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20" walleyes


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Rumor has it that the Gov. signed into law that only 1 Walleye over 20" may be kept as part of a limit, state wide.

Any comments?

bassguru

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I am all for it if it means that it will hopefully improve the future of fishing on the water...

Nam

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The governor doesn't set slot limits or bag limits. The DNR has the authority to do that. Where did you hear something like that?

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ya that just does not make any sense. then what about lakes like mille lacs that already is having the slot change to 22-28inch fish.

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There was a little blurb in the Star Tribune the other day.

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My understanding is that it does take legislation for statewide regs, and must be passed by the gov.

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I am all for that! I would love to see no walleyes over 20" but 1 over 28". I want my kids and eventually their kids and even their grandkids to have even better fishing than we have today. There just is no reason to be keeping and eating the larger eyes. They have more toxins, they don't taste as well as the smaller fish and they lay the eggs to keep us in MN with a healthy walleye population.

I know everyone doesn't agree with me, but I am all for this!

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As far as I am concerned, they can shave 2 or 3 more inches off that limit and I would love it. I keep walleyes under 17 inches and that's it. Those fish over 17 inches are all of your major spawners and should always be put back anyway. If I need a meal, I always just go panfish hunting for a half an hour and catch dinner.

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Yup I'm for it to. I like to catch big fish as it's fun, and letting them go is even more rewarding.

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Yes, it was in the tribune last week.

I called the DNR yesterday, spoke with the fisheries dept. They said all staff that could answer this question were in a meeting, & to call back on monday,that they had HEARD of this signing, but had recieved no offical word as to when it would be in effect, but that they thought it would be for next season.

bassguru

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I am all for it! I don't fish for food. That is what Cub is for! I am for catching. I wouldn't mind seeing the metro limit be like 2 eyes as well.

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Quote:

I don't fish for food. That is what Cub is for!


Gawd, I cant believe you eat that garbage. Cub has the most rancid smelling fish around. The smell overwhelms me when I walk in the front door.

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You never know what the fish could be(Zander or Pike), where it was caught, or when it was caught. I would rather catch my fish and fry them up right away on the frying pan.

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20" seems too small to me. 28" is way better. If he did sign it it went through with limited fanfare. I think 20-23 inchers are still great eaters and should be allowed to be kept. 28" + is trophy size and more realistic as a fish to allow only 1 of per limit. Just thinking out loud.

---Zdaddy

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You dont get 28" trophies if you eat them when they are 20-23". A law of 1 fish over 20" is a step in the right direction for the preservation of our future. 20-23" are the primest of prime spawners and need too go back in the lake so they can do their thing. You take a 23" walleye out of a lake that has natural reproduction, you not only take the 23" fish out but you take the 1,000 walleyes that will survive out of that walleyes next spawn, and the next and so on. You also take a fish out of the lake that is getting close too being that 28" trophy. Take the 14-18" fish out too eat. Theres a very good chance that they are males and it doesnt take mother nature near as long too replace a 16" walleye as it does a 23" walleye. In about 6 years after this 1 over 20" settles in and people get used too it, the DNR will get that statewide slot out there. They know it needs too be done but it has too be "eased in there" as too not "shock" the public. I cant wait for the day its put in place.

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Definately there will be more walleyes in lakes by this law. If you do catch a few 20 inches, you can bring a pair of scissors or knife and trim the tail of the walleyes to make it under 20. wink.gif

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Everyone is all of a sudden a back-yard biologist.

The 24" walleye up at the cabin this weekend tasted great, and 1 fish gave a good serving to all 3 of us... and it wasnt 5 days old(more like 15 minutes old), and didnt cost $31 either.

I'll throw them back .. out of season.. in season, they meet the fillet knife.

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Cool, you took 1,001 walleyes out of your lake that would have been there next year at this time. I hate too say it, but thats why the DNR is putting more and more restrictions up, some people have a clause in their religion saying they cant throw any walleye back in the lake, whether its 12" or 25". Call me a backyard biologist all you want, but im not just throwing out random numbers. Those numbers are factual. I guess i shouldnt care if you yourself takes a 24" eye out of your lake. But i do care about the 250 boats i see on the 1,000 acre lake i fish on opener, and i do care about that lake when it gets hot and you yourself can personally witness numerous 20"+ fish going into livewells a day. That hurts a lake. Thats not preserving the future of a lake.

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I recieved a return call this morning from the DNR, confirming that starting next fishing season, the "1 over 20" will go into effect statewide.

I said I thought it would be very controversial, and her comment was, "when our State Legislators sign something into law, our hands are tied".

My opinion? I agree with James_walleye, it can only help.

bassguru

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Just lower the limits if anything at all. 1 fish over 20" is totally ridiculous. This state has reeeealy been going off the deep end politically lately. At least we're not forced to measure in cetimeters yet...!!!

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First of all, I agree with the new law as I think it will help decrease the average harvest, but not for the reasons stated here.

Sure, if you keep a 22 incher, you're killing a future 28 incher, but if you keep a 16 incher, aren't you killing a future 22 incher, which would be a future 28 incher? How far down are we going to go with this? In 15 years we'll all be eating Walleye as Suchi.

I think the law is sound, but that argument is not.

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Outside of the Boundary Waters, I've never caught more than one 20" walleye in a single trip, so this isn't going to affect me unless I get a lot smarter. grin.gif

While I think a law like this is sensible, I'd rather leave it in the hands of the DNR than the legislature. They're the experts (although we don't always agree with them). I also think they should (& maybe they did I haven't read the law) put some sort of "sunset" date into the law to assure that it's reviewed for impact in three, five, seven, or however many years to measure the whatever goals are being set forth.

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This is funny.. I make a comment and I am immediately under attack for keeping a single fish.. now things go to the next level and we cant fish after sunset in the state? .. Sorry guys.. A weekend at the cabin with 3 guys.. rain, wind and storms almost non stop... The weather lets up just long enough in 3 days.... it just happened to be after sunset.. you werent going to get that fish out of our hands at gunpoint.. any larger, it would have went back. As a matter of fact, that was the largest we had ever kept(not caught) from the lake.

And it tasted good!

Where is this going anyhow? Pretty soon the correct place will be next to the earlier post in another part of the forum that we should not be able to keep fish, or maybe certain species on certain days? ... at least until the paint-ball deer hunting season starts anyhow.

If a person is that against killing a fish in the 1st place.. maybe they shouldnt be fishing. I wont lie, I catch a lot of fish. Most of my trips are successful.. but I will be willing to bet my harvest rate does not surpass what is going to die from stress, etc.. just because a fish is released does not mean its going to survive.. if you want to assure the life of a fish, dont try to catch it.

Why dont we make it illegal to fish on Sunday to boot... except for bullheads and rough fish that dont exceed 24".

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Fisher Dave,

What Max12 meant by "sunset" date is that they include a clause in the law that requires them to do a survey after a few years to see if the new law is working effectively. It doesn't mean that you can't actually fish after sunset. That is nonsense. Personally I agree with the new law. I think it will help.

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I'm with you, Fisher Dave. This state is pinching us more all the time. I posted elsewhere that I overheard a bait shop owner asking the buyer of a fishing license if they would be opposed to closing crappie fishing during the spawn. If they put a season on crappies we won't be able to hardly fish at all in the spring time. Is the fishing so bad here?? I don't see any fish on the endangered species list. The more of these implimentations we have to "make the fishing better," the less we're able to fish. I for one don't want that trade off. We're getting so many anglers who think catch and release is necessary. The DNR will be the first to tell you how little impact angling pressure has on a fishery vs. other factors like forage base and habitat. We already have tons of regs as it is. Aren't our current limits and restrictions good enough? About the issue of taking one 23" walleye and sacrificing another 1000 the next year--aren't you going to remove MORE fish in the long run if you take that walleye out two or three years earlier when it's in the "more keepable" range? If you harvest the bigger ones you'll leave more smaller ones to reproduce. Now I can hear someone saying, "Are you kidding? Who in his right mind would endorse keeping the bigger ones over the smaller ones? But until I hear a valid argument to refute this school of thought, I have yet to believe it isn't reasonable. The fish are here for our enjoyment, whether to eat or catch and release. We're never going to fish our lakes and rivers out, especially the big ones like Mille Lacs.

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Dave, I have no bone in the dog fight. While just reading this thead it did seem like you threw the punch calling everyone else "backyard biologists" and then you got defensive thinking you were under attack.

That is just how it read to me.

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A few things here, if you say your have no problem putting the knife too a 24" walleye someone is going too call you on it.

Juggs, the DNR is putting more and more regs up for a reason. They arent putting these regs up just for sh!ts and giggles. They are putting these regs up too protect our resource. They obviously feel that too just preserve what we have now for fishing, some stricter regs need too be put in place. If fishing pressure had little impact on a lake there would no restrictions at all in place. You wouldnt have any limits or length restrictions if that was the case. There is a reason those canadian lakes are what they are, theres a reason you catch 70 walleyes a day up there. They have pretty much 0 for fishing pressure in Canada, and look at the tight regs they have! Its too preserve the resource they have. Thats their gig up there in many parts. If pressure meant nothing too a fishery do you think 15,000 acre lakes in Canada that see 5 boats a week would have all catch and release on its northerns on some lakes?? No, its because they know big northerns or big fish in general are a fragile resource. Theres a reason these lakes here in southern MN are what they are, its because they get hammered. Theres a reason you cant catch much more than hammer handle northerns on most MN lakes anymore, fishing pressure. Theres a reason a lot of lakes cant get crappies too 10" anymore, fishing pressure cuts them off at 8". Theres a reason why lakes such as Winnie and Rainy are in a hayday right now, its a 17-26" slot limit. Dont kid yourself, alot of darn good lakes which have always been good, could be just that much better if we take in the big picture on the benifits of putting these spawners back. It may come a time too with all the pressure on some of these lakes where it may take a slot limit just too ensure our walleye fisheries stay at the level they are right now, much less improving them. Yes there are a lot of lakes out there that dont have alot of fishing pressure and a slot wont help them much, but its the thousands of lakes out there that DO need help that we need too be concerned about. Alot of these lakes arent that big, but are heavily pressured, and the DNR isnt going too come in and put individual slot limits on these 1,000 acre lakes. Its statewide regs that helps these lakes. Fishing pressure is only going too grow in the future and im glad the DNR has recognized it, and has started imposing stricter regs.

The reason you should be harvesting a 16" walleye rather than a 24" walleye is simply this-a 24" walleye is most certainly a female, when you talk about harvesting 15-17" walleyes there is a very good shot your talking about male walleyes. Male walleyes are just as males in any species, they are more expendable. That is why you see a lot of slot limits starting at 17", from that point up your pretty much dealing with females. That is why 20+" walleyes need protection and not smaller ones, its the bigger walleyes that are females. One male walleye can assist many females in the spawning process.

If everyone has the attitude that our lakes are fine, they dont need help, we dont need more regs we are in trouble. If everyone had the attitude that "i'll put a knife too any 24" walleye i want as long as its in season", our lakes would be down the crapper. Theres a reason slots and such are the big talk right now. Advocates of it arent blowing hot air here guys. They arent talking about it just too hear their own voices. All these people are talking about it because IT WOULD WORK. No regulation or slot is going too hurt the fishery in your favorite lake. It can only help it.

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katoguy.. the *bone* I threw in goes far beyond this particular topic.. but stays mainly within boundaries of other topics within the forum.

Sorry guys.. I just get tired of it.. Everyone seems to know what is best for everyone else.. in this case it must be best for tight slot limits on all Minnesota waters, lower limits, tougher restrictions all around.

We need to remember everyone else who wets a line in the state of Minnesota has the right to do whatever is within the boundaries of the laws posted in the regulation book. My license dollars are paying for the upkeep of the lakes along with every other person.. resident, or non resident. In a case where I feel like eating fish.. if I choose to eat a 3" sunfish, 12" bass, 24" walleye, 48" Muskie.. it doesnt matter.. in the end it may not be right for the fishery to harvest some of these fish.. but its my license dollars that help pay for the resource, and I do have the right to take these fish if I actually wanted to if they are caught in the open season with legal angling methods.

What is right for some lakes, is not right for all. What is right for some fishermen, is not right for others.. I would rather go to a lake and bring home 2 eater walleyes(15-22") than go to the same lake and catch thirteen 12" walleyes, and a 31" trophy... why? Because I like to eat fish. The local lakes I fish have next to no natural reproduction.. not because the fish are harvested, its because of shoreline development and lack of(or non existant) spawning area.. in other words.. PUT and TAKE lakes.. they stock them, we harvest them or they die of old age eventually, and not have a successful spawn for the duration.

I have no interest in my license dollars being used to try to create nothing but trophy fisheries for myself, or others.. If I want to catch trophy class fish.. I target them and spend my time pursuing them.. they are out there now, and they were there 5 - 15 years ago before the slot limits started.

When I feel the desire to eat fish, I will harvest fish to eat immediately for myself and my family(total of 3 people).. and I like to keep 1 meal of fish in the freezer for a rainy day... This could be ONE 24" walleye... that would provide the meal, and a fillet for the freezer for another meal later.. or the harvest could be 6-8 13"-15" walleyes to produce the same amount of meat.. seems to me 6-8 walleyes would do the future of the lake more good than one 24" fish... especially in a lake with no natural reproduction... so I just harvested a single future *trophy* and left several fish to grow, or be harvested by someone else.

What good does the new regs do for many of the lakes in the state with stunted, overpopulated panfish? Now the few people who still harvest the tiny things can only take home half as many... A small size french fry at Burger King would produce more of a meal than a limit of sunfish, or in some cases crappies in many waters around the metro area... but they wont get fished out.

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Like i said, slots and regs arent going too help every lake. But there are thousands of lakes in this state that do need help, that a slot would help, and many are not very big or well know lakes outside their area. The DNR isnt going too come in and individually manage all these lakes. Their only protection is a statewide regs. That is the only thing thats going too ensure that with the fishing pressure we are sure too see in 20 or 50 years, these lakes can sustain themselves.

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