Mille Lacs proposal / slot (Star Tribune Jan 31)

http://www.startribune.com/stories/767/1136523.html

Well guys, what do you think?? I think it’s about time they lowered the limits. I know the biologists don’t think lower limits helps much, but how can it not???? I think we’ll have another great summer on the pond and I could care less if I catch a slot fish. When I fish the pond I’m after “wall hangers”

I know this can become a heated issue, but lets keep is civil and constructive. So, what do yo think???

Works for me!

It will be interesting to see what the Herricks do with the Wacker now that the slots been published.

They were waiting for this to decide on where and when.

Tourney season will be interesting……..it always is.

Whoa….. These are still proposed limits. This is not set in stone! Just like I mentioned in previous postings. The DNR is tossing out slot recommendations and will now wait for the public response! If one group or another B***** to loudly, those numbers will change.

I somewhat like the approach. However, I think the limit will need to go to 2 fish till June 10, then 4 fish for the rest of the year to keep under to 300,000 pounds. Again, lake management based on politics. I’d like to know how the DNR came up with the safe harvest number of 300,000??? Seems a bit conservative to me.

I like the limit of four, but wish the slot was …..say……… 14 – 18, with the one over 30, I havent pulled out a trophy yet. I ask the same question Jon, how does the DNR come up with the safe harvest number? I hope they dont use the same method I used on what I would like to see for a slot.

Jon,

From what I got out of the Article is that this is there proposal being sent to Garber, and the past has shown that the B******* hasn’t made a difference. If Garber signs it its done……….Until it doesn’t work.

Yes……………Where do they pull that number out of?

I have my opinion?

i think it is good and more people will come and help mille lacs resorts not same as last summer and i dont mind at all to keep 4 walleye i think they should slot 16 to 20 since i caught alot of walleye after 20 inches last summer

I can agree with a reduced bag limit for the early part of the season. If the catching is not too large maybe we can look forward to an increase after June 10th.

Any way they want to do it does not bother me because I will be there no matter what happens.

Sorry again… I get so darn rilled up with this slot deal!!

Hooks, you are correct. Garber will almost certainly accept the proposed slot.

Another year of hammering away at 2 inches of fish. Just can’t be good for the lake in the long run.

Jon,

I often wonder the same. If we keep taking the xx – xx size fish, how are any fish ever gonna get bigger than that. Sure there are a lot fish in that lake already bigger, but those will eventually end up on the wall or die a natural death. What’s gonna happen 5 years from now, 10, 15……

I sure hope I’m still fishing the pond then. I also have my opinion on how the DNR creates the slot, but I’ll keep it to myself.

I wish I could sit and have a cold one with a biologist and “hear it from the horses mouth”. I truely can’t understand how they come up with these numbers. I guess I should attend one of the public meetings instead of sitting here speculating……

I think this is good…..I won’t mind having a 4 slot limit. I do wonder about what has been mentioned prior: If we do continue to just keep 14-16 or 17 or even 18 inchers what will happen with the fish numbers? The one over 28 in. I like also……….

Sorry, slow day…..but I have been thinking of this topic.

Am I off base here?? I can honestly say that I can’t remember the last time I kept a 14 inch fish. Never said I haven’t , just been a very long time. In my boat, a 17-19 inch Mille Lacs walleye is the perfect eater! Two fish is plenty for the table. Just seems to me that we should be protecting 14 inchers. The minimum in most places is 15. There has to be some reason for that??

It’s just bugging me that the slot is set to keep under a number and not what is good for the lake.

14 inch fish…..if Beaver seen people putting cigars in the live well, I think that person would get an earfull!! (Sorry for dragging you in, Beaver)

J.

I like Big D’s idea, but I would up it to 20″, four fish. These are the fish being caught, and hooked deep, thrown back, and seen floating by many of us. It may get people off the Lake faster if they limited at 4.

I hope they look at that. I doubt they will.

Ok, I’ve thought about this a lot the last couple days. Why can’t the limit be 2 fish, 15-20″. The perfect eater in my eyes(no pun intended), with the ability to keep one over 29″ Don’t tell me that two of those footballs aren’t enough to feed me and the wife……Again, sitting here speculating…

I think 2 is enough also but I think the cries of the charters and such have an influence. There’s still so much “catch and keep” mentality out there! If a person lays down a couple Benjamins for a walleye outing, a lot of those guys expect some meat for now and some to take home. Four fish @2 Ben’s is $50/fish. Change that number to a 2 limit and those guys might go out of business. For these people who charter for meat, I ask…………….why bother? Pick up a rod, catch a few fish, put ’em all back, go to Morey’s, and buy WAY more filet’s for the same money. Buying fish is cheaper now that paying for a chartered limit! Yes, fresh IS better but a good cooking lesson will make it a close 2nd! Again, I think the largest influence on the slots and limits is $$$$.

Oh, sure Jon….drag me in on it.

In my opinion a 14″ fish isn’t a keeper anywhere and can’t see a good reason to be yanking them out of the system. Other than the fact that small fish are easy to catch and will keep “Joe Tourist” satisfied with being able to go on vacation and catch a limit every day….which I’m sure was taken into concideration… I can’t see a reason to set the low end of the slot so low. I’ve seen lakes with no minimum limit and 13″ limits in an effort to thin out an over-abundacnce of small fish which put a strain on the food source, but I don’t see that as being a possibility on a lake the size of M’Lacs.

I have never seen the reasoning behind setting limits that don’t let the fish grow to spawning size. and I don’t see it here.

I must agree that the almighty dollar has great bearing in all matters like this. I live in WI and don’t fish for walleyes anywhere but the Mississippi. Every lake has been micro-managed in an effort to keep everybody happy and the end result is….it’s not worth it.

I used to travel to Vilas County Lakes and stay at resorts and catch walleyes with no problem. But that was a long time ago. First the ‘tribal harvest’ started, then ‘safe harvest studies’, followed by micro-managing, followed by Casino gaming, followed by the end of the resort and the ‘up-north’ family vacation and the beginning of the condos and creation of lake associations………it’s just not worth it anymore.

I am coming to MN on vacation this year. I’ll fish for muskies and let every one of them go no matter how big they are. I’ll fish for walleyes, but will probably only catch and keep a few. The rest of the time, if we want fish to eat, we’ll fish for perch.

Enough of my babbling……14″ is too small. 3 fish is enough for my family for a fish fry.

Practice catch and release….and selective harvest.

Beav

Good Post Beav,

IMHO……..I honestly do not have a care if the slots are 14-16 or 15-17″ or whatever. I personally go up there with the intent of catching fish period. What I do care about is that they (DNR) are protecting the fishery for the future of anglers. Where in the state can you go and catch an average size fish from 20-26″ on a consistant basis? And hopefully a bigger average as time goes on.

I eat about a meal a year, Thats it. But, when I do want to keep a few to eat, why not go elsewhere and keep a few in whatever “your own slot size” for the table. There are plenty of lakes around to bag a few eaters and not have to worry about a slot, and come back to Mille Lacs for its awesome potential for nice fish. Yes, I do feel for the resorts, launches and local bus’s, and so forth, because they are the ones mostly affected by these slots and people that choose not to go here because of that, they still have a living to make.

Just a couple of thoughts.

DeeZee