Last nights DNR meeting

[pray for the fish]

I was at the meeting last night in Kelliher. The proposed regs upcoming are as follows:
2006-07 winter season- same limit and slot. Only diff. is the harvest cap to be 120,000 instead of 108,000 lbs. The target for summer 06 was 84,000, only 54,000 lbs. actually caught.  The target for this winter is also 84,000, but since the target was not reached this past summer, the cap is increased.
2007 summer season- same limit and slot until July 1. Then a 4 fish limit, same slot. This only if the cap is not hit this winter nor the target early next summer.

There was a lot of talk on how to increase traffic, but this was the best they could do seeing that through 2008 the target is 168,000 lbs/year. The tribe only took about 10,000 lbs this year out of their approx. 1/2 million allotment. So there is a huge surplus lakewide but we can't touch it. Some talk of buying a portion of thier lbs., but at what price? Talk of $10/lb. Seems ridiculously high to me.  So I came away from the meeting with much less than hoped for. I don't know if the 4 fish limit after July 1 will make much difference. Locals, within a 2 hour drive, probably. But then those people come for the day and bring most of what they need so that isn't going to help the area much. I guess time will tell, as always. After most everyone's bold predictions, mine included, nobody feels like going out on a limb to predict even as soon as this winter.

[A-Rod]

$10/lb???  :o 

[ScottPugh]

I don't care if I can't keep one of the fish I catch up there.  To come up and catch 50+ walleyes in one day would be a blast.  I am going to try my dardest to get up there this year, as I missed out on last yearstrip.

 

[KATOMAN]

Wow,only 10,000 lbs taken by the tribe? I find that amazing, but I think the same applies to Mille Lacs they never come close to taking their allotment. How do they come up with these figures? I too  will continue to make the trip. I very rarely keep any fish except for a meal or two while there. I think the fishery is only going to get better with the perch supplanting the crappies.   

[Russ-Judy]

Im kind of bumbed out about the limit not changing

[KATOMAN]

I would have like to have seen the quota stay the same but raise the limit one more at least.

[pray for the fish]

Yeah, thats not a misprint, $10.00 per pound! We will have some great catch rates coming up for sure. And while there is a fair # of people will come just for that, it isn't enough to really help the businesses. I didn't think it was that important to have a higher than 2 limit, but now that we have the first summer behind us, it is obvious to us making our living up here. In fact I did my own imformal poll last winter asking if people would be as willing to come with just a 2 fish limit. 9 out of 10 gave a heartily "you bet"! So the majority changed their mind by the time the season came. Of course, it wasn't the only reason,which was discussed here before, gas prices, etc. Its just that we don't have any control over the other reasons, but now I guess we don't have any control over any of them. The thing that is worrisome to me is the management of the lake as a whole. If we are stuck with only 168,000 lbs/year, and the tribe doesn't take out more fish, the ecosystem of the entire lake could crash due to overpopulation of walleyes cleaning out the forage base. In the test nets last month, the DNR said very few young of the year perch were present and at the same time the biomass of walleyes were at an all time high. So if the dnr and the tribe cannot get their stuff on the same page, and actually manage it scientifically like they said they were, all this wrangling is a complete waste of time and money. There is absolutely no chance to manage the whole lake from only 20% of the water. ?One of two things has to happen by next fall, we need to purchase lbs. from them or , and I can't believe I am saying this, but this is purely from a scientific point of view, they need to net. Or else the lake is again out of kilter and will crash due to a lack of forage. It is a sad state of affairs that this is a plausible scenerio. Once again we can talk about how the lake should have been left alone. ?It would have healed itself without the" omniscient,omnipotent" dnr. Ouch, now my brain hurts ?:( ? Hopefully none of this will be the case and it will all work out :)

[ScottPugh]

Prey for the fish - Are you the one I talked with who owns one of the resorts?  I talked with you on one of the other fishing sites (AI)

[pray for the fish]

Thats me , Scott

[ScottPugh]

Thats me , Scott

The summer and fall ran out on me, but we will have to hook up this winter up on Red. 

[cookie]

Hey, Jeff nice job on the report.Were getting a couple of calls for this winter but all are repeat custormers.
 Lets look at the positive we are going to have some great walleye action this winter .  We might even  land on the mother load of crappies if we fish in the right area.
If they have a market I expect the red lake nation will start netting in the future.
Maybe you need to change your name from prey for fish to prey for custormers and say a praier for me