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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I love Jerry's answers. MN will miss that guy.
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/09/28/muskie-walleye |
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Location: MN | Where's he going? |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Going Salt according to his Facebook update. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | the musky movement needs a political advisor ... |
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Posts: 31
| This perception which is common among walleye anglers really frustrates me as a walleye angler myself. Clearly it's the record number of yellow perch that is making the walleye fishing difficult. These people aren't intelligent enough or are just too stubborn to admit that the predators they love to hate (muskies and smallmouth) are actually helping them by keeping bait fish populations in check. The logical thought process of some of these anglers "if I drag around live bait and don't catch fish then they must not be there". Jerry is spot on and I these people would be better off saving the lawyer fees and spending their money on a guide.
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Posts: 1828
| The same guy who says:
"They've gotta use scientific data and they've gotta use facts and they have to be straightforward and honest with people," he said. "We just don't believe they've been straightforward with us."
Then goes on to say:
"We have people reporting a muskie laying under a dock. Sitting there like an alligator under a dock," he said. "And with the clear water you see 'em under there. Ask your granddaughter to go dangle her toes in the lake when you've got a 5-foot fish under the dock."
So the DNR must use facts and scientific data (obviously, and they've done it and are working to do it more) to prove that muskies are not hurting other gamefish populations. Meanwhile he himself uses stupid emotional anecdotes and hypotheticals to support his movement.
I wish the DNR would just ignore people like this. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | jaultman - 9/28/2015 10:47 AM
I wish the DNR would just ignore people like this.
it's a sign of the times and no different than any of the other nonsense happening in the world today. fundamentally people are stupid, but if you call em for what they are then you are going to get nowhere, unless you are just doing it on a message board for entertainment value. |
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Posts: 1516
| Fished with Jerry this year and he had some interesting comments about some guy that lives on the lake that kills any muskie he catches. I wonder if it was this guy in the article, He also had an interesting opinion on how the zebra mussels got into the lake. In his opinion they didn't ride in on a boat or trailer.
If you are headed to the Florida Keys this winter and want to go tarpon fishing look him up cause that's where he said he would be. |
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| While Jerry's answers may be true, I think it may just create more tension to the folks in the area. Sometimes its better to not say what's truly on ones mind. |
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Posts: 8782
| Why are the best walleye fisheries typically lakes that have a healthy population of muskies?
I often wonder if the lake associations and the people that complain about muskies are really just using the walleye excuse when the real reason they dislike muskies is because they attract musky anglers to "their" lake.
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Location: minocqua, wi. | Baby Mallard - 9/28/2015 11:04 AM
While Jerry's answers may be true, I think it may just create more tension to the folks in the area. Sometimes its better to not say what's truly on ones mind.
yup |
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| Sondag = Fabulous |
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Location: Minnesota | esoxaddict - 9/28/2015 11:09 AM I often wonder if the lake associations and the people that complain about muskies are really just using the walleye excuse when the real reason they dislike muskies is because they attract musky anglers to "their" lake. I think this is likely the biggest reason.... they don't want you and I on "their" lake. I like how the responsible lakeshore owner cares so much about the lake that he mows it as close as he can to the edge of the bank. Just proves to me that he wants what he wants and won't listen to anyone else about anything. |
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| jonnysled - 9/28/2015 11:12 AM
Baby Mallard - 9/28/2015 11:04 AM
While Jerry's answers may be true, I think it may just create more tension to the folks in the area. Sometimes its better to not say what's truly on ones mind.
yup
As much as I’d normally agree with you, I think the situation with MN walleye guys has gotten this bad. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Minnesota back troller truly is their own breed altogether. “Facts”? “logic”? “science”? “data”? all hog wash as far as they’re concerned. If "science" doesn’t place all the blame for declining walleye catch rates on anything but angling pressure and shifting lake ecology it will fall on deaf ears. Mr Sondag’s comments may sound temperamental, but they're bang on and, (sadly at this point) need to be heard. |
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| jonnysled - 9/28/2015 11:12 AM
Baby Mallard - 9/28/2015 11:04 AM
While Jerry's answers may be true, I think it may just create more tension to the folks in the area. Sometimes its better to not say what's truly on ones mind.
yup
Might as well say what's on your mind these old blue hairs aren't going to change their minds at this point. They can go ahead and sell there place then. No one is going to miss you.
I e-mailed the fisheries biologist in the area and his response to this issue while well calculated left me with no doubt that these anti-muskie zealots aren't going to sway musky management in the area in any meaningful way.
Edited by Cfollow 9/28/2015 12:35 PM
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Location: Smith Creek | North Dakota has some pretty easy walleye fishing and not much for muskies. They should all move there.
It could be the next great Norwegian migration. |
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Posts: 280
Location: US | It should be easy for any scientific study to show the muskies don't eat 1.6 million walleye every year. I say let them spend their money on it. |
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Posts: 120
| Flambeauski - 9/28/2015 12:43 PM
North Dakota has some pretty easy walleye fishing and not much for muskies. They should all move there.
It could be the next great Norwegian migration.
They're already on their way. I've heard a couple of walleye guy's around here planning their first Devils Lake run this winter. The number of MN boats in Sodak is also rising quickly. |
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| Agreed ^^^^^ |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Just imagine yourself as a fisheries manager dealing with all of this. Makes it that much more difficult to do the job.
Distractions also cost money. None of the agencies are really rolling in that resource. I thought Jerry 'threw some poo', and hit the target dead center. Will it do any good?
Probably not, but the entertainment value for us as serious muskie AND walleye anglers is tremendous. |
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Posts: 3147
| This will go.public,,,and when it does we HAvE to show up at the meeting,,not donate not send emails but put our butts in seats. The dnr is an audience too we need to show up and show we want this. Decisions are made by those that show up,,not the way it should be but true . |
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| I tend not to believe anyone who can't compare 1.6 million to 800 and figure out something other than muskies is eating all the walleyes. But then he also thinks there are 5 foot fish under docks everywhere, too, just waiting for someone to put their feet in the water.
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| Not just anybody!
little girls! |
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Posts: 108
| This is an ugly situation and going to get uglier (going political)...there are facts and the MNDNR has been very accommodating to a very small group of individuals...I have been involved with this from the beginning and it doesn't matter what facts/information that is provided...this group will ignore it. This group doesn't not want muskies in Pelican Lake...and the reason is much deeper than "they hurt the fishery". They want less people using "their" lake...that is the bottom line! |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | Majkrzak isn't satisfied with any of answers the DNR provides. "They've gotta use scientific data and they've gotta use facts and they have to be straightforward and honest with people," he said. "We just don't believe they've been straightforward with us."
The DNR could plop down 5,000 pages of absolute irrefutable scientific evidence conducted by Jesus and notarized by God in front of this guy and it wouldn't change his mind. He would just call them a bunch of eggheads who don't know the lake or spend any time on the water.
All we can do is wait for he and his ilk to move to Florida or kick the bucket. |
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| Last I heard, LOTW has a very healthy walleye population and a lot of muskies.
They may be on the right track with the water clarity. I remember hearing that when zebra mussels provided more clear water on Winnebago, fishermen had to modify their methods. |
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Location: Minnesota. | Unbelievable isn't it! Ignorance and self-appointed opinions firmed up by the old boys over their coffee clutches/conversations feed much of the fact that walleyes aren't always simple to find and catch. Especially if all those muskies are eating so many 'eyes. (cough, cough) And that "their lake" rings familiar. I live close to 'Tonka.
You can't fix stupid, much less alter opinions that aren't based in fact.
Oh, and if anyone knows of a good lake home for sale up there please let .... ah, nevermind, I'd never afford it. But I'd love to! Might me lonely fishing though. I'd like that!
Jeremy.
Edited by Jeremy 9/28/2015 3:17 PM
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| Amazing how folks readily believe what some joker sitting on a bar stool says over the knowledge of people who likely have an advanced degree and make their living at it every day. |
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Location: Chisholm, MN | All I know is I'm never swimming in Pelican again! |
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Location: oswego, il | Hooker nailed it, muskie butts need to be at the lake association meeting and their voice heard. These meetings are public. I went to a couple Barbee lame chain meetings back in the day to see what it was all about. Don't go to one meeting keep people going to keep countering their voice. One of the clubs out there run a signup sheet.
Edited by ToddM 9/28/2015 7:19 PM
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Posts: 303
| I'm relatively new to muskie fishing (about 4 years). How many of these crazy walleye guys have actually prevented a lake that has already been stocked from continuing to be stocked? Are they ever successful or are they just blowing hot air? |
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Location: Alex or Alek? | If anyone hears of when these public meetings are please post it. |
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Posts: 66
| Note to self -- fish every dock in Pelican Lake. |
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Location: varies | Note to self.
create little girls foot lure.
Jig docks with it. |
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Posts: 39
| ya alot of old timers here in indiana complained about the same thing on a lake i fish. said all the bluegills were gone or too small because the muskies were eating them. got the dnr to stop stocking the lake. its amazing how i can go there and catch more then enough to eat and average size grew on them not decreased. even the crappies are thriving now. and youll catch a decent perch every now and then. people are just ignorant |
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Posts: 246
Location: Grand Marais, MN | ii have fished pelican for my entire life and in the last 5 years I've caught tons of walleye. Fargo Moorhead walleye tournament in the spring also catches tons of them. The property owners who I've gotten to know or know of are stubborn old guys who either compare pelican to factories like Devils lake or are just bad fishermen. The rest of them want their lake to be a swimming pool to wakeboard and tube on without having to touch seaweed.
Classic case of blaming someone else for a lake's problems. When you and everyone you know keep a few hundred walleye every year for 40 years, blame muskies.
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Location: oswego, il | Fill the seats, don't give them a free shot and shoot them down with facts. Find them on social media be there too. Anywhere they have a voice, be there. If you want this to go away meet them everywhere. Question their statements and counter them. Make them explain something they can't. Make them look like they don't know what they are talking about. Keep a step ahead of them in the conversation and make them play defense. Lead them into traps, you already know the mindset, say something that brings a response you can kill. It's like bringing a straight over a predictable lazy jab. I have done some of this to people in Indiana. Be smart about it, don't let your emotions take control.
Edited by ToddM 9/30/2015 7:00 AM
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Location: Minnesota | If you want to talk to this guy directly here is his info.
(Screen Shot 2015-09-30 at 10.55.13 AM.png)
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Location: Lincoln, NE | Jerry Sondag posted on his Headshaker facebook page that he is going to be on the radio at 2pm discussing this. You can stream it live online here:
http://kfgo.com/shows/show/the-mike-mcfeely-show/ |
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Posts: 437
| Thanks for the link. Listened to the interview. Jerry certainly doesn't mince any words. LOL
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Location: Alex or Alek? | "hide your kids hid your wife, the muskies are coming"
"Good thing there aren't tornadoes or else we would be watching muskinado"
Jerry is great, good listen. thanks for the heads up |
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Posts: 437
| MOJOcandy101 - 9/30/2015 2:31 PM
"hide your kids hid your wife, the muskies are coming"
"Good thing there aren't tornadoes or else we would be watching muskinado"
Jerry is great, good listen. thanks for the heads up I cracked up at these as well. LOL |
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Posts: 100
| This is probably a dumb question...but are there really people out there who'd rather catch walleye than muskie?
...that's just...odd... |
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Posts: 2015
| Further North - 9/30/2015 9:16 PM
This is probably a dumb question...but are there really people out there who'd rather catch walleye than muskie?
...that's just...odd...
Seriously?, probably 100 to 1 fisherman nationwide would rather catch walleye vs. muskie
Edited by IAJustin 9/30/2015 9:36 PM
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Location: The desert | IAJustin - 9/30/2015 9:34 PM
Further North - 9/30/2015 9:16 PM
This is probably a dumb question...but are there really people out there who'd rather catch walleye than muskie?
...that's just...odd...
Seriously?, probably 100 to 1 fisherman nationwide would rather catch walleye vs. muskie
Probably 10,000+ to 1 |
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Location: Pelican Rapids, MN | Hey guys, thanks for listening. And having input on the topic. The PLPOA (pelican Lake home owner association) is a very staunch and opinionated group of people. I've communicated with several members, only a couple are open to understanding fisheries. The majority of the group are non-fisherman. Meaning- they either don't fish at all or they throw a line occasionally off a dock or a pontoon. This whole issue was generated by a fella by the name of Tom Sherman whom lives on Pelican. He is a walleye fisherman who is often spotted at 3-4 of the same spots every time you see him. He is the guy who would kill any musky that came to his boat as well as instruct other anglers to go the same. He and I have shared words on more than one occasion. He has also admitted in recent PLPOA meetings that he's try to better the lake by removing Zebra Mussels by the bucketload only to dump them in creek fed sloughs near his home.... ILLEGAL! Also, he caught a bass off the dock that he thought was some kind of record.... So he took the live fish a couple miles down the road to have it weighed at a hardware store. Then the 3 pound whopper ended up being a fraction of the record he took it back to the lake and released it. Again ILLEGAL!
These are the type of people we are dealing with. Uneducated (about fisheries) self absorbed, self entitled homeowners that believe they own the water shed. It all started with walleye predation... When the DNR trumped that with data, they moved onto excessive boating pressure due to "loud obnoxious musky anglers making all sorts of noise". After they realized that their statement was absolute swill, they began the danger to human rhetoric. I've been privey to all this BS for several years. But now that the majority of the board are retired they can sit at morning coffee and plot they're next "opposition." Sad really. The lake could be improved so greatly in other avenues. When I challenged the walleye fishery by stating that all great walleye lakes have strict slot size limits and pelican doesn't, they didn't want to hear it since that would interrupt the amount of "keepers."
It's sickening as a real angler and a homeowner on the lake. McFeely contacted me for that reason... That, and I would speak my mind and entertain some people. We do need to rally as anglers. FM walleyes inc is on our side so should everyone else who gives a hoot about a good fishery in danger.
And yes, I am relocating down to The Florida Keys to pursue other fishing opportunities, but will still be guiding Muskies every late summer and early fall, based out of my family cabin on Pelican Lake.
Keep up the good fight and good luck!
Jerry
Edited by Jsondag 9/30/2015 10:47 PM
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Location: US | Hopefully he'll get caught killing a musky. I think I saw an article about another guy who was caught doing that and he was hit pretty hard with fines and not able fish for quite a while if i remember correctly. |
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Location: Lincoln, NE | Need to get one of them on video killing a musky like that one guy did on youtube. Even if they don't fish much and care about losing their license and fines aren't nothing to them if they have money, it would sure ruin their credibility when they try to talk about anything related to fishing to anyone of any power. Keep the cameras rolling and sooner or later one will mess up. |
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| ToddM has a lot of good thoughts. Be there and let your voice be heard when public discussions take place. Stay civil and be ready for what these people are going to say (pretty predictable). Facts are facts and that's undebatable.
Look at all the musky success there has been over the past 25 years alone: Changing the mindset of many on C&R, new & better stocking programs, increased size limits etc. There's no reason this issue can't end up being a positive for the musky world in the end.
Keep fighting the good fight, all. |
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| Any chance Jerry's interview is recorded? |
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| F you have never been to a dnr public input meeting and your a Minnesota musky guy you really should experience it. I've been to many not so much last few years because of 2nd shift work but almost all have the same flavor.
You have the anti"s who are there to rant and think the guy who yells the loudest will win the sway.
Then you have the Oliver Stone younger types who think the dnr,rich muskie guys and the CIA, are all involved and paid off to get the muskies in.
But,,then you have the people who are legitimately on the fence. They are there to listen to both sides they live in the area or maybe on the lake and they really don't know what is good or bad about the issue,,,These are the people and reason for showing up that we can make a difference with and hopefully the Walderas,Underhills,Rob Kimms are there to represent.
I'm a musky guy but I don't think I'm being biased when I say we usually do well in these debates.
But if this goes public has a Minnesota musky guy you should get this experience. |
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| tolle141 - 10/1/2015 6:15 PM
Any chance Jerry's interview is recorded?
http://kfgo.com/podcasts/mike-mcfeely-show/983/jerry-sondag/
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Location: minocqua, wi. |
just listened ... good interview!! thanks for posting. |
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Posts: 108
| I think we as muskie anglers miss our opportunities to educate the masses on muskies and their purpose in a body of water. We arrive at the landing early and stay late, we scoff at any boats that come near us since they are interrupting our fishing, we degrade our own on their first success for vertical holds or excessive handling. (not that I condone those practices)
My point being is this...the general public knows very little of the species we pursue, or the sport of muskie fishing. We as muskie anglers need to do a better job teaching others what our sport is all about. Never miss an opportunity to educate or take a non-muskie fisherman muskie fishing. Be courteous to the pontooners that insist on going between you and the shoreline you are casting, ask the walleye anglers how they are doing and when the complain the muskies ate them all... laugh and tell them your buddies catch walleye out here all the time...hope you find them! We can't alienate ourselves and then become upset when there is an anti-muskie push!
I was filling up my boat at a gas station two years ago and a guy came out and started looking at the baits hanging from my pedestal...he struck up a conversation with me and asked where I fished...I told him where and then explained I was going out after I gassed up the boat. He said, I have a 17yr old son who would love to muskies fish sometime. I said, what's he doing now, I'm going solo? Long story short...I took the kid out that night and although he didn't land a muskie he had a hit and saw two more...he and his father are now supporters of the MN Muskie program. Don't miss an opportunity!
If you love the sport...be an ambassador of it and take the time to educate others...it will benefit muskie anglers for generations to come.
I will get off my soapbox now.
Best Fishes,
Brett Waldera |
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Location: Contrarian Island | very good points BDubz... I know I am guilty of getting testy with a pontooner or other boater that cuts right in front of where we are casting... 90% of the time I'd imagine they just don't know what they are even doing...
I know Jerry is outspoken and that can be good..and bad... Maybe you or someone else that might be a little bit more 'pc' could go on the radio and offer facts and educate the public the real story...
It's too bad this small group on the lake has created so much trouble...the walleyes are still there, they just need to learn how to adapt to changing lake conditions to catch them... keep up the good fight!
Edited by BNelson 10/2/2015 9:39 AM
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Location: minocqua, wi. | when people encroach on you while fishing just wave to them and be the nice guy ... their response will confirm their intentions either way and you will know. 90% of the time they'll respond in-kind and be oblivious. there is nothing that's going to change what is happening so why whine or yell about it. the fish don't care ... might even wake em up.
great post Brett ... hopefully everyone will read it! the musketeers are a special interest group that could stand to improve the "general" image based on what i see and hear. fishing is supposed to be fun ... |
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Location: Alex or Alek? | In case anyone is interested, here are a few articled about muskies given to the Pelican Lake Propertys Owners Association.
http://www.pelicanlakemn.org/Education/Muskie%20letter%20Jim%20Wolt...
http://www.pelicanlakemn.org/Education/Muskie%20Stocking-Length%20I...
http://www.pelicanlakemn.org/Education/Muskie%20Info%20DSM%20august... |
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Posts: 114
| These guys are unbelievable......... Have they given any thought that whats causing there lack of fishing success due to the zebra mussel infestation in that lake. You can see 25 feet down in pelican, that's why the fishing has gotten worse. They are probably just use to going to the same spots as what they fished 25 years ago and think they should still be able to catch fish. Muskies are not to be blamed.
Take the best walleye fishing lakes in Minnesota. Leech lake, Lake of the woods, Bemidji, Cass, vermilion, Winnie..... Guess what they all have muskies in them.
Edited by bbradley 10/5/2015 5:01 PM
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| Do we need to request a study being done about how many muskies are being eaten by walleye? |
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| The Bay of Qinte is a world class walleye fishery with 10 to 13 lbs caught regularly throughout the fall. I remember, before zebra mussels, a whole different way of fishing. We had to change from jigging in the shallower water to more open water trolling. Zebra mussels actually improved overall fishing. Cleaned up the water, more weed beds, more bass and bigger walleye.
The point is, you have to change. You fish every lake different but when your lake changes, you have to adapt.
Relying on what your grandfather did isn't going to work for you. Some people just don't get it.
Edited by Lunker Larry 10/7/2015 4:02 PM
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| Not sure if anyone will be able to decipher this, but I thought I'd make a bumper sticker:
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Location: varies | ^ I'll buy 2 please. |
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| That is fabulous!!!
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Location: Alex or Alek? | awesome!! take my money!! |
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| I want that as a sticker and T-Shirt |
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Location: Madison, WI | I have a friend that would like an explanation please |
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Location: MN | johnsonaaro2 - 10/9/2015 12:16 PM
I have a friend that would like an explanation please
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| johnsonaaro2 - 10/9/2015 12:16 PM
I have a friend that would like an explanation please
If you're asking about the bumper sticker, it says "coexist" using musky, bass, walleye, trout, perch, bugs, fishing rod, and water skier silhouttes.
Inspired by the coexist bumper stickers that has the star of David, cross, muslim moon/star, peace symbol, and whatever else. |
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Posts: 116
| I have fished the Fergus, Alexandria, Detroit Lakes area all of my life and have formed a few opinions about this walleye vs. musky argument and maybe my thoughts are worth nothing more than the price paid but time does tell a story. In my 35 years in that area I have fished many lakes, some stocked with muskies and some not. I owned property on a lake in the Alexandria area for 30 years and can share some experience about fishing quality for that period of time and I would expect that my findings could apply to many lakes. The lake does not have muskies in it and was many years ago considered a premier walleye fishery. The lake had a lot of walleyes in it and some very nice ones at that. Along with the notoriety came the fishermen. Every fisherman that came to the lake expected to leave with his limit on the stringer and a lot of them did. In the winter it looked like a small city out on the ice. There was a lot of fishing pressure. Many of the full time residents along the lake shore, including my neighbors had freezers full of fish. Many of them went out to their houses daily and a lot of fish were kept and many of the big ones went on the wall. These days it would be difficult to go out on the same lake and catch enough for lunch much less a trophy. Things in this world never stay the same, they are always changing and nature is a very cyclical. There are many factors, none of which I would care to argue about but some factors are the result of human beings. If the walleye fishing in my lake has changed that dramatically in a relatively short period of time and there aren't any muskies to blame who is next in line to be accused? Zebra mussels? Crayfish? Milfoil? Farmers for indirectly polluting the water? Global warming? I heard all of these and more at some time or another and yes these could all be contributing factors and as a sportsman I take all of those factors seriously and have an interest in preserving our waters and resources. Not to the extreme but I try to leave nature the way that I found it for others (and my kids) to enjoy. I think the biggest threat to the walleyes (or any species) is man. If a popular lake like Pelican is low on walleyes I would be inclined to believe that the fishermen have played a part yet I haven't heard any of the musky haters concede to that. Look what Muskies Inc, the promotion of catch and release and the DNR have accomplished as far as creating a healthy musky fishery. No it is not perfect but there are more people than ever fishing for muskies and there are a lot of waters in Minnesota with really big fish...which was one of the goals. We all want a big one right? What if we went back to days when every musky was kept. The population would go down of course. Walleyes exist in a higher density and are more prolific than muskies but are just as susceptible to over fishing as any other species (or living thing for that matter) and on some of our favorite waters there is even netting. It is pretty hard to prove that the muskies ate all the walleyes but if someone or some entity had the time and dedication I would think it could be proven or guesstimated how many walleyes are harvested from a body of water. I am not suggesting that this should be done but in theory it is possible and I suspect the numbers would be quite revealing. One thing I would like to hear more of from the walleye enthusiasts is more talk about catch and release and the preservation of the resource. With the closure of Mille Lacs this year I would think this would be of paramount importance to those effected and would be a great time to ramp up the promotion of CPR or CNR. This is not meant to be inflammatory but at some point I think the fishermen and residents on Pelican need to accept SOME responsibility. In most cases I would not condone any kind of public argument because those situations can can get out of hand very quickly but in this case I think Jerry was spot on and I thank him for having the courage to say what needed to be said. Tread lightly but keep it up. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | jabird - 10/10/2015 3:05 PM
I have fished the Fergus, Alexandria, Detroit Lakes area all of my life and have formed a few opinions about this walleye vs. musky argument and maybe my thoughts are worth nothing more than the price paid but time does tell a story. In my 35 years in that area I have fished many lakes, some stocked with muskies and some not. I owned property on a lake in the Alexandria area for 30 years and can share some experience about fishing quality for that period of time and I would expect that my findings could apply to many lakes. The lake does not have muskies in it and was many years ago considered a premier walleye fishery. The lake had a lot of walleyes in it and some very nice ones at that. Along with the notoriety came the fishermen. Every fisherman that came to the lake expected to leave with his limit on the stringer and a lot of them did. In the winter it looked like a small city out on the ice. There was a lot of fishing pressure. Many of the full time residents along the lake shore, including my neighbors had freezers full of fish. Many of them went out to their houses daily and a lot of fish were kept and many of the big ones went on the wall. These days it would be difficult to go out on the same lake and catch enough for lunch much less a trophy. Things in this world never stay the same, they are always changing and nature is a very cyclical. There are many factors, none of which I would care to argue about but some factors are the result of human beings. If the walleye fishing in my lake has changed that dramatically in a relatively short period of time and there aren't any muskies to blame who is next in line to be accused? Zebra mussels? Crayfish? Milfoil? Farmers for indirectly polluting the water? Global warming? I heard all of these and more at some time or another and yes these could all be contributing factors and as a sportsman I take all of those factors seriously and have an interest in preserving our waters and resources. Not to the extreme but I try to leave nature the way that I found it for others (and my kids) to enjoy. I think the biggest threat to the walleyes (or any species) is man. If a popular lake like Pelican is low on walleyes I would be inclined to believe that the fishermen have played a part yet I haven't heard any of the musky haters concede to that. Look what Muskies Inc, the promotion of catch and release and the DNR have accomplished as far as creating a healthy musky fishery. No it is not perfect but there are more people than ever fishing for muskies and there are a lot of waters in Minnesota with really big fish...which was one of the goals. We all want a big one right? What if we went back to days when every musky was kept. The population would go down of course. Walleyes exist in a higher density and are more prolific than muskies but are just as susceptible to over fishing as any other species (or living thing for that matter) and on some of our favorite waters there is even netting. It is pretty hard to prove that the muskies ate all the walleyes but if someone or some entity had the time and dedication I would think it could be proven or guesstimated how many walleyes are harvested from a body of water. I am not suggesting that this should be done but in theory it is possible and I suspect the numbers would be quite revealing. One thing I would like to hear more of from the walleye enthusiasts is more talk about catch and release and the preservation of the resource. With the closure of Mille Lacs this year I would think this would be of paramount importance to those effected and would be a great time to ramp up the promotion of CPR or CNR. This is not meant to be inflammatory but at some point I think the fishermen and residents on Pelican need to accept SOME responsibility. In most cases I would not condone any kind of public argument because those situations can can get out of hand very quickly but in this case I think Jerry was spot on and I thank him for having the courage to say what needed to be said. Tread lightly but keep it up.
i tried but got dizzy |
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Posts: 4266
| Sounds like it will be one hell of a perch fishery pretty soon.
"Can't we all just get along?" RK |
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