Smallmouth harvest on Mille Lacs

[DrJuice1980]

Amazing that walleye lakes get the lions share of our stocking $$$$$$ , yet, who are the biggest whiners?.......Maybe there should be a push to get the same dollars for bass stocking in lakes that dont naturally reproduce, just like for walleye?.....

Bass will naturally reproduce just about anywhere. Walleyes will not.

[Search Function]

Walleyes are king here, if you had a Bass rally you might be able to get 4 or 5 people to show up.

Are you really that ignorant about how popular tournament bass fishing is and how hardcore us bass guys are about fishing. I guarantee if B.A.S.S. were to hold an Elite Series Tournament on Mille Lacs it would be the best attended tournament in MN fishing history.

I don't for a second believe B.A.S.S. or FLW are gonna bring a major tournament here. Our DNR just isn't bass fisherman friendly.

[GravelBar]

How many times has this happened to you? You have a bass, and you're trying to find an exciting new way to prepare it for the dinner table. You could scale the bass, remove the bass' tail, head and bones, and serve the fish as you would any other fish dinner. But why bother, now that you can use Rovco's amazing new kitchen tool, the Super Bass-o-Matic '76. Yes, fish-eaters, the days of troublesome scaling, cutting and gutting are over, because Super Bass-o-Matic '76 is the tool that lets you use the bass with no fish waste, and without scaling, cutting or gutting.

[walleye18]

so mark my words....give Mille Lacs 3-5 years of harvest on the smallies and it will be a vastly changed smallmouth fishery. Will it be ruined? hard to say, could be? BUT definetly different than it is now.

I love all types of fishing on Mille Lacs. Walleyes, Muskies, Smallies.

Hate to see the DNR open up the smallies to harvest like this. They got this one wrong. Too bad.

I remember the days when ML was king. Sad to see we let the native americans ruin it. No matter how you cut it, the lake started to go down hill when the netting nd spearing all started....just like the lakes in Wisconsin.

[ted4887]

I've read all the preceding posts, and it got me thinking, so I decided to access the DNR web site in the fish stocking section.Just as I thought, walleyes are by far THE MOST STOCKED fish in the state with trout and panfish thereafter, with a small percentage, and bass bringing up the rear.....100's and 100's of lakes each year are stocked with eyes, all over the state....The only time bass are stocked is in the case of freeze out, with no stocking at all in the vast majority of Minnesotas lakes......Amazing that walleye lakes get the lions share of our stocking $$$$$$ , yet, who are the biggest whiners?.......Maybe there should be a push to get the same dollars for bass stocking in lakes that dont naturally reproduce, just like for walleye?.....

It's just another reason that it's time to start making these whiny little walleye fisherman buy a walleye stamp.

[Hawg]

Get rid of the nets and ALMOST everyone will be happy.

[Portlis]

I'm a "walleye guy" that's never actually specifically fished for smallies and I'd STILL rather hook into a nice smallmouth than any other species of fish in MN.

As was stated earlier, pound for pound smallies destroy walleyes in terms of a good battle. I still have fond memories of catching 5-6lb smallies while walleye fishing on a small northern MN lake when I was around 12 years old. They were so powerful I thought they were going to pull me in....

I'd rather have a memorable fight with an amazing smallmouth than a tasty dinner (and I reaaally like walleyes), but I guess that's just me.

[FutbolGuru]

The fisherman inside of me hates to see an amazing thing like Mille Lac's world class smallmouth fishery be put in any type of danger. That said, the realist in me understands that the Mille Lacs lake area thrives off an economy driven by the walleye.

The above makes for a tough situation in itself... throw in the tribal stuff on top of it all and you really have yourself a complex problem. Nothing is ever simple with this lake. All of the politics constantly surrounding it tarnish the lake's appeal IMO... it's a shame really.

[skee0025]

Walleyes are king here, if you had a Bass rally you might be able to get 4 or 5 people to show up.

"Are you really that ignorant about how popular tournament bass fishing is and how hardcore us bass guys are about fishing."

While i appreciate your zeal, you seems to over estimate the draw that would be needed. I was referring to the idea that bass fisherman should push for the same level of funding for bass stocking as is received by walleye stocking programs. Bass fishing just isnt as popular here as it is down south. The turn out against such a reallocation of funding would dwarf any turnout that bass fisherman could muster.

[Gordie]

Get rid of the nets and ALMOST everyone will be happy.

Its funny how these nets take more

Than these nets each year

[Search Function]

"Are you really that ignorant about how popular tournament bass fishing is and how hardcore us bass guys are about fishing."

While i appreciate your zeal, you seems to over estimate the draw that would be needed. I was referring to the idea that bass fisherman should push for the same level of funding for bass stocking as is received by walleye stocking programs. Bass fishing just isnt as popular here as it is down south. The turn out against such a reallocation of funding would dwarf any turnout that bass fisherman could muster.

Bass are doing just fine in this state without the need for stocking. That is because of the bass catch and release ethic among it's fishermen. I highly doubt those who are saying that the smallmouth fishing in Mille Lacs will drastically go down hill in a couple of years. Yes it probably won't be quite as good as it was under the almost total catch and release reg the lake was under before. The fishing will still be pretty good, just like it is in Green Lake down in SW MN.

[greenbackslayer]

HAHA those nets that the natives are putting out are taking by a group of people that are most likely wasting half of what they are netting. The fisherman nets may take more. But its from a very large group of FISHERMAN not NETMEN. There are hundreds of thousands of true fisherman that fish Mille Lacs. If there were that many natives that were netting the only thing they and everyone else would be getting is zebra mussels

[greenbackslayer]

I dont care how many fish they want to have in possession. But they should have to catch them with a pole in a boat like the rest of us. I dont even care if they could keep any size fish they wanted to. Make them catch them like a true fisherman. The way the sport of fishing was intended. Anyone can net a fish with no skill at all because the walleye are spawning. the walleye have nowhere else to go.

[Alagnak]

Thats funny. The natives in Alaska where I work in Bristol Bay (that have been there for thousands of years) think we're all idiots for spending thousands of dollars chasing around a fish with a fishing pole for fun. When they are out with nets to get enough fish for the winter for themselves and the sled dogs. It does seem a little goofy when you think about it but of course I love it.

[Walleyehooker]

Watching some of these episodes on TV about people living in Alaska that have these scoopers and nets to catch fish for them and their dogs looks like they might starve to death. I guess you can blame it on the hook and liners to. Doesn't seem to be many critters left around either.

[Willy]

I've read all the preceding posts, and it got me thinking, so I decided to access the DNR web site in the fish stocking section.Just as I thought, walleyes are by far THE MOST STOCKED fish in the state with trout and panfish thereafter, with a small percentage, and bass bringing up the rear.....100's and 100's of lakes each year are stocked with eyes, all over the state....The only time bass are stocked is in the case of freeze out, with no stocking at all in the vast majority of Minnesotas lakes......Amazing that walleye lakes get the lions share of our stocking $$$$$$ , yet, who are the biggest whiners?.......Maybe there should be a push to get the same dollars for bass stocking in lakes that dont naturally reproduce, just like for walleye?.....

The DNR will never stock bass. They don't need to. A bass is one step up from a carp or bullhead. You can't kill em very easily, they are very hardy on their own and they spawn a reproduce like bunny rabbits.

Another reason they don't stock them in lakes is because walleye fisherman outnumber bass fisherman in this state 100:1 or more.

I really could care less what they do with the smallies in Mille Lacs. I will admit I have fished them before and it is fun. Never kept a bass in my life that I can remember as I have always been taught to toss them back and that they don't taste good anyway.

Mille Lacs is a walleye lake. It is one of a very select few that has the ability to produce walleyes on its own at an astonishing rate compared to many other lakes. That is the reason the eyes are the main deal going on there. Everyone wants to protect them and see them thrive there. Smallies can and will thrive in many other lakes on their own. Walleyes have a hard time doing so in many lakes without some stocking assistance from the DNR.

Honestly you have a handful of big walleye factories. This state is not about to let them go to pot in favor of bass. Sorry, they just won't.

[Gordie]

HAHA those nets that the natives are putting out are taking by a group of people that are most likely wasting half of what they are netting. The fisherman nets may take more. But its from a very large group of FISHERMAN not NETMEN. There are hundreds of thousands of true fisherman that fish Mille Lacs. If there were that many natives that were netting the only thing they and everyone else would be getting is zebra mussels

What's the difference if the end result is the same a dead fish is a dead fish doesn't matter if it was caught with a fishing pole or in a gill net its still dead. The numbers are per year not per person. When will people stop and understand this. If they didn't net these fish then what, you would want more total pounds over the time you fish. So again what's the difference that fish you took home is no more alive than the one the tribe gill netted. Eventually its the same fish regardless of who eats it.

[CaptainMusky]

What's the difference if the end result is the same a dead fish is a dead fish doesn't matter if it was caught with a fishing pole or in a gill net its still dead. The numbers are per year not per person. When will people stop and understand this. If they didn't net these fish then what, you would want more total pounds over the time you fish. So again what's the difference that fish you took home is no more alive than the one the tribe gill netted. Eventually its the same fish regardless of who eats it.

I believe the point he was trying to make that a hook and line fisherman would release a fish he didnt intend to consume, but a gill net cannot release fish. Fish they do not want get tossed in the ditch or thrown back in the water because they all count toward a quota. If they hit the pike quota (roughly 2000# I believe), they are DONE with netting, regardless of how many walleyes they have.

[Search Function]

Quote:

Another reason they don't stock them in lakes is because walleye fisherman outnumber bass fisherman in this state 100:1 or more.

Maybe during ice fishing season. When bass are open in the summer

I doubt it's even 10:1 primarily fishing for walleye's than primarily fishing for bass in this state. On Mille Lacs I'd guess it might be anywhere from 50:1 to 5:1 on any given summer day. I wish there were some hard numbers on this. If there out there, I can't find them.

It's to bad this forum doesn't have a option to put together a poll.

[Stick in Mud]

I'd also be interested to know the relative proportion of people who primarily fish bass vs. walleyes vs. catfish etc. etc.

In terms of a "poll," a quick look at the number of posts in the bass and walleye forums would lead one to believe that there are more bass guys, as there are toughly 66,000 posts compared to 23,000 in the walleye thread. Of course, that doesn't prove a thing regarding how many fishermen in the state there are, but it is interesting.

[Coach1310]

What's the difference if the end result is the same a dead fish is a dead fish doesn't matter if it was caught with a fishing pole or in a gill net its still dead. The numbers are per year not per person. When will people stop and understand this. If they didn't net these fish then what, you would want more total pounds over the time you fish. So again what's the difference that fish you took home is no more alive than the one the tribe gill netted. Eventually its the same fish regardless of who eats it.

I don't fish Mille Lacs much, so I don't have much of a dog in this fight. Some of the differences I see:

#1- If anglers were the ONLY ones harvesting on Mille Lacs, the DNR would have total control over the lake and control over everything but mother nature, which would make a difference.

#2- If anglers were the ONLY ones harvesting on Mille Lacs, the economic impact would be HUGE compared to the lack of impact with tribal netting.

#3- If anglers were the ONLY ones harvesting on Mille Lacs, I would bet you may even be able to sell a Walleye permit for the lake to help with costs associated with rebuilding the lake for whatever needed- studies, treatment of zebra mussels, whatever need be.

To me, the skinny on it is no matter what the lake is like, with Tribal netting a whole bunch of people are bitter. Also, I believe that the success of the muskie and smallmouth in the lake will make it much more difficult to return the lake to its prominence(I have no facts or background to back this up).. the simple for me is there are new things in the system and there has to be a GIVE since these are TAKING. I am glad I am not the one having to decide how to go about this as there are WAY too many people with a dog in this fight for it to ever end well.

An interesting question I would propose is, how much $$$ do the tribes generate with their part of the quota? What if the state found a way to basically PAY them to not exercise their right to net there with a contract payment? Would that solve a lot of the problems???

[ntrider]

[Coach1310]

I guess i dont really understand the question and i cant answer for the Tribes, but i would think that for a lot of them it isnt about the money and it is a way of life and their right. Now i cant net but if i ask myself how much money would it take for the DNR to pay me to stop hunting and fishing and i can go buy my fish in the grocery store, i guess i would have to say that the DNR probably couldnt afford it.

I assume that part of this netting is for profit and not just a way of life. I could be wrong, but I can't fathom what you do with all the fish if you aren't selling some of them. My question is, if a large chunk of these fish are sold, why not offer to buy out that share. So if 20,000 lbs are netted to be sold and the value is $5/lb, pay them $100,000 NOT to net. I understand it probably isn't possible, but just a thought.

In regard to what the DNR would have to pay you to not hunt/fish. I don't think that is an apples to apples comparison. The sheer volume of the netting practice creates a huge difference between the two and I would venture to guess that the average sportsman/fisherman spends more money per fish than any netting practice does just due to the passion aspect. I may not understand this at all, but that is just my thought.

[Walleyehooker]

The ONLY reason there are any fish left in the lakes and animals in the woods is because of sportsman buying licences and paying taxes to support the DNR and management.

[walleye18]

right on walleyehooker!!!

What puts all of us in a "fit" is when the DNR and government gets involved and screws it all up, makes the wrong calls in favor of $$, etc...

[Gordie]

I don't fish Mille Lacs much, so I don't have much of a dog in this fight. Some of the differences I see:

#1- If anglers were the ONLY ones harvesting on Mille Lacs, the DNR would have total control over the lake and control over everything but mother nature, which would make a difference.

#2- If anglers were the ONLY ones harvesting on Mille Lacs, the economic impact would be HUGE compared to the lack of impact with tribal netting.

#3- If anglers were the ONLY ones harvesting on Mille Lacs, I would bet you may even be able to sell a Walleye permit for the lake to help with costs associated with rebuilding the lake for whatever needed- studies, treatment of zebra mussels, whatever need be.

If Only people would realize Mille Lacs is not the ONLY lake with walleyes in it.

[Red Miller]

Well that's true however, there are few lakes in MN that even come close when it comes to sheer numbers and quality of walleye fishing. We've done okay on Rainy and pretty good on Leech. Never fished Namakin, Kab or Cass.

[ted4887]

I assume that part of this netting is for profit and not just a way of life. I could be wrong, but I can't fathom what you do with all the fish if you aren't selling some of them. My question is, if a large chunk of these fish are sold, why not offer to buy out that share. So if 20,000 lbs are netted to be sold and the value is $5/lb, pay them $100,000 NOT to net. I understand it probably isn't possible, but just a thought.

And who is going to fork the bill for buying that out?

[thatoneguy]

The ONLY reason there are any fish left in the lakes and animals in the woods is because of sportsman buying licences and paying taxes to support the DNR and management.

That doesn't even pass the giggle test.

[Coach1310]

And who is going to fork the bill for buying that out?

Like I said, maybe it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but $100,000 isn't a lot of money when you consider the amount of $$$ being spent right now doing research, running studies, having all these input meetings, etc. I do, however think that you could get quite a bit of support from the public and resorts for some kind of tag/stamp/permit to fish Mille Lacs if $$$ was the issue. I know you would get plenty of resorts on board with a fee to put towards buying out the netting. The better the walleye fishing, the more money they make. They are going to have a couple of tough years until this is figured out. In my opinion, you will ONLY get this support if you eliminate the netting. I have said many times, I don't have a real dog in this fight, so it doesn't really affect me either way as I fish Mille Lacs maybe once a year, so I am not saying the netting is wrong or anti treaty. I just see this as a way to possibly fix the fishery.

Gordie- in regard to it NOT being the only walleye lake in MN.... true, but if you could build a walleye lake from scratch it would be a lot like Mille Lacs as far as what it naturally offers. Also, its proximity and access to the metro will always make it the most debated water in Minnesota.