New regulations updated. Walleye limit 3!

[traveler]

I think he may have been just a tad sardonic with this comment, don't you think?

nope, didn't read that way to me.

[kgpcr4]

Whats wrong with meat on the pole? There are plenty of deer and yes I love venison so I WANT meat on a pole.I shoot a deer a year and have ZERO remorse about it. I have NO problem keeping a limit of fish. I get my limit and stop. the high and mighty C&R guys will catch 50 on a good day and will kill more than I do. In a video that was posted on here they showed them catching a lot of fish with many hooked deep by the looks of it. How many of those fish died being they swallowed it on a tip up? Gut hooking a fish is never good.

[pushbutton]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with meat on the pole; just don't wonder why the pole lacks meat when it is not sustainable to the level it is desired. But in no way can you convince me that the catch and release fisherman impacts a fishery as the harvest orientated one does.

[Bureaucrat]

Whats wrong with meat on the pole? There are plenty of deer and yes I love venison so I WANT meat on a pole.I shoot a deer a year and have ZERO remorse about it. I have NO problem keeping a limit of fish. I get my limit and stop. the high and mighty C&R guys will catch 50 on a good day and will kill more than I do. In a video that was posted on here they showed them catching a lot of fish with many hooked deep by the looks of it. How many of those fish died being they swallowed it on a tip up? Gut hooking a fish is never good.

Close.

First, it is legal to keep a legal limit of fish as well as your legal limit of deer. Problem is, there are not many places that can tolerate a full legal harvest. Take any small lake where the word gets out the fish are biting. In a day or two you can have dozens of houses per acre hauling out an entire year class and blowing a giant hole in the age structure. Lake goes dead for years to follow.

Second, take zone 2 deer hunting. You can buy a tag and shoot a deer. There's no limit on tags as long as their are people to buy them. Groups can perform swat style raids on every inch of shelterbelt, grove, and swamp edge in the county. Legally, they can shoot every mature buck they see, and as many does as they have tags and teens for. I've got no bones against drives, because much if not most of SW MN there aren't trees to put a stand and hunt like zone 1 or 3.

Both still legal, in no way sustainable.

On catch and release; I can't speak for all CPR guys, but I don't tip up fish when I'm in CPR mode because I don't want to deep hook a fish I don't intend to keep. That can be reckless unless you're outside with your tip ups.

I'm not trying to say I'm a superior conservationist, I'm just saying because it's legal doesn't make it sustainable.

[gogophers]

So...by the "over the legal limit" argument, when Red was closed to walleye fishing, the crappie fishermen were "illegal" as soon as a walleye was brought above the ice? Ridiculous.

[PurpleFloyd]

One case sample was the guy last year that caught the record lake trout on border waters. He had been checked by the CO earlier in the day with his limit and was not cited for fishing while in possession of a limit but after the CO was gone he caught the big one. He had a limit already and don't remember his complete story since I am going off of memory but he got a ticket and lost the fish. I believe they ruled that he would not be allowed to cull one of the other fish to replace the big one. I am sure the story is still floating around the web.

Deer hunting is not remotely close as there is no way to shoot and release. Drives are no different than trolling vs fishing off a dock.

[aczr2k]

Wow comparing deer hunting to fishing that's quite a stretch. I'm all in favor of shoot and release deer hunting there are too many of the government beef around I'm sick of them eating my corn and soybeans and my new truck wouldn't have $5500 of damage done to it by a suicidal buck. Now back on topic...

[Bureaucrat]

You can liken everything in life to deer hunting. Can you spot the similarities in the two pictures below?

[wally243]

If you give your fish to other people regularly or if you throw away fish that are in your freezer for too long you are a problem. If not keep what makes you happy. If everyone lived by this rule there would be fish for the working people who only get out twice a month with their kids. Pretty simple if you ask me. Just saying...

[kgpcr4]

First, it is legal to keep a legal limit of fish as well as your legal limit of deer. Problem is, there are not many places that can tolerate a full legal harvest. Take any small lake where the word gets out the fish are biting. In a day or two you can have dozens of houses per acre hauling out an entire year class and blowing a giant hole in the age structure. Lake goes dead for years to follow.

Second, take zone 2 deer hunting. You can buy a tag and shoot a deer. There's no limit on tags as long as their are people to buy them. Groups can perform swat style raids on every inch of shelterbelt, grove, and swamp edge in the county. Legally, they can shoot every mature buck they see, and as many does as they have tags and teens for. I've got no bones against drives, because much if not most of SW MN there aren't trees to put a stand and hunt like zone 1 or 3.

Both still legal, in no way sustainable.

On catch and release; I can't speak for all CPR guys, but I don't tip up fish when I'm in CPR mode because I don't want to deep hook a fish I don't intend to keep. That can be reckless unless you're outside with your tip ups.

I'm not trying to say I'm a superior conservationist, I'm just saying because it's legal doesn't make it sustainable.

[BuckSutherland]

You are spot on!! Just because you C&R fish does not mean its right as you are killing fish as well as the guy who keeps a limit. Many times far more.

Yah, OK. That's why the DNR allows anglers to pound the Rainy River while walleye are spawning every spring.

If you take a fish home it has ZERO % chance of survival. If handled properly C&R success is very high, especially in the shallow waters of Red Lake. You are also assuming that every C&R angler far exceeds the daily limit. Some days a fish or two can be a real struggle.

If it were that detrimental the DNR would have it figured into the allowable harvest at a much higher rate.

[FowlSki]

If you give your fish to other people regularly or if you throw away fish that are in your freezer for too long you are a problem. If not keep what makes you happy. If everyone lived by this rule there would be fish for the working people who only get out twice a month with their kids. Pretty simple if you ask me. Just saying...

I give fish to friends and family regularly. Nothing wrong with that as long as they get eaten. Not everyone has the time, resources or care to fish but they enjoy a fresh fish meal. I also have fish in my freezer that will not go to waste. Keep what will get eaten and let the big ones go to make fish love.

As for red, let's not forget you can only fish roughly a quarter of the lake. As long as the nets are kept in check that lake will do just fine no matter how much c&r.

[PLfisherman]

So I'm going up on Sunday till Monday what everyone's recommendations on the slot changing while we are up there, that is if there fish are cooperative

[Rikkus]

Man, I loved the 4 Fish with the 20" - 26" Slot. We never came close to our limits as a group of 3-4. But seriously? Lake of the Woods is going to love the extra business. What a shame for the local businesses.

My buddy and I have been fishing 42 years; with Upper Red being one of our favorites. The last 20-years, we've been doing an annual 7-10 day ice fishing trip visiting Upper Red & Winnie; sometimes LOW and other lakes. He travels 6-hours from one direction, I travel 9-12 from another. The costs have become wild over the last few years. For a few Walleye, Lake of the Woods is a better option. With a 3-fish limit, yeah LOW would be the choice.

But over the years, we have witnessed some very stupid DNR Regs, Greedy People, and bad practices from the Tribes. There have been heated discussions on this forum. (And I don't mean to spark all up again.) During the Crappie Hay Days, my buddies and I would keep 1 fish each for that night's dinner; and 5-each to take home. We C&R'd 100's during our visit. Our last URL visit in Jan, we let fish over 26" go; only keeping fish in the 17" - 19" range.

Bottom Line, My buddy and I cancelled our lodging and trip to the area. There are fisheries that are better than Red, better & more choices for accommodations with more reasonable rates; and a heck of a lot less drama.

Ice Fishing really isn't all that much about the fish (to a point that is); my buddies and I enjoy the time together.

Tight Lines All,...

[ozzie]

Pretty contradicting statements...if fishing isn't what is all about then who cares where you go but 3 fish is no big deal as the amount you catch is still by far superior to most lakes! The area would love your business but I am sure they will fill the void you are leaving...