have you seen this yet? unbelievable

Hopefully enough, and preferably not too many.

Very impressive fishery, but looks likes anyone could catch them like that, impressive amount of trucks in the lot, that’s what stuck out the most to me, I pretty sure the fishery can handle it, most people I talk to say keep them Cuz if you don’t there Goin into the Nets anyways, as for mishandling of the fish I see the exact same thing with door county whitefish, everyone wants a limit, that’s all you here these days, did you limit out blah blah blah…..keeping everything is the norm to say you got your limit and people will keep doin so until law changes and people will keep coming more and more often until the fish are not there or limits go down, it’s hard to deal with at times and it gets me all worked up to but sometimes you just have to try and go about your business and not worry about what other are doing, the fish pigs are everywhere and will not chang

Well, when it comes to door county whitefish I am a pig. Personally I have no qualms going for a limit of fish on a body of water where commercial fishermen are harvesting tons of the same fish in their nets. I’m a pig who feeds his family with my catch and no one will make me feel guilty about that.

Since I’m the only one comparing Mille Lacs to Erie, let me explain.

For anyone suggesting that harvesting large walleyes like the ones in the video is wrong, you indeed are comparing Mille Lacs to Erie. What do you have to relate to? Mille Lacs? If you think that way because you think it hurts our local lakes, than how is that any different than what I’m suggesting?

For anyone reserving judgement on Erie, I can’t comment. But know that I believe that what is happening on Erie seems sustainable, so I too am reserving judgement.

My main point is that mismanagement of Mille Lacs has resulted in failure.

I am suggesting that the mn DNR take some serious interest in how the fishery is being managed on Erie. Opposite tactics, opposite results. How can that be ignored?

There is no comparison… Erie to Mille Lacs is like comparing a swamp to Mille Lacs. The laws/regs are what they are on Erie… looks like it is sustaining so far… will it always ? I doubt it would if 10,000 anglers did what these guys did in one day, for a couple years running. At that time, I would hope regs would be changed. Look to the Blue Fin tuna for the answers. Oceans full of them….

So why wouldn’t a larger harvest size work on Mille Lacs?

I didn’t say it wouldn’t ?:???: Question for the masses…. 100% of the 10 lbers thrown in the pail counted towards this guys limit…. for the guy who catches 20 BIG fish on Mille Lacs and releases them all… then keeps 2 “slot fish”… who potentially harmed their respective fishery more ? Which one is more precise in their “harvested” numbers ?

Well then I fail to understand why you can’t compare the two lakes in any way.

Seems like we agree otherwise.

I’ve never been so angry watching a fishing video. Talk about a lack of respect. Just dumping out monster females as they bleed everywhere bragging.

What happens of the experts on Erie are dead wrong? “Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

jerad wrote:

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?

Just a follow-up on the pic that I posted with the question of how many female walleyes there were in it. There is only 1 female in the pic. As you can see the top row of fish are all 24+ inches. My point is that Lake Erie fish grow extremely fast and unlike other lakes, the male walleyes can grow very large also. So there might not be as many female walleyes being harvested in the op’s video as you guys might think.

As per my previous post I was exactly right…again.

Water pollution and commercial fishing will diminish the population of those fish far more than a group of legal fisherman keeping their legal limit – Not that I am advocating keeping the trophies, but there are bigger issues at hand.

WW

I think there is a balance to respecting the game you are harvesting and the thrill of the experience of a hot bite. I didn’t see anyone stomping on fish, taunting them or dragging them around the courtyard to humiliate them in the video. I DID see a bunch of guys in the middle of a hot bite with monster walleye coming up the hole in ice conditions that are as rare as history provides.

It is easy in a Disney kind of world to somehow associate these grand fish with some sort of human personality or characteristics. It is simply not true. Fish do not deserve to be treated as spiritual beings nor do they deserve to be treated as garbage. Somewhere in the middle, I suspect.

I would assess the situation as some guys tickled pink out of their living minds as to what they were experiencing, meaning no malice or disrespect toward the fish they were catching.

As per depleting the resource? What other option does a sportsman have other than to trust the stewards of the resource (DNR)? You can say the sportsman can live to a higher standard, and perhaps you are right…or not. If YOU had the quantitative data as per exactly how the waters should be managed for a healthy fishery, you would have the job.

What really is the long term harm or suffering the population of a body of water for a few years (IF the DNR makes management mistakes)? Can we not revive the system and learn from the experience? Yes, we can.

We are intelligent self correcting creatures. Always learning and always adapting. Let these fellows enjoy their Gold Rush for pity’s sake and not condemn them. It was a rare winter last year and this, I suspect, is not the norm for Lake Erie. I did live and fish there for 5 years back in the day. I learned more about respecting the animal from a man in Erie than anyone I have known or since known here in MN. And yes, I am a native Minnesotan.

Next time you punch a 2 inch hole in a deer and think the sight of blood is inhumane, you should hang up outdoor harvesting. Be gritty, be responsible, be men. We are all part of a Darwinian cycle of “eat or be eaten”. Respect the harvest but don’t worship it.

Someone in the thread asked “Who really needs 38lbs of fish”? The city of Erie itself has been a depressed economy since the old days of big steel. The number of poor and “barely gettin by” are enormous. I don’t begrudge a fellow for getting more than one meal for his family once and a while.

But opinions are like bungholes, everyone has one. No apologies if anyone is offended. After all, we are men. We can agree to disagree and still respect a differing opinion.

JD Winston wrote:

We can agree to disagree and still respect a differing opinion.

I don’t agree with that.

Great post JD!

We disagree to agree.

lol, you guys are great! Merry Christmas!

biggill wrote:

<DIV class=d4p-bbt-quote-title>kp2422 wrote:</DIV>
<P>As stated above it’s a completely different fishery than we have over here in Minnesota and Wisconsin. One thing I just don’t understand is how many ten pound fish does a guy need? I’m all for keeping fish but that’s just ridiculous. I think it would be cool to experience that kind of ice fishing but im with the majority as in I would have a hard time not freaking out on some people over there. One thing we need to consider is that might be normal for Lake Erie ice fishing….</P>

<P>I actually don’t believe that the fisheries are all that different. I really believe that restrictive slot limits will hurt most fisheries. Case in point, Mille Lacs. </P>
<P>Every time an imbalance was noticed, the DNR imposed more restrictive slots. Resulting in a more severe imbalance. I really believe taking a well calculated balance of large and small fish is the answer. Case in point, Lake Erie. </P>

What about leech? They were pretty close to a crash and now the fishing up there is some of the best it has been in decades 18-26″ slot and now a 20-26″ slot. Guides I talk to up there really believe the comeback is due to the slot and the reduction of Komorants