Outside panel to review Mille Lacs & DNR policy

[Shackrat]

http://www.startribune.com/experts-to-review-dnr-s-mille-lacs-walleye-management/426883421/

[Bandersnatch]

“The DNR also believes that high Mille Lacs catch rates this summer don’t necessarily mean the lake’s walleyes have rebounded.”

I finally agree with the DNR!!

(there was never an issue in the first place, so of course there was no “rebound”)

[lindyRig]

The bite is great. There are lots of walleyes in the system right now. But they are predominately the 2013 year class. What happened that year? Oh, we had late (very late) ice out and they couldn’t net.

Coincidence?????

[snow]

lindy and 2014 late ice out…yup two banner yoy back to back.

Suprised fishpole hasn’t chimed in,wonder if he pulled the pin@ hunter’s? been a hard few years trying to make a living around mille lacs.

[IrishIWasFishin]

Nope! Not a coincidence at all. The main, not sole but main systematic breakdown and depletion of the resource has been and continues to be netting.

[Bandersnatch]

Only as a reason for The Slot.

The Slots are what have hosed the lake.

[JJ]

Bandersnatch wrote:
Only as a reason for The Slot.

The Slots are what have hosed the lake.

^this

The protection of trophy class fish of multiple different species decimated the forage base.

No forage=poor year over year recruitment=eye fry and fingerlings becoming the primary forage base=collapse.

Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus

[otter]

JJ wrote:

Bandersnatch wrote:
Only as a reason for The Slot.

The Slots are what have hosed the lake.

^this

The protection of trophy class fish of multiple different species decimated the forage base.

No forage=poor year over year recruitment=eye fry and fingerlings becoming the primary forage base=collapse.

If this is true then how do remote Canadian lakes keep going? Nobody is taking larger fish yet they still produce year classes. They are essentially catch and release.

Here’s an idea go into the Aitkin office and go through their area lake files. See how many lake are at or near an all time low for yellow perch. It’s likely near 75% of the lakes are that way. 75% of the lakes don’t have slots so it’s gonna be something else. Perch are the problem, and it’s not just in Mille Lacs. They have crashed in hundreds of lakes, and nobody knows why.

Of course it’s easier to blame the bands or DNR when you don’t understand something.

[lindyRig]

I know that netting during spawn is not helping. How else can you explain the big boom we are seeing now? (no nets that year!) All the fishing rules and regs we have for ALL lakes in Minnesota are designed around protecting walleyes during the spawn.

I agree it’s a complex subject. But let’s at least start with the obvious.

I was talking with my resort owner this past weekend and sounds like one of the harvest proposals is one fish over 20″ and one fish under 20″. This may help spread out the year class harvest better than the previous slots.

[AutumnFever]

otter wrote:

JJ wrote:

Bandersnatch wrote:
Only as a reason for The Slot.

The Slots are what have hosed the lake.

^this

The protection of trophy class fish of multiple different species decimated the forage base.

No forage=poor year over year recruitment=eye fry and fingerlings becoming the primary forage base=collapse.

If this is true then how do remote Canadian lakes keep going? Nobody is taking larger fish yet they still produce year classes. They are essentially catch and release.

Here’s an idea go into the Aitkin office and go through their area lake files. See how many lake are at or near an all time low for yellow perch. It’s likely near 75% of the lakes are that way. 75% of the lakes don’t have slots so it’s gonna be something else. Perch are the problem, and it’s not just in Mille Lacs. They have crashed in hundreds of lakes, and nobody knows why.

Of course it’s easier to blame the bands or DNR when you don’t understand something.

Simple. They are not netting the remote ones and destroying year classes of fish. A unbalanced lake of if only a couple year classes will destroy a lake. Similar to have a slot and eleminating on a certain year class

[smackem33]

^^^^^ nice rebuttal autumn

Your down! Your down!!! Just kidding

[fishnpole]

snow wrote:
lindy and 2014 late ice out…yup two banner yoy back to back.

Suprised fishpole hasn’t chimed in,wonder if he pulled the pin@ hunter’s? been a hard few years trying to make a living around mille lacs.

Nope. I’m still driving my launch for Hunters, snow. Over 100 fish on Saturday. Only 2 over 28 with one 29 that was this lady’s from Chicago that’d never fished before. Brought it up on one of my Snoopy rods. The job does have it’s good times. They’ve been pretty scarce with the regs and all………….

[fishnpole]

JJ wrote:

Bandersnatch wrote:
Only as a reason for The Slot.

The Slots are what have hosed the lake.

^this

The protection of trophy class fish of multiple different species decimated the forage base.

No forage=poor year over year recruitment=eye fry and fingerlings becoming the primary forage base=collapse.

Plenty of forage, buddy. REALLY healthy fish. Slot’s been the problem with the balance, though. If you’re going to try and play God like the DNR and GLIFWC, though, you better have a better understanding of the lake than they have.

[fishnpole]

otter wrote:

JJ wrote:

Bandersnatch wrote:
Only as a reason for The Slot.

The Slots are what have hosed the lake.

^this

The protection of trophy class fish of multiple different species decimated the forage base.

No forage=poor year over year recruitment=eye fry and fingerlings becoming the primary forage base=collapse.

If this is true then how do remote Canadian lakes keep going? Nobody is taking larger fish yet they still produce year classes. They are essentially catch and release.

Here’s an idea go into the Aitkin office and go through their area lake files. See how many lake are at or near an all time low for yellow perch. It’s likely near 75% of the lakes are that way. 75% of the lakes don’t have slots so it’s gonna be something else. Perch are the problem, and it’s not just in Mille Lacs. They have crashed in hundreds of lakes, and nobody knows why.

Of course it’s easier to blame the bands or DNR when you don’t understand something.

I’m going to partially agree with you on this one, otter. With a lack of understanding and the knowledge that only time on the lake can give you, it’s easy to play the blame game. But in truth, there are multiple reasons we can’t take any fish again this year.
Not JUST netting or not JUST the angler take. It’s a LOT of reasons combined to make this Perfect Storm…..

https://www.facebook.com/Banthegillnetcom-452384091454593/

[fishnpole]

Sign the petition if you are so inclined.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remedy-eliminate-bilateral-control-mille-lacs-lake-mn-save-walleye-population-lake

[Author]

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