State wide slot limits on walleyes?

4 fish (Walleyes) 1 over 20. Raise the limit of smaller northerns with 1 over say 28. Keep the crappies where their at.

roosterrouster wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Oldstar wrote:</div>
LOL! If you want the limit to be 4, then you should only keep 4 yourself. The word hypocrite comes to mind…..

Your earlier post said you keep only 13″-15″ fish. I doubt those two big females in your avatar were released since you’re in a bait shop. Hypocrite can go both ways on pictures…Just sayin’…RR

Actually it’s my fish house and it was a double on Mille Lacs last winter. Both were of course released. You make some bold assumptions along with your hypocritical actions.

In North Dakota we have no freezer limit for residents, no closed season, no slot limits, no “one over 20” crap, far fewer lakes, the fishing pressure is high, and our walleye fishing is awesome. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned.

Chad Engels wrote:

In North Dakota we have no freezer limit for residents, no closed season, no slot limits, no “one over 20” crap, far fewer lakes, the fishing pressure is high, and our walleye fishing is awesome. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned.

Not much for lessons to be learned comparing ND to MN. How was your walleye fishing in the 70’s & 80’s? Besides Sakakawea, Missouri River and a very small in comparison to todays Devils Lake, ND didn’t have squat for walleye opportunities. Also with a population of 740,000 vs 5.4Million your fishing pressure is minuscule compared to MN.IMHO

Not trying to call you out but comparing ND to MN is like comparing Walleye to ….catfish!

Mocha wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Chad Engels wrote:</div>
In North Dakota we have no freezer limit for residents, no closed season, no slot limits, no “one over 20” crap, far fewer lakes, the fishing pressure is high, and our walleye fishing is awesome. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned.

Not much for lessons to be learned comparing ND to MN. How was your <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye fishing in the 70’s & 80’s? Besides Sakakawea, Missouri River and a very small in comparison to todays Devils Lake, ND didn’t have squat for <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleye opportunities. Also with a population of 740,000 vs 5.4Million your fishing pressure is minuscule compared to MN.IMHO

Not trying to call you out but comparing ND to MN is like comparing Walleye to ….catfish!

Well as long as we’re doing comparisons, MN/ND…how about the walleye icons?

Garrison ND and an older version of Garrison MN. Who was first…which is better?

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The Mn Statue is way better! For the record, we share the best cat fishing (Red River) and MN has far better bass fishing. I’ll take dakota walleye fishing though. If you think there is less pressure in the Dakotas you have never been to the boat ramp at Graham’s Island on Devils Lake or the ramp on Bitter in SD.

Chad Engels wrote:

The Mn Statue is way better! For the record, we share the best cat fishing (Red River) and MN has far better bass fishing. I’ll take dakota walleye fishing though. If you think there is less pressure in the Dakotas you have never been to the boat ramp at Graham’s Island on Devils Lake or the ramp on Bitter in SD.

Thats right we share the best cat fishing!

I have fished MN & ND since I was 10 years old. Now I am in my mid 50’s. I grew up in ND but parents families were from MN. Had the best of both worlds. Hard to argue right now that ND has very very good walleye fishing. I hit the river south of Bismarck every spring and Devils Lake at least a 2-3 times per year. I have been at Graham’s numerous times and it doesn’t compare to Leech or Mills Lacs on busy weekends IMHO. Never been to Bitter SD is that on the Missouri River?

Chad Engels wrote:

In North Dakota we have no freezer limit for residents, no closed season, no slot limits, no “one over 20” crap, far fewer lakes, the fishing pressure is high, and our walleye fishing is awesome. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned.

So what shocks me…no freezer limits? (I didn’t know ’til I looked it up). I withhold any judgments but can’t help picturing chest freezers brimming with walleye and perch next to another like the other? No limit on freezers packed with fish? Seems like an open carte blanche for hoarding as some people have been known to exercise!

FYI, with some other Facts & Thoughts:

I’ve fished in Manitoba on Crowduck Lake in the Whiteshell Provincial Park, jusy NW of the NW Angle of MN a few times.

This lake was dead and brought back with Walleye’s, Catch & Release ONLY, Stocked in 1996.

In 2007 the average Walleye was 18″-20″ with ave weight of 4#. That said, we caught numbers of walleye that were thin, the heads were much bigger than the belly, like they were starving. Easy to catch 300 per day with barbless hooks. It was mundane & boring after a few days. We caught 1 in 20 walleye in the 12″-15″ range and none over 22″.

In 2010 they averaged was 18″ but seemed healthy with not as many thin fish. I spent more time chasing Smallie’s.

The great thing was it was awesome for younger and new fishermen to catch lots of fish.

In ending it showed that even C&R only proved to likely hurt the lake.

I would vote for a 4 fish 14″-19″ with 1 over 24″ or 26″, otherwise go to a 3-fish over 15″ limit, No culling (Once in the livewell or on a stringer, it’s possession)!

Big or small fillet ’em all

Just a thought.

Every third year: strict catch-and-release on each lake to let the body of fish recuperate.

Could something like this work?

Anglers like to eat walleyes!I would propose a 4 fish daily limit with a possession of 8. A possession limit of 4 on some lakes or six statewide unduly restricts the traveling angler like those staying at resorts for their vacations. Locals or cabin owners can “pile them up” as possession limits aren’t enforced at “home” unless there are other enforcement issues. I don’t believe this would hurt fish populations. Its acknowledged that catch and release also kills fish. Added enforcement and diligence by resort operators to actually enforce a more moderate possession and prevent hoarding would be a part of my proposal. As is, possession limits are a “don’t ask-don’t tell rule.

Just read an article About Devils Lake ND, they stocked 1.7 million fry this year. Just goes to show that any lake resource can be depleted by over harvest.

I think they stock most years. Here is from an artical form Nov.26. Shows walleye took a increase this year.

Devils Lake walleye populations are rated one of the best in the Midwest, and this past summer netting surveys proved that, “All size groups had a bump in catch rates,” according to area biologist Todd Caspers. The total number of walleyes caught per net this year was 24, compared to 18 last season, a 33 percent increase. He continued, “The above average catch of big fish indicates these year-classes are doing pretty good.”

jeff_huberty wrote:

Just read an article About Devils Lake ND, they stocked 1.7 million fry this year. Just goes to show that any lake resource can be depleted by over harvest.

It was 1.7M fingerlings, not fry. They stocked just as many, if not more than that in 2006-2007.

I believe both north and south Dakota stock the majority of their waters depending on what the lake is managed for.

Hear in Michigan they have some slots in place already. Like on Little Bay de Noc. Your allowed 5 walleye per. But your only allowed one fish over 23″ per person. This being in place has helped our fishery a lot. With this is place I have had days where I had trouble catching fish within the slot. I have no problem with that.