Green Lake Fisheries Project

[primetime49]

The spicer city council approved $500.00 towards the Green Lkae Fisheries project.This group is not the DNR and is core grouped of persons seeking to restore the lakes WALLEYE population.They are bringing in an consultant that eyewarrior mentioned earlier but I kinda think this needs a headline of its own to get extra attention.Like Kurt said Dick Sternberg,former DNR Fisheries biologist will discuss his findings at the Dethlofs Center [behind Green Lake Mall]Spicer,Saturday February 24 at 10.AM.He gave a presentation to council members and a few others the other night and was immpressive enough to get the recovery going .Good luck to him and the concerned persons that started this.now if they can get the Lake Association and Commercial Club behind this it will take off.We already know the concern of local sportsmen and those that travel to use the lake.

[fish-4-fun]

Lets get some heads at that meeting to show our support for the project. It will also be a good learning experiance. It can't make us any dumber!!

[castindad]

should be standing room only. if he can do for green lake what has happened at leech lake it would be great. does the pelicans create a detrimate to green? castindad

[primetime49]

castidad,the pelicans seem to swarm over slough between Green and calhoun.Notice they do like area .On two trips around that area about two weeks apart noticed they were still in water.Maybe we could get them to get in on favorite fish blog here.

[castindad]

primetime seems to me that they devour a tremendous amount of fish by the old mill on the north corner of the lake? would this be like leech lake cormorants? if so is there a remedy castindad

[slotlimit]

I know a remedy, but for some reason it isn't a legal 1 yet. Can't wait for it to be. That would be some fun hunting. It would be like shooting praire dogs. Just bring enough ammo.

[fish-4-fun]

I hope it will be standing room only, that would be great to see. As for the pelicans, I'm with you lock and load! But don't they eat alot of bullheads as there primary food source? I think thats why they are always in the slough area.

[slotlimit]

I didn't know pelicans were from Iowa. I guess it's true...you do learn something new every day. Hope their's a laugh for someone.

[castindad]

primetime over the last 3 years i have noticed an explosion of LARGEMOUTH BASS ATTACKING BOTH WALLEYE AND PANFISH IN TH LAGOON AT THE OLD MILL WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS? CASTINDAD FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH I DO INJOY FISHING BASS

[fish-4-fun]

Would near the lagoon be a good place to flyfish for bass?? I have never fly fished before and would reallly like to try it for bass and northern, but have no clue how!!

[primetime49]

castindad,we fish alot onGren for bas,and some for tournament.Thanks for the tip as if you expect to place at top on tournament o lake you need to weigh largemouth.Finished near bottom alst year in tourney because we thought we had to have mostly largemouth .So did wiiners,they had all largemouth and won.Everybody else except us weighed full limits of smallmouth and they all were close to each others weights ,but kicked us right out.We did good prefishing but weather really restricted our large mouth pattern in places on that side of lake all the way to town.something else as far as fish attack was in October and november when nearly all species in lake attacked sunfish on campground corner of lake.maybe it was a payback for all the fry those suunies have been after.

[cheech22]

Hey fish-4-fun..I used to live in Colorado and the only type of fishing I did was fly fishing for trout and bass. It was a lot of fun, shallow water and no trees are key. Nothing better than catching a fish on a fly/lure you made yourself.

[fish-4-fun]

Quote:

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Hey fish-4-fun..I used to live in Colorado and the only type of fishing I did was fly fishing for trout and bass. It was a lot of fun, shallow water and no trees are key. Nothing better than catching a fish on a fly/lure you made yourself.

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I don't know if I would make my own flies. But I do really want to get into it cause it looks fun and challenging.

[primetime49]

fish4fun,i went to 2 club meetings this week that are sending a listening ear to the plan of action.I get to go to hear it for couple others that have shown concern for 3 years that were strangers to lake before this.I hope that they have good audience.!0.I will see if they can get report or at least condensed repoert published here.I already know that we will ask for DNR rountable meeting here to get a 5 to 10 year plan from them and answers to things that changed since last summer.10;00 this morning at Dethlefs center spicer.

[primetime49]

just returned from green lake fisheries Project .Listened to Dick Sternberg ,Bruce Gilbertson and other locals input and questions.I again heard things about small mouth vs largemouth ,feed {perch],and stocking amounts.it seems that green lake will battle to get its classification changed to a[Core or base walleye Lake]It seems to have been recovering at its 2 pounds per acre rate of fingerlings per acre.This was getting larger fingerling and was suggested that smaller fingerling would add more fish per pound. These fingerling are stocked at about $15 pound,4100 acres or $61500.per year.Even though they are grown here in about 20 ponds they have a program to ship them mostly to northern minnesota to stock there.Those fisheries send the fry that they strip from fish in spring here and we ship back fingerlings to them from those fry.They cannot get ponds to recover fish there.Last fall the demand was so high from fisheries north that we didnt have fingerling for our own lake .also fisheries here was planning to skip in 2008 .Consensus is that a makeup of stocking from this year skipped will be done in spring and no discontinuance will take place in 2008.Stocking will be at 2 pounds per acre and that only is an amount that has now been used.This is also the plan from 20 years ago when Tewes was fisherys mgr.here.John U.brought up increasing to 3 pounds per acre which I think is a good idea.Both fisheries people said there is food source here that it wouldnt hurt.With classification change they expect to stay at 2 pounds per acre.They will use smaller fingerling to get more fish per acre in lake.On private stocking nothing seemed to hit home as no action seemed to take place.Local private fish grower said that 75% of what they grow ends up out of state.I still think that for quicker recovery adding 1 pound per acre to thier 2 or[ 3 pounds per acre total]would speed up the recovery.Alot of other things were brought up.Main point was that Fingerling stocking works,fry stocking isnt working and stocking annually should continue.My thoughts as walking to car after ,No matter how much things change ,they always stay the same.If this is the plan and any other biological thing happens in lake we either stay the way it is or maybe receed more.An increase in stocking above 2 pounds is needed until naturalreproduction again starts.there were alot of thoughts that someday this lake will start to produce again.

[fish-4-fun]

Thanks for the info primetime. I couldnt make it on account of the weather down here. Didn't want to risk it.

[slotlimit]

Last fall the demand was so high from fisheries north that we didnt have fingerling for our own lake .

Isn't there something wrong with this statement. I think this is just wrong. Instead of us being shorted we should be supplied first or at least divide it up so all lakes get some.

[eyeslayer]

I also went to the meeting and found it very informative. It sounded like the dnr has a pretty decent plan already, but they are just not following through with it. Only one year did they put in the very minumum number of fry otherwise there has always been shortfalls in numbers. I dont think Bruce G. has a big enough backbone to stand up for us and be vocal that Green lake is a top priority. Dick said in all the work he has done he has never seen a lake flip flop as fast as Green has . We need to get agressive, stock it hard, and get the walleye back on top of smallmouth to get the lake back to form. (Dick S. statement) It would be a lot of time and money, but should we look at private stocking also? what do you all think?

[slotlimit]

If the DNR isn't going to do what they shold be doing then something needs to be done. If private stocking is what it will take them I'm for it.

[primetime49]

slotlimit,when orders for fingerling are requested by regional fisheries the local ponds start sending them out in increments.say at 30% some people that have requests or quotas start getting fish delivered to them.This stocking is reviewed more at a state level than more decisions are made on next shipments,more than likely at state level.this is because of we are the growing area for most of state.Central,west central and western Mn. ponds raise the fry to fingerlings.This is probaly their biigest job duty.More and more decisions are made on who is going to get Walleye fingerlings.////Last year the state made its quota [160000]pounds of fingerling and things were looking pretty good.All of a sudden we had what was described as poor weather for two weeks in October,hence no more recovering fingerling from ponds.Being we were probaly subject to stocking during that time period it simply did not happen.////What was told to us yesterday is that {larger fingerling that ahve a better survival rate will replace fall stocking in spring.////It was than suggested that 2008 would not be skipped and fry stocking would be mostly discontinued until natural reproduction takes some hold.////A matter of raising the quota of electro netting to say 20 fish per hour was brought up as the fisheries here had met old average[but old average had been dropping constntly from past few years of nearly no fish]this wasnt adapted into further discussion.Sadly my comment if things arent going to have higher level,wont we simply be back at no improvement?////They will start stocking smaller walleye fingerling to try and get more of them in per pound.I think the larger ones they have been using are working better.And it also seems that if their numbers were increased instead of pound numbers we would get more definate return.////The thing that really cranked me was that first 15 minutes and several of last was again small mouth bass vs. walleye.Even though studies show that small mouth do not prey on walleye fry nor fingerlings we were told by consultant that they are here.I will definatly be cleaning some small mouth this year and lokking at and have some checked to see if they are in diet////.The lake is full of panfish,sunnies,and Crappies are really showing up.And the rock bass.wWhat do we do with red eyed rockies.doeas anyone near here feed pigs because they could definatly have ours////.Also stated was that the weed [Chara]is making maybe to much of an appearence.We commomly call this stinkweed and get away from it as fish do not seem to like to be near it either.This was the diet of crayfish and since they are gone no food for smallies.///They definatly need to stock over and beyond what fisheries is proposing.They can stay at 2 pounds per acre if lake classification is changed.They will write permit for private stocking at 10% over their 2 pounds.You have to see their program in writing to make sure that you are assisting over their 2 pounds.///Sadly last year when private aid was applied for it wasnt used because when they were looking so good they didnt isssue permit..////It would cost about $15000.per year to be addtional and I didnt here a hint of anyone wanting to get it started.I will get two magazine biologists and wisconin fisheries repots in next snowstorm,these are currnet reports that show no sign that smallies are preying on any walleye.///the main thing this lake is 65% under stocked and sometimes not stocked.WOW

[primetime49]

eyeslayer you are right in stating this has not been a walleye priority lake.can youput some more input in?

[fish-4-fun]

As you know I couldn't make it because of the weather, but i was wondering if anything was said about trying a slot limit? Maybe they dont think a slot limit would help green, but if they can not stock it to its full potential I think it would deffinately help. It sounds like they still didnt give us a deffinate answer as to weather or not they would increase stocking the lake for eyes. It still sounds like its a dream in the making huh?

[eyewarrior]

Sternberg said that he thought a slot limit could possibly do more damage than good. High mortality in fish caught deep. He also stated that lowering the limit might not help that much either because most of the fisherman don't catch limits anway. Don't shoot the messanger I'm only relaying what was stated.

eyewarrior

[fish-4-fun]

Thats ok. They would know better then me. I agree that the redused limits would do no good at all, still wonder about the slot limit though, because how often are you fishing for walleyes in that deep of water? I guess a little bit in the winter, but not really much in the summer. But again they are the educated people who would know best and we kinda have to trust their decisions.

[slotlimit]

I think some would die but more due to deep hook sets and people not cutting the line. Their is a slot limit on Mille Lacs and I usually only see the big eyes floating like a big white bobber all over the lake. The point I have is some would die and some would survive, but none will survive if they go in the freezer. If this was the case they why ever catch and release? Not shooting the messanger but last year I was fishing (summer) in aroun 30-40 ft of water catching some small eyes. I through back almost every fish I caught 10-12inchers. One of the fish I caught was hooked deep and I cut the line. About 20 minutes later I caught the same fish. Seen my hook. So acording to this guy I should have kept most of the fish I caught because they are going to die anyway. Not going to happen in my boat. Those fish need to be thrown back. Say I caught six eyes that were 12incehs long and released them all and only 2 survived. That's 2 more fish in the lake instead of me keeping them all. What's next? No one can fish deeper then 20ft?

[primetime49]

Post deleted by primetime49

[LocalGuide]

A lot of people fish in the 30' to the 45' range on Green Lake. Fish coming from that deep are going to be put on a lot more strees than shallow eyes.

Sometimes people fish even deeper than that!

[castindad]

prime time would appreciate the article in paper inre meeting if you could find time castindad

[sparcebag]

Castindad;Try West Central Tribune in search the artical is there

[castindad]

thanks primetime