Protecting fish during late ice-out

I am strongly against netting on Mille Lacs but it is not going away and that is a reality that we probably will have to accept. I just wish we could all work together and find better ways to manage the harvest on both sides to keep a balanced population.

Very good discussion Big Werm, Andy, Joe (and even Phil LOL!) In the case of being honest and fair in our opinions I have a serious question… where is the outrage over fishing during spawn on Pool 4 or South Dakota? Should we be upset that WI opens 1 week earlier than MN?

Just curious how others feel about that… Are we being completely unbiased in our concern over fishing during spawn or is it more of an emotional argument against netting?

I understand this is more than just purely about fishing but I’m curious how others feel.

Will

FWIW, Andy…. I did not interpret that post as a shot at you (I could be wrong, I’m just saying that was not my initial feeling). I think you do a good job of providing information to people and staying objective

lindyrig79 wrote:

FWIW, Andy…. I did not interpret that post as a shot at you (I could be wrong, I’m just saying that was not my initial feeling). I think you do a good job of providing information to people and staying objective

Agree 100%.. I think Phil was poking fun of the absurdity of the situation at Mille Lacs and not all at Andy.

Will…. I can try to answer your question. I was planning a Rainy River trip this spring (got cancelled due to the river re-freezing) but I did think about the spawning situation. From my research, it sounds like the river temps typically do not reach spawning temps, before they close it on April 14th. And even then, the big girls have to be released anyway.

I cannot speak to Pool 4 or SD from a fishing standpoint. I guess I tend to rely on the DNR doing it’s job in that respect as all bodies are water are slightly different, different species, ect. (obviously Mille Lacs seeming to be the obvious outlier when it comes to trusting the DNR and I do believe their hands are kind of tied but that is a whole another conversation)

No matter how you slice it, I am against netting during the spawn. If it has to happen, move it to any other time of the year (later in the fall seeming like a good time to me as lots of guys are out in the woods anyway). That’s my opinion.

Phil and Pool2, I did perhaps overreact and don’t quite know why but must have had a bug up my backside last night. Happens sometimes…but it’s all good.

Will,
Thoughts or theories I have at least regarding Wisconsin opener is that Wisconsin is at a lower latitude than MN and typically would have an earlier spawn. I’m thinking that most lakes in southern or central WI are open now. Northern WI is at about the same as central MN. So most of those lakes could easily be a week or two ahead of MN. Same could be for SD, but I’m not sure. Guessing they look at historically when the spawn ends.

As far as fishing Pool 4 during the spawn…hard for me to opine. If comparing to netting, I might say that the big females caught by hook and line can be released. A big female caught in a net, typically would not be released.

I will say that there are many that are not unbiased and probably find issue with just about any form of tribal harvest. Not everyone, but there will always be some.

Will Roseberg wrote:

Agree 100%.. I think Phil was poking fun of the absurdity of the situation at Mille Lacs and not all at Andy.

That was my read on it as well fellas. You could’ve inserted any IDO regular into that sentence and I would’ve laughed at the absurdity of it.

Phil also found a way to work in a humorous reference to White Bear Lake / Prairie du Chien aquifer debacle with the DNR, so he got extra credit for that in my book.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

but must have had a bug up my backside last night.

It’s all good Andy. I woke up to 9 large insect bites on my left arm today, so if you sent the bug my way as retaliation. . .

Will Roseberg wrote:

where is the outrage over fishing during spawn on Pool 4 or South Dakota? Should we be upset that WI opens 1 week earlier than MN?

Just curious how others feel about that… Are we being completely unbiased in our concern over fishing during spawn or is it more of an emotional argument against netting?

Pool 4 and SD aren’t limiting the angling opportunities to Catch and release. If they ever felt the walleye biomass has diminished to the point they needed to implement CnR, closing fishing during the spring spawn would be the first thing I’d advocate for and likely the first thing the DNR would do. Which is why I’m so against any spawn harvest on ML.
As far as netting goes, I’m against it on all waters. From ML, to Winnipeg, Erie as well as the oceans, netting has had a devastating impact on all fisheries. Angling tourism also is far more beneficial for the local economy than netting and commercial processing plants. But this is a whole different discussion.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

Phil and Pool2, I did perhaps overreact and don’t quite know why but must have had a bug up my backside last night. Happens sometimes…but it’s all good.

It’s all good my friend, in that story you were supposed to be portrayed as the hero that brought Mille Lacs back to it’s glory days, but it’s obvious my creative writing skills are, well, lacking.

philtickelson wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:</div>
Phil and Pool2, I did perhaps overreact and don’t quite know why but must have had a bug up my backside last night. Happens sometimes…but it’s all good.

It’s all good my friend, in that story you were supposed to be portrayed as the hero that brought Mille Lacs back to it’s glory days, but it’s obvious my creative writing skills are, well, lacking.

Thanks Phil, I kind of surprised myself because that was out of character for me. Rarely do I get bent up, BUT I was drinking Surly Furious beer.

I’ll be heading up to Mille Lacs shortly with my daughters and a couple older grandsons for the weekend.

I think I really need a relaxing break from some of my local “tensions”…

WOW.. that’s a lot of reading. Simple question… for those who say spawn time netting and current management are not adversely affecting Mille Lacs… did you ever fish the lake prior to 1990 ? If you did not, that explains some of the naivete, if you did… as Hillary would say “what happened” ??? Simply, allowing netting during the spawn, makes it way too easy to harvest the resource… “natives” with blond hair and blue eyes, drive from hundreds of miles away to partake in the easy “harvesting” of the resource. Moving it out of the spawn, would cut down on those coming from hundreds of miles away to rape the resource. I actually know some of the local natives, do not like the fact that others come from hundreds of miles away and do this to their resource… in fact, in years past, they would have been hunted down by a war party and killed for it. I do believe the DNR’s hands are tied… they have to be, who would say netting during the spawn does not hurt this resource, but does others that are not C and R fishing only…? Only an idiot.