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New Regulations for Mille Lacs


JP Z

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As we've already discussed it is only 1 Walleye between 19-21" or 1 over 28"

Interesting on the Pike, and they are now allowing a musky night fishing season...

Including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries

Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: Bass season opens and closes with the walleye season. Combined possession limit is six, with only one Smallmouth Bass over 18".

Northern Pike: Possession limit is ten, except only one may be over 30". However, two northern pike less than 30" taken that same day must be in immediate possession before harvesting one 30" or greater. The angling season for northern pike extends through the last Sunday in March.

Tullibee (Cisco): Possession limit ten.

Walleye: All less than 19" or greater than 21" must be immediately released, except one 28" or greater is allowed in possession. Possession limit one.

Changes in the walleye regulations will be immediately posted at access sites and on the DNR website.

No culling or live-well sorting: Fish taken into possession are considered part of an angler's bag limit and cannot be exchanged with another fish.

Night Closure: No one may fish for any species or possess fishing gear on the lake from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning at 10 p.m. May 11 and ending at 12:01 a.m. on December 1, with the following two exceptions, beginning June 8: (1) Muskellunge angling - Muskellunge may be targeted with artificial lures longer than 8" measured from the front of the eye of the lure to the end of the trailing hook, or with sucker minnows longer than 8". No person may have in possession tackle or baits other than those specifically designed for muskellunge angling. No possession or targeting of species other than muskellunge. (2) Bowfishing for rough fish - No possession of angling equipment - only Bowfishing equipment can be possessed - and only rough fish may be in possession.

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Time to say just catch and release instead of one fish. Maybe allow 3 fish until quota is met. Shut it off.

Also somebody meaning the legislature has to get together with some long term solutions. This quota thing because of the treaty has not been working.

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Catch and release is one of the methods that got us in the mess we are in today. Catch and release is what generates "hooking mortality" and in some years hooking mortality was four or five times what the harvest MAY be this year.

One and done.

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Perhaps not. It's important to realize that Mille Lacs, and the surrounding area, has much more to offer than a four or six fish limit of walleyes. Great golf courses, bike trails, hiking, parks, sailing, etc. Many other excellent lakes can be found within 20 minutes of the park. In addition, Mille Lacs has world class smallmouth fishing, muskie fishing, pike fishing, and if you can believe the DNR, still great walleye fishing on the big lake.

Make your reservations early.

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The resorts that learn how to leverage other options likeSculpin described will significantly outperform the rest, even when the walleye come back. They create more value.

Many of the muskie guides do exceptionally well. Smallmouth are a blast. The new limits for smallies will actually encourage more tournaments.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

one and done?? that will never happen

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It is time to close walleye on the lake completely and figure out a way to eradicate some northern. Simply slowing fishing pressure a bit with this new reg may help a bit but still take far too long to BRI g population back. Closing walleye will stop hook mortality of those who would still fish. Faster they get the walleye back, the less pressure will effect other lakes and return area businesses to prosperity

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tolle,

The issue with the smallies, is that I believe Mille Lacs is a NO CULL lake which is why there aren't any bass tourneys out there. But hey they seem to like to change regs on a whim so maybe......

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Vermillion is the tribes next lake to ruin the fishing. Then the tribe will walk in buy out all the resorts and cabin owners. It will happen to Milles Lacs in the next two to three years. I will bet money on that, there you go guys keep spending your hard earned money in the casinos, giving the tribes money for court cases.

May be we should stop buying fishing licenses, maybe that would wake the Capital morons.... they dictate the DNR..

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Perhaps not. It's important to realize that Mille Lacs, and the surrounding area, has much more to offer than a four or six fish limit of walleyes. Great golf courses, bike trails, hiking, parks, sailing, etc. Many other excellent lakes can be found within 20 minutes of the park. In addition, Mille Lacs has world class smallmouth fishing, muskie fishing, pike fishing, and if you can believe the DNR, still great walleye fishing on the big lake.

Make your reservations early.

The muskie numbers are so low, there is next to no one fishing them the past couple years compared to the previous 10 years. No where near "world class" anymore.

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The problem with the One fish limit is you still have all the hooking mortality. Less than 1% of guys are going to go up there, catch that first fish in the slot, throw it in the livewell and go home. Hooking mortality per angler hour will be the same as it always has... the only difference will be with less anglers on the lake, there will be less, but to think a one fish limit fixes the hooking mortality problem is not correct.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
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