Going up to Pine Is. this weekend

[The Big Gaffer]

I drive an envoy. We have a 700 fish house on a 4 place aluminum trailer. Do I need to bring a four wheller up to get it out there? What do you guys think? I kind of like to gamble. But I don't like to loose. At the least could we get out over the island with the vehicle and take the fourwheeler from there? Also, what is with all these little fish I am hearing about. We have had the same thing for two years. Why don't these little guys grow.

[Lip RIPPER!]

The fish have grown. They used to be 8-10 inchers.

[woodman]

I just got off the phone with the Wigwam, and Adrians is reporting 11-12 inches of ice. They are allowing small cars, but no big trucks as of today. You may want to call them before you head up and ask. They said they have lots of snow, so call ahead.<P>Woodman

[widetrack]

It might have something to do with the 784,000 pound of walleyes harvested last year. Over 400,000 lbs were winter harvested.<P>That is over 300,000 lbs over target by the way. (total).<P>It may not be a issue yet, but I see the harvest levels as somewhat of a disturbing trend.<P>Hopefully the DNR will make adjustments as they see fit as time goes on.<P>Personally I'd love to see a 18-28(release) slot. <p>[This message has been edited by widetrack (edited 12-10-2003).]

[The Big Gaffer]

I have fished up at LOW for about 25 years. I am 29 now and my grandpa had a place up there. When I was a kid, it seemed we would always catch some nice 2# walleyes and 3 or 4 times a winter catch a 5 or 6 pounder (when ice fishing) The last 4 years I have been up there probably 25 times (ice fishing) and we have only pulled in about 3 fish over 5#. Tons and tons of cigars but not too many 2# walleyes. I don't know what is going on. It is still excellent fishing but it seems to me the size has went down on them. Last year on Upper Red were the biggest walleyes I caught all winter.

[LABS4ME]

You're right...alot of the fish do get cropped at the minimum, but I'd take 16" fish being cropped over all those 12"ers. Most of the 16's will have pulled off a spawn, there is no way a 12" walleye is sexually mature enough to spawn. When we fish So.Dak. most of the walleyes caught are 14-17" and they do get exploited at 16-16.5" (16" minimum), but we tended to keep those and throw all the ones 18" and over back as it was no big deal to get your limit of 16's. I really think there is something going on up there where the population is out of whack size wise and it has something to do with the amount and size of fish kept. If for example, the limits were lowered, there would be no way guys would settle for keeping 12" fish, so why do they do it just because you can keep 6? I don't think WI is the standard we should use for fish biology, they have really mucked that state up (and I know it isn't all due to their DNR). I'm not claiming to be a biologist again just my obsevations and gut feelings.<P>Good Luck! Ken

[LABS4ME]

Not a complaint here, just stating an observation...I feel over the ten years I have ice fished the lake, the average size fish caught and kept has gone down considerably. How many small fish made up the 350,000+ pounds of overage? You can see it on this forum daily, or in the cleaning houses around the lake, guys keeping 12" walleyes. When you crop them off at 12" they don't grow any bigger!!! Seeing the same thing on Cass during the past two summers, and I think the trend is if you're keeping 12's it isn't a big leap to throw some 11's on top also and call 'em 12's. I see guys keeping 10"-12" sauger and the blanket statement is "oh well, they don't get very big anyways". I've caught my share of 14-19" sauger to know they do get bigger! I wish our DNR would put a minimum size on walleye at 16" like So.Dak.(even 14" like Kabetogema) then they at least have a chance of pulling off 1 spawn before going in the pan, but until then, guys should keep a meal of 14-19" fish and let the smaller ones swim. You still get the enjoyment of catching a lot of fish, and you'll still have a nice meal of fish. The resorts can also plant the seed in their client's minds to keep fish 14" or over, this will actually help there businesses long term. I'm not knocking the fishery at all, I still enjoy my trips up there each year, but I think a little selective harvest by us will show in the quality of the fish we catch!<P>Good Luck! Ken

[Gopher]

From what I have read (including Richard Sternberg, former DNR walleye fisheries expert) the worst thing you can do is implement a minimum size. You end up with a cigar pond and the fish get cut off at the minimum. For a lake with natural reproduction, a protected slot for the spawners is more effective (see Winni). <P>Let the fish over say 18" go so they can spawn.<P>The Walleye Insider had a report on Wisconsins' 15" minimum size limit. Anglers are keeping less fish but they aren't catching more and the size has not increased. That's a bad deal.<P>If there is a real problem, rather than a natural cycle in the fish or forage population, the DNR needs to use their expert knowledge and act.