Advisory Meeting 3-4-10

[kelly-p]

Some interesting tidbits from the Advisory meeting last night.

The winter of 08/09 there were 698,000 hours of angler pressure and 52,000 pounds of walleyes taken.

In the winter of 09/10 there was 745,000 hours of angler pressure and 65,000 pounds of walleyes taken. But in 09/10 there was a 4 fish bag limit versus a 3 fish bag limit in 08/09. It looks like that increased the pounds taken.

There is a good base of spawning size females in the lake right at the pounds per acre that the biologists want to see. There are real strong year classes in the 12 to 13 inch fish coming up. It was a cooler summer in 04 so that year class grew slower and is the same size as the 05 year class.

From winter 08/09 and summer 09 we took 88% of our safe allowable harvest. For the same time period the Band took 76% of their safe allowable harvest.

For walleyes the proposel going into St. Paul will be that the regulations for URL over the 2010 summer season will be the same as they were over the 2009 summer season.

For northerns there will be a public opinion time period over this summer to see if the public wants to move the protected slot up from 40 inches to 44 inches. Right now 80% of the northerns caught over 40 inches are voluntarily released. In 1989 almost 100% of northerns caught were kept so the public is realizing what a valuable resource they are. If there were no protected slots the numbers of northerns from 30 to 40 inches in URL would drop 23% and the numbers of northerns 40 inches and over would drop 50%. Over the summer of 09 the creel census clerk asked fishermen if they would support raising the protected slot up to 44 inches. 567 fishermen responded. 49% said that they had no opinion. 34% said that they would support that and 17% said that they would not support that. My opinion is that hopefully we can protect these big northerns so that everybody for years to come can have a chance to catch a northern over 40 inches from URL.

[Scupper]

I do find this interesting, especially the increase of "Hours of Angler Pressure". Seems from what I have read and heard as to people visiting URL this winter season of 09/10 would leave me to believe that this number would be reduced. Of course most of my fishing and experience on URL is done vicariously right here , unfortunately.

If the numbers were flipped, I would share in the validity of the report.

I understand your just the messenger here Kelly and I appreciate the time and effort you put in to share all the information that you do.

Thank you.

[kelly-p]

The increase in angler hours and the increase in pounds taken both surprised me also. But, I only see one part of the lake.