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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | MN season hasn't opened yet, so technically we are still experiencing the winternet.
http://www.brainerddispatch.com/opinion/reader-opinion/3743543-read...
The Mille Lacs Lake situation cries out for comment.
An invasive species is a plant or animal not native to a location, has a tendency to spread and causes damage to the environment, human economy/health (Wikipedia).
The Walleye Factory, fondly called by fisherman, has stumbled along providing sport, food and revenue for resorts. Mille Lacs always had northern pike, bass, walleye, perch, sunnies, crappies and other native fish. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources comes along and installed muskie in Mille Lacs Lake. Remember, muskie is an invasive species by definition. God only knows why the DNR did that, I suppose to make a splinter group like Muskie's Unlimited happy.
Well now the pigeons have come home to roost and the Walleye Factory is dead. So who does the DNR blame: northern pike. They impose a 10 fish limit on northern in hopes it will send a message to the muskie that they better stop picking on the walleye or they might be next.
The DNR, like all government agencies, will never admit they were wrong when they installed muskie in the Walleye Factory but we all know one reason why the Walleye Factory is dead. I'll just bet the DNR will be requesting millions to reduce the spread of invasive species from the Legislature this year.
Timothy O. Carvelli
North Saint Paul
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Location: MN | Yea the muskies are definitely eating all the baby fry walleye. |
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Posts: 536
Location: deephaven mn | Or is the the 10 fish limit on smaller pike a message that small pike may be a large part of the problem. |
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Posts: 1275
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | Timothy: Your statement: "An invasive species is a plant or animal not native to a location, has a tendency to spread and causes damage to the environment, human economy/health (Wikipedia)... The Walleye Factory, fondly called by fisherman, has stumbled along providing sport, food and revenue for resorts. Mille Lacs always had northern pike, bass, walleye, perch, sunnies, crappies and other native fish. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources comes along and installed muskie in Mille Lacs Lake. Remember, muskie is an invasive species by definition."...
...is just plain WRONG! You need to do your research. There has always been muskies in Mille Lacs, just not a large fishable population...historical records and early advertising from the early 1900's prove same. So, muskies are NOT invasive in Mille Lacs.
Muskie regards,
Larry Ramsell
Muskie Historian |
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| Here's a more rational explanation: http://www.winonadailynews.com/sports/pro/climate-change-a-culprit-in-decline-of-minnesota-walleye/article_4c9b6dc7-e936-5423-b059-46b14d3e386c.html Lake Mille Lacs resort owners are angry, anglers are frustrated, and they all have an opinion on what’s to blame for the shocking decline in walleye in Minnesota’s favorite fishing destination. But there’s one culprit that gets scant attention: global warming. Tullibee, a cold-water loving fish that is a critical prey for walleye, is largely gone from Mille Lacs. In fact, tullibee is in trouble across the state — a clear sign that Minnesota’s lakes are changing as fast as the climate and creating an uncertain future for the state’s prized fishing industry. By the end of this century, tullibee will be gone or drastically reduced in two-thirds of the lakes where it lives now, according to a sophisticated climate prediction model by state and University of Minnesota scientists. Other coldwater fish like yellow perch, burbot and lake trout are also declining, while warmwater fish like bluegill and crappies are on the rise. “It’s a pretty striking story,” said Peter Jacobson, a fish biologist with the state Department of Natural Resources. He’s been studying tullibee since heat-related fish kills first got his attention in the hot summer of 2006. “The recent declines have been mostly from climate. ...”
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Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | A comical write up all the way around. But I find "the Walleye Factory is dead" comment as funny as any. As most of us know, lakes are cyclical due to many factors. Even in the "dead" years, Mille Lacs is better than most with its walleye fishing. I have never bought into the demise of the walleye fishery out there. And while out there last night, we were stopped by the CO. They told us that of the 75 boats they stopped on opener last weekend, only 5 out of 75 had failed to catch any walleyes. Pretty good percentage for a "dead" lake!
Aaron |
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Posts: 386
| A co-worker spent about 4 hours there opening weekend and "only caught around 15-20". I must suck at walleye fishing. I would call that a fun four hours. It was good to hear that about half of those we're in the 12" range. It would be nice to see the walleye population rebound. With all of the tulibee dying off the muskies need something to eat  |
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Location: varies | yep. forage is scarce there. ever see a pike, muskie, or one of the 3 remaining walleye's there? all pencil shaped. |
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Bwaaaaaaaaa! One guess as to who's eating all the walleye's? I don't think it takes a Muskie Historian to figure it out! Yet, the same folks whom are complaining, also blame the Muskie! They should look in the mirror! If you don't blame your own greed, blame another species!
What do you want, a walleye factory or a trophy walleye resource? Guess what, either requires apex predator's like big pike & muskies, oh yeah, big bass and walleye's too! Mille Lacs would probably be better served by catch & release walleye only for a few season's, maybe then they would get to spawn!
Those muskies are probably peeed about the 10 pike limit too, e.g., there goes another food source!
Yes, walleye's are tasty too!
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 84
| I agree with esox maniac the same people who complain about poor fishing are the same ones Ill bet that are taking their limit or more every time there out fishing. Walleyes of all fish get kept the most because everyone knows how easy they are to fillet and taste great. But you cant keep doing that and expect the resource to always be there and every walleye spawns successfully. There are a lot more bass and other fish that eat small walleyes than pike and muskies.
Its easy to blame pike and muskies because their big and mean looking but smart anglers know all fish will eat smaller fish. Maybe they should stock some ciscos or other prey species for all game fish to benefit. Where I live on theres fridaynite fish fry and all you can eat for less than $20 theirs walleye or cod on the menu so really a guy wouldn't have to keep any fish and let the restaurant do all the work. Just because you can catch a lot doesn't mean you should keep a lot. |
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| Here's even more insanity,,,
One of the leading ANTI muskie spokesman in the state classifies stocked muskies has invasive exotics that have no right being introduced into new areas when he shows up at public input meetings,,,This is after he introduces himself to the crowd and talks about how he decided to get into conservation issues because he mourned the loss of pheasant and pheasant habitat.
Of course what he doesn't get is that "pheasants" are a non native exotic introduced species from Asia.
Here in MInn we have to deal with these idiots all the time. Even if you show them the info on how few walleye are foraged they still complain that the muskies dominate the reefs and points and push the walleye off them making them harder to catch. |
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Location: MN | The walleyes are spawning and reproducing just fine. It has been coined the walleye factory for a reason and continues to live up to it's reputation. The issue isn't that too many adult walleyes are getting killed (by hook and line, nets, muskies etc.) there are plenty of adult fish in the lake. The issue is, for awhile, there wasn't many baby walleyes making it to adulthood. They did stomach content studies on walleyes, bass and pike and realized that most of the baby walleyes are getting ate by the adult walleye. Thankfully they did not kill muskies to study their stomach contents but I think we all know the muskies aren't targeting baby walleyes. The reason the adult walleyes were targeting baby walleyes was due to the lack of their main forage, the perch. 3-4 years ago you could go out and catch 50-100 walleyes a day ranging from 20-30 inches pretty easily because the fish were starving due to lack of perch. A 27 inch fish would weigh 4-5 pounds they were so skinny. This is when people first started being concerned for the walleye population because they weren't catching any small ones.
Before all the Mille Lacs drama began I talked with a guide whose family has lived off the lake for decades and he told me about the perch/walleye relationship in the lake and said the walleye population has always cycled with perch population. He also explained that the ability to catch the walleyes has always cycled with the perch as well. Very few perch and the walleyes are easy to catch because they are hungry. That was the case a few summers ago when the fishing was unreal out there but skinny fish. Lots of perch and the walleyes are tough to catch because they are full. Mille Lacs has been coined the dead sea several times decades ago due this cycle.
The DNR has never asked these families with generations of experience living off the lake what they think the issue is. They also haven't really done any studies on the perch which seems strange to me. They seemed focused on predators, slots, invasives but they don't seem to be focused on the main forage.
A couple years ago the perch had a good hatch and now there are a lot baby walleyes making it to adulthood. Those 27 inch walleye that were 4-5 pounds a few years ago are now plump 7+ pound fish because they are well fed.
If you explain this to most walleye fisherman they won't have it. They all seem hell bent on blaming something, whether it be the natives netting, the DNR slots or the evil muskies.
The DNR put very liberal limits and regulations on the bass and pike last year. They also allowed the lake to be spear fished for pike this past winter which was not previously allowed. They did this after their own study that showed that the pike and bass weren't the ones eating the baby walleyes. They came right out and said that a major reason for the liberal pike and bass regulations was to help the local businesses. I was not aware our DNR was supposed to manage our fisheries to help local businesses.
A good chunk of spear fisherman target trophy pike. I'm not anti-spearing, that is just a fact, and I think most spear fisherman would agree with it. Last winter there were literally thousands of spear houses scattered in every shallow weedy bay on Mille Lacs. Last winter the DNR estimated that 25% of the trophy pike in the lake were harvested. 25% in one winter! The DNR said that they didn't realize so many spear fisherman would target the trophies. Are you kidding me? I almost fell off my chair when I read that statement.
The DNR is trying to implement new pike regulations (with ample push back from the dark house association) to fix the hammer handle pike problem in our state. At the same time they have created regulations that are going to destroy one of the last remaining trophy pike fisheries in our state, Mille Lacs. It is depressing. I have emailed the DNR regarding the destruction of the Mille Lacs Trophy Pike population. Their response leads me to believe they are not going to stop it.
The drama that surrounds this lake is like nothing else. People are up in arms and everyone seems to be finger pointing at someone or something that is the problem. Hopefully the muskies don't get caught in the cross fire. |
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Posts: 183
Location: Grand Forks ND | Not much different around Detroit Lakes area with the Pelican Lake Property Owners Association trying to get musky stocking stopped on Pelican Lake as well as reverse the minimum size limit on muskies to 36".
Can read more here:
http://www.pelicanlakemn.org/Education/2015%20COLA%20Newsletter-Mar... |
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Posts: 72
| Sent my email to the editorial writer. Thanks for posting. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Chemi - 5/16/2015 9:32 AM
Here's a more rational explanation: http://www.winonadailynews.com/sports/pro/climate-change-a-culprit-in-decline-of-minnesota-walleye/article_4c9b6dc7-e936-5423-b059-46b14d3e386c.html Lake Mille Lacs resort owners are angry, anglers are frustrated, and they all have an opinion on what’s to blame for the shocking decline in walleye in Minnesota’s favorite fishing destination. But there’s one culprit that gets scant attention: global warming. Tullibee, a cold-water loving fish that is a critical prey for walleye, is largely gone from Mille Lacs. In fact, tullibee is in trouble across the state — a clear sign that Minnesota’s lakes are changing as fast as the climate and creating an uncertain future for the state’s prized fishing industry. By the end of this century, tullibee will be gone or drastically reduced in two-thirds of the lakes where it lives now, according to a sophisticated climate prediction model by state and University of Minnesota scientists. Other coldwater fish like yellow perch, burbot and lake trout are also declining, while warmwater fish like bluegill and crappies are on the rise. “It’s a pretty striking story,” said Peter Jacobson, a fish biologist with the state Department of Natural Resources. He’s been studying tullibee since heat-related fish kills first got his attention in the hot summer of 2006. “The recent declines have been mostly from climate. ...”
are Tulibee really THAT critical for walleyes? There's no other alternatives for forage?
the Lake Erie tulibee population is way down too and it doesn't seem to be slowing them down there much..?
not saying I am right here but just for the sake of discussion....
Edited by Musky Brian 5/20/2015 4:23 PM
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Location: MN | Musky Brian - 5/20/2015 4:21 PM
are Tulibee really THAT critical for walleyes? There's no other alternatives ..
No they're not. The perch are though. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | If there are 14 foot walleyes in Mille Lacs, we're in business!
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Location: Sawyer County, WI | Pointerpride102 - 5/29/2015 4:32 PM
If there are 14 foot walleyes in Mille Lacs, we're in business!
When that happens you'll have a very large group of musky fishermen whining about how the walleye are eating all of their musky. |
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Location: Sawyer County, WI | toc - 5/29/2015 4:56 PM
If that's all ya got in response ya got nothing.
I've never fished walleye on Mille Lacs and doubt I ever will. If they are extinct there by the end of the season, well, I really wouldn't give a nice try. |
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Posts: 194
Location: Lake Elmo, MN | Rarely does ONE single thing cause any catastrophic event to take place. Usually it's a series or number of events over time that occur. I'd suggest that most if not ALL of the things mentioned here caused it at least to some degree. Alone, probably NONE of the things would have caused any noticeable effect, but taken together.....PROBLEM.
The lessons of Red Lake seem to be lost very quickly on us Minnesota fishermen though. "Those who forget history are most likely to repeat it". |
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Location: MN | Comparing Red to Mille Lacs is apples to oranges. Very different pieces of water that 'crashed' for very different reasons. |
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