The Slot.....

[Chris_the_Cow]

Do you guys think the slot on Mille Lacs should be changed?

I don't think so because there are so many fish being caught and kept that it would be pointless to let us keep the fish that are 2 inches bigger. Plus the smaller fish are better on the table. Just my 2 cents.

[TrophyEyes]

Did the slot change to 22" yet or is it still 20"? When does it change this year?

[Boedigheimer]

Cow, I think the slot on Mille lacs is perfect, in fact I think it should be implemented statewide. A one man limit is plenty to take home. Many of our premeire walleye lakes have slots that are too tight. I'm a strong advocate of catch and release, but an 18" walleye should be able to be kept anywhere in the state. I hope they don't change a thing on Mille lacs.

[Team Otter]

Mid-July it goes to 22".

The slot is right on the mark.

[ishgood]

I'd like to see a tag system, like deer hunting.

Fill your tags with any size fish, be happy. Then continue fishing for slots the rest of the year if you want to.

This would probably eliminate some of the wasted hogs, and you know a lot of people would hang it up after their tags were filled. This might lighten the traffic a little.

[Chris_the_Cow]

Thats what I thought I also think that the 4 walleye limit should be imposed across the state because it is pretty dang hard to sit down and eat 6 18in walleyes. Even 6 15in Walleyes.

[rodmaker]

Still 20". Changes to 22 on July 14.

[rodmaker]

I wouldn't change the slot size. Look what it's done. Ten or 12 years ago, you didn't see this many big fish being caught. heck back in the 80's you didn't see many 26's caught. Those were rare.

[tom fellegy]

the way that i understand it is, the state has the option of expanding the slot to 22 inches if the estimate of fish caught by sportsman on hook and line has not reached a certain limit, they will expand the slot to 22 inches. if too many fish have been caught, the state has the option of leaving the bottom end of the slot at 20 inches. this is the way that i understand how it works, i could be wrong..............tom fellegy

[rodmaker]

I think you are correct. The State does check something like this. Gets too complicated sometimes to follow everything they do to monitor Mille lacs. Even though it isn't a "done thing" yet, sounds like it will change to 22".

I guess for everyone who fishes, just keep checking here when Mid July comes around, to make sure!!!!

[Schnauzer]

I would be perfectly fine with keeping the upper end of the keeper slot at 20". I don't need to eat a big 21.5" walleye. I like the four walleye limit too. I wish that was a state wide reg.

[lyonch34]

I think that the 20" slot is perfect. The upper end of the slot is what i wish they would change. A lot of people feel that a 28 1/4" walleye is a trophy and needs to be kept. i feel that they shoud up that to 30". To me personally i feel that a walleye doesn't belong on a wall unless they are over 30". I don't know if too many of you are familiar with upper red lake but thats what happened ther with all the big fish being kept. Before you know they seemed to be extinct up there. Those guys who sort there live well to make all there keeper fish right at the 20" mark gets me going. When i catch a fish and decide to keep it, it goes right in the cooler on the ice and i'm forced to keep that fish and not sort through to keep the ones that are ust 20". When i do catch one that could have be changed for a bigger one i don't feel bad releasing it cause maybe 1 out of 10 fish i do that too ends up being that true trophy that somebody else will get a chance to catch. to make a long story short i feel that the slot should be less than 20" people can keep and 30" and bigger they can keep. we need to keep the fish that don't fall in the slot to produce and keep this great fishery of mille lacs alive.

[rodmaker]

I like the slot - even with the increase up to 22". I think the big thing here is for people to keep enough fish just for one meal, and not worry about stocking up their freezer.

For those "Monsters" over 28" we need to practice and preach carch and release. Get a graphite replica made. Just measure the length (girth is not necessary to some taxidermists) take a few photos.

The graphites will last for ever. Compared to some skin mounts that crack years down the road.

[rms]

The main reason the slot changes to 22" on July 15 is the DNR figures that a high percentage of those fish are males. They want some of those fish taken out of the lake--probably since they eat alot of the forage.

[Chris_the_Cow]

Well I just read the Outdoor News and it sounds like they aren't going to change it to 22-28. The DNR is not sure at this point one way or the other.

[eye warrior]

Rodmaker I agree,I used to fish for meals. Now I prefer hittin the big ones and letting the slots go back for future fishin. 32" is my minamum trophy size as Ive seen 2 released already.

[TommyLarson2]

On Mille Lacs, there are enough fish to go around with the limits being what they are. But the lakes around the state limit you to catching only a small % of fish is where they need some improvement, like Farm. only 1 over 20 gives you between 19" and 20" and 1 over 20" and below 16" that you can keep. I'd like to see that the 1 over 28" come back because even on Mille Lacs you can catch a bunch 20 to 22 but can only keep one!!! so why change it mid summer!

TL2

[rodmaker]

Use to be the same way. Now, if I can go home with 4 or five (two people fishing)I'm good with that.

Looking for the first one over 29". 29" is my biggest so far. Caught that one 6/9/07. Enjoy catching the big ones and letting them go.

[TrophyEyes]

Rodmaker, Stop trying for the 29"+ and it will happen. It will happen right when you have your wife, children, grandchild or worse case senario...when your reaching for the cooler in the boat and your rod flies out the back of the boat. If you really want to invest some time and perhaps some money I have a few spots I can email you to increase your chances at a 30"+.

[rodmaker]

Get's addicting when you're catching big fish up there!! If it happens, it happens. Just enjoy being on the water up there. We don't realize how lucky we are to have a fishery like that within 2 hrs from here!!!!!

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

Quote:

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Well I just read the Outdoor News and it sounds like they aren't going to change it to 22-28. The DNR is not sure at this point one way or the other.

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I read the same thing. I am not after meals, so I could care less what they do. Granted there will be some people that will tell me I am an (Contact Us Please) but again, I could care less. The joys of fishing and catching those big ones are great! It gives the chance for people that have never reeled in a big one to actually get one on a better chance. Maybe that doesn't make sense but Whatever it is friday and I will be hopefully fishing on the big pond tomorrow!

[sakazulu]

Do you guys remember all the fish you had to toss back during the last bite with the tight slot limit? It still was a riot! Now you can keep some of these fish! I am loving this size restriction! I have no problem with keeping it at 20" or under!

[minnesotatuff]

i havent posted anything about the slot because of all the political sensitivity over the issue. however, a fact is professional fisherman and tournament fisherman can and do keep a fish over 28", every time they can if prize fishing. how are those fish handled? i heard stories about them being given to the food shelf, but dont know first hand. at any rate, the law is the law...one can be kept over 28".

i have only caught 3 walleyes in my life over 28", a 28-1/4" on mille lacs, a 29-1/2" on snowbank lake, and a 29-1/2" on the red river north of selkirk. all of those were returned. however, first ice a few years ago on sugar lake i kept a 27" for the family christmas dinner. now if i catch a big one its going to be a judgement call depending on the health/condition of the fish... my mother has been asking when she and her boyfriend can come over for walleye dinner... that would be a very special occassion.

regards,

minnesotatuff

ps, ill be up there by myself tomorrow fishing the south end. if you see an old guy by himself with a big silver beard say hello. good luck to all!

[snolab]

Man the slot works! Where else can you go and have this size catch? I have taken numerous first timers to the big pond this year just to catch trophys. They are exstatic over the fun it is to catch a 25 - 28" fish! I used to be a meat fisherman but I am having a lot more fun taking pictures and showing them off than I ever got from feeding people. I love the slot! Also it truly makes a sport out of finding the keepers when it is meat you want. And catching the pigs is almost like shooting fish in barrel! For once our "messing with mother nature" might be working.

Take someone new to the big pond and tell me it wasn't a ball seeing the look on the faces when they pull in a 8# pig from the lake. They will think the slot is working.

[Mark13:33]

Interestsing, all the comments on the slot. The people on the Ottertail forum are debating the same thing. I fish Lake of the Woods frequently and can honestly say the rules up there are ideal 4 fish, all under 19.5 and/or one over 28.

For those of you worried about keeping a 28 inch fish, I don't see what the big scare is. Did you see some of those fish in the PWT? They were on their death bed as are most fish around 28 inches. Those fish are not the major reproducers either. The key to a good fishery are those fish between 19-26 being returned as they are the fish which will leave their mark in the spring.

For me, I get frustrated when unaware people stuff the box with those 23-24 inch fish (granted it may only be one,two, or three) or even worse those fish 12" and under. I know they are mostly resorters who know no better however most recently on Ottertail a tournament was held and the weights were outrageous for Ottertail's standards. The release rate was also great and was done near the resorts. Needless to say in less than a week the 3-4 pound fish were being drilled right in front of the resorts and they weren't going back in the lake...

I know a lake cycles and things like this happen for a reason, but there has to be a way to make people aware of what's going on...honestly I think Ice Fishing is more of a culprit in this regard...but at least on Mille Lacs those 22-26 inch fish are staying put!

[GFNER]

Very Interesting comments, I agree with most. I just returned from a week on the pond and after talking to a couple resort owners and a couple of DNR employees I tend to think the 22" slot is not going to go into effect this year,we may even see a tighter slot go into effect the rest of this summer. Not the best news for buisness but probobly best for the lake.I personaly think the DNR has done a great job with this lake and if we have to give a little now and then that's all right with me.Was on the mud today and NEVER saw so many boats besides opener.

[federline]

But even tho ML is a top tier, popular fishery, compared to Lake Erie, LOTW, and Ontario have much better prospects than ML right now for sustainable trophy fish. I would bet against ML producing a world class trophy - trophy eyes on Erie are 15 pound fish! these lakes just don't have a lot of the socio-economic pressures that Mille Lacs does. This is why the ML lake regulations work so well - it really does transform a resource that is unsustainable left alone into a sustainable managed resource. But, I'd take a month off in Spring and go fish Saganaga everyday if you are hunting for the MN walleye trophy of a lifetime, I am told...

[BigWadeS]

I heard the DNR may change the slot to 14-16" in July, anyone else hear this? I was told it was in the sportsman news.

[Schnauzer]

I have heard we might get to revisit 2002 with a two inch slot as well. Maybe as early as July 1. I hope that is wrong. I think the sporting news article hinted at a possible tighter restriction but overall it was about the possibility of NOT expanding the keeper size to 22". I think the 16"-18" or 14"-16" rumors started right after that article was published.

I wouldn't doubt it. A two inch slot would create a deeeeeeep cut in lake traffic and resort bookings, I'm sure. I remember those goofy slot years when you could go out and catch over 100 walleyes and have 0 or 1 for the live well. That always seemed harder on the resource to me than going out to catch 15 and keeping three or four.

[tom fellegy]

just remember that all the numbers used in the formulas that are used to guess how many walleyes have been harvested, comes from how many fish you told the creel census guy at the landing. so instead of lieing about catching 30 or so walleyes, lie the other way and tell them that you didn't catch nothing. YOU DO NOT have to give them any information about your catch. when you tell them a total of how many fish you caught, there is a automatic mortallity rate figured in. TELL THEM NOTHING, let them figure it out them self............tom fellegy