Where are the small fish?

[Squid]

Recently there was an interview printed regarding a conversation with DNR Fisheries Director Ron Payer and Fisheries Research Manager Jack Wingate regarding the health of the Mille Lacs fishery. They covered a variety of subjects including "skinny fish" and the lack of forage. There was one particular topic that caught my attention though. They (the DNR) contend there has been three consecutive strong year-classes and that there is an over abundance of "small fish." They say these young fish eat far more than the mature fish and are one of the main causes of the collpased forage base. If this is true, then why aren't there more posts about the small fish being caught? In my three trips to the big pond the ratio of over slot fish to under slot fish has been something like 6 or 7 to 1. My question is then, if there are the large number of small fish in the lake estimated by the DNR, why aren't more of them being caught? Perhaps it's just me, but I would like to know what other people's experiences are.

[Cove]

Had the same thoughts this week end. If I fished early season structures I could catch a few smaller fish but once I hit the gravel and mud bars it was all 19 and up. Where are those "cigars" we used to see so often. I hope they are coming along behind. I think the 14-16 slot size is all picked over by now. If I had another day or two to fish I would have wandered off the major stuctures to see if I could encounter smaller fish. I am getting hungry for walleye.