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Now think about this…..if larger fish do not survive catch and release as well as smaller fish do when the water is warm, what sense does it make for us to keep stock piling larger fish (20-28″) into the lake with these protected slots.

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I have thought that for 2 years now.

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I would assume it has something to do with the fact that those larger female walleye will produce more eggs than a smaller walleye. Of course when they get to the upper reaches of the slot, their production begins to dwindle, but those low to mid 20″ fish are key.

I find it ironic that when a guy is fishing for walleyes he catches a muskie, but last weekend while I was muskie fishing I couldn’t keep the walleyes off my line. I’ve caught just about everything while muskie fishing, but this was by far the craziest experience I’ve had with walleyes hitting muskie lures. And, it happened in the most unlikely of areas and time of day.

So, what can we glean from my muskie fishing experience last weekend and the report that started this thread? They’re hungry, VERY hungry.

I had some problems at the Myr Mar public access last week. If you use it, just make sure you stay on the launch side of the dock or you’ll be grounded.

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if there isn’t a thermocline, can a lake truly turn over???

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No. A more appropriate term would be “mix” because the mixing of water is not a result of different water densities, like a turnover. Like others have stated, Mille Lacs will develop a very weak temperature stratification, but it mixes when the wind blows. Because it seems like the wind is always blowing, you can imagine it really doesn’t have a chance to stratify (i.e., develop a thermocline). Mille Lacs is technically a polymictic lake, meaning it mixes many times per year.

So, Baily apologizes to the walleye fisherman and then states that the Esox are hogs and alienates some other groups. His letter was an interesting attempt at damage control, to say the least. He should have hired or consulted with an attorney before writing his response, like Terry did.

In my experience, this is not a representative opinion of business owners around the lake. There are many other businesses on the lake who are well aware and appreciative of their customers. My sole purpose of posting this was to make everyone aware that not all of the business owners appreciate “city folk.”

I’m pretty sure he was at this meeting to voice his concern over the new slot and the possible economic effects on his business. It’s ironic that by opening his mouth, he very likely hurt his business much more than any slot could have.

I’m on the lake and have used his launch service many times. I never will again.

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I am much more concerned about the netting situation. If you leave the “fox in charge of the hen house” by not closely monitoring the Walleye netting, the population is going to be exactly like the buffalo and bison population “decline by slaughter” in the Dakotas back in the 1800’s by herding & running 500-750 animals at a time off a cliff in order to have dinner. What happened to the bison/buffalo poplulation until regulations were put in place to help them rebound? Don’t we ever learn by our history (mistakes)? Is there that many band members to eat all that meat? Where is the extra going?

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Wow???

You either learned American history from a much different book than I did or you forgot a few very pertinent facts in your post.

Good thing this thread is related to fishing because there are way too many phrases that people use everyday that I can’t take anymore. Just be glad you haven’t seen any of the fishing phrases on a bumper sticker.

The one phrase I often hear from fisherman describing the weather after a front has moved through is “bluebird sky.” I guess it’s not the actual phrase, but more of its overuse. I was at a muskie seminar a while back and every speaker used this phrase at least once. It got a little annoying after the first guy said it several times.

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In my humble opinion, the DNR should just close the lake. Why kill more slot fish between 21” – 29”? It does not make sense to reduce the slot to 14” – 16”.

If we are truly trying to protect the slot (breeder) fish, why would we cause harm to them by reducing the slot to 14” – 16”?

If the slot is reduced to 14” – 16”, I will not be fishing Mille Lacs for the rest of the season!!! It is a personal choice and I hope many anglers will take the stance to protect our great fishery!!! Surely the DNR does not share our interest!!!

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I’m assuming this was a “tongue-in-cheek” statement?

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Minnesota- Land of ten thousand lakes.

Wisconsin has 15000!!!

Love,

Brian

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“Land of 10,000 Lakes” is just our motto and was probably established before we knew exactly how many lakes we have. MN actually has 11,842 lakes over 10 acres that are capable of producing waves (according to the MNDNR). What constitutes a lake in WI? That’s right, WI’s number includes one acre ponds (link). FYI, MN also has over 4,000 sq. miles of inland water verses WI’s 1,600.

I know it’s a tough pill to swallow considering the WI motto, but you cheeseheads don’t need to try so hard to find reasons why your state is better than MN. You have the Packers.

The south end usually gets rockin’ before the north end. If I was into trailering my boat all over the lake I would be focusing on the south end in the early season.

You’ll be fine in that boat. Just use your head and don’t take foolish chances. I’ve fished Mille Lacs in some pretty crazy waves in my 16′ non deep-v alumacraft, but I don’t take the risks I did when I was younger. The low profile bass boats are little more risky (saw one get swamped last year).

I’ve been out the last two weekends. I’ve caught a few pike, but the muskies seem to be only looking right now and most I’ve seen are just small guys. They’ll be turning on soon enough.

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Did anyone notice the little gob of goo many of the hatch was flying around with? It was very greasy, are those eggs? BIRDDOG

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Yes. The goo holds the eggs together and also provides food for the larvae to feed on when the eggs hatch. Here is a good link about aquatic midges (i.e., blind mosquitoes):
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG092

Thanks Steve for your hard work on this issue. I’ll be watching Thursday.

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The equal rights arguement is a bad one from all sides. We (European Settlers) did run the tribes off their land. We will never have equal rights with the tribes, we just have to get over it. Now we don’t have to like it, and somewhere in the future, I think this will be reviewed again, but I don’t see change happening anytime soon.

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I usually don’t know that the winter fish have eggs until I fillet them. Would I still keep them if I knew they had eggs? Probably not, even though we’ve already established the fishery isn’t hurt one way or another. I mean no offense, but this is really biology 101 and there is really no valid argument against it (regarding the management aspect).

So, we’ve shown that the fishery is not adversely affected based on the time of the harvest and you’ve acknowledged that we must get over the inequalities. So where does that leave us?

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Yep, thats why its illegal to keep them in late Feb.

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Last time I checked the season extends into late February. Even so, it was just used to make a point to farmboy’s post. Like Mr. Wellman and myself have said, it doesn’t matter when the fish is harvested. I thought we’d already moved past this moot point and onto the equal rights argument.

You’ve never caught a fish in late February that was full of eggs?

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Am I looking at the correctly? The water depth was taken every 1/2 hour for the entire month of April??? Who/how was that done?

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They use data loggers that take a measurement from the flow gauge every 1/2 hour.

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Not sure whats up….but there are no nets set out front tonite!!!

I wonder if the Bands have reached their qouted? 100,000lbs walleye

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Until next year gentleman, when we’ll revisit this topic once again.

Yep, it will be an issue at most public launches. There are a few public accesses that you can get out of, but it depends on the size of your boat and the incoming winds. Your best bet would be at one of the private launches around the lake.

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Walleye season closes in Feb. Thats the point, to protect the spawn. And if it were open, sport anglers would never take 60,000 pounds of spawning fish in one month. Its impossible.

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The season isn’t necessarily imposed to protect the spawn, but it is used to control the harvest as fisherman would have a heyday if they could fish the spawn. There is similar reasoning behind the night ban. It’s not imposed to protect anything other than to control the harvest.

Like it or not, the only point that I was making is, from a fisheries management perspective, there is no different effect on the fishery whether the fish is taken in late winter or early spring. A harvest is a harvest.

Mr. Wellman beat me to it.

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But the fish harvested in April is not being allowed to spawn.

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Neither is the fish caught in February. There is actually no difference between the two.

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Because you cant call what they do is “fishing”. Its called raping a resource in which they do nothing in return to keep the lake going.

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Actually from a fisheries management perspective it doesn’t matter what method is used for harvest and doesn’t matter what time of the year the fish is harvested. There is no different effect on the fishery if you take a fish in February than if you take a fish in April. Both the fish harvested in February and the fish harvested in April won’t be breeding anymore.

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This is thier culture. Take as much as you can, now! Buffalo, walleye, deer, turkey, bald eagles.

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In all fairness, they are limited to their take of Walleye. That is also a very broad brush stroke to cast on an entire culture. The “take as much as can” mentality is not exclusive to one culture in the U.S. (e.g., your example of Buffalo).

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Who would do that? I tried to get Norm Coleman on that and he like most are afraid of the “race card’…even though…it is ALL about equal rights…nothing less.

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I don’t disagree with what you say at all. It is possible, like you say, if a the campaingn is run correctly. I just think it’s unlikely (although not impossible) as evidenced by Coleman’s response. Politicians are cognizant of the effects of their opinions on particular groups of voters. Because of that, many won’t touch the issue with a ten foot pole. Notwithstanding the President revoking the treaty, I really think a related, but new, issue needs to be raised and heard by the SC to make any headway. Although, I’m not too sure what that would be.

Did the SC’s decision have anything to do with the constitutionality of the treaty? What I mean is, did the SC say anything about whether the treaty must be honored for a constitutional purpose, or just that the treaty was not unconstitutional? I’m assuming if they held that the President can revoke the treaty, then they decided on the later, but I’m not sure.

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It’s not exactly an issue someone is going to win an election on. Not yet anyway.

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Exactly.

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It will take more than just voting as the Supreme Court has ruled on the issue already.

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It’s my understanding (And chime in here Mr Fellegy if I got it wrong) The court ruled on one issue. Does the 1837 treaty exist at the pleasure of the President? Yes. Has a President revoked the treaty? No.

That’s all the Supreme Court ruled on.

President Bush (or any sitting President) could make the 1837 treaty disappear with one swipe of the pen.

-J.

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I believe they did only rule on the one issue. See my last sentence.

MN Musky,

Sorry if I read into your statement incorrectly. Yes, it is a topic that is discussed here over and over again. Unfortunately, as Steve pointed out, there isn’t much we can do. It will take more than just voting as the Supreme Court has ruled on the issue already. There’s no guarantee the SC would rule any differently if it made it to that court again. And there’s no guarantee the SC would even grant certiorari. Now if there is another issue related to the treaty, but wholly different, it may be a different story, who knows.

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Whose up for a good old fashioned game of Cowboys and Indians???

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Not sure what you are condoning but Bobber is taking the right approach. If you feel they are not abiding by the laws or regs, you should call the DNR…no more.

The ice out page was just updated and now lists Mille Lacs as “partial cover”. I don’t know if it’s normal for Leech to go out before Mille Lacs, but Leech officially went out on 4/25.

http://climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/ice_out_status_07.htm