slot limits?

[Crossin' Eyes]

I think you hit it on the head. They are necessary because the future of a fishery depends on selective harvest and catch and release. I know I have a little boy who will be 2 yrs old in a month. I want him to be able to have the same great times and experiences as I do.

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Good Fishin!
Crossin

[Roosterslayer05]

I think the slot is too restrictive and that the DNR underestimates the walleye Pop. They also go at it all wrong, since they have been targeting the 14-17 inch fish for so long it, along with a poor year class has created a void in the year classes. I think they should switch the slot around a little to target different fish. I havent caught a fish between 13-17 inches since june. Since there are virtually none in that size range I think they should move the slot to something like 17-20 or 18-21 something like that since there are so many of those fish and so few 12-17 inchers.

[Guest]

Remeber anglers are not harvesting numbers they are harvesting pounds.
Their slot limits are selected based on biomass not population.
Not trying to start an argument, just stating that as long as there quotas are being filled, they probably won't change. If DNR feels they can't fill there quota they might open it up a bit. As far as keeping larger fish such as 20"ers they limit might be droped to say 2 fish which equalls about 4 pounds. approximatly the same as the 4 fish at about 15". (This is just an example by the way,I'm not sure what the actual number are ,but I would guess them to be somewhere in this ballpark.)
This kind of balances it out.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what they come up with for this year.

Is is spring yet?

[Adam Adler]

For 2004 the DNR is in favor of protecting fish 20-28" with a 4 fish limit one of which can be over 28. Another option brought to the table is a harvest slot of 17-21". We'll see what they decide on in the next week or so.

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www.millelacsguideservice.com
Minnesota, the land of 10,000 fishing trips....

[Beckman]

"They also go at it all wrong, since they have been targeting the 14-17 inch fish for so long it, along with a poor year class has created a void in the year classes."

That statement is way off... 14-17 inch fish are only within that range for a year or 2 so all those 18s and 19s you catch now and will catch this summer were slot fish a couple years ago. I guess my point is that fish grow. With a 14-17 inch slot you do target a different year class each year. I caught some 18-19 inch fish last year, these were probably keepers during the 'bite of the century' year, so somehow they made it thru that year. Now if they go to the 17-21" slot we are going to target that same year class again - which WILL cause more of a void in that year class.

I'm not saying that the 17-21" harvest slot would hurt things too bad this year, it's just that it doesn't seem to make any biological sense to do it that way. I think they'd be better off going with the 20-28" protected slot if those are the only 2 choices left at this point.

Anybody have any predictions what the bite will be like this summer?

I think it will be ok, but the majority of fish caught will be of the dink variety, under 13 inches.

[This message has been edited by Beckman (edited 02-12-2004).]

[fishalex2003]

what do u guys think about the slot limits on Mille Lacs
i think that its not fun to throw fish back but they are needed

[HoleHopper]

I think that last years slot, will be this years 18-19 incher, which only targets these same fish, and does not give the sportfisherman that much more opertunity to catch 'keepers', if he or she so chooses. They say they want to spread out the fishing preasure on all year classes of fish, without harming the spawners. I believe that starting the protected slot at 20" does not go far enough. If all the DNR is going to look at is 20 or 21 than I am for 21. I would think that the lake would benifit more that way. Call me crazy, but, I would be in faver of no slot with a dayly limit of 2 or one. That way you could have a nice dinner to share with your children and still have a good time fishing. That way we would be targeting all year classes and we would see more balance between the year classes, not to mention other species of fish. (The pearch population and what happened in 2002)
I feel that if they dont start to target the bigger fish too, that the lake will continue to have instability in populations and overall health. Just my 02, GOOD FISHING

[Scott S]

I would have to disagree with the no slot idea. There is no way that someone should keep a 24-28 inch fish. These fish are great spawners and arent that good eating anyway. I would agree with a 2 fish limit with a protected slot from 23-28 or something like that. I think this year is going to be another slow year and that it will start to pick up next fall or sometime around there. The numbers of perch are going to make fishing tough and im sure that anglers are going to be letting every know and complaining about the slot, but i also believe that the DNR should pick a slot and stick with it, like a 15-20 inch slot. The number of fish caught and kept will eventually balance itself out.

[rms]

There's a great year class in the lake right now of 9"-11" eyes. I hope the DNR will adjust the slot so those fish can get to a decent keeper size.