Walleyes are one of the most prized fish in Minnesota lakes. Mille Lacs Lake is traditionally one of the most productive lakes in which angler and tribal netters have been taking the much sought after fish.
However, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has slammed on the brakes for the number of walleye that will be netted and hooked in this most notorious fish factory. In fact, the DNR has filleted the catch by half — some 500,000 pounds of walleyes were netted or angled from the big lake in 2012. In 2013, only 250,000 pounds of walleye may be harvested.
In a story that appeared in the StarTribune early last week, it was reported that anglers landed 310,000 pounds of the walleyed pike. However, 136,000 pounds of walleye died from being hooked and released.
That’s nearly a third of the prized walleyes that were caught and released because they did not meet the slot requirements ended up on the shores of Mille Lacs.
Granted, the 2012 season was one of the warmest summers on record, causing warmer than normal water temperatures on the big lake which caused lower than normal oxygen levels and a larger fish kill. The maximum depth of the lake is 42 feet. Depths of 20 to 38 feet are average on Minnesota’s second largest inland lake.
Whether the lower numbers of walleyes is due to catch and release (over handling of the prized fish) or higher water temperatures the result is the same: lower catch limits.
Is Mille Lacs a lake that should eliminate the slot limitations? If fish are being mishandled and returned to the lake only to die, is a slot limit counterproductive?
Granted, there are other problems that may have contributed to the declining walleye population, such as the invasive zebra mussel which consumes most of the food walleyes and other sport fish need for growth and reproduction.
Those folks that fish, live and make a livelihood from the big lake — let’s hear your opinion.
Keith Hansen
Comments (16)
Add commentKeith
I would like to see number on how many pounds of egg's are wasted every year during the netting?? Also I knew about some of the release kill but never knew it was that much. Thats not good.
Zebra Mussels , Rusty Crayfish , Cormorants......
If the DNR biologists figured out what happened to the Walleyes in Leech Lake , its pretty likely they will figure out what is happening in Mille Lacs.
Unless Chipsters unleashing all those regulations harshly imposed on six pack charter boats ( Fed Nav. Waterway) cleaned out the lake already ?
I believe the DNR is doing a
I believe the DNR is doing a good job at maintaining healthy levels of fish, along with keeping our hobby of fishing steady and rich. I would imagine lots of research is going into how to eliminate the zebra mussels and other invasive species in a safe and effective manner. To me, as fishermen and fishwomen we need to understand catch and release, proper techniques and procedures so that our lakes, streams and rivers can be sustained with vast amounts of fish. We can always be educated on how fishing techniques and such. The only way to find out how this drastic change in pounds netted will effect the lake as a whole, along with other species is to make a trial run of x amount of years. Those are my thoughts and opinions. Good luck to the MN DNR
Is this considered a "local
Is this considered a "local issue" to the readers that want local issues? It is to me but, that is just me.
a few things
there are just as many fishermen fishing on Mille Lacs on any given day as there is during a "fishing tournament."
How many people know what "fizzing the walleye" is? All professional anglers know and do it. And it works. I have been part of several studies on it that included targeting fish in water over 30 feet, fizzing them and then putting them in tanks to make sure they survive. The survival rate was over 95%. In fact the only fish I seen die was one that was hooked deep in its throat.
I love the "naturalists" that blame zebra mussels, rusty crayfish, etc. If zebra mussels were so bad, why is it that fishing has never been better on ALL the Great Lakes that have been hit by the zebra mussels? Why is it the walleye population on Erie has never been higher? Same thing on the Mississippi from the cities south.
Rusty crawfish are bad but there are cabbage beds where there have always been cabbage beds on Mille Lacs so this issue is nonexistent in Mille Lacs.
Cormorants are known not to eat many walleyes, over 60% of their diet up on Leech was of yellow perch. The walleye was less than 4%, thats right LESS THAN 4%, I believe the number was 3.6%. I have talked to the biologists from the MDNR, the Leech Lake Band and the USDA that did the evaluating because I wanted to educate myself on the subject.
There were a few things that caused the walleye crash on Leech, overfishing of important spawning fish and terrible spawns of the mid to late 90's.
Captron, this is the 2nd time I had to say this to you today, EDUCATE THYSELF and quit spreading false information.
IDWD
Thank-You. I have never heard of fizzing till today. Although I still find it hard to believe that dont hurt'em.
IDWD
Ditto here !
I hate to repeat myself also , however your attitude and lack of knowledge kind of kills your " faulty" message.
( lack of credibility)
Your starting to remind me of Ted Cruz ( R) TX , this week while he was trying his best to support gun violence hearing in DC with his cardboard charts .
I especially enjoyed Teds chart that " proved" based on Federal data that background checks would have only prevented less than 2% of senseless gun deaths in this country.
Problem with the colorful chart was sort of like yours .
Old Teds folks forgot to reduce the print size on the top of the chart that plainly showed it was based on .... wait for it ...... 1991 data.
Or in other words - Try to keep up !
Come on
You, Cap, are taking a local issue about fish and turning it into a national issue on gun control.
That is offensive to me, let's talk about fish and stick to the subject.
I see, you are fishing for an argument Let's see if anyone bites.
Sadie
You better use 1/2 in steel cable or he will bite right through your line with those teeth!!!
Mille Lacs
Keith, you didn’t mention that Mille Lacs hosts the only massive gill-net fishery in the United States — tribal or non-tribal — that purposely targets concentrated and vulnerable spawning walleyes each spring. Eight Chippewa bands (six from Wisconsin) are involved; and their side is managed by taxpayer-funded tribal DNRs and the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, headquartered in Odanah, Wis. Like rights-denying tribal governments, tribal resource-management agencies are largely unaccountable to tribal enrollees and to the wider taxpaying public. Why? Because when the topic is tribal, the usual standards in government, politics, and journalism (!) get tossed. Info doesn’t flow. High-impact issues and policymakers escape the discussion-debate table, as well as editorial scrutiny. Citizens are largely uninformed.
In a way, your asking for reader comments is a cop-out. The state’s “premier walleye lake” —fish and people — are embroiled in endless controversy. Unacceptably huge costs at many levels! But those who dug the deep Mille Lacs hole, and those who maintain it, remain off the hook. Why? And, hey, from invasive species to fish, where does state management authority begin and end — at Mille Lacs and across numerous counties and millions of acres of treaty-ceded territory?
Always remember: DNR fisheries managers and state-licensed anglers operate under the constraints of Treaty Fisheries Management.” Thanks to this extremist system and grossly unfair fish allocations, notions about “common sense” don’t apply at Mille Lacs.
Joe
A Very Good Post!!
Is that Old Grizz still kicking over there??
"is a slot limit counterproductive?"
The short answer seems to be "Yes". As the number of legal keepers decline, more fish must be caught and released just to get a few to bring home for the table. And the number of floaters rises exponentially.
A "you catch it, you keep" it policy might be a better bet.
Make it a two fish lake
any size..