crappies vs walleyes

[Guest]

I was just thinking about the decision the DNR made to build up walleye fishing on Red Lake. They stated the current crappie population could not be sustained with the walleye population. I was wondering with all Minnesota's great walleye fishing lakes why not manage the lake for crappies. As I know there is no large lake that produces large crappies. Red Lake does not have any competition on crappie fishing

[curt quesnell]

Look at it this way.

Where were all these crappies 10 years ago?

With or without a stocking program the Walleyes would eventually take over again on
Red Lake because it is near perfect habitat
for them.

There will always be big crappies in Red Lake
and there always has been, people just didnt
try to catch them. In the future look to
Red Lake to be BOTH a great walleye and
a very good crappie lake

Curt Quesnell

[bieganekbaitco]

Dont you ever work curtty?????

Putting "big blue" on red today, call kelliher (647-8241) tomorrow for a report.

[BLACKJACK]

This issue has been discussed back and forth from time to time on this forum (go back to 12/12/01 and the topic 'Proposed Fishing Limits'). I'm sure there are other similar topics farther back.

I agree with you Borntofish, this lake is a world class crappie fishery but it won't stay that way without a limit reduction and/or a slot limit - with the numbers of fisherman going after the crappies, even a lake the size of Red will go downhill.

The DNR is managing (or not managing) for what they think people want - walleyes. By letting people continue to overfish the crappies it will actually help their walleye stocking program by offering less competition for the walleyes and less crappies to eat walleye fry. Curt may be right, the lake might have eventually reverted back to walleyes, but with but no stocking and a reduction in crappie limits and/or a slot, it would have taken many, many, years for walleyes to come back.

It seems like the attitude now is exploit the Red Lake crappies while you can.