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Lake Fremont by Zimmerman was opened up to an open season because of winter oxygen depletion. Here's 2 pics I took today.

These are carp not a field of rocks with a couple Northerns mixed in. Guy with a bow has been edited out.

Lake%20Fremont%20carnage%20bow%20fisher%

17 Northerns, 2 to about 5 pounds, that I could see without leaving the road.

Lake%20Fremont%20northern%20carnage.jpg

My understanding is the DNR has found a local farmer with a tractor and bucket to help clean this mess.

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This was from one of the lakes that were experiencing winterkill, when the lakes oxygen depletes and the fish come to the surface. That is so sick, DNR open the water up so people could take unlimited amounts of fishes on that lake home, not leave them on the lake.

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That is from bow fishermen that practice kill and dump. When I first was going by I thought I was looking at a lot of rocks sticking out from the snow, then I went back, there were two guys there with bows and a long time ago I bow fished. After looking at the mess I left and saw the Northerns dead next to a 24 inch culvert going under the road in to this feeder creek.

Here's a close up for you, normally I take a lot of pics, this time I took 5 and walked away in a daze.

DSC03798AI.jpg

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should have called the TIP! I bet they would have gotten a fine. That is sick...

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Sounds like the DNR is on it.

Is it possible that arrangements were made to have the fish gathered up and this knows that? I hope so.

Watching winter kill is bad enough, but to add to its waste by leaving fish behind isn't cool.

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The pcitures do look disgusting. however, I remember when I was in high school ( ERAHS -about 7-8 years ago) when they opened this lake up again for permiscuious fishing, and I just want to say that all of us who partaked brought home all the fish we speared. I can remember fillin one of those big red party tubs half full of northern!! We were eating and giving away alot of pickeled northern. It was a blast. I do agree that they should have taken the carp off the ice and disposed of them better, or eat them. Not sure of too many people who eat carp? sick.gif I think the worst thing is that they left the northerns on the ice...those are edible!! My dad went and checked the lake out this year a few days after they opened it and said that most all of the fish left on the ice were carp.

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Just a potential other side, though I have no idea in this situation. Often on lakes that winterkill, it is a winterkill that KEEPS the lake alive. Often those are more waterfowl lakes than fish lakes (I don't know in this case) but in those cases, people specificially and with DNR permission and sometimes even wages, pump the fish out of the lake to get rid of rough fish, which uproot the precious weeds in such lakes. Christina is one such example that I know of. Lots of shallow lakes in southern MN too, I would guess. Bullheads and carp are no good for those lakes.

So, just pointing out that there may be reasons behind this that make it good for the lake. But like I said, I have idea in this situation. I find it hard to believe that all those fish were due to bowfishers though, thats a lot of fish...

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Lake Fremont has an average depth of 6 feet with a couple of spots not much deeper. It basically is a glorified wetland with houses around it. The lake association operates an aeration set up almost annually to allow most fish to survive. This year was not real conducive for some of our area lakes. The oxygen dropped even with the aeration in place. There will be some fish that make it through in spite of the kill.

On the spearing/bowfishing and leaving fish issue..

Problem is folks, that there were only oh 35-40 people there the day it was opened. Most folks were spearing that particular day. It was literally like the old pitch-forking hay... literally saw fish flying.. The CO's were and are aware of the issue and the lake association plans to coordinate a clean up.

Just a thought: Some of the northerns could have been dead already and were pulled up on the ice too. Not to suggest this is what happened, or that it makes it right, but there is a possibility...

Regardless these type of situations put a bad blemish on other folks that consistently do the right thing.

MSRD, thanks for posting... good topic to address.

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That gives us ethical bowfisherman a terrible image! That is just gross. If you don't want to eat them, at least be responsible enough to properly dispose of them.

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I drove by the north shore until last week and the damage wasn't this bad!!! I will have to stop by on my way home tonight.....It is mostly carp and therns but there shiners bullhead sunnies and crappies showing up....not many crappies or sunnies but I did see a couple small ones mixed in with the piles of bullheads and carp!!!

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CO Brett Oberg (Hutchinson) spent time educating anglers on wanton waste laws at a lake recently opened to unlimited fishing. Several rough fish and small panfish had been speared and left on the ice.

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Leaving them lay is the issue of my post more than anything else. That was the wrong thing to do. The DNR elected to let the taking happen with the oxygen issues. It was up to the takers to pick up after themselves for the fun they had. The Crows and eagles can only eat so much. If the neighborhood Rats find it thats another issue.

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that is a crazy scene.... FYI for all the guys spearing and leaving the waste behind: there are many of use who enjoy the challenge and fun of going out to a lake that they open for unlimited fishing. if this becomes a trend rather than an exception the DNR will have to consider not allowing this anymore(and rightfully so). Please dont let this happen again. I am sure there were others there that were not taking part in this wastful act and should come forward to identify these people, if nothing else' to educate them on the issues leaving these fish makes for others. PS smoked carp, done right is an excellent tasting treat!

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I've spent the last several days watching this thread.. whereas I know the liberalized taking was warranted for oxy reasons, I do wish that some of the people that took advantage of it, and abused it were more responsible about their actions. they make not only the responsible bowfishermen look bad, but they make all of us responsible sportsmen(and women) look bad.

that and I really, really hope that I'm not downwind when the temps start creeping over 32F.....

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
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