.

I personally have never fished Erie but I have friends that do every spring. This is their stringer of fish from last year. Just a question for you folks, how many female walleyes are in this pic?

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