kevin gross wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>biggill wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
Kevin, if you have a magic wand that can make the water darker/murkier and reverse climate change, let us know. We may have to accept the fact that it is going to be a premier smallmouth, pike, and muskie lake now instead…

Yeah, cuz the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleye fishing sucks!

Or we could clean out the snot rockets and smallmouth and make it a walleye lake again. the walleye are hitting big time as they have nothing to eat. I think it sucks to fish C&R as that kills fish for no reason other than playing with food. I think the masses would agree as the resorts on the lake are hurting big time as not many want to go fish C&R. I don’t I wont kill fish for fun when the lake needs them.

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>biggill wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
Kevin, if you have a magic wand that can make the water darker/murkier and reverse climate change, let us know. We may have to accept the fact that it is going to be a premier smallmouth, pike, and muskie lake now instead…

Yeah, cuz the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleye fishing sucks!

To have to fish C&R does suck.

biggill wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
Kevin, if you have a magic wand that can make the water darker/murkier and reverse climate change, let us know. We may have to accept the fact that it is going to be a premier smallmouth, pike, and muskie lake now instead…

Yeah, cuz the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleye fishing sucks!

Or we could clean out the snot rockets and smallmouth and make it a walleye lake again. the walleye are hitting big time as they have nothing to eat. I think it sucks to fish C&R as that kills fish for no reason other than playing with food. I think the masses would agree as the resorts on the lake are hurting big time as not many want to go fish C&R. I don’t I wont kill fish for fun when the lake needs them.

biggill wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
Kevin, if you have a magic wand that can make the water darker/murkier and reverse climate change, let us know. We may have to accept the fact that it is going to be a premier smallmouth, pike, and muskie lake now instead…

Yeah, cuz the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleye fishing sucks!

I agree the problem is no forage in the lake. Its NOTHING like it was when I started fishing it in the 70’s. the perch are tough shape with tulibees at a very low point and no lake shiners like there were. You get skinny walleyes like we are seeing. You just cant have it a premier Musky, Smallmouth and snot rocket lake. to many predators and now with clearer water we need to clean out some predators other than walleye and let the lake come back. until that happens this is what you get. No retention and skinny fish

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>kevin gross wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>blank wrote:</div>
Kevin, why do you consider <em class=”ido-tag-em”>bass as trash fish?

I like to eat fish. SMB are not great on the table. LM bass are disgusting table fare yet people go crazy to catch one. yes the bass are great fighters but so are carp and carp are a lot bigger. you don’t need 1.00 each minnows or expensive lure to catch them. I am a fish eater. I don’t play with my food with C&R. I just hate to see the lake taken over with them. I would trade you 1,000 SMB for another 2 <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleyes in the lake. You can see the resorts miss the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleyes as well. Bass just do not have the same draw as walleyes.

Kevin – a few things are clear from this post. First you have no taste buds. Second you are not smart enough to know that your and many other walleye fishermen’s meat eater mentality is as much or more a reason for the decline in the walleye population as all of the other theories out there.

Save your preaching about keeping fish. you C&R Guys kill more fish than the guy who catch a few and quit. Sorry if you are brain dead but we kept walleye on that lake for many years with no problems. Keep your holier than though tripe about keeping a few fish. If you were smart and cared about the walleye in the lake you would not kill them for fun which is exactly what all the C&R does. We have all seen the floaters out there and its plain and simple waste C&R guys are killing walleyes for fun so keep your sanctimonious bable. Its ok to kill fish for fun but not to eat??? now that’s an idiots view

blank wrote:

Kevin, why do you consider <em class=”ido-tag-em”>bass as trash fish?

I like to eat fish. SMB are not great on the table. LM bass are disgusting table fare yet people go crazy to catch one. yes the bass are great fighters but so are carp and carp are a lot bigger. you don’t need 1.00 each minnows or expensive lure to catch them. I am a fish eater. I don’t play with my food with C&R. I just hate to see the lake taken over with them. I would trade you 1,000 SMB for another 2 walleyes in the lake. You can see the resorts miss the walleyes as well. Bass just do not have the same draw as walleyes.

Phil you need to put the crack pipe away LOL. Personally I think LM Bass are the same as carp in my book. SMB while a bit better are still a trash fish. You know its funny how people say they are fun to catch but so are many STD’s. If you want a fight go to the Mississippi river and hook up to a 20lb carp. same value as a fish and a better fight!

Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
The bass primarily eat crayfish and they don’t hardly eat anything for half the year because it’s too cold.

I can stand on my dock in the spring and watch SMB in my harbor eating YOY <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>perch by the 1000’s. They will clean out the entire area. These are <em class=”ido-tag-em”>perch that never make it to the lake.

And tell me how they don’t eat perch, or any other small fish when we catch then on shad raps all year long?

-J.

You are spot on! they do yet people try and tell us they don’t. I would be happy if they killed off most of the SMB in Mille Lacs.

I thought SMB only ate crawfish and not small fish like young walleye and perch. Now try and tell me they are not part of the problem with the EYES!

Dutchboy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>kevin gross wrote:</div>
Personally I would keep every bass and snot rocket I could. Get them out of the lake!! Mille lacs should first and foremost be a walleye lake. We have WAY to many predators in the lake. The perch and way down as are tulibee and lake shiners. the forage base is gone. Now with the clearer water it favors predators. Back when I stared fishing the big pond in 1974 it was very rare to hear of a smallie being caught. It was not where or how we were fishing there just was not many smallies back then nor muskies. Snot rockets were not nearly as prolific as they are now either.

In 1974 it was not referred to as a walleye factory or the big pond. It was known statewide as the dead sea.

It was good fishing back then!!! When did you start fishing the lake? You have to remember that back in 1974 depth finders were a great idea but no one had them yet. Now its gps. Lots of walleye back then Dutchboy!!

I don’t support those statements but I am not very far from it. I would not waste fish but am all for harvesting all the smb and snot rockets possible! time to clean out the unwanted predators in the big pond!

Personally I would keep every bass and snot rocket I could. Get them out of the lake!! Mille lacs should first and foremost be a walleye lake. We have WAY to many predators in the lake. The perch and way down as are tulibee and lake shiners. the forage base is gone. Now with the clearer water it favors predators. Back when I stared fishing the big pond in 1974 it was very rare to hear of a smallie being caught. It was not where or how we were fishing there just was not many smallies back then nor muskies. Snot rockets were not nearly as prolific as they are now either.

I would be happy as well to go back to 1990’s smallmouth populations. Personally I hope they go away. We have way way to many predators and no forage. Now that the lake is clearer that favors the predators. I would say keep all smallies and snot rockets.