Raping the walleyes

[ccarlson]

2 things I'd like to comment on.

First, one comment was made that our walleyes around here don't spawn that much anyway so what is the purpose of releasing them. My answer is so that they can continue to grow and provide the opportunity for a trophy fishery. It also keeps the lake in balance as Toad mentioned. But, some people just don't seem to understand that there are those of us that do enjoy targeting large fish (for release) and occasionally catching eaters for the pan.

Secondly, the talk of reducing to a 4 walleye limit is somewhat futile when you look at the statistics. It would have such minimal effect on the numbers that it becomes negligable. You would have to drop to a 2 fish limit to realize a savings in harvest. I don't think we are willing to do that.

ccarlson

[RATHER BE HUNTING]

I have been reading all these posts and I guess I felt obligated to throw my 2 cents in. The one thing nobody is talking about here is how far is technology going to go.

I think the advent of GPS and structure maps has done more to hurt fishing than any guide. It makes every boat out there an expert. With the mapping

capability of some of these GPS units anybody can follow

an exact breakline or even find transition areas without having to do any home work. For years guides were the only guys who know where this stuff was now anybody with $10 for map and $500 for a GPS can find this stuff. I used to fish Mille Lacs almost everyday in high school(about 11 years ago) just when the GPS craze was taking off. At that time the only thing we used it for was so when we found a good spot we could mark it and come back without having to throw out a marker. But now with reel bottom maps and everything

else on the market try to find a "secret spot on Mille Lacs"

How far do we go. You even have cameras now. How long before we have magic lures that seek out fish when you drop them over the side all on there own and hook fish for you.

If you think that is a crazy statement it was only 20 yrs ago all anybody had was a Lowrance "green" box finder. Look how far that has come in 20 years. We need to slow down technology, that is our problem.

[76k20]

Rather be hunting, It may be true that electronics and equipment help to save time locating structure, But the maps have been there for a half a century. Many of lakemasters maps are gps calibrated images of a dnr map and theres a lot of dnr maps that are >40 years old. The green box isn't all that different from modern flashers. and just because the sonar picks up a fish doesn't mean its gonna eat. camera's are nice as well I just bought my first cam a few weeks back and like it, but I dont think i catch more fish because I have it down. Why slow down technology? I for one dont want to use a brick+string depth finder and 30 feet of yarn tied to a hook. If the auto industry had done this we would all get 5 mpg and only move 20 mph.

I think SELECTIVE HARVEST, not c&r, or returning to the stone age is the key to the future of angling.

But again this is just my opinion

Kyle

[Toad]

Kinda wanted to leave this alone for good, as the blame game starts getting old after awhile. But I have to say-- Right on the money, ccarlson. Your insight is much appreciated, as always. As I said earlier, biologists continue to tell us that reducing the limit isn't nearly so effective as restrictive length limits, in maintaining healthy walleye populations. I have no problem lowering the limits to 4 fish if that's what's decided. Still, I'd be hoping for something like no harvest between 20 & 28-inches, with one over 29-inches. Depends on the lake, though.

So long as stocking continues at a steady rate, overall walleye populations will remain healthy. So long, too, as we continue harvesting mainly smaller walleyes, populations will remain in good shape, as these fish can be fairly easily (quickly) replaced.

But is it good enough that lakes contain only small, quickly harvested fish? If our lakes can retain diverse populations of walleyes, accomplished in part via release of larger fish, with four or more healthy year classes present, then folks, look out, 'cause fishing's going to be outstanding. (I too, enjoy targeting trophy fish above all else .)

Relative to technology and advances, yes, they add pressure on fish populations. Which is why it's that much more important to release certain fish. In some ways, the internet, too, has contributed to overburdening certain fisheries. I don't have a problem with any technology itself, I rather enjoy most forms of it. It's the ways in which people demand a quick solution, a secret shortcut to fish in order to get around the work of finding fish and working out a pattern for themselves that gets to me.

When this site was hatched, back about 6 years now, it was rather common for myself and a few others to share specific spots (not great spots, but good ones) for all who'd bother to read them. You'll notice that this just doesn't happen much anymore relative to locational specifics. Eventually, we realized that by sharing such specific info, we were really doing readers a disservice. (I'm sure others have noticed a similar pattern in their own posting.)

For many people, the internet has become a crutch, a "get rich quick scheme," as it were, for getting on a hot bite without actually earning it. That's no way to become a better angler. But it often is a quick way to hurt a fishery. To paraphrase a favorite author, "Fishing is at once, part art, part hunt, part luck, all fun."

Sorry for the sermon.

-a friend called Toad

[walleyedan]

Hey Toad,

You nailed it right smack on the head!! Good job!! Giving directions (even to hard to find accesses) and GPS coordinates to small lakes or hot bites should be something of the past. Go figure it out yourself or hire someone that TRY'S to make a living teaching others how and where to fish at different times of the year. Things are getting easier, but you will have more fun figuring SOME of it out on your own.

Walleyedan

[Fish-on]

I agree with you all about the internet's potential for damage, but look at the bright side too. This discussion is a good example of something positive that can come from the internet. Some of the people reading these threads are learning something new and we all are being exposed to the views of others that might not happen any other way.

My $.02 on the electronics thing. No question that the average angler is better equipped with fish catching ability and knowledge than ever before. We have the potential to do damage like never before if we step outside the legal limits put forth by the DNR. Since anglers only take a limit a fraction of the number of times they go fishing, lowering posession limits is not the answer. Protecting the right fish is. Remember that all this knowledge and technology is not lost on the DNR too. They now know a lot better how to sustain fisheries. Their stocking and rearing is much more effective based on the knowledge that's been learned. We know better which areas of a lake need to be protected for spawning. And so forth.

Bottom line is that the education of people in angling skill and equipment has paralleled the education of people in the importance of being good stewards of the resource. And that's a good thing.