Walleye Milking

[BoxMN]

Was there on Saturday, but a bit late for stripping. We saw them measure and tag them, then release them. Saw one honest to goodness verified 32 incher! Holy cow was she huuuuuuge! There were so many of them, big females and really big males too.

Was cool to see, I will try to post some pics tomorrow if I have any good ones.

[CrappieAttitude]

We were there at about 10:00. We were on the tail end of the stripping, however we were able to see the last one of the day. I talked with my buddy and he said that they typically are there for ten days. Thursday was the first day that they stripped and he figured that the mid of next week would be pretty good.

As of Saturday they have taken less than 100 quarts. There goal this year is 672 quarts. The cold weather may have slowed them down Friday night/Saturday morning. Once the nets are showing great numbers of walleyes, they are normally stripping until noon. Saturday they were done by 10:30.

There weren't that many walleyes in the main net Saturday morning. They were holding 43 females who were not guite ready to strip. And he figured they had about 200 males ready to go.

I would have liked to see the tagging process. My buddy said that they have done this stricty for their own information to see how many fish return year after year. He said some of the fish have multiple year tags in them.

pretty cool process though.

Later,

CA

[ozzie]

we stopped down there for a little while on Saturday but left when the DNR started to do there things. There was a good crowd down there.....some real monsters in the holding nets and we did c a few that were in the fri/sat night trap....

[BoxMN]

I think the tags are actually just some tiny dye marks they inject under the jaw. This years was pink. Many of them had up to 5 years worth of "tags" in them. So if you catch a walleye on Whitefish, turn it upside down, and look for teeny tiny colored marks under the law, right on the bottom. I thinkt here are (if I recall) blue, green, red, yellow (chartruese)... maybe more. I think they have only been doing it for about 5 or 6 years if I recall the answers right.

[CrappieAttitude]

I think they have only been doing it for about 5 or 6 years if I recall the answers right.

You are correct!

CA

[delta dude]

marked fish have been taken all the way to Cross on the opening weekend in the past. If we would get some warm rain the run would pick up as the river water would warm. I believe years ago they used to clip or notch a fin as a marking aid.

[ozzie]

we didn't get any ourselves but a friend of ours had one this summer that was going to die that he kept that was 21" and had a tag in it from 2 years ago....

[Lakeside]

I think one of the DNR guys said that this years marking color is pink.

There was quite a crowd there on Saturday. Some stayed longer than others in the chilly wind. I got a few pictures of the event.

This is my favorite.

The future of our fishery - the fish and the fishermen!

[pegleg]

Are they still stripping? I will be up there tomorrow so hopefully it won't be too late. I was there 2 weeks ago and I was too early.

[MuskyChad]

I was there yesterday with the wife and kids and everything was going strong. The nets had mostly walleyes in them, some really big ones also. I think they will still be going for a few days atleast. Defianantly cool to see, my kids loved it and want ot go back.

Chad

[pegleg]

Hopefully, this cold weather coming in doesn't stop the run. My brother and I will be there early tomorrow a.m. All I saw a couple weeks ago were a bunch of suckers in the holding nets.

[laker1]

The walleye stripping is just about over, if you go this weekend you will probably see 10 percent of the fish you would of seen earlier.

[BoxMN]

This was from two weekends ago, and after the stripping, but just as they were tagging. Sorry the quality isn't great, I messed up my camera settings somehow... fat fingers

Also I had bad angles, but you can see how the whole operation is set up, sort of. The first shots are walking down to the river, then some of the gates they use to funnel fish to the nets, then the pens, then the DNR folks doing their measuring and tagging. The first one or two were the big 32" fish, I wish I had gotten better pics of it. It was HUGE!

I took some videos, but they are huge and I don't have time to squich them down, but it shows how the DNR guys were having a good time and joking with each other and the crowd.

ooops, wrong coding, but the link works to my little slideshow...

[CrappieAttitude]

Great Pics Box! Thanks for sharing! I get fired up for walleye opener every time I go up there. Too bad, I have never seen a fish like some of those hogs on the end of my line. Maybe this year will be the year.

CA

[CrappieAttitude]

I talked with my DNR Buddy Last night and he said that they had there second best day yesterday. It has been a very weird and longer process this year. He said that the nets are pretty much producing all walleyes right now, and he is hoping to be finished up by Friday. Normally this is a 10 day process, however this year it's going on 2 weeks. He said that even if they don't have their quota met by Saturday, they are probably going to be calling it a year.

[maddowg1192000]

Figured it is that time of the year again so I would get the subject going again, has anyone stopped by there yet to see if they are running yet???

[esoxlucius]

Was there this morning but they have it gated and chained up. They must not have the nets in yet.

[ccarlson]

I also stopped by this morning and walked down to the river. The gates and nets are not set yet but I would assume this week.

ccarlson

[rayguy]

End of next week will be the start of the run they are thinking

[laker1]

If you going to go I know they would prefer if you came during the week. If it stays warm they will have too many people show up on weekends and too many people on the dock at one time creates a safety issue and it gets hard for the work crew to move around. The last couple years on weekends has been a zoo.

[st cloud fisher]

is there a phone # TO Call them durin the week and is it free?

[ozzie]

it is for free and all you need to do is show up before 9 as that is basically when the workers will start the process.....I always show up a little early and take a good look through the nets to see what they caught from the night before and then I can leave when the docks start getting full....if you haven't been there then I suggest you do it as there are some of the biggest fish you will ever see!!! Just remember that they are there to do a job and once they start working to give them space and let them do their job.......

[JBMasterAngler]

I'll be in st. cloud this weekend, and the weather looks to be chilly and rainy. Might be tough to get up there before 9 though. Would really be neat to see, so I'll have to play it by ear.

[blakeb]

If you have never seen this i would recommendd it really neat to see.

[BoxMN]

And even thought they are working, and they are doing their job first and foremost, the DNR folks I have seen and talked to there really have a fun time, and are very nice to the spectators and kids. They do need their space though, and aren't afraid to make sure all are safe and out of the way.

It really is a cool thing to see, and Ozzie is right, you will see some of the biggest walleye of your life. I know I did...

[ozzie]

JB It doesn't sound like the nets are getting out til this week and usually from what I have noticed in the last 4 years is that the first week is usually suckers and northerns but it is still a sight to see all the fish that try to go up river in a night!!

[buddha]

I saw it the first time a few years back and I have never seen such big fish. A great time for sure.

[otis]

Can anyone provide directions on how to get there? Or where this is located? I live in Brainerd and would love to take my son to check this out. Thanks

[ozzie]

Here ya go.....Go up Hwy 371 to the north end of Jenkins. Take a right on Co. Rd 15 and stay on it through 3 sharp turns (1 block east, then 2 miles north, then 2 miles east, then ½ mile north). Take a right on Driftwood Lane and go .6 mile to Pine Knolls Circle and take a left. Go .3 mile to the end of the road and where it turns to the right, we are inside that metal gate. I copied this from a post a year or two ago......the gate is on the left side and you can park on the road and just walk down to the docks......the nets on the left are usually the male walleyes and the nets on the right are the female walleyes waiting to be stripped and the last net on the right would be the holding net from the previous nights run.....have fun and if possible I would try to go during the week next week as the walleye should start showing up next week and during the week I would imagine is alot less crowded.

[gregg52]

eggs.....sperm...its all bout sex ....makes the world go around....lol