Too much pressure!?!

[InTheSchool]

Moderators: if possible could you limit this thread to ideas only. No critiquing, back biting, or sniping. Please....

Limit outfitters to a certain acreage and number of fisherman hours. I.E. limited accesses to limited areas.

[PRO-V]

Bad idea. First of all I am not in the business. These waters are owned by all of us and nobody has the right to limit who, where and how many people. Just control the fish take is what I believe. Even if it came to catch and release only at times I would still go for the fun of it.

[eyeguy 54]

good idea, nothing wrong with cpr when it's low on fish.

[magnum mike]

It has been stated many times. URL is easy to fish. First ice=first break. We have flown over early ice and you can follow the contours by following the line of fish houses. It is amazing. After that depth gets pounded for a month, they move in the huge shallow basin. There's no magic to it. It's even easier in open water.

2-3 fish limit should be year round. That should be enough for a meal provided 1 person isn't trying to feed a family of 5. I'm not sure what the slot should be and if should change as the season progresses. I'm in the camp that would rather set the hook 100 times than kill 6 fish and harm the fishery.

[Reedo7]

I've gotta agree. It's an easy lake to fish. With all the pressure limits should probably be lower year round. As far as limiting ares of the lake to only outfitters, I have to completely disagree. Our lakes are a public resource that obviously belong to everyone, it's one great thing our state has(large availability of public land and recreation), that many states don't have.

[john36jan41]

" AMEN REEDO7...WELL STATED" ><(((*>

[kelly-p]

Quote:

Limit outfitters to a certain acreage and number of fisherman hours. I.E. limited accesses to limited areas.

Seeing as fishing pressure from people fishing in rental houses has remained steady the past 5 years the increased pressure isn't coming from those people fishing in rental houses. Why do you feel that those people fishing in a rental house should be punished or restricted more then other fishermen? Just because they choose to not buy their own fish house or can not afford their own fish house it should not be held against them. Through the years we had customers that the family fishing trip to URL was their 1 (ONE) family vacation for the year. "InTheSchool" it bothers me that you feel that those people should be punished or not go fishing. That fisherman driving the 20 year old truck deserves just as much respect as the fisherman driving the new $50,000 truck.

Perhaps you should take the time to read the press releases and technical committee reports so you understand what is causing the increased fishing pressure.

My feeling is that what we are seeing on URL right now is the future of fishing in MN. Fishermen now are very informed, are very mobile and are very efficient. They will flock to the latest "hot" lake and fish it hard before moving on to the next "hot" lake and on and on and on until there will be no more "hot" lakes. I feel that we have reached the tipping point where Mother Nature can not produce fish as fast as we harvest the fish.

[Bureaucrat]

We're already there KellyP. Look at deer, pheasants, fish. Only place fishing is good is where the masses can't reach.

[InTheSchool]

Maybe "outfitter" was the wrong word. What I was suggesting is that resort A would be allowed a certain part of the lake to fish and could have a certain amount of fisherman hours. That would include all customers; day trippers, wheelhouses, rentals, etc.

The question that needs to be answered is how to limit the harvest?

My suggestion and cut the limit are the only two put forward so far....

Any other ideas?

[DTro]

I have an idea!

How about everyone quits being so GD greedy?

“Its my part of the lake, no its mine” “that’s my road, no its mine”. “I don’t’ care what anyone says, I’m taking fish home and eating as many as I can while I’m there” “I’m not going there for 2 stinkin fish” “I own that lake just as much as you do” …… on and on and on

Find a lake close to home, pull out your house, put a line down, kick back and have a few beverages and stare at your flasher for a few hours, and then as you are packing up pull out your phone and have a big box of fresh ready to eat fillets sent right to your doorstep. http://www.redlakewalleye.com/main-menu You will be money ahead.

MN dumps millions and millions of walleyes in thousands of lakes, no need to fight over the fish in a single lake. I say we put a permanent limit of 1 fish per person with no slot on URL. That ought to separate the men from the boys (both the fishermen and the outfitters).

[theharvester]

Go back to no eating fish on the lake . That would save some fish.

[fishin4sum]

I am a new wheel house owner and i think the access fee should be doubled for them. This past year was/is an anomoly. Most years you would not see this kind of easy drive anywhere you want for as long as we have access to the entire lake. If not for the access owners none of us would have any access to the lake. why should they be singled out? How about anybody that lives in the Twin City Metro area is not allowed to fish north of Mille Lacs? Yeah just as silly. If Mille Lacs was not pillaged so bad by the Twin City masses none of them would be driving as far as Red so often. Also I would be hard to convince that everyone on this thread or that has fished URL has only, and I will be generous, the state wide general limit of six walleyes in their freezer. Self control and two fish year round limit would be absolutely fine with me. The thrill is in the catch, not the kill!

[ozzie]

I have no fish in my freezer and very rarely do. This is a situation of limits just need to remain low on this lake since the first ice and the spring time gets so much pressure.

[fishin4sum]

Agreed! Sorry, I got carried away on a rant.

[Getanet]

Other then just instituting a year-round 2-fish limit, the current strategy of attempting to monitor harvest and adjust limits as necessary seems like a logical plan to me.

Some have called that being reactive, but to me it's being as proactive as can reasonably be expected. They're trying to get a decent sense of how many fish are being removed from the lake, and adjusting limits to keep a healthy population in the lake.

I was up to URL for my very first time a few weeks ago and was amazed at all the houses out there. And that was only on one section of the lake.

[srj]

Perhaps the size thing should be reversed...17 and under from ice-up until (pick a date). It was pretty easy to keep four fish approaching 19 if that was your wish from first ice for several weeks. There were plenty of under 17 fish caught too. Or maybe one fish over 19 in the limit. I think the DNR needs to be nimble on the Red Lake regs (and other issues/lakes) rather than plod along.

Right now Red is certainly a special lake. It needs to stay that way. Some of my pool playing buds from west of the line say fishing is mighty good over that way. It might be a good thing we are restricted to a small portion of the lake...west of the line is much like a sanctuary with the small amount of pressure received.

[bturck]

Another question comes to mind. How much pressure can the 17" and under walleye sustain and for how long?

[Juan Grande]

I agree Bturk. Mille Lacs had a similar slot until there were very few 15-17 inch fish in the lake.

[walleye34]

To say the extra pressure is not coming from rental houses is just plain crazy! So you mean to tell me no extra rental houses have been added to anybody’s fleet in the past 5 years? No new fly by night outfitters have been created? The pressure is coming from everywhere. There is a big difference between parking your fish house and catching fish. Catching fish is the added pressure. We need to deal with who is taking the most fish. Fact of the matter is the old rule still applies 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish! Read these reports for the last 2 months how many reports are from guys who went on their own hearing how good the fishing is and then writing they had a terrible trip. You still need to catch them. How many threads brag about all the fish I caught with "x" outfitter? I think the general public would be shocked at how many fish outfitters put their clients on. Outfitters can’t sit back and point fingers at all the new wheelhouses. But outfitters have a right to run a business but it needs to be regulated just like anything else. You have commercial and recreational use. An outfitter is commercial use. You limit both but separate them. You have recreational limits and commercial limits of use. You need to apply for a permit for the boundary waters why not red. But both need to be fair and limited if the pressure is too much. If we regulate the outfitters along with rec use the good outfitters will make it work, in fact, it could help them by keeping all the fly by night guys off the lake and decreased competition. Make it a permit like hunting you apply for to get on the lake, x number of permits given per weekend. That way when the bite is hot you don’t have a mass rush to the lake. For outfitters you are allowed X number of houses in your fleet and you do pay an extra tax since you are making money. You pay a tax for every commercial house in your fleet that goes directly back to stocking efforts. The rec use permit for the public also has a charge that goes directly into stocking. Resorts still keep roads open for the public and charge access fees and get bar business, bait,etc. Remove the pressure but keep it balanced for all. If Lake of the woods had a better bite this year it would not be so bad either, same with the issues on Mille Lacs. Leech is another great lake but no real road system for wheel houses. Leech resort owners here is your chance! Rainy Lake guys? I know all we hear about is how there is no money doing roads, there has to be some money or why do it. If a resort was to say yes I make money on roads I would not hold it against them, it called business!!! we all go to work everyday to make money, I hope they make money. but getting better road systems on other great walleye lakes would help.

[fishin4sum]

Thats a good point. It may not be a bad idea for a mixed slot, such as 1 under 17 and one between 21 and 23. Increase the one over 26 to 28. I hate the thought of anyone keeping a 26 or 27 " Walleye.

[fsnrod]

I'm in the camp that would rather set the hook 100 times than kill 6 fish and harm the fishery. If you're setting the hook 100 times you are probally killing more then 6 fish.

[Down Deep]

I agree with Kelly P. Everyone hears about a hot bite and the flock follows. It happened with the Perch bite on Winnie and again with the crappie bite on Red until it petered out. Rainy River is getting overcrowded as more and more people come out for sturgeon. Now its's walleyes on Red. I see this happen on local lakes as well. I hot crappie or panfish bite happens and the word travels like wildfire. The lake gets pounded for a season or two then its over. Everyone is more mobile, can communicate and now with gas prices on floor its going to get worse. The only thing that can be done is for the DNR to limit take. Two fish on Red is not going to deter me or my fishing buddies. We just like to catch fish and get out for a day or two. If most or all of them go back in the lake that's fine with me.

[magnum mike]

If you're setting the hook 100 times you are probally killing more then 6 fish.

[fishn45]

I agree with much of what has already been said here. I'm not in favor of limiting any outfitters to anything, and I don't know how you stop the fisherman from coming. People like to catch fish, and want to go where the fish are biting. I think a big part of the problem is Mille Lacs. A lot of people from the metro would take their fishing trips there, but year after year of catching few fish has them driving farther north. Limiting the fish you can keep and protecting a certain size limit is the best bet. I used to fish out of Kelly's houses for many years. I'll be up there again next week through a different outfitter since Kelly is done, and am looking forward to it. I also fish Lake Winnipeg every year. The number of people going up there continues to sky rocket year after year as well. That lake makes Red look like a mud puddle though, so they will probably be able to sustain the fishing pressure much better.

[Boar]

I agree with limit the take, got no problem with two fish, but like Bill T said how long can that under 17" sustain. think their needs to be 1 fish pushing 20" at least, some of the larger mouths need to be harvested. pluse one thing Ive noticed is the carcasses of fish alongside the roads from time time to time. Double dipping? more than likely. whitemans gluttony surley dont help matters. Dtro said it pretty good as far as im concerned, so did my wife,"I just want to catch fish, I dont need to eat them"

[cookie129]

I guess not eating fish on the lake is a good option. I also beleave they needed to weed out some of the larger fish 18 to 20 as there was a over abundance . Early ice did that with 4 under 20. They also stated there were many 15 to 17 incher out there . Good for us as that is what I'm targeting. Two keepers makes my job easier. I all ready have to pay sales tax on my house's then more on top of that? Not liking that idea at all. I am a very small business just trying to scratch out a living up here. Kellie and I very seldom have walleye in the freezer as I like them fresh never frozen. In fact we had fish at westwind tonight and it was outstanding.

[kelly-p]

Quote:

To say the extra pressure is not coming from rental houses is just plain crazy! So you mean to tell me no extra rental houses have been added to anybody’s fleet in the past 5 years? No new fly by night outfitters have been created?

I realize that I do not know as much about URL as you but here is my opinion. The fishing pressure from rental house's is remaining just about the same as it has for the past 5 years. I would guess that there are less rental houses on URL right now then 5 years ago.

But if you feel that it is right to get rid of the rental houses on URL go for it. It will cut the fishing pressure more then you could imagine because without the income from the rental houses most of the roads on URL would no longer be plowed. An ice fishing road would have a very difficult time making ends meet on only daily road fees unless there is a bar involved. Look at the numbers. A 4 person sleeper brings in about $260 depending on who you rent from. It would take 17 $15 road passes to equal that. That doesn't seem to bad until you figure in that now you have 17 times more traffic on the road cracking it up so you have to move the road more often. You burn out/fishout areas 17 times faster meaning that you are moving the road to fresh ice for better fishing 17 times faster. More plowing, more breakdowns, more fuel and more time. If a storm comes with drifting you now have 17 times more places with big drifts that will become slush pockets so you have to move 17 times faster again. More breakdowns, more fuel, and more time. So in the end you are looking at about 40 road passes to equal the net income of 1, 4 person sleeper. But now with 40 houses out there everything is being done 40 times faster so now you need to get 60 road fees break even, or do a bad job to save money. Fishermen are very informed now so if the latest info says that the fish are biting better on a different road or a different lake they will be gone like the wind to the latest "hot" bite leaving you with 0 road passes. But with no rental houses and no roads I would guess that it could be a 10 to 20 fish daily limit with no protected slots because everyone would be walking or sledding out on the lake to go fishing.

From the DNR press release about the changes in slots and limits starting Dec.

Quote:

“We blew right by ‘er,” Barnard said. “The plan allows us to exceed the harvest in a single year, but we need to average our way back.”

Barnard said the reasons for the high harvest starts with increasing fishing pressure, likely anglers diverting from other destination lakes, such as Lake Mille Lacs. It also probably includes the proliferation of wheeled ice fishing houses, which depend on large lakes with regularly plowed ice road systems. Another factor: good fishing, which began in May as persisted into the summer, he said.

From your own posts in the NEW REGS Topic.

Quote:

With the amount of wheel houses now and the money we all have tied into ice fishing a little longer season would be nice.

Quote:

With wheel houses we are all so mobile, we dont need reservations or a place to stay we go where the best reports are and set up shop.

So go after the rental houses if you want. Like I showed it will solve the fishing pressure problem. But then you might want to consider buying some good skies or snowshoes.

[fishn45]

Well stated Kelly! I couldn't agree more

[Living_The_Dream]

What about catch and release n Dec?

[bender]

I always enjoy reading how fishing on 18% of the lake is causing all the problems on the lake.

Red is wonderful, but I have driven by for the last 5 years. Too many people want to run the lake, the guides, the taxpayer, the Indians, the DNR?

If I took a fish or two home, I was made to feel I am a thief. Would rather get skunked at a lake were I felt welcomed!