Statewide Slot?

[Guest]

I have folowed your site for sometime now, while only posting a few times. I keep reading how people are mad that they had to release a beautiful 6lb walleye.....stupid slot limits etc. My rule is to keep eyes from 15-20" and the rest ALWAYS go back. Obviously the bigger fish are females so back they go. I guess if you catch a 10lb eye..... make a replica or mount it. I hear of so many guys eating 7-8-9lb eyes but are the first to complain about there being no fish in the lake. ANYWAY I was really wonder how every felt about a statewide slot obviously with some lake exceptions and what slot size would people like to see???? 14-17 or 15-18 or what?? Thought this could get interesting.

Keep the lines tight

[Grabs]

My personal minimums are 12", maximum is right around 20" or so give or take an inch.

And lets get rid of this one of 28", and move it to 30"!

I took a 28.25" out of Mille Lacs this past summer, mostly out of spite and because the fish looked unhealthy and probably wouldn't have lived anyhow. But I would be in favor of a higher one over limit. Statewide it is currently set at 24"

So I would say statewide limits, 12"-20" with one over 30". Remaining at 6 fish.

[This message has been edited by Grabs (edited 02-12-2003).]

[Guest]

I agree with moving up to the 30" range. This summer this isn't a lie I caught 21 fish over 28" off the pond, but surprising I had a few 27" this winter but not 1 over 28". I just think it might be a LITTLE easier for a fisherman to catch a trophy now as in the past. Thanks for the post Grabs!!

Keep the lines tight

[the squirrel]

14" to 18" anything else take a picture and let him/her swim away!! Unless she is gut hooked!!!!

[Guest]

Yeah that is the way to do it, until your trophy you caught took a picture and released is netted or speared next spring. Its like letting a small buck go, and having a guy on adjacent property who will shoot anything that resembles a deer. but i do agree with you besides who wants to eat a 28 inch walleye and its not worth mounting either. Thank the Noble Redman

[Guest]

Well I see your point!!! I always use to say that about deer too and would shoot the first buck I saw. Now I figure if I shoot the small one he has no chance to make it but if I do pass it up he has a chance to slip through another season. On fish I always figure when I let it go just maybe a few more little ones will be born and just maybe a few more fisherpeople might have the same thrill of catching and releaseing it.
The pond is a tough issue with the MLB influencing the outcomes.

[Guest]

Yeah we need more "Sportsman" and less guys that need their "meat" and more that think about the long run of the lakes and woods they hunt in fish

[Darrell Larson]

30" is a great idea, but there are alot of people that think a 28" walleye is worth a mount. I guess that people have different standards. I personally would not take a 28" walleye home. I don't fish for food, I fish for fun. A state wide slot would certainly be less confusing for some people. My personal minimum is 15" and max. at 18", I only need one 15" fish to feed me a meal and I do not freeze fish. My point is I only take what I am going eat that day, the rest go back in the lake for another day.

[Guest]

Semperfi,

I wish there was more people like this. I know there are alot like us but we need more of us. There is a great post on the main ice fishing forum about this by a staff member. I encourage all to go read this. It is under the Statewide slot I posted on that page too,

Keep the lines tight

[TRZ]

I love mille lacs and i think the slots on smallies and northerns are the main reasons these species have proliferated so well in the lake, along with perfect habitat and forage. this kind of statewide slot would be great- guys keeping limits of smallies in some locatons sickens me. and limits of 20+ inch walleyes is also terrible for a lake. i just don't understand this meat hungry attitude, just because you spend money. if it is about the money your better off fishing for carp, they taste just like walleye and are cheap to catch.jk

[eye]

I've been saying this for quite a while and have received nothing but flack from some people on this board. A 15" to 20" statewide slot would be fantastic! I personally could go either way on the "one over" discussion. I personally already have a 30"er on the wall so I wouldn't think about taking anything under that, but that's easy for me to say since she's on the wall already. I think I could live with a 28" rule. There are a lot of tourists that come here that would think that's their dream fish.

[Fathead]

Hi all,

I think that there should be slots based on individual lakes and natural production from that lake.

But if there was a broad, statewide slot imposed, it should be 15-18 and one over 30" (and 1 over 24" for ages 15 or less). This would also include a bag limit of 4 per person.

Fourteen inches is too small, and anything over 18 starts to be classified as an "ideal size" spawning fish. As far as the trophy fish being slotted at 30"... I do not believe that anything less than 30 is a trophy, with the acception being a young child who catches one. I think they should have the opportunity of keeping a fish that would make their day, and create excitement for fishing amoung our next generation of fisherman (gender neutral of course)!

[TRZ]

i have to say i like 28'. my trophy walleye is only 29' but 10.5lb. and many consider a skinny 28 to be a trophy.

[TRZ]

fathead, last year i saw a guy tip-up fishing with about 5 small kids all under 12 or so. he had out all 12 lines and the fish were biting, thar SOB took every flag himself and didn't even try to teach the kids how to catch them. this behavior made me sick, and i know guys like this would capitalize on this kind of thing. but like you say these jerks would do the same crap anyways.

[bigeyes]

All good points. I know that not many people get their limits so the effect would not be that great on fishing, but I still have to ask. Do we really need to keep 6 walleye every day? Sometimes when the bite is on people can really do some damage. A bunch of limits of 6 18 inchers out of smaller lake really makes a difference in my opinion.

[Guest]

With alot of these "greedy" people, we have the opportunity to change things ourselves. CPR even more fish to make up for the people that don't. If I would catch 50 - 18" eyes in one day I would bring home 1 for sure maybe 2 which is a meal for the wife and I. The rest would swim. I think personal slots of respectable limits and size is our best bet. Educate those who don't!!

Keep the lines tight

[TRZ]

fathead, you are right about giving kids more leway in a slot, but that would be nearly impossible to regulate. i would also have to disagree about the statement that no walleye under 30' is a trophy, the 29' i mounted was 10.5 lb and had a girth of 18+ inches, and it was caught out of a lake that produces few walleyes. in the last 3 years me and the guy i fish with have goten 3 30 inchers out of mille lacs and none of them were nearly as nice as the one i mounted, a trophy is a trophy in the eye of the angler, and i think 28' is O.K. for anyone to mount.

[Fathead]

TRZ,

I guess I can see your point. I agree that some fish, whether it is a 28" or a 30" could be considered a trophy by some, based on the factors you mentioned,availability within a lake, the fishes girth, etc.

This is one of the reasons why I think regulations should be based on individual lakes and not across the board.

As far as more lee-way with children...the way I see it, if there are fisherman out there (and I know there are) who bring their children out with them just so they can keep a 24" fish (or whatever the proposed size restriction would be for children)thats up to them. These people will always be doing this sort of thing in our society. Why punish/penalize the vast majority of people who would take an honest approach to this. Even if this were to happen, the worst case scenario would be that they are STILL taking their kids out with them.

Just a thought

[Guest]

A few years ago on ML my then 10 year old son caught a 26-1/4" eye. He was extremely proud and I had the fish mounted for him. It is on his bedroom wall. To him it is a trophy. I have caught larger eyes, all over 28"s, on the lake (while casting for muskies believe it or not). I took a picture and let them go. My personal eye trophy size would be something approaching the state record.
A state wide slot wouldn't bother me at all. It would certainly make things easier for everyone. I am also a fan of reduced limits.
I really like catching big fish. I'd like to catch a lot of them. I don't have the cash or time to take fly-in trips to Canada. I think Minnesota could and should develop catch and release trophy lakes. Mille Lacs is a good candidate.