APRIL 1st press release/Restricted Harvest

[Red Lake Remote]

DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 1, 2015

Tightened walleye regulations continue on Upper Red Lake

Beginning Saturday, May 9, walleye regulations on Upper Red Lake will be more restrictive than past open water seasons, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The daily bag and possession limit will be two walleye, and anglers must immediately release all walleye 17- to 26-inches long. Only one walleye in possession may be longer than 26 inches.

These regulations are in response to a record winter harvest during which state anglers harvested 140,000 pounds of walleye. Walleye regulations were tightened during the winter season and will remain restrictive for the open water season.

“High walleye catch rates and ideal ice travel conditions attracted a record number of walleye anglers to Upper Red Lake this winter,” said Gary Barnard, Bemidji area fisheries supervisor. “Winter fishing pressure was 1.75 million angler-hours, 75 percent higher than the previous record high observed in 2014.”

The DNR has not made a decision regarding the early season fishing closure on the Tamarac River. This decision will be made in late April when biologists are able to assess the status of the walleye spawning run.

Upper Red Lake harvest restrictions are necessary to comply with a joint walleye harvest plan agreement with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa. For more information on Red Lake fishing regulations, see www.mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing.

[BLACKJACK]

The daily bag and possession limit will be two walleye, and anglers must immediately release all walleye 17- to 26-inches long. Only one walleye in possession may be longer than 26 inches.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the same rule that was in effect for the 2014 opener?

[Red Lake Remote]

Last year was 4 fish, then June 15th the slot relaxed to 20-26". This year there will be no slot change to bigger fish. 2 fish 17-26" protected all summer for 2015.

[gunner55]

Seen this coming,as they didn't have a lot of other choices.

[Guest]

Time to slot crappies and/or lower the bag limit up there as well IMO.

[bemidjibasser]

Nice! I bet there will still be a crowd up there on opener tho.

[Red Lake Remote]

Seen this coming, as they didn't have a lot of other choices.

You are correct, they did not have many options left after that kind of winter pressure. To be honest the only reason we are fishing at all this summer is due to a good working relationship with all the members involved in what was the Red Lakes Recovery, now Management, Committees. It could have easily been a summer shutdown, we got a free pass this time.

[hoppe56307]

Time to slot crappies and/or lower the bag limit up there as well IMO.

X2

[gunner55]

X3 We're on a pretty good crappie lake & last fall the number of boats out there fishing was mind blowing.Most in 30,40,almost 50 fow & many 3-5 days in a row with very few at the resorts.

[Boreas]

Quote:

Time to slot crappies and/or lower the bag limit up there as well IMO.

We can work or put effort towards protecting crappies but to be honest the crappies are just not a big enough population or have the potential to be a huge factor on Upper Red Lake again without another freakish anomaly happening...again. It is hard to protect walleye, then pike and then put restrictions on crappies on top of all that on a lake that is not managed for crappies and never could be.

Remember the 1996 spawn of "crappie boomers" was a one in a million fluke and the fish we are seeing now are just a sprout of what was millions of crappies trying to spawn in a WALLEYE/PIKE lake ten years ago. Yes, we had a last minute fly by night media production come out claiming a resurgence of a crappie boom using a handful crappies, complete with advertisements for the resort that just happened to have a road suddenly plowed into that area. That production was hoisted into the air followed by a few businessmen making attempts to restart the crappie boom with the money and fame it may bring to them. If the boom was really happening again why was there a single outfitter promoting it and a single road open during the peak crappie season? It would seem to me more outfitters would be on that quest, especially with a year they did not have to plow late season roads. I would guess most outfitters thought; "I am not going to purposely disappoint clients chasing the ghosts of crappies past". Yes, we heard some reports of crappies caught but from ALL the reports anglers came and went from the reborn crappie mecca and it appeared many more went without than with crappies. It was simply a few using crappies as an excuse to squeeze a little more angling pressure out a lake already bled to death.

The crappies are back to the needle and the haystack population they always have been on Red Lake. They caught them through the ages, just as we will continue to catch them no matter the regulation. Before the boom happened and started what has been deemed by those that seen it come and go as the "curse of the crappie" they caught those nomadic fish every spring. Old man Hudec, Petrowskis, Hillmens and others that have been on lake for a long time have always caught good numbers of crappies, just nobody cared about them before the boom. More regulations, rules, restrictions, funding and manpower to manage an unmanageable species in a portion of the lake the species only spends 10% of its time in is not worth the effort just to make a claim as a crappie lake.

The crappies were a fluke, we need to let it go. Focus on managing walleye populations and the wheelhouse pressure and the crappies will be fine.

[jerkbait]

What Boreas said!

[cookie129]

The" ELUSIVE" yet still catchable crappie. What do you mean bled to death?

[Boreas]

The lake is pounded so hard limits need to be reduced and emergency rules are put in place but once the lake gets a chance to rest from the heard of anglers a few are trying to find a way to send even more anglers onto the ice. The irony is chasing down an already stressed and almost extinct Red Lake species, almost like an endangered snow leopard hunt for cash. Let things calm down a bit. Yes we all need money, but come on, next will be Sasquatch hunts off the Big Bog Boardwalk to wiggle out a few more dollars.

What is both sad and amusing is sometimes I stop into the Waskish store for gas or snacks when passing by. Inside is two outfitters (stickered up trucks outside) and a third guy standing by the counter grumbling about the fishing pressure and reduced limit. Yet one is the partner or father or some relation of the guy putting pictures up the first week in November trying to get anglers on Red ASAP once the ice is on adding three weeks to the fish harvest. The other two are the guys selling the crappie hunt on the forums at the end of walleye season, adding not only more last minute walleye take but more walleye hooking/harassment after season closes. To me, if the pressure was bothering me that bad I would stop trying to sell it.

[ribsey_77]

Dont be trying to take credit for my Squatch hunt up in the area!

[JacobG]

I think the pressure is a result of the good fishing over the past few years. Poor fishing on lotw as well puts more anglers on the ice. With that taking place and more walleye harvest,the restrictions are set to protect the fishery. Gotta take the good with the bad. If anglers arent happy with those restrictions then they will fish elsewhere. We are not short of walleye lakes. I love the lake and whatever it takes to keep the Fishery healthy then so be it.

In regards to the crappies, its been said time and time again that there is and always will be crappies in the lake. However if there are people that want to pursue them why not cater to them? Those anglers will be fishing regardless of whether or not and outfitter has houses for rent or not. And many are looking for a place to stay anyhow. So thats just smart business if you ask me.

Hooking and releasing walleyes just a week or two after season in pursuit of the crappies or perch isnt harrassing them. My goal is not to catch walleyes but it does surely happen. We as anglers do our best to insure they are handled properly. No different than anywhere else. Ill fish the lake regardless of restrictions. For me its not about how many we can keep. Its about the great memories ive had and will have in the future. And heres to that!

Hope everyone has a great spring and looking foreward to another great season!

[Red Lake Remote]

Quote:

Unofficial holder of state record sturgeon (released)

I don't want to, but I have to ask what this is about.

[JacobG]

Look under the rainy river forum. Page,is it time to fish sturgeon yet? I posted all the info there on my fish. No worries. I have had a few guys ask so I just posted it there a few weeks ago.

[Red Lake Remote]

LOL, oh, I see. Locals up there contest that yet?

[JacobG]

Pretty difficult to contest? I don't know I've been waiting for a larger fish to surface, no pun Intended. At that time it was the largest caught according to the fisheries office there in baudette. It won't be long and another giant will be caught that will surpass my fish.