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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | I have heard that the Walleye bite this year has been crazy good, however last night, with some buddies, we started talking about Lake Vermillion. though there are being fish caught, the numbers of small to mid size walleyes are down significantly. I remember when the Walleye population plummeted on Leech lake and that the musky fishery was not as prominent. So I guess my question is (for all the experts out there) why is the Walleye population down so much on Vermillion (if in fact what I heard was true), how is this happening, and what can we do to prevent what happened to Leech, happen to Vermillion? Also how much do we expect the musky fishery to suffer as a result?
Edited by FAT-SKI 6/27/2012 9:09 AM
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | The reason there's a low population of small to mid sized walleyes on the big V is the same reason those fish are hard to come by on Mille lacs... They taste good... Same thing happend on leech... |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | Tim Schmitz - 6/27/2012 9:11 AM
The reason there's a low population of small to mid sized walleyes on the big V is the same reason those fish are hard to come by on Mille lacs... They taste good... Same thing happend on leech...
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I understand that some are obviously being kept by anglers, but I would ignorant to assume that's the only reason. The DNR has a great stocking program for the Big V. Also more and more anglers are fishing for the experience, fun and releasing their fish (regardless of size)... not for food. I agree that over fishing may be part of the problem, but not the whole issue. |
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Location: oswego, il | I stay on vermillion and most of the time, we are the only ones targeting muskies. Everyone else is fishing walleyes. When they don't catch alot of walleye they keep alot of bass and some pike but they are mostly fishing for a meal. |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | One of the main reasons I am asking is because I know that it is not long before people start blaming muskies for the lack of population. When that is just not the case. I feel that it is more than just fishing pressure, just not sure what the others are. I just know that muskies will be the number one suspect for people who don't know any better. So I am trying to get a feel for the lake and it's forage so when we all have to go to bat for the muskies (and we will) we can have a good understanding of how it got to where it is now. |
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | It would be pretty ignorant to assume there's more than a handful of people fishing vermilion or Mille lacs for walleyes just for the sport of it! Walleyes were ment to die in my livewell. Lol |
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | The finger in these situation should always be pointed back at the angler not the Sox...but sox are a easy target for guys that can't fill they're freezers anymore. |
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Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | The DNR hasn't stocked V with Walleyes for a few yrs now,.... But they take a ton of eggs from the hatchery and use them for other lakes.
from Ice out to walleye opener the "netters" are also taking a few tons of walleyes out of Pike Bay. every yr.
People up here also love to eat them.....no matter their size.
Yesterday a friend of mine told me that him and 3 others were trolling in Big Bay and they got their limit and then some
Walleyes are out there you just have to know where to find them and get them to bite.......just like muskies.
I do agree that the DNR needs to stock some of the Millions of eggs they take back into the lake. |
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| I was up on V last weekend and didn't have any issues catching eaters. |
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| One of the culprits that contributed to the Leech lake mess a few years ago was the Cormorants, so much so that the DNR got federal regulators to allow many of the nesting pairs to be shot. They are now only allowing a fixed number of pairs around the lake, ie managing them. I do not know if the birds are an issue on V or even there at all, but to say the Leech situation a few years ago was all on the anglers is patently false.
Edited by Brad P 6/27/2012 11:56 AM
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | Cormorants were NOT the problem on leech. They were just a easy scapegoat for lakeshore owners and resorts. Now that they've dropped the limit tightend the slot and stocked HUGE amounts of fry plus killed the birds everything is looking brighter right?Maybe it's us that need managing?
Edited by Tim Schmitz 6/27/2012 1:21 PM
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| I agree with Tim......massive smokescreen for BS.....all the eyes hang out on the south end of pelican right?,,,,,,lol,,,, |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | I did hear something about Cormorants on Vermillion, but how many and how much effect they are taking on the fishery is unknown... |
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Posts: 97
Location: Chaska MN. | Got back about ten days ago after spending a week on the big V and even with a mayfly hatch going on we had no problem getting our limit and then some.
As it was said before you just have to know where they are and how to get them to bite. |
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Location: Minnesota. | suicknut - 6/27/2012 2:53 PM
Got back about ten days ago after spending a week on the big V and even with a mayfly hatch going on we had no problem getting our limit and then some.
As it was said before you just have to know where they are and how to get them to bite.
I can't get 'em to bite even if I chum the buggers with leeches. Must be my sparkly boat....but I'm about had with trying during the summer months.
Funny thing, I took my two boys out swimming/diving the rocks one hot afternoon, 3 ft of water. My oldest pops back up and says "Dad, you should see the walleyes swimming around..."
We bobber fished a good bit after that....nada, just smallies. Those 'eyes werer on the move... Interesting tidbit though and very surprising given the time of day and huge, bright sunshine!
Jeremy. |
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Posts: 304
Location: Lino Lakes, MN | When it comes to Walleyes on Vermilion I believe many consider Oak Narrows to the cutoff for East And West sides of the lake.
The East side has been much more consistant with the Walleye fishing. The West End has had some really poor year classes. The DNR Fisheries dept managed by Duane Williams has an annual report that is printed in the Vermilion Sportsmans Club's newsletter.
They have had poor young of the year survival with stocked fry the past several years on the West end. They also have yearly young of the year assesments on both ends of the lake. I believe that they put the stocked fry into a solution of something that will show up under special lighting.
One huge difference I have seen on the West end of the lake is sunfish. Now days fishing from the dock for walleyes with leeches the invasion of sunfish make it difficult to get walleyes at times. Do sunfish eat walleye fry????? We also catch Bullheads that we never ever caught in the 70's or 80's. There have definitly been some changes in the walleye fishery from my viewpoint over the years.
Thank You Duane and your crews for the special work on Lake Vermilion with all species of fish.
Steve
The mobilitiy of the modern fisherman and the ability to use modern methods put the walleyes more at risk. I am a big fan of the protected slot. I have read that the DNR is looking very closely at the West end and its poor year classes.
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Posts: 97
Location: Chaska MN. | I have heard the same thing as Sorgy about east and west ends but cant speak to the fish poulation on the west end as the only time I do on that end is for muskies and that is some what limited however I have spent a great deal of time on the east end and can say that a persons succsess is truly dictated by the year and class you are fishing, I can say for sure that the average size of walleye has gone WAY up since they started the slot limit and I too am a great fan of the protected slot but question the decision to change the slot this year from 17-26 to 18 to 26 done in my opinion to keep the anglers on the west end happy. My best advice is to fish prime time and proven locations, myself due to the fact I have young kids fishing with me I fish mostly with slip bobbers on rock reefs 6-12 ft deep next to deep water and can say that at times it will be very slow and then bam bam bam bam the next thing you know you have a great looking stringer so keep at it and be patiant |
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| this very subject was on the agenda of our Muskies inc board meeting last nite,,,,its thought that vermilions walleye population is taking a big hit from the cormorants,,,,one of the owners of one of the most well known resorts on V has taken a trip down to the leech lake area and talked with the local people about the steps they went through to be able to control cormarants on the legal side and the practice side,,,effects us too because people will point to the musky has the culprit for less walleyes,,,maybe somebody from the arrowhead region can jump in with more info |
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Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | I was wrong about the Walleye stocking,.... The DNR has been stalking V with "fry" for the past few yrs. ( my bad) But,... how many .?? and how many survive?
As a Local,. The cormorants are here , but aren't as abundant as they were on Leech a few yrs ago.
I think that Humans are the downfall of the once really abundant walleye population on Vermilion........
Jerome |
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Posts: 479
Location: Eden Prairie & Pine Island | I'm with Jerome on this one...I've seen way too many guys loading up on 12" and smaller wallys...makes me sick. Cormorants aren't helping either. |
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Location: Blaine, MN | Top H2O - 6/27/2012 11:48 PM
I think that Humans are the downfall of the once really abundant walleye population on Vermilion........
Jerome
I'm on board with this one... there were 15,000,000 fry stocked last year, with a total weight of 141 Lbs. what percentage of those "fry" live a day, week, month? You can walk across Pike bay early in the season and not get wet, lots of fish (most Years) in a not so large area, and the anglers follow.... I don't think the stocking efforts like that of 2011's can keep up with the harvest... |
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Location: deephaven mn | GMan - 6/28/2012 10:57 AM
I'm with Jerome on this one...I've seen way too many guys loading up on 12" and smaller wallys...makes me sick. Cormorants aren't helping either.
actuallly keeping the 12's and letting the 18's on up go is better suited practice as it will keep the premier and future spawners alive and spawning. sure there may be a lower than normal number of smaller fish, but most lakes have experienced problems of weak year classes. i trust the DNR is awair of the sitituation and will do what they can to get populations back on track, it has worked it lots of bodys of water around the state |
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Posts: 479
Location: Eden Prairie & Pine Island | I have no problem with the slot limits, but some guys are still out of control saving the little guys; ultimately, the point is that the fisherman are a major factor in lower fish populations on this lake.
Edited by GMan 6/29/2012 9:17 AM
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Posts: 2361
| You guys are mighty quick to assess blame on a really dynamic system here. Might be fisherman, might be warming water propping up other panfish populations, and depressing cisco, whitefish,etc. forage choices for young walleye. Might be bad hatches, poor fingerling condition going into winter, and a myriad of other problems. Walleye population dynamics can be self influencing also, since besides being a forage supplier(fry and fingerlings)they are also a predator and may influence their own YOY, and their own predator populations in a way that works against their survival. I am not even sure the biologists will have a good handle on the total picture on a lake like this. |
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Vermillion Walleye population effect on musky fishing