Smallmouth harvest on Mille Lacs

[Craigums]

I actually contacted BASS on Friday about the situation and an editor contacted me in 20 minutes and said he forwarded my message to their director of conservation. Not saying they will do anything but we can get BASS talking to the DNR maybe something can be done.

Way to go, keep us posted

[thatoneguy]

SO the walleye fishery is suffering and it's the smallies, not the muskies like it is everywhere else?? Huh... Mille Lacs sure is a weird lake.

On a serious note... This is really a sad deal. Potentially sacrificing a world class fishery for the sake of another species the management of which is completely wrapped around the axle because of politics and legal gymnastics.

Same old story. When it comes to Minnesota fisheries, it's Walleyes Uber Alles.

Ain't that the sad truth. bassfshn24 - thanks for taking the initiative to reach out to BASS; that's a great idea! I'll make a call myself. If they get enough calls, our chances that they will act improves (I hope).

[TurnUpTheFishing]

I actually contacted BASS on Friday about the situation and an editor contacted me in 20 minutes and said he forwarded my message to their director of conservation. Not saying they will do anything but we can get BASS talking to the DNR maybe something can be done.

[pushbutton]

The more I think about this issue, am starting to wonder if you bass guys even have much to worry about other than yourselves. Don't know what short of rotenone is going to oust the bass from the lake. Doubt the slot itself helped that much getting them established.... rather the bass fisherman's lack of harvest, reduction of the walleye population, and whatever environmental factors that have enabled them to expand the last few decades. It's very possible the six bag with the slot will not hurt the population much at all because the netters and eyeball guys will keep taking away their main competition and have no desire to eat or net them.

Green lake is brought up a lot and can tell you after being on the lake every weekend that after the slots were relaxed hardly anyone was keeping them ...yes, there were the few grumpy old belly slitters....but no offense, the bass guys themselves were to blame for the hurt put on the big fish numbers. Wall hangers and tourney guys were out there in mass nearly every weekend. There are still a ton of small fish out there. And if anything is going to put the hurt on the overall remaining population, it will be because of the rapidly growing population of largemouth.

[CAMAN]

If ANY good comes of this it would be bass tournaments will finally be able to be held out there. And taking some stress off the other big bass fisheries around the metro.

[Superduty]

The more I think about this issue, am starting to wonder if you bass guys even have much to worry about other than yourselves. Don't know what short of rotenone is going to oust the bass from the lake. Doubt the slot itself helped that much getting them established.... rather the bass fisherman's lack of harvest, reduction of the walleye population, and whatever environmental factors that have enabled them to expand the last few decades. It's very possible the six bag with the slot will not hurt the population much at all because the netters and eyeball guys will keep taking away their main competition and have no desire to eat or net them.

Green lake is brought up a lot and can tell you after being on the lake every weekend that after the slots were relaxed hardly anyone was keeping them ...yes, there were the few grumpy old belly slitters....but no offense, the bass guys themselves were to blame for the hurt put on the big fish numbers. Wall hangers and tourney guys were out there in mass nearly every weekend. There are still a ton of small fish out there. And if anything is going to put the hurt on the overall remaining population, it will be because of the rapidly growing population of largemouth.

I tend to agree with Pushbutton. I don't think keeping smallies under 17" will have a dramatic impact on Mille Lac's smallie population. It might even select for MORE trophy smallies by reducing competition from the smaller fish.

As far as Green Lake is concerned, I agree that the tourney fisherman (myself included) have had a negative effect on the smallie population. We have been hammering those poor spawning fish every weekend in June for years now. A true 3lber is not all that common on Green anymore.

Although the Largemouth population has taken off in the last few years, I wouldn't look for them to displace the smallies. The largemouth increased as the milfoil increased on Green. The lake association is pretty much doing everything they can to eliminate the milfoil and have been very successful. The largemouth will go away with the milfoil. For a few years tournaments were being won with all largemouth. Lately it is smallies winning again with the occasional big largemouth in the mix.

[thatoneguy]

Maybe, Superduty, but if enough sub-17" fish are harvested, it won't take too many years for the trophy fish numbers to be sharply reduced. 20 inchers, after all, were once 16 inchers.

And given the manic nature of some dedicated walleye chasers, I've little doubt that there be lots of smallies kept, out of the silly notion that the smallies are responsible for the walleye issues.

[James_R]

This is really scary! Most angler wont keep bass or smallies as they are kind of a sport fish. I am a huge smallmouth fisherman and finding lakes that hold trophy class smallies like Mille Lacs is rare. Now we are giving the meat eaters and people that dont know what sport fishing is the ability to ruin a great smallie fishery. Its really sad and smallies is pretty much all the pond has left!

If most anglers won't keep bass or smallies then how would an increased bag limit ruin the fishery?

[jentz]

Bassinboy the same thing happened on Green Lake by Spicer,MN.The walleye people had the rules offed to get the bass out of the lake.The bass were taking over with Minimum legnths set and the eye population was dropping for lac of food.Come on out and catch and release all you want!! The mortality rate will increase.Take some wall hangers while your at it!!Help drop the population and get that lake back into ballance!!

[TurnUpTheFishing]

The more I think about this issue, am starting to wonder if you bass guys even have much to worry about other than yourselves.

Pot, meet kettle...

Cause the walleye guys wanting to off just about anything but 'eyes is different?

[pushbutton]

Don't quite follow your response, but get the jist of it. Like wise you are not following mine because I had no intention of stirring the pot. Not ripping ...just saying. Not a walleye guy.....fish for anything...and let most go....and when I do release will kill a few fish every once in awhile.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Got ya, just misunderstanding I suppose...

I consider myself a multi species guy too but really love bass fishing. The C&R mentality instilled in me growing up bass fishing has crossed over to everything I fish for, maybe keep a few for a meal but for me its all about the catch not the meal after.

[corncob]

I think it's the cormorants that are the culprits!....Kill the cormorants!, their everywhere, their everywhere!... Just about every walleye angler that I know keeps their catch while my bass fishing aquaintances practice catch and release....Plus their are WAY MORE walleye fisherman in Minnesota than bass chasers, so is it any wonder that walleye numbers must constantly be replenished....If eye chasers practiced CPR like bass folks do the MilleLacs walleye dilemma would be solved.

[thatoneguy]

+1

[apegs]

Why doesnt someone as start a petition?

[TruthWalleyes]

I think it's the cormorants that are the culprits!....Kill the cormorants!, their everywhere, their everywhere!... Just about every walleye angler that I know keeps their catch while my bass fishing aquaintances practice catch and release....Plus their are WAY MORE walleye fisherman in Minnesota than bass chasers, so is it any wonder that walleye numbers must constantly be replenished....If eye chasers practiced CPR like bass folks do the MilleLacs walleye dilemma would be solved.

Well you just met one that releases 99% of his catch.

[Craigums]

The more I think about this the less I get worked up about it. Most bass fisherman practice catch and release and most walleye guys arent going to keep and eat smallies. The only reason for concern would be people intentionally removing smallies for no reason. That would fall under wanton waste, only non sportsman would do that...people that wouldn't mind poaching smallies right now. There is still a season which is going to protect these fish.

Do I think it's going to help the walleye situation? NO.

Do I think it's going to ruin the smallie fishery in ML? Not Really.

Does opening a limit of smallies increase the revenue for the area? You bet, Alot of tournament anglers will be visiting and staying in the area.

[bassfshin24]

I hope if the limit does pass through the DNR it passes with the regulations I mentioned earlier. Then I won't be as worried. I know when they were first talking about the 6 fish limit, it included 6 fish of any size. Hopefully that doesnt happen.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

You think the walleye guys feel entitled? Listening to some of you bass boys cry about a few smallies being kept is hilarious.

How many walleye guys are championing smallies as being the main reason the walleye population is down? There may be a few but not many. Im a walleye guy, i pass on bass. I garuntee you I WILL NOT be keeping any smallmouth when i go fishing on mille lacs nor will I target them. And I bet 90% of the rest of the walleye anglers will be the same. Smallies are not going to disappear from lake mille lacs, and guess what- Theres a reason there are so many resorts on the lake and it aint the smallmouth fishin'.

[bassfshin24]

I don't think us bass guys are crying at all. I think us bass guys are just worried about our species and we are voicing our opinion about the regulations that are probably coming. I don't think any bass guy has a problem with a few smallies being kept. I do think 6 fish is a little excessive though.

[Craigums]

I don't think us bass guys are crying at all. I think us bass guys are just worried about our species and we are voicing our opinion about the regulations that are probably coming. I don't think any bass guy has a problem with a few smallies being kept. I do think 6 fish is a little excessive though.

6 fish is a normal bass limit on most all lakes though...

[bassfshin24]

I know it is. I just feel with the size of the smallmouth in that lake that the bigger fish need to be protected. If the regulations are put in place to protect the bigger fish then I can deal with it.

[CAMAN]

Can anyone imagine seeing the Bassmaster Classic(or even a BASS or FLW level tournament) on Mille Lacs?!? That would be epic!!

[Craigums]

Can anyone imagine seeing the Bassmaster Classic(or even a BASS or FLW level tournament) on Mille Lacs?!? That would be epic!!

Agreed, I would love to see that

[bassfshin24]

It would be amazing too see how the pro's would fish it. I bet there would be some monster bags brought in.

[CaptainMusky]

I don't think us bass guys are crying at all. I think us bass guys are just worried about our species and we are voicing our opinion about the regulations that are probably coming. I don't think any bass guy has a problem with a few smallies being kept. I do think 6 fish is a little excessive though.

The bass population in Mille Lacs wouldnt be what it is had the walleye population not plummeted.

Mille lacs has been a stable fishery for many many years, but the walleye numbers have taken a serious dive. Conversely the bass population is better than it ever has been. Not a coincidence.

They are not THE reason walleyes are reduced, but they are one of the reasons keeping it from rebounding quickly.

I wouldnt advocate for a 6 bass limit on any lake. Bass are a sport fish and the vast majority of people release what they catch regardless of if they are able to keep them or not.

Its pretty easy to sit here and say you are all about conservation and the protection of "your fish", but hypocritical when your actions contradict your words. Harrassing spawning fish who are sitting ducks sitting on a bed? Oh, but I release them? Well, how much harm is done when you and the countless other anglers catch the same fish over and over?

I wouldnt worry about average joe angler keeping 6 smallies. I dont even know a single person who has ever kept one.

[bassin]

Not sure why everybody wants to see tourneys out there. That would be worse than anything. I fish tournaments but love fishing Mille Lacs more and dont want to see it opened up any further so there is one every weekned. Waconia is good now, but do you have any idea how good it was when the slot limit was out there? Before there was a tourney every other weekend out there? Same thing will happen to Mille lacs if the slot is opened up a little more. Sure, its a big lake. But it doesnt fish that big for bass. Careful what you wish for....

[bassfshin24]

I think your right bassin. I was just saying it would be interesting to see the pros hit it. I dont think I would like the lake to be opened up to tourney's either.

I get what your saying Captain Musky but I really don't want to get into the spawning arguement now. There is no conclusive evidence that shows that fishing spawning bass hurts the population. Anywho that's the only thing I am going to say about the spawning arguement.

[CaptainMusky]

I get what your saying Captain Musky but I really don't want to get into the spawning arguement now. There is no conclusive evidence that shows that fishing spawning bass hurts the population. Anywho that's the only thing I am going to say about the spawning arguement.

I understand, but ask your wife how she would like a jig and craw dangled over her head while in labor. LOL Im pretty sure that thing would come back at you with lightning speed! :-)

[bassfshin24]

Lol...I don't even think she liked me looking at her during labor!