what can be done

[broodwich]

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Not to stir up the pot....but there was a PWT tournament on the pond last week. That means there were a lot of fish in livewells for a long time.

I think we have all seen stats on mortality of fish released after a tournament. It shouldn't be too high this time of year, but that may be part of it.

Though - the pro's probably do a better job than many of us in keeping the fish alive and in good shape.

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since everyone is throwing opinions out I'm going to throw mine. I think the PWT, PMTT, and all other big money useless tournaments are becoming a cancer. Not only on Mille Lacs but on all lakes and rivers across america. Why should these so called pro's receive monetary reward for exploiting a fishery? Which we all contribute. Please explain how a "PRO" can release a fish better than the "average" fisherman. I know there are many "pro's" who do care but I'm willing to bet almost half of the field are there for personal gain. Fishing is a hobby not a sport. Why can't these guys just play softball to fill their male need to compete. Instead of big money tournaments for narcissistic fisherman why not a big money tournament for kids?

[FlyingV]

If you think there are a lot of dead fish floating now, wait until the water gets warmed up in July and August! If this bite continues, there will be a lot more walleyes floating then! Right now its not bad at all!

[cableguy]

What's the policy for picking up the floaters and disposing of them properly? Do you have to wait until they wash up on shore?

[Shack]

I am sorry for breaking my silence to this thread, but I did not mean to wrap PWT into this topic. I think they do a great job in the way fish are handled. Their limits per boat, weigh in process and they general mind set of the tournament participant is for the good of the fish. The organization it’s self (PWT) I would believe disqualify anyone who was spotted miss handled fish and goes to great limits to protect fish.

I feel organizations like PWT, PERM and others shed light on the big lake in their own ways. I feel this is a good light they are shinning. I would hate to see any discredit come their way.

I grew up practically on Mille Laces. I would spend multiple weeks at a time at various cabins and resorts on lake when I was a child and have had a large fish house, which dubs as a cabin for almost ten years. I have seen a lot change over the years. Their have been very, very slow bites and Hot, Hot bites. Each year it would change. I have noticed since the introduction of the slot, the bite has been starting to become more steady and for the better. I like how things are going with Mille Laces and look forward to fishing with my grand kids, like my grandfather had done with me.

I stand firm on the feeling that anglers/fisherman of any kind have a very, very small percentage in the death of floating fish. I feel what impacts a fish species future and population on a lake is poachers. The guys who go home with a cooler of a hundred to a thousand walleyes and come back the next week or next day. They are out their and DNR is doing the best they can. You may want to think the regular angler is a threat, but they are part of the solution in the future of the lake. The average angler (honest and with in the law) has little or no impact on fish population.

Handle fish the best way possible, but never feel you are part of the decline of something if you are doing your best and staying with in the confines of the law.

Good luck!

SHACKBASH

[MuskieSlayer]

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Everybody sitting down? ok Ready take a deep breath... let it out OK? Here it comes......Fish Die... Eventually.... they don't live forever which is why absolute slots are so stupid. May be that 25 incher you caught yesterday and released was gonna die the day after tomorrow anyway and flot to the top to be mourned by some of us... besides this aint't nothin wait till that virus hits our state in the next year ....

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Although I disagree with you that absolute slots are stupid, it is true that all fish die. Yes, some released fish will die, but the DNR hooking mortality study indicates the hooking mortality numbers are much less than previously thought.

Terry McQuoid had a good article a few years ago regarding floating fish. According to his article, the male walleyes only grow to 24-25" inches before they die. I'm not discounting the fact that some hooked fish do die from being mishandled, but there seems to be a significant number of these fish that are dying of natural causes.

Regarding the posts stating that there are only walleyes floating, I've seen just about every species of fish floating in Mille Lacs (perch, tullibee, northern, muskie, carp, smallmouth). In fact, of the four fish on my shoreline right now, none are walleyes.

[ikatcher]

i've been going uo to rainy lake in mid july for the past 9 yrs and never see walleyes floating, dont fish get old on that lake???????

[MuskieSlayer]

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i've been going uo to rainy lake in mid july for the past 9 yrs and never see walleyes floating, dont fish get old on that lake???????

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Obviously fish are dying in both lakes, so there must be a reason why you aren't seeing any on Rainy. I'd venture to take a guess that it may have something to do with the deep water temperature of Rainy compared to Mille Lacs. Rainy is much deeper than Mille Lacs and develops a thermocline. Although Mille Lacs can develop a moderate temperature stratification, there is not a significant change in temperature throughout the water column.

When any animal dies, gases will develop in the body cavity during decomposition. Those gases cause it to float. Decomposition is slowed in cold temperatures. Without decomposition the fish doesn't usually float.

Therefore, a fish that dies on the bottom of Mille Lacs will float rather quickly, whereas a fish in Rainy may not (a fish in Rainy may be eaten by bottom dwelling scavengers before it builds up enough gases to float to the surface).