Ice Out

buckybadger wrote:

Get those nets ready!

I know you are joking, but there should be an ice out requirement at the very least for that. Ghost nets are no joke and should not be risked with ice still on the lake.

If it makes it that far the winds on Sat. are predicted to be out of the east with gusts to 40 mph. Get them front end loaders ready. 169 could take a hit.

Drove along 169 this morning. Ice is very black and most bays have open water. If this weekend does bring winds and rain, I’m guessing it’ll open up

Today’s image of Mille Lacs.

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Boats are heading in now on Wigwam Bay for spearing. My neighbor is doing the creel survey there tonight. Not looking forward to the pictures I asked him for

Just drove by the west side, pretty slushy.
I’m thinking by Monday there will just be a few cubes floating around.
Getting some decent ice piling up on shore.

No ice to be seen from Brandts just now.
Get the nets ready…

Will probably declare ice out sometime today. Tribal netting out of Liberty over the weekend. Uggg!

-J.

I’m driving by right now on the west side and I can’t see any ice

I take that back. There’s still a large raft floating around Vineland Bay And the Southwest corner still has quite a bit floating around. But it won’t be long

The public access by Myr Mar had the factories set up this morning at 7am… it was PACKED ! No ice seen on North or West side down to Garrison anyways.

I wish the local news channels would go up there and film it and show the general public what’s going on. I’m all for them feeding their family and extended family, but when they’re taking thousands of pounds it’s not just for their own consumption obviously…

big_g wrote:

The public access by Myr Mar had the factories set up this morning at 7am… it was PACKED ! No ice seen on North or West side down to Garrison anyways.

You can see all that from Hawaii..

Steve Fellegy says ice-out is today on Facebook. Not surprised with the wind and rain. Here is the post from FB.

Ice out, officially, called May 2nd, 2022
Between mid morning and mid afternoon, the path between Isle and Garrison was deemed clear, contrary to the evening before.
About 12 squarw miles of ice (about 5-6 percent ) is still on the lake but that amount more than meets the dnr “90 percent clear” ice out criteria.
So, May 2nd, 2022 is the Lake Mille Lacs ice out date—officially.

Ripjiggen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>big_g wrote:</div>
The public access by Myr Mar had the factories set up this morning at 7am… it was PACKED ! No ice seen on North or West side down to Garrison anyways.

You can see all that from Hawaii..

Moved back last September, try to keep up !!

Bummer.

Yeah, I miss it ALOT… playing golf on World Class Courses every weekend was getting old.

Norsky wrote:

I wish the local news channels would go up there and film it and show the general public what’s going on. I’m all for them feeding their family and extended family, but when they’re taking thousands of pounds it’s not just for their own consumption obviously…

I would still like to see what else they pull out of the lake in their nets.
How many Northerns, Muskie, Smallies, Perch, large breeder bait fish?
Ifind it hard to believe they catch ONLY walleye.

Tom schmitt wrote:

I would still like to see what else they pull out of the lake in their nets.
How many Northerns, Muskie, Smallies, Perch, large breeder bait fish?
Ifind it hard to believe they catch ONLY walleye.

I am not positive on this, but I believe the nets are specifically designed to catch eating size walleyes. When I worked for the DNR we had nets designed for specific sized fish and certain species were caught way more. Smaller fish can get through it. Years ago they did not have to count pike bycatch against the quota. That rule was changed. Any pike caught are required to count against the quota now though. I’m guessing they probably don’t catch many smallmouth or muskies and the only perch in the lake are small enough to swim right through.

Whether they snag some bycatch or not while they’re doing this, the whole things sucks. I’m totally against it. I’m just stating that the bycatch is likely not as bad as you might think it is.

Tom schmitt wrote:

I would still like to see what else they pull out of the lake in their nets.

Agreed, but I’d also like to know how many walleye they pull out to. Call me a skeptic but I don’t have a lot of trust in people self reporting accurately and there is no way GLIFWC is there as totes are filled throughout the night.

Did you not see Commissar Strommen’s latest press release, where she assures us everything is on the up and up with all I dotted and T’s crossed? Cheating, there can be no cheating; they don’t even verify there is no cheating, so there is no cheating. She spelled it all out.

Bass Pundit wrote:

Did you not see Commissar Strommen’s latest press release, where she assures us everything is on the up and up with all I dotted and T’s crossed? Cheating, there can be no cheating; they don’t even verify there is no cheating, so there is no cheating. She spelled it all out.

No, but I’d like to. Can you post a link?

Norsky wrote:

I wish the local news channels would go up there and film it and show the general public what’s going on. I’m all for them feeding their family and extended family, but when they’re taking thousands of pounds it’s not just for their own consumption obviously…

I’m not a Mille Lacs regular. I go once a year at best, and now don’t have anything planned for this year or the upcoming winter.

With that said, when the netting is going on – are there onlookers or people there to see it? I don’t have the vested interest that some do, but if I was a local or someone who had a property/cabin/business in the area…I’d continually ruffle feathers to at least make the process uncomfortable. It’s amazing what a few signs in the ditches, livestream videos, billboards, and TV cameras can do. Maybe the white flag has been waived or it’s such a norm now that people don’t care? I’ve always been curious and never received much for answers from those close to the lake.

They will ask you politely leave and then not so politely. Not sure what you would want to see or record. It’s a big net with a pile fish that get tossed into totes.

buckybadger wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Norsky wrote:</div>
I wish the local news channels would go up there and film it and show the general public what’s going on. I’m all for them feeding their family and extended family, but when they’re taking thousands of pounds it’s not just for their own consumption obviously…

I’m not a Mille Lacs regular. I go once a year at best, and now don’t have anything planned for this year or the upcoming winter.

With that said, when the netting is going on – are there onlookers or people there to see it? I don’t have the vested interest that some do, but if I was a local or someone who had a property/cabin/business in the area…I’d continually ruffle feathers to at least make the process uncomfortable. It’s amazing what a few signs in the ditches, livestream videos, billboards, and TV cameras can do. Maybe the white flag has been waived or it’s such a norm now that people don’t care? I’ve always been curious and never received much for answers from those close to the lake.

I guess you’d have to be there to understand. Not even sure how else to respond to your comments.

Here is the DNR press release Big Werm:

Ojibwe spring fishing season begins soon
April 25, 2022

DNR reminds Minnesotans of tribal right to harvest fish
Each spring, Native American tribal members in Minnesota preserve their cultural heritage while providing a vital food source for tribal communities by harvesting fish through netting and spearing. This legally protected, regulated harvest of fish usually begins in mid-April at ice-out.

With the tribal spring harvest season getting underway, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources expresses support for tribal members exercising their harvest rights within the 1837 Ceded Territory and within reservation boundaries. The 1837 treaty reserves to tribal members the right to hunt and fish in the ceded territory, free of state regulation.

The DNR reminds all state residents it is illegal to interfere or attempt to interfere with tribal members who are exercising treaty rights, including the spring harvesting of walleye.

“As we look forward to warmer spring weather and ice-out, we are taking the important step of expressing the DNR’s continued support of tribal fish harvests,” DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said. “These activities are sustainably managed and profoundly important to Native American communities.”

“The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is looking forward to the spring harvest to exercise our treaty rights to hunt, fish and gather,” Fond du Lac Chairman Kevin Dupuis Sr. said “Collectively, with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, we look forward to preserving this important cultural, natural and economic resource for future generations.”

The tribal harvest within the 1837 Ceded Territory is regulated by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Every season, both the state and tribes agree on the amount of fish that can be harvested, based on the long-term health of the resource. Then each tribe declares to the DNR how many of each species of fish they intend to harvest from each lake in each ceded territory. Harvest begins shortly after the ice melts, with fishing permits issued by the tribes to their members. Each fish — whether harvested by spear or net — is counted individually and recorded for data used in fishery management, including lake-by-lake determinations of when the year’s declared harvest is reached and further harvest is closed for the year.

“The Band’s harvest of fish in the ceded territory is a right that was retained and guaranteed by the 1837 Treaty and affirmed by the courts,” Mille Lacs Band Commissioner of Natural Resources Kelly Applegate said. “Our ancestors knew the importance of the rights to hunt, fish and gather resources to preserve our culture into the future.”

On-reservation harvesting

There are also conservation codes of the individual tribal nations (link is external) for harvest within the reservation boundaries. The regulation of harvesting within the reservation boundaries is an “on-reservation” harvest. Tribal members follow the conservation codes set forth by the governing bodies of their nations.

Interfering with tribal rights

It is illegal to interfere or attempt to interfere with tribal members who are exercising treaty rights, including the spring harvest of walleye. Prohibited conduct against any tribal member includes, but is not limited to: stalking, obstructing access to lakes, recklessly operating watercraft, creating hazardous wakes, threatening violence and committing acts of violence.

Reporting tribal rights infringement

Anyone who has witnessed or been subject to infringement of tribal rights to hunt, fish and gather that is active and involves harassment or a verbal threat of physical harm is encouraged to report that to local law enforcement immediately by calling 911.

People also may contact their local DNR Conservation Officer by calling 651-296-6157 or 888-MINNDNR (646-6367).

Here is another one of my translations of the DNR PR on Ojibwe Spring Fishing:

See this junkyard dog? Listen to his bark. You wanna start something and think all he will do is bark, well F around and find out, racist stalker!