Red Lake fishing pressure smashes record

[slammer]

"quote" Didn't the tribe contribute quite a bit to the lake being restocked? I thought I read somewhere that it was a joint effort.

I would say the American taxpayer payed for that whole "joint effort". Where do you think the tribes half came from?

[SwivelDigger]

I think maybe some of there half came from the casino profits that they rake in or maybe from the profitable businesses that the red lake tribe runs......just guessing though.

[kelly-p]

Quote:

Kelly P…..I seen that you have stated you were responsible for the “crash” as well. Can you explain that? I respect some or your input that u have posted and don’t assume what that means.

Fishing was great in the "80's" and we all just kept on fishing as hard and fast as we could. We didn't worry about next year or the future years. No, we just kept on fishing until we had caught them all. What else could we do, the fishing was GREAT! More pounds of walleyes were harvested from the State waters of URL during the 2014 harvest year then had ever happened before. More then even the years before the "crash".

Quote:

The only reason the DNR/Politicians made the effort to bring this lake back to life was for the “tribe”. They did not do it for the white man that lives on the lake or their community. Yes…the community and the guy living on the lake benefited from it as well, but it was not done for you/them…it was for the “tribe”.

Maybe you should tell that to the fishermen that put in 1,935,875 hours of fishing on the State waters of URL this past year.

Quote:

The same cannot be said of those from the sovereign nation.

For the 2014 harvest year the Red Lake Band harvested 3.35 pounds of walleyes per acre from their waters. We harvested 4.81 pounds per acre from the State waters. So far in the 2015 harvest season the Band has harvested 1.4 pounds per acre. We have harvested 2.92 pounds per acre from the State waters.

Quote:

It wasn't until the tribe's own harvest numbers started exceeding a million pounds per year back in the 80s that the walleye population collapsed.

If the Band had harvested 4.81 pounds of walleyes from their waters in 2014 like we did from the State waters the Bands harvest would have been at about 1,100,000 pounds of walleyes.

Quote:

I think everyone's time would be better spent trying to figure out a good resolution to the problem instead of pointing fingers at this side or that side.

Now there is a statement looking towards the future.

[delcecchi]

And isn't it true that, unlike before, the band fishing operation is the only one allowed to use nets? Individuals are not allowed to net but have to use hook and line (although they are allowed several lines).

[kelly-p]

Quote:

And isn't it true that, unlike before, the band fishing operation is the only one allowed to use nets?

Yes it is true. The only time nets are set is when the hook and line fishermen are not bringing in enough fish for the Fisheries plant. The netting crew is hired by the Fisheries and paid an hourly wage. I saw the "help wanted" when the Fisheries was hiring and if my memory is correct they are paid $11/hour. The crew sets the nets one day and the next day brings in the catch AND THE NETS to the Fisheries. It is tightly controlled.

The number of Band members hook and line fishing for the Fisheries is increasing rapidly. Over 500 Band members are now signed up to hook and line fish for the Fisheries.

I had posted this earlier this winter about one Band member that was fishing for the Fisheries.

A few years ago I crossed the bridge over the Sandy River and a person was fishing off the bridge. It was a cold, wet and windy day so I figured that person must be a hardcore fishermen to be out fishing in those conditions. About 6 hours later when I crossed back over the bridge he was still there fishing so I stopped to talk to him and the two people that had joined him fishing in the wind and rain. The usual fishing talk and I noticed that their fishing rods were pretty old and beat up. When I asked him what they were biting on he showed me his tackle box. A small 4X8 inch plastic box with mainly plastics. I asked him if he used any live bait? No he replied, live bait was too expensive and he could not afford any. I noticed that he had a numbered fisheries cooler there so I asked if he was fishing for the Fisheries plant? He replied that he was and I asked how much money he could make in a week. He told me and said he could do better if he could afford a boat. I laughed and asked what he was going to do with all the money he made? He broke out in a great big smile and said that last month he was able to buy his Mom a TV. I think about that young man fishing in the cold rain a lot. We take live bait and nice fishing rods and boats and fish houses and TV’s for granted but they were all things he hoped to have someday.