MN DNR to Cancel '17 to '19 Pool 4 Creel Survey

Kevin Stauffer (Area Supervisor Lake City Fisheries) presented a number of slide
explaining the reasons that the DNR is seeking a number of license fee increases in
the 2017 legislative session.
More information about proposed fee increases and the reasoning behind the
decision to pursue fee increases can be found at the URL listed in the slide above
and here below.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/licensedollarsatwork/index.html

One specific example of a budgetary impact on the work out of the Lake City
Fisheries office is the cancellation of our Large Lake Creel that would have started
in the fall of 2017 and run until the fall of 2019.
-From the Walleye Searchers Seminar Presented by the MN DNR

Recreational angler creel survey data are available for Pool 4 since 1944. Quantitative (estimates of total annual angling hours and catch) angler surveys of Pool 4 were conducted in 1962-63 (Daley and Skrypek 1964), 1967-68 (Sternberg 1969), 1972-73 (Sternberg 1974a), 1977-81 (Thorn 1984), 1987-89 (Stevens 1990), 1993-95 (Stevens 1996), 1999-2001 (Hoxmeier 2002), and 2005-2007 (Meerbeek 2008). The spring (March-April) open water fishery near LD 3 tailwaters was surveyed annually from 1968 to 1989: 1968-1974 (Sternberg 1974b), 1975-76 and 1982-87 by personnel from Northern States Power (Gustafson and Diedrich 1976, Geis and Gustafson 1977, Gustafson 1983, Donkers et al. 1984, Donkers 1985, Haroldson et al. 1986, Donkers 1987, and
Hanson and Donkers 1988), 1977-81 (Thorn 1984), and 1988-89 (Stevens 1990).
-From MN DNR Files http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/lakecity/pepin2008_llmonitorprogram_annualreport.pdf

My question; In your opinion do you feel the cancellation is motivated to promote license fee increase support?

Other possibilities would be that Pool 4 has enough studies in the past and more are not needed(?) Can’t find staff to conduct the creel survey(?)

Creel surveys take a large amount of resources to conduct. Also, regardless of what results are found…it is highly unlikely that any limits or other regulations would be adjusted on the border waters. The data is interesting and I wish they’d go through with it though.

Does anyone think the creel survey would show anything alarming? I have a feeling that the walleye/sauger population would appear to be in decline. The scour hole has been plenty busy so far this season with “eagle feeders.” The pressure on prespawn fish is always persistent. Sedimentation and the rising summer water temperatures aren’t helping the cause either.

buckybadger wrote:

Creel surveys take a large amount of resources to conduct. Also, regardless of what results are found…it is highly unlikely that any limits or other regulations would be adjusted on the border waters. The data is interesting and I wish they’d go through with it though.

Does anyone think the creel survey would show anything alarming? I have a feeling that the walleye/sauger population would appear to be in decline. The scour hole has been plenty busy so far this season with “eagle feeders.” The pressure on prespawn fish is always persistent. Sedimentation and the rising summer water temperatures aren’t helping the cause either.

Have we really had warm summers the last few years? Seems like the opposite. I don’t think the population is in decline or if it is nothing more than a natural ebb/flow sort of thing. I think the perception of a down population comes from the odd spring patterns the last couple years and people not really adjusting. Sedimentation is a problem and perhaps I’m ignorant but wouldn’t the fish just disperse to other areas? There is a of water in P4.

BK. As far as your question I don’t think they canceled the survey as a way to gain support for the fee increase. Perhaps I am wrong but if budgets are shrinking I would think the money would be better spent on other areas than P4.