No walleye regulation change on Mille Lacs

[Lee Borgersen]

No walleye regulation change on Mille Lacs

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Sam Cook

Anglers who fish Lake Mille Lacs will need to follow the same walleye regulations as in 2010, according to a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources news release today.

The season will open May 14 with a regulation allowing anglers to keep up to four walleyes less than 18 inches, which may include one trophy more than 28 inches. Anglers must release all walleyes from 18 to 28 inches.

Starting July 15, if angler harvest is low enough to allow it, anglers may be allowed to keep walleyes up to 20 inches with one trophy more than 28 inches in the four fish limit. All walleyes from 20 to 28 inches would then need to be released.

The slot would revert to four walleyes up to 18 inches with one more than 28 inches in the four fish limit on Dec. 1. Any regulation changes would be posted at the accesses as well as on the DNR website.

For northern pike, the regulation will be a protected slot from 27 to 40 inches, with one trophy of more than 40 inches allowed in the standard three-fish possession limit. This regulation is a change from the 24- to 36-inch slot limit that has been in effect since 2002.

The new pike regulation is in response to the last several years of minimal angler harvest, an increase in abundance of northern pike, and a desire to maximize the trophy potential of this fast-growing population of pike. Mille Lacs pike regularly grow to sizes in excess of 40 inches.

The northern pike regulation printed in the 2011 Minnesota Fishing Regulations booklet does not reflect this change but is correct in the online version at mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing.

The combination of strong 2007 and 2008 year classes of walleye, now mostly 13-16 inches, will provide for a decent catch of eating sized walleyes for anglers to keep, while numerous year classes of older fish, now more than 18 inches, will provide for excellent catch and release experiences, DNR officials say.

Last year, anglers caught more than 800,000 pounds of walleye and harvested 271,000 pounds (including 44,000 pounds of hooking mortality) under the same slot limit.

[snow]

What really rubs me the wrong way about the regs for mille laces,also NEW for the lake is the harvest quota,does'nt sound like much but its the principle,our DNR has taken away 10,000lbs of our allowed harvest weight and gave the indian industry 10,000 to add in their quota~"Who is regulating who?" Further I don't by their data on hooking mortality~

[snow]

Oh,and while we're on the subject keep in mind the netting season is about to start,take a look at the spawners they have,then look at our limits and slots~Some of the only up close footage I've seen to date.

Makes the hair on my neck standup~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXO_5WkXYkA&feature=player_embedded

[crappie castle]

cant the guys wearing the suit in that st. paul office realize that it is so easy to correct the problem .....3 fish limit any size....cant throw any back...you catch 3 fish and your done...and enforce it...you catch 3 small ones your done ...you catch 3 large ones your done...etc but 3 and your done.....it would work and the shore lines wont be filled with dead fish....because you would be putting dead fish back into the water after you hook them so bad they wont live.