Hooking Mortality Study

[Paul Waldowski]

The Brainerd Chapter of the Minnesota Walleye Alliance has teamed up with the MNDNR to help find out more about hooking mortality deaths of walleyes in our lakes.
Our study addresses the following questions: what is the walleye hooking mortality, what causes hooking mortality, and what can we do to reduce hooking mortality.
For this study, volunteers and DNR personnel catch walleyes using your preferred angling methods. Prior to each day's fishing, DNR clerks set up a cage to hold fish near a suitable fishing area. The net pens are 6 x 6 feet wide and can be set in water from 15 to 33 feet deep.

Volunteers meet with a DNR clerk at a public access or at the site of the holding cage to get supplies, including a tote (or tub) and a bucket, a stop watch, an air horn, and an instruction sheet. The clerk will briefly describe what needs to happen and will give the angler a volunteer agreement form to fill out. Then we fish within ½ mile or less of the holding cage. We fish close by to reduce the handling time not caused by the angler.

Volunteers signal the clerk as soon as a fish is caught, handle fish normally (i.e. measure and take pictures if that's normal), keep track of handling times, observe the hook location and level of bleeding, and place the fish in the tote only. (DNR clerks can be signaled with the air horn, marine band radio, or cell phone) The clerks will be recording the angler's handling time and total handling time. Each fish is measured and individually marked and then moved to the net pen. Walleye are held for 5 days to observe delayed deaths.

You may volunteer for as long as, and for as many days you wish. When you decide to quit, signal the clerk to return the equipment (tub, bucket, etc). We ask that you contribute all walleyes to the study, but we don't require it. (Our study includes walleyes only) We will fish on MilleLacs on about 28 days from May through July. We generally fish from Wednesday through Sunday and will fish from about 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Dates will be determind and anounced in advance but if you are interested in helping please let us know.
We also intend to do another, closely-related study, to compare barbed and barbless hooks. This study will require using both hook types simultaneously and will be conducted on the lake with the highest catch rates and angler interest. Much of the barbed/barbless study will be done in late July-early August.

May Dates are 20,22,23,28 and 30

June Dates are 1,2,4,5,6,10,11,12,13,16,18,19,20,23,24,25 & 30.

We hope you find time to use your fishing skills to answer these questions and help protect the future of walleye fishing in Minnesota and elsewhere. Please call or email Keith Reeves if you have further questions or would like to participate, at 218-927-7505 (office), 218-821-9141 (cell phone) or [email protected].

So who's gonna be there and help out. I plan on spending as much of my free time as I can helping out, as I feel this is very important.

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Paul
Drake Motel

[email protected]
Marcum
Otter Outdoors
JR's Tackle
Lakemaster Lake Maps

[Paul Waldowski]

Due to the slow bite caused by the weather and the enormous perch population we need your help more than ever. For all of those that have been complaining about the slot limits and such, here's your chance to help this fishery.

Either contact myself or Keith to help out

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Paul
Drake Motel

[email protected]
Marcum
Otter Outdoors
JR's Tackle
Lakemaster Lake Maps

[bigeyes]

This is pretty fun guys I would try it if any of you can. I did 2 last year for the DNR and it is pretty fun as the sun sinks down some nights the air horns are almost a constant sound well after dark. Paul I will try to make on in the next few weeks. Any chance you will be at one soon. Would be kinda nice to catch up with you again.

[Paul Waldowski]

Brian,

I will be fishing with them tomorrow night (sun night) it can be a blast when the bite gets going. Hope to see you soon!

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Paul
Drake Motel

[email protected]
Marcum
Otter Outdoors
JR's Tackle
Lakemaster Lake Maps

[Paul Waldowski]

I have an open seat for tonight if anyone wants to join us. Leaving from Plymouth @ 4:30.

cell 651-247-6053

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Paul
Drake Motel

[email protected]
Marcum
Otter Outdoors
JR's Tackle
Lakemaster Lake Maps

[huskiesplayer15]

Paul-
When will you have another open seat?
Best Fishes
Chris

[Paul Waldowski]

Chris,

Not sure, but when I do I will shoot you an e-mail.

------------------
Paul
Drake Motel

[email protected]
Marcum
Otter Outdoors
JR's Tackle
Lakemaster Lake Maps

[huskiesplayer15]

sounds good, I am heading up next thursday with some football players out of myr mar, will be listening for the hrons to be going off!
Best Fishes
Chris