What fish species is most important in Mille Lacs poll?

[Supercrew]

WOW lighten up Frances.....

[minnfish89]

I agree with RonnyWalleye, why can't we manage for all these species. Most of them occupy at least slightly different niches anyways. But I don't know if they have ever done crappie or bluegill stocking at levels high enough to actually contribute to such a big fishery.

And for the muskies, your incorrect on one point. They have done studies on lakes with introduced muskies, its listed right on the DNR website, heres the link to and a direct quote from the article:

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/fisheries/special_reports/166.pdf

"Our results indicate that fish communities

in lakes actively managed for muskellunge in

Minnesota continue to do well while experiencing

similar variation in abundance as other

Minnesota lakes. The lack of consistent declines

in CPUE for any species over the group

of MS-stocked lakes suggests these fish species

have generally coexisted well with introduced

muskellunge populations. Furthermore,

comparisons with statewide lake class quartiles

showed that MS-stocked lakes maintained

similar abundance levels relative to nonstocked

lakes."

No matter what anyone does, mother nature still plays the biggest role in the system. Its just like any other lake and the fishing goes in cycles, some years its good and some years its not. If the fishing isn't good for a year, switch to a different species or switch to a different lake, I think its as simple as that, just my 2 cents.

[TRZ II]

Originally Posted By: OldenDays

What would you like them to do???? Built crappie cribs in Isle bay???? There is a small niche fishery of sunfish/crappie in Mille lacs but i don't know how you would like the DNR to manage them?

To be honest, I think that would be an excellent idea...put cribs in the bays areas and stock a bunch of crappie and sunfish fry in the lake...I don't see how the walleye popuation will be able to maintain it's historical levels with the way the lake is currently managed..with increased tribal netting quotas and increased pressure from anglers through the use of electronics and walleye fishing tournaments, etc...With more panfish in the lake...it would help augment the fishery as a whole...and probabaly bring less resentment towards tribal nettters given anglers another option to catch and harvest for a meal besides walleye and perch....perch used to be a good option...but it seems there are less and less qulaity sized perch in ML for what ever reason...

WOW stock sunfish and crappie in a 100,000+ acre lake. That is a great idea........i really hope that is a joke! That would make no difference a all unless they stocked an astronomical amount.

[muskiedreams]

Now thats funny!!!!!

[fishorgolf]

Now thats funny!!!!!

I would think you would like the idea, more musky feed.

[Willy]

This should not even be a question. It is eyes no doubt. Mille Lacs does have super natural reproduction and is a walleye factory. It is also one of the more classic walleye lakes in the US.

I also agree with the guy that said if you can't catch eyes on ML, you are doing something wrong. During prime times of the year, the fishing is as good as anywhere.

They are not just going to jump in the boat for people.

As far as Muskies go. It is a great trophy lake, but these fish are pressured so hard that finding a biter is a chore and not done very proficiently by many. Seems to me it was a better Muskie fishery 7-8 years ago.

[muskiedreams]

haha you are a funny dude!!! Thats your reply 2 the study you were looking for!!!????

[mainbutter]

any legal muskie is going to be pickled.

Just remember there's a possession limit of 1. Pickling your musky doesn't remove it from your possession, so finish off those jars before you keep another.

Plenty of people run into legal muskies more often than they can eat off all the meat from a 25-30lb fish.

[james_walleye]

If it was possible to manage a lake for crappies then the DNR would have been able to sustain Red Lake. Mille Lacs is not the type of lake that you would ever see a crappie/sunfish population boom, thrive, and sustain itself to any degree more than what it does now.

Muskies are waaaaay down on the list, if on the list at all, for issues to any lake. I find it funny, down here on French Lake, some locals will kill any muskie they can because they are the reason the crappie population is down. No, the population was down, and now its back up, and in a couple years it will go back down because that is the nature of a crappie lake.

[Spearing Machine]

Tullibee/(cisco) they are an important part of the food chain especially for the larger predatory fish like pike and muskies and the larger walleyes.

[srfishin15]

Why is everyone so concerned about the muskie vs crappie situation when there are twenty pound northern roaming the lake too?? Northern have just as much of an effect on the cappie/perch population as muskies do. IMO the perch is the most important factor in fishing success for the year. Watching the thousands of 2-3 inch perch on the camera each winter gives walleyes,northern,bass,and muskies plenty to eat. Also i don't believe theres a large enough crappie population for the muskies and northerns to have a large effect on.

[Gordie]

I think they shouldn't stock a dang thing. It is, and has always been, a great natural re-producing lake.

Why F with mother nature?

I was told by the DNR years ago that ML reproduces more eye fry than all the dnr rearing ponds put together.

I would have to agree with waterbound the eelpout for real thou the eye has my vote

[urban cowboy]

Muskie

[Supercrew]

Think about this ....... Of all the fishing license $$$$$ spent by residents & out of state, not one nickle goes to support Mille Lac. Mille Lac is the DNR's rearing pond for the state of MN. The lake has supported years of $$$$$$$ for resort owners and, local retailers. One of the biggest industries that this lake supports is the commercial netting of carp to transport to the East coast. Correct me if I am wrong, but is this lake a machine?. It also endures Native netting year after year, selfish fishermen, and yearly struggles with nature. I for one find this lake the most challenging and rewarding lake this state has to offer, Hands Down.

If you fish it they will come, it's not the lake that sucks..... it's your knowledge and approach as to how to fish it on any given day. JMO

(and Elwood,how many Supercrew engine blocks do you have in your front yard?)

[tfin]

Hey,

Does anyone think that musky might be the reason the perch bite has been off in the fall? Surely they don't make a big dent in the population, but do they keep the jumbo's from the bay's? Have not seen them in the southern bays the last 2 years.

[Supercrew]

In the late 90's-2000 my sons and I would look forward to a sunny October afternoon of perching on Wahkon Bay, then Dad passed and the house changed hands, and those days are just a memorie now.... yes you will get a few but not like I used to in the late 70's with my Dad and myself. Things change but you have to learn to make adjustments. We are in the land of 10,000+ lakes, and the opportunities are endless. Keep that in mind when you plan your time on the water. Again just my out loud thoughts, don't want to stir the pot too much....But I don't think we can blame one factor or another for ALL the changes... do you? I think over the years there have been many things that play on others and affect many. Again, if I am wrong correct me, but in my time up on the pond things are good, very good for the rod and reel guy who wants to catch some fish.

And create new memories.

GL, Supercrew

[urban cowboy]

Muskie

[mrmanners]

Muskie

[james_walleye]

In the late 90's-2000 my sons and I would look forward to a sunny October afternoon of perching on Wahkon Bay, then Dad passed and the house changed hands, and those days are just a memorie now.... yes you will get a few but not like I used to in the late 70's with my Dad and myself. Things change but you have to learn to make adjustments. We are in the land of 10,000+ lakes, and the opportunities are endless. Keep that in mind when you plan your time on the water. Again just my out loud thoughts, don't want to stir the pot too much....But I don't think we can blame one factor or another for ALL the changes... do you? I think over the years there have been many things that play on others and affect many. Again, if I am wrong correct me, but in my time up on the pond things are good, very good for the rod and reel guy who wants to catch some fish.

And create new memories.

GL, Supercrew

The last 2 falls my friend who has a place at Mille Lacs island has called and told me to get my rear up there because they were catching a couple hundred perch a day in Wahkon Bay. Drop a jig and minnowhead over the side of the boat in 5-6 feet of water and you had a perch.

[10,000 Casts]

When I go to a lake, I like to fish more than 1 species, I like good fishing for ALL of the above! IMO, Mille Lacs is a multi species lake.. Give her some time, she'll come around on the Walleye and Muskies again!!!

[tfin]

thanks james,

I guess i was missing the bite

[BrdHunter01]

Hey,

Does anyone think that musky might be the reason the perch bite has been off in the fall? Surely they don't make a big dent in the population, but do they keep the jumbo's from the bay's? Have not seen them in the southern bays the last 2 years.

Muskies are "territorial" predator fish.....

As for the most important.... I would say every singly one EXCEPT the only "non-native" fish to swim.... THE MUSKIE!

If I ever catch one that is within the legal limit it will be in the box and taste MIGHTY good

[Roosterslayer05]

Yea I dont know why muskies were ever stocked into Mille Lacs. Its such a good trophy northern lake. There are very few lakes in the state that produce northerns of that quality. Iv read studies that say muskies dont affect northern pops etc, but I dont see how that can be totally true. Introducing a large predator fish has to do something to the northerns.(even if its minute) They hang out in similiar areas and eat the same food. They must compete with eachother in the lake. I would like to see data on the average size/population estimation of northerns before muskies were introduced and after.

[minnfish89]

Alright heres the data, its all in the article I had mentioned earlier but i'll post it again....

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/fisheries/special_reports/166.pdf

And another quote from the article that I found interesting...

"Our results suggest the existing muskellunge

management program has established

muskellunge populations while generally

maintaining the abundance and weight of

sympatric northern pike populations. Many

studies have focused on the negative relationship

between northern pike and muskellunge

(Dombeck et al. 1986, Inskip 1986; Inskip and

Magnuson 1986; Johnson 1981; Threinen and

Oehmcke 1950), with the northern pike considered

to have an ecological advantage when

the two species coexist, especially during early

life stages (Hess and Hartwell 1978)."

I do agree with the whole idea that they are a non-native, and maybe they shouldn't be in there. But they are, and they are offering a great fishing opportunity for those that like to chase em. Why can't everyone enjoy the fact that Mille Lacs is a great fishery with so many different fishing opportunities. Just because your species is not biting in a particular year does not mean some other fish ate them all or chased them all away.

Good fishing goes in cycles. So get out there as much as you can while they are biting

[Loose]

Yea I dont know why muskies were ever stocked into Mille Lacs. Its such a good trophy northern lake. There are very few lakes in the state that produce northerns of that quality. Iv read studies that say muskies dont affect northern pops etc, but I dont see how that can be totally true. Introducing a large predator fish has to do something to the northerns.(even if its minute) They hang out in similiar areas and eat the same food. They must compete with eachother in the lake. I would like to see data on the average size/population estimation of northerns before muskies were introduced and after.

The pike got bigger, I hear them muskies are high in protein.

[Jeff13]

I usually stay out of this kind of stuff because I just don't care usually how uneducated most people are that throw out the "I hate muskies, Blame the muskie", "Muskies taste so good", "I'm killing one if I ever catch one". God you guys are so rediculous.

Seriously blame muskies for why you can't catch a walleye, a perch, or what ever you want to blame them for.

First off Mille Lacs has just a awesome all around fishing experience to be offered. You could say it's the best multi-species lake in the state. Guess what it's got skies in it!!

So does leech, cass, winnie, these lakes right now are the hottest lakes in the state for walleyes. I guess the muskies have eaten everything in these lakes to. Sure they are natural there but, I would think that muskies stocked or not would have a huge effect on a lakes balance. Especially one the size of Mille Lacs.

If you think muskies are damaging the population of the lake think about these factors:

- Mortality (hooking) lots of pressure on this lake

- obvious netting

- cycles, yes the lake does go through cycles if you know someone who has fished the lake for years they will tell you that.

- everyone and there grandma taking there limit every time they go out there. Nothing wrong with taking your limit but I know people just pound the lake and take fish every day.

-baitfish

Someone mentioned earlier that the walleye is king on Mille Lacs, and yes I agree it's the most important fish out there. I think the Muskie though is hands down #2!

A few years ago you could not find a place to stay up there because there was muskie anlgers everywhere. I mean go up there in july and just look at the the north end, it looked like the Normandy invasion. Look at October and November, where are the walleye anglers?? There were some but the lake was just being pounded by hundreds of muskie anglers. These anglers made a huge impact on the area tourism and resorts.

Now I am just off on a rant, guess it's sunday night and I was just bored. Just sick of the constant hard headedness and ignorance of all you muskie haters. You may think I must be 100% die hard muskie angler. NO, I am not I fish muskies yes, but walleyes are my number 1.

Can't wait for opener in 6 days, good luck to all of you out there.

Jeff

[james_walleye]

+1 Jeff

I fish some good walleye lakes that wouldnt be walleye lakes without being stocked. According to some peoples logic I guess we should quit stocking these southern MN dishpan lakes with walleyes and just let the native carp and bullheads rome alone.

[rcatcherman]

Jeff if they were muskie guys they couldn't catch them either.. HA HA ! just my 2 cents worth.

[BrdHunter01]

Someone mentioned earlier that the walleye is king on Mille Lacs, and yes I agree it's the most important fish out there. I think the Muskie though is hands down #2!

The lake was just fine, and probably better before the Muskies were introduced. And I'm talking all species of fish, not just the walleye.

It's funny how all you Musky fishermen express there is no problem, they do nothing but swim around and eat rough-fish

[james_walleye]

Brd, the best muskie lakes in MN are all some of, if not thee best walleye lakes in MN. How do you explain this is the muskies are so detrimental to the systems?

BTW...im not a muskie guy....im a walleye guy.