Big northerns

[Snowbound]

What happened to all the big northerns?

I know they are being caught but you don't here much about them.

I've seen a few smaller one caught but nothing to impressive since it seems they went to the 26-44" protected slot

[kelly-p]

11 hours ago, Snowbound said:

I've seen a few smaller one caught but nothing to impressive since it seems they went to the 26-44" protected slot

The northerns were hammered hard during the "crappie boom" and the beginning of walleye fishing. We are seeing the results of that now. Remember that when the "Crappie boom" started there had been very little fishing pressure for over a decade so fish, both crappies and northerns had a chance to grow. Now we are breaking records for fishing pressure. It takes many years to grow a 40 inch northern. It is too bad that the 26-44 protected slot didn't start years earlier so that all those 30 inch northerns that were hauled off the lake then would have had a chance to be 45 inch northerns now.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Kelly nailed it.