Panfish Mgt Survey-Please let us know your thought

OK folks,
We are currently doing a postcard survey within our management area and have received quite a few responses, however, we know there is a fairly strong online constituency as well. Please see below if interested.

Thanks.

Dear Interested Angler:

Over the past few decades many of our constituents have noted a decline in the overall size of panfish. In an attempt to improve sunfish size structure, we feel there are specialized fishing regulations we could implement on a few select lakes. Before proceeding with any of these more intensive management practices we would like to get an idea what our angling public thinks about them, and determine if anglers feel they are desired or needed.

Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, Little Falls Area Fisheries is conducting a random survey of anglers to assess angler attitudes about their panfishing experience and possible management actions aimed at improving sunfish populations.

Please contact Little Falls Area Fisheries Supervisor, Eric Altena with questions regarding this survey or other comments about our fisheries.
Phone: (320) 616-2450 Ext.225 or Email: [email protected]

Thank you for your participation in this project. We value your opinion.

Little Falls Panfish Survey 2013

I’ve seen similar controls used on Pools 5 and 8 of the Mississippi River and on flood control reservoirs around Rochester with very good reults. Good luck to in your quest there.

I sure wish people and DNR would implement regs to promote bigger panfish. We’ve seen what it has done for other gamefish. I feel like panfish are under appreciated and exploited, they have been for a long time.

Just 1 hot bite on a lake with big fish can completely ruin a body of water’s ecosystem for a long time, if not forever.

I am sure we all know a lake like that. We think that the fish just need to get bigger when all the anglers leave, but it never does. We think those small fish are just young and will eventually fill the void, but they never do. The gene pool was left with all the runts and the younger year classes are so over populated that it leads to environmental stunting.

Fortunately, there are still a lot of good lakes left, they are just hard to find and hard to keep off the radar. I am fortunate to have access to some lakes like this, but to get to them is quite a haul.

I wish it could be instilled in everyone that fishes that panfish are not unlimited and that quality panfish lakes are in a very delicate balance that needs to be protected responsibly.