MN DNR in the news

[rjthehunter]

If you want more after your 2 walleye per day go after Bluegill, perch, crappie, pike or smallmouth bass! They all fry up pretty tasty and 99% of people can’t tell the difference. Or you could buy a fishing license for your wife, girlfriend, kids or whoever and bring them with.

Why isn’t there natural reproduction in Minnesota and there is in Canada? Well, quite simply, the limits are allowing for an unsustainable harvest with the amount of people fishing. The most fertile female walleye are between 18-24”. How many fish survive to that size in Minnesota if there is no slot limit? And they don’t even produce eggs until they are above 14”.

Survey people who come in from walleye fishing and see how many catch a limit or even half a limit of them. It's less than 95%. You have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to MN walleye numbers.

Natural reproduction in MN has nothing to do with the limits. It has everything to do with the lack of spawning habitat. There's a statewide slot limit in mn. And many lakes have additional slot limits on them.

People who can't adapt to the changes made by zebra muscles and other invasives are upset because they can't go to their favorite spot from when they were kids and catch fish. They think it's a population issue. When really, it's far from a quantity issue.

Moving the limit from 6 to 4 fish will make no noticeable or meaningful change and is a completely fruitless battle. Like I said before, most people can't catch 6 walleye anyway.

 

[Gellar]

Survey people who come in from walleye fishing and see how many catch a limit or even half a limit of them. It's less than 95%. You have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to MN walleye numbers.

Natural reproduction in MN has nothing to do with the limits. It has everything to do with the lack of spawning habitat. There's a statewide slot limit in mn. And many lakes have additional slot limits on them.

People who can't adapt to the changes made by zebra muscles and other invasives are upset because they can't go to their favorite spot from when they were kids and catch fish. They think it's a population issue. When really, it's far from a quantity issue.

Moving the limit from 6 to 4 fish will make no noticeable or meaningful change and is a completely fruitless battle. Like I said before, most people can't catch 6 walleye anyway.

I will concede the spawning conditions have a lot to do with it, but the more fish that are spawning, even in degraded habitats, will result in better recruitment. That should be pretty simple to understand.

1 walleye allowed over 20” is hardly a slot limit. And think about this, if you keep a walleye over 20” every time it’s almost 100% a female. 1 female walleye in the 20” range can produce 150,000 eggs. If you keep 7 walleye over 20” in a season, that’s over 1 million eggs that could have been reared.

 

[rjthehunter]

I will concede the spawning conditions have a lot to do with it, but the more fish that are spawning, even in degraded habitats, will result in better recruitment. That should be pretty simple to understand.

1 walleye allowed over 20” is hardly a slot limit. And think about this, if you keep a walleye over 20” every time it’s almost 100% a female. 1 female walleye in the 20” range can produce 150,000 eggs. If you keep 7 walleye over 20” in a season, that’s over 1 million eggs that could have been reared.

This comes right back to improper spawning conditions. It doesn't matter is there's a trillion eggs. If the conditions aren't right, the eggs don't hatch. In lakes that have no natural reproduction, it doesn't matter if you keep 14" fish or 28" fish. Only 270 lakes are self sustaining walleye populations. The number of naturally reproduced fish in the other lakes are negligible at best.

I catch 1000s of walleye a year and have worked with fisheries biologists on multiple occasions. This has been discussed at large.

 

[Gellar]

This comes right back to improper spawning conditions. It doesn't matter is there's a trillion eggs. If the conditions aren't right, the eggs don't hatch. In lakes that have no natural reproduction, it doesn't matter if you keep 14" fish or 28" fish. Only 270 lakes are self sustaining walleye populations. The number of naturally reproduced fish in the other lakes are negligible at best.

I catch 1000s of walleye a year and have worked with fisheries biologists on multiple occasions. This has been discussed at large.

Dare I say if you are catching “1000’s” of walleyes a year you are a part of the problem.

If it’s only due to poor spawning conditions what are you doing to improve them? Are you advocating for improved wetlands, dam removal, less pesticide and fertilizers on our yards? How about prairie plantings and erosion control?

 

[VikingsGuy]

If you want more after your 2 walleye per day go after . . . . pike . . . ! They all fry up pretty tasty and 99% of people can’t tell the difference.

If somebody can't tell the difference between walleye and pike they should just be given Mrs. Paul's fish sticks out of the freezer

 

[NR_Hunter]

You remind me of all the old crotchety fisherman that come to public meetings for a dam removal project to bitch and moan that removing the dam will ruin their fishing spot. But, I’ve never seen one back 5 years after the removal of the dam and thank the individuals who lead the project when they are still fishing the same spot and it’s better than it was before.

I HATE dams. Hate them. They all suck. So glad to see they are taking out the one on the Kinni even tho I never fish it. I hated that they decided to repair the one of the South Branch of the Root in Lanesboro instead of just obliterating it.

 

[BrentD]

This comes right back to improper spawning conditions. It doesn't matter is there's a trillion eggs. If the conditions aren't right, the eggs don't hatch. In lakes that have no natural reproduction, it doesn't matter if you keep 14" fish or 28" fish. Only 270 lakes are self sustaining walleye populations. The number of naturally reproduced fish in the other lakes are negligible at best.

I catch 1000s of walleye a year and have worked with fisheries biologists on multiple occasions. This has been discussed at large.

If there are only 270 self-sustaining walleye populations DUE TO SPAWNING CONDITIONS what is happening in the 11,842-270 lakes? That is 11,572 lakes that have impaired spawning. Why/how? I'm very curious. Of course, 12 lakes in Minnesota are bullhead lakes, so let's throw them out and look at the 11,560 remaining. You say they can't spawn. How so?

 

[Gellar]

If somebody can't tell the difference between walleye and pike they should just be given Mrs. Paul's fish sticks out of the freezer

Come on! There are people who think that all fish have a “fish” taste and they still eat it.

Honestly, I was trolling for someone to bite on the keeping and eating smallmouth bass.

 

[Gellar]

I HATE dams. Hate them. They all suck. So glad to see they are taking out the one on the Kinni even tho I never fish it. I hated that they decided to repair the one of the South Branch of the Root in Lanesboro instead of just obliterating it.

Yess! And most of our dams in Iowa have no practical purpose. They are outdated safety hazards to paddlers and recreation and are barriers to any sort of natural migration that takes place on rivers of spawning for all fish.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Survey people who come in from walleye fishing and see how many catch a limit or even half a limit of them. It's less than 95%.

So wait… fishing is so poor that almost no one can catch a limit of a native sport fish, yet things are hunky dorey and nothing should change?

It has everything to do with the lack of spawning habitat.

If habitat is such an issue that natural reproduction of a native fish is unsustainable, it seems to me the state should have reduced limits long ago? Speaking as a reformed fisheries person, this just makes zero sense to me.

People who can't adapt to the changes made by zebra muscles and other invasives are upset because they can't go to their favorite spot from when they were kids and catch fish. They think it's a population issue. When really, it's far from a quantity issue.

Then what is the issue? Again, if 95% of fisherman can’t catch a limit, there is a significant one. What is the issue as you see it?

I will fully admit I’ve never fished MN. But I’ve fished walleyes in Canada, North Dakota, and Montana. Struggling to catch a limit is largely incomprehensible in those places, which all have more stringent limits. I have thrown back keepers all day in all of those places. I’m not understanding why all the resistance, particularly if the vast majority of folks struggle to limit out?

I get that you are passionate about this, but none of this makes any sense on even a basic level. This seems like an “opportunity” argument rather than a biological argument?

 

[Nick87]

Following....

 

[duckhunt]

Come on! There are people who think that all fish have a “fish” taste and they still eat it.

Honestly, I was trolling for someone to bite on the keeping and eating smallmouth bass.

I will eat a smallmouth bass, on the other hand a largemouth tastes like crap.

 

[Gellar]

I will eat a smallmouth bass, on the other hand a largemouth tastes like crap.

I think water temperature plays a huge roll in it.

 

[Nick87]

I will eat a smallmouth bass, on the other hand a largemouth tastes like crap.

That's interesting as I've never caught a smallmouth much less eaten one. I have caught a shitload of largemouth and eaten some. Definitely not my favorite, but as gellar said water temp makes the difference. Spring time 1lb or so bass are pretty decent eating.

 

[BrentD]

Some of you won't eat a smallmouth? Weird...

 

[Gellar]

Some of you won't eat a smallmouth? Weird...

If I asked my wife walleye from the Mississippi or smallmouth from a cold water stream that never gets above 65-70 degrees she’d say smallmouth every time.

 

[Treeshark]

A 14-15” smallmouth is good eating

 

[BrentD]

If I asked my wife walleye from the Mississippi or smallmouth from a cold water stream that never gets above 65-70 degrees she’d say smallmouth every time.

Smart wife.

 

[Gellar]

Smart wife.

I married up.

 

[Brauee20]

I'm not sure what MN winters have been like but early ice out or non-existent ice cover is messing with spawn timing here. Fish are spawning early due to warmer water temps. The plankton web is mistimed leading to poor classes of fish as the fry starve.