Green Lake Forum

[castindad]

leech21 what i am trying to say is the dnr will do nothing. if harvesting smbass and limiting walleye to three it might work? too bring back a balance so it would be a little easer for us guys over 70 the dnr would not even think of stocking adult walleye because they know the forage is no longer there? i want a lake that is healthy to both smbass and walleye. i kinda think thats what we all want. it was suggested at the meeting to close the lake down and none of us want that. the dnr has till jan 1,2006 to have a plan in operation or the bill is to be put to the legislature.? none of us really want that! castindad

[castindad]

i cant speak about flordia as i only fish crappie there castindad

[castindad]

gullguide no one wants the legislature to legislate the lake but as a last resort if the dnr dosent come up with favorable solution for all concerned that is the alternative. certainly hope not. there is tons of info the dnr has that may enlighten you as to the lake. i would like to give you an example a small lake in stearns co a farmer stocked with large mouth bass . i was invited to fish it after 10 years of no fishing at all. we caught two at a time i mean 3# fish hundreds two years later i was invited again the only bass 5# and up. ask the farmer what happened? he said the big ones eat the small one after all the forage was gone. walleye fingerlings cost the state about $16.00 A POUND TO STOCK PRIVATE STOCKING ABOUT $18.00 A POUND. WOULD LIKE YOUR REPLY CASTINDAD

[LocalGuide]

Know what? There isn't a lake in Kandiyohi county that produces walleyes like Green produces smallies. If there is its either a "make-believe story" or its some secret lake.

Green has the size, structure and opportunity to produce numbers of any kind of fish. Heck if Green wanted to be managed for muskie a lone it would probably become one heck of a muskie lake. Just like it has become one heck of a smallie lake. And in the future, anyone can also predict it could (probably will, who knows) become one heck of a walleye lake. That is mainly just because the way our DNR runs and the way some people want it to be.

But really all the forage in Green has gone down over the past 5+ years. The amount of crayfish is down to very low amounts and in 2002 and 2003 the DNR didn't even catch any in their gillnets (that avg is like 15.7/gillnet). The tullibee numbers are down, and so are the perch numbers.

Its tough forage wise on green, that needs to change! One solution, bring the smallies back down to a respectable number. They ate pretty much all of the crayfish in the last couple years. How can you NOT prove that they didn't! If the historical average is 15.7/gillnet of crayfish there has NEVER been that many smallies here in the lakes past.

A balance is definitely schedule soon for this lake. Otherwise its going to get way to out of whack and then we don't want to see what it would look like.

[mustup]

castindad, i'd like to reply to you, but I can never understand what your trying to say when I get to the end of your responses.

later,

mustup

[castindad]

mustup tell me where i lost you and i will try to explain. my info is based on the march 18 meeting in most cases.ure would like to communicate castindad

[BLACKJACK]

This whole debate reminds me of the debate over Upper Red Lake. The DNR was handed a world class crappie fishery, so what do they do? Dump in 40 million walleye fry. Even though there are lots of a other big walleye lakes around (Lake of the Woods, Winnie, Mille Lacs), they wanted to create another one. King Walleye will always win out. Same here with Green. King Walleye will win because thats what the DNR thinks people want. World class smallmouth fishery? Who cares about smallmouth? King walleye will win.

[GullGuide]

My thoughts exactly BJ.

Chub, out of the list I gave, I would only say a few are duck sloughs- Elizabeth, Wagaonga, Lillian, Ringo and Solomon, but they still are full of walleye(I'm with you, it is a whole other subject that riles me up).

[walleyemandan]

As for divulging info on how to catch walleye out there. Not a chance. I figured it out, why don't you I'm certainly not going to talk about it on line where a million people can see it.

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Well if you figured it out you better write a book about it and make millions of dollars selling it, because once you think you have it figured out something changes. There are way too many variables that go with fishing that have to be considered. You probably have a good idea of what is going on and what type of presentation you are going to use. Just out of curiosity do you fish the Little Crow Anglers Walleye Tourney on Green?

[LEECH21]

BLACKJACK, I think you hit the nail on the head.

[GullGuide]

No I dont and no desire to do so.

As for your comments about writing a book. I agree, things do change, but if you know the basic tactics and have the paitence to stick with it, you will be successful. I'm not saying I can go out every night and limit out, but 6 out of 10 I'll get my fish. Anyone who claims to be able to nail fish on every outing is full of it....except when you are talking bass...LOL

[Jim W]

70+ replies and look how far we've come!LOL

Hey where are the Musky-heads? Or anti-Muskellunge folk?

Bass, walleye, musky oh my!lol

I say manage it for lake trout!

Sheees

Jim

[GullGuide]

Jim you old party pooper!!...LOL

Yea, LAKERS AND BROWNS!!!...and why not add some CHOHOS while we're at it!!

LOL

[Fat Rap guy]

Quote:

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mustup tell me where i lost you and i will try to explain. my info is based on the march 18 meeting in most cases.ure would like to communicate castindad

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THE way YoU WrItE IS A little UNORTHodox. yOUR SignATURE aLwaYs Runs INtO The lasT sentenCe which NevEr ends In a Period. The capslock key also seems to get stuck on your computer sometimes fat rap guy

[castindad]

fat rap been over 50 years scince i used a typewriter so i am not doing to bad ? my son says i am all fingers. by th way fat rap used to be my favorite lure in bass tourneys castindad. great on tonka cradad color ?

[Fat Rap guy]

Not bad at all for an old duffer. I was just giving you a little crap. My dad can't figure out how to get on the internet let alone respond to posts on a message board and he's only 60.

[jigginjim]

Hey Jim, There are a few lakers in the deepest hole. I friend saw them with his camera.

Maybe the lake some be for fly fishers only. lol

[jigginjim]

walleyemandan, I know three guys who have won that walleye tournament. All brothers and always in the top of the finishes. Some thought the name of the tournamant would be changed. lol

Plus I'm related to those guys and several other that fish the tounament.

[walleyeking#8]

I hope everyone has calmed down a little. I have fished in the willmar/spicer area now for about 30 years. I have fished a few walleye tourneys on green, managed to catch everthing but walleyes. Green used to be one of the best walleye lakes in kandiyohi county. As far as bass populations, from the time I was a little boy, where my mom would take me to the ole mill inn, there were abundant largemouth bass populations in green. Maybe not the quality there is today. I can't remember catching any smallies back then. As far as the walleyes go, it was down right spectacular. Green also was a great perch fishery in its day. Another lake that used to be real good for walleyes was eagle lake. Why aren't these lakes like they used to be? That I can tell you #1 pressure #2 lack of special regs #3 a lack of catch and release. Why is green so abundant with bass? #1 pressure #2 special regs #3 catch picture and release. Why doesn't the DNR lower the limits on walleyes, install a slot limit and make sure more walleyes stay in green lake. Being a walleye fisherman, I would much rather see walleyes in the lakes than bass, but I know everyone has different interests when it comes to fishing, I think everyone needs to reach a compromise on these issues. If the dnr can make a premier bass lake than they certainly should be able to make a trophy walleye fishery in this area. Everyone has there own opinions and I feel the dnr needs to lower the walleye limit on all lakes and also an experimental slot limit on certain lakes. I hope I didn't offend anyone. Just my opinion.

[chub]

Love to see a slot limit out there. One problem I can see with it though, is that with most of the fish coming out of deeper water, I think we'd see a few more floaters. During the open water season, I don't think that very many people are catching fish out there though. A few do, but I think the man hour studies are showing a trend that lots of people have given up walleye fishing the lake. I believe that it's in relation to how hard it is to catch walleyes out there for most people. If a shad rap bite gets going that's another story, but it's been a few years since that has happened.

On the other hand, I think that the ice fisherman put the main dent in the population. IMHO

[LEECH21]

I say put a slot on bass, nothern, and walleye and see what happens.

[castindad]

fat rap i am a stubborn irishman so i will keep trying ive been told better things come with age typing is not one of them? castindad

[Bigfife]

My grandparents have a cabin on Green and I have fished it for 15 years. I have been taking my Dad's boat out walleye fishing for the last 5 years. Last summer was my best year for numbers of fish. I think I caught 1/10th of my walleyes in under 35 fow. When I fished this deep water, there were very few fish that could ever swim away. That is one reason why I don't think a slot would be very good. I also don't believe that stocked lakes should have slots because the fish are put in there to be caught. I think a 4 fish limit might be beneficial. I used to enjoy the days of weedlline walleyes, but now there are just too many other eager biters. Has anyone noticed the rock bass population out there? I like to eat walleyes, fight smallmouth, but a rockie does little for me. Enough rambling, I would like to see more walleyes in the lake. I hope politics doesn't ruin another MN lake.

[castindad]

walleyeking8 i concurr we need to stay cool. all three of your suggestions are worth merit. how we bring back balance is not working presently with the regs that are being inforsed or forsed from dnr records fishing pressure has dropped quite a bit mostly from disgusted walleye hooks #2 lack of regs i beleive the present regs are hurting the lake #3 catch and release is presently in use for sm bass and northern except for a lunker? slots have a lot of merit or drop the 6 walleye to 3 which will bring an out cry? stockin and management with forage is a big concern? again i say 10 percent of the fishermen catch 90 percent of the fish of any species in 10 percent of the water! the winter report has yet to be released by dnr. soon i hope castindad hope i also did not offend anyone

[castindad]

last summer the rock bass were running close to a pound and that is unusual. you are the first to say the fish are put in the lake, and i add to eat and also enjoy bring back the balance! slots may not be the answer for walleye as they are forsed to deep water. for all intents and purposes they are a dead fish no matter what size? thank you castindad

[Superduty]

Wondering how the ice fishing for walleyes has been lately? The smallies should be far less active in winter than the walleyes. Just wondering if the walleyes turn the tables come cold water time. If the bass push walleyes out of areas in summer, I would think the 'eyes would return while the bass are in their deep wintering areas.

[LocalGuide]

Every try eating a rock bass before? They actually are not bad at all. If I feel like cleaning/eating fish one day I will keep the rock bass I catch.

Last summer if I catch my self trolling to shallow during the day I normally know. I will catch rockies on my crankbait! Yeah that was a shocker to me also. Once I had a jointed shad rap down trolling around one of Greens sunken islands. I get a hit and start to reel it in, I can tell its a rock bass. I get it next to the boat and there is one rock bass on the front hook and one on the back hook. Pretty amazing to see, I was fishing by myself so I had to take a pic of it, but first I got to remember what I did w/it.

I agree though put a slot on the walleyes. I dunno most of the walleyes I catch in 40' of water or deeper are small fish anyhow, I do catch a few nice ones once in a blue moon. I would say put the "Winni slot" on Green for a few years and see what happens. (17"-26" released and one over 26" allowed)

Probably wouldn't hurt to keep the pike regs the same but maybe allow one trophy. Like for example 24"-36" released and one over 36" allowed.

Just what I would flow with.

[looperhunter]

I fish because it is a challenge. If we could go out and catch 10lb fish or a limit of fish evey time i would not fish, it would not keep my intrests. Change is good. Sure the walleyes have moved deeper and changed their habits because of the smallies. But the funny thing is that the people who wine about the smallies are probally still back trolling the 20' humps, reefs, etc with lindy rigs where they have fished "our" walleyes for the last 100 years. Instead of changing the way we fish, we complain that a change is needed. There is a book all ready written on how to catch Green Lake walleyes, its called Precision Trollling. There, the cats out of the bag. Save your back trolling lindy rigs for Kandi. On the issue of supended fish, walleyes relate to 2 things, forage and structure. Their structure in the last 5 years as aformentioned has become the deep basins. Yes you can catch them with lindy rigs in those depths on the bottom, but in all honesty those are fluke fish, because they are not activly feeding. How do i know this? Because there are no baitfish holding that deep, they stay up in the water colum, eating plankton etc. and relating to warmer water temps. that they need for survival. If you find bait fish suspended, you will mot likely find walleyes suspended and feeding, you just have to rely more on your electronics. Just another suggestion, instead of jigging in the Old Mill spillway for walleyes, try jigging them, just like a largemouth bass in thick weeds adjacent to deep water. Thats it, thats all you need to do to have 1 meal a week. You will pull a decent amount of walleyes out of those weeds, trust me. My first 2 walleyes over 28"'s came out of the weeds on the north end, both released. That's ok if someone wants 1 meal a week out of the lake, but my wants are 1 5lb smallie hooked and release per week. Now we have a problem, don't we? I now live and work in Duluth, trust me, when i hear people talking about this spectacular small mouth fishery in west-central mn it makes me smile. Many have compared Green lake to the Mille Lacs, Cheamagon Bay (spelling wrong) in Ashland WI on Lake Superior, and Lake Vermillion Small Mouth Fisheries. I can asure you that no one in the mid 90's was talking about Green being a elite Walleye lake. Point being, maybe the DNR should simply say, we now manage this lake for Small Mouth? Or go with my suggested regs. A 1 over 20" reg on Green for smallies would suffice, and 1 walleye over 20" so people can have their 1 meal a week. Leave these regs for the next 7 years, run the nets and we will see that the lake is meant for smallies. Don't get me wrong I love both fish, and i eat my share of walleyes however, we have established a trophy fishery, lets keep it that way. Just my 2 cents. Now off to bed to dream of how many steelhead and loopers i will catch in the next 2 months.

[HonkerDown]

Question for all of you bass fisherman, how many bass did you throw in your livewell last year and bring home to eat, I bet it wasen't many if any at all. I dont believe that opening up the regs is going to make the smallies all of a sudden disapear.

[castindad]

loophunter i can agree with you bu......most all the deeper fish run pretty small for a meal my meal fish 17 to 19 one or two is all you need but a 14 or 15 is just too darn small. to bring these fish up in 30 to 60 feet they are dead that is why i dont fish them castin dad i really enjoyed your remarks good luck with the loops and steelies