2020 egg collections

[glenn57]

seen a DNR BLURB THAT that the Mn DNR wont be doing there yearly egg collections this year due to the COVID-19 crap.

[Reinhard]

Ya, I seen that.  I emailed them.  I said why can't you think outside of the box??  Have the workers tested and if they pass do your job.  What are they afraid of if all the workers get tested, and they are fine there should be no problem.  Government sometimes has no common sense.  good luck.

[Lee Borgersen]

                                     DNR News Release

 
 

   HERE'S DA FULL SCOOP!

                                For Immediate Release:.....

April 14, 2020
 
 

Questions? Contact DNR Information Center by email or call 888-646-6367.
 
 
 





2020 egg take operations canceled due to COVID-19 social distancing protocols

Missed year of stocking will have minimal long-term impact on angling, fish populations 

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will cancel its 2020 egg take operations for walleye, northern pike, muskellunge and steelhead because the work cannot be done safely under COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.

Collecting eggs and sperm from spawning fish in the wild is a labor intensive effort that requires teams of 6-8 people working in close proximity. After a careful examination of whether the egg take process could be re-engineered, the DNR determined that is was not possible to safely handle fish during the egg take and practice appropriate social distancing to protect staff from COVID-19.

The DNR collects eggs each spring to hatch, raise and then release either as fry or fingerlings to stock Minnesota waters that have low or no natural reproduction of these fish species. While this stocking is important to maintain fish populations and angling opportunities over time, missing one year will not cause long-term harm to the fish population of any waterbody.

Fish populations naturally are made up of fish hatched in different years, so a missing or weak year class is not uncommon, said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the DNR. In fact, in lakes with natural reproduction, a strong year class often follows a weak year class, so not stocking for one year might actually benefit the following year's stocked fry.

Canceling egg take activities means walleye eggs and fry will not be available for the DNR's cooperative fish management programs with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and White Earth Nation.  In addition, the DNR will not be able to fulfill requests from private sector hatcheries to purchase eggs and fry in 2020.

Since hatchery rearing ponds will not be in use, the DNR will lower the water levels in many of these ponds to improve long-term productivity and future fish-rearing capacity. Other hatchery repairs, such as dike and pond improvements, also can be done when water levels drop.

Because this winter was relatively mild in southern Minnesota, there should be good numbers of walleye in natural rearing ponds that were not harvested last fall. Those fish will help replace some fingerlings for the 2020 season.

Minnesota joins some other Midwest states including South Dakota, Michigan and Indiana in suspending egg take operations. In addition, the USFWS canceled all planned lake sturgeon production for 2020.
 
 

[Gunner55]

I was curious if this would be going on as usual as the place it's done for Winnie is actually on Little Cutfoot & only 6-7 miles from our place at the lake. A lot of years we're up there when it's going on so we have stopped to check it out 4 or 5 times. It's quite an interesting process & requires most of the crew to work quite close to others. I'm not really surprised that they decided to call it off this season.

[LPS]

I have helped do it on the Ottertail River.  Very interesting.  People would show up every morning cuz they gave away the suckers that are caught in the nets.  They take them home and pickle or smoke them.  Lots of them brought washtubs to fill with suckers. 

[Leech~~]

Well hate to say it but if the DNR isn't going to do anything this year. Lay everyone off and save the money to use next year!   

[Rebel SS]

Refund an extra stimulus check to all who apply for a license.....

[Gunner55]

Well hate to say it but if the DNR isn't going to do anything this year. Lay everyone off and save the money to use next year!   

Unfortunately that's not how things usually work. Don't use it, you lose it most of the time. Some politicians will find a way to get there greedy little hands on that money & use it for 1 of their pet projects in their district. The DNR will then probably have to fight for 10 years in order to get those resources back.

[Leech~~]

Well hate to say it but if the DNR isn't going to do anything this year. Lay everyone off and save the money to use next year!   

Unfortunately that's not how things usually work. Don't use it, you lose it most of the time. Some politicians will find a way to get there greedy little hands on that money & use it for 1 of their pet projects in their district. The DNR will then probably have to fight for 10 years in order to get those resources back.

Agree-100% 

[glenn57]

there goes the slim chance we had of the fisheries dept doing something with our dead sea...…..but then again we don't have walleyes in there either...……...

[Reinhard]

We have thousands of workers still on the job, like department stores, grocery stores and others.  They are taking precautions so they do not get infected.  Also have a lot of customers walking in and out of the stores.  But  somehow the DNR can't bring themselves to continue with their operation like this.  They can wear masks and are already wearing gloves at that job.  we are not on the list of states that are hard hit as well.  Use common sense, take precautions and get the job done.  good luck.

[delcecchi]

We have thousands of workers still on the job, like department stores, grocery stores and others.  They are taking precautions so they do not get infected.  Also have a lot of customers walking in and out of the stores.  But  somehow the DNR can't bring themselves to continue with their operation like this.  They can wear masks and are already wearing gloves at that job.  we are not on the list of states that are hard hit as well.  Use common sense, take precautions and get the job done.  good luck.

Not that essential is all.    If they miss a year, mox nix as my pop used to say.

[Steve-o]

We have a fairly liberal definition of what essential jobs and businesses are now.  (And when I say liberal, I am not implying anything derogatory.  I'd say it is good in this case.) 

I would have - from the beginning - extended the definition to include any seasonal, time critical job like planting and harvesting.

[Gunner55]

On another note, I did see a post of a copy of an email somebody had gotten from the resort that they go to had sent them where they'd received the OK to prepare for Opening weekend. The resort went on to say that they were sure there would be some restrictions. Needless to say they were 

[delcecchi]

there goes the slim chance we had of the fisheries dept doing something with our dead sea...…..but then again we don't have walleyes in there either...……...

If you be talking about mille lacs, the problem hasn't been lack of fry from eggs.... It's been survival of those fry.

[glenn57]

there goes the slim chance we had of the fisheries dept doing something with our dead sea...…..but then again we don't have walleyes in there either...……...

If you be talking about mille lacs, the problem hasn't been lack of fry from eggs.... It's been survival of those fry.

nope not talking that dead sea, talking the cabin lake that had 2 consecutive years of winter kill. I couldn't give 2 sheets about that lake.

[delcecchi]

there goes the slim chance we had of the fisheries dept doing something with our dead sea...…..but then again we don't have walleyes in there either...……...

If you be talking about mille lacs, the problem hasn't been lack of fry from eggs.... It's been survival of those fry.

nope not talking that dead sea, talking the cabin lake that had 2 consecutive years of winter kill. I couldn't give 2 sheets about that lake.

Winter kill lake?  Bullheads and Carp or cough up for an aerator.
Why waste perfectly good walleye on a lake like that?

[mike89]

 

[glenn57]

there goes the slim chance we had of the fisheries dept doing something with our dead sea...…..but then again we don't have walleyes in there either...……...

If you be talking about mille lacs, the problem hasn't been lack of fry from eggs.... It's been survival of those fry.

nope not talking that dead sea, talking the cabin lake that had 2 consecutive years of winter kill. I couldn't give 2 sheets about that lake.

Winter kill lake?  Bullheads and Carp or cough up for an aerator.
Why waste perfectly good walleye on a lake like that?

i'm not looking for walleyes in that lake...just a helping hand with the fish native to the lake panfish, pike and bass. there's never been walleyes in it, lake is not conducive of producing eyes. AND THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN CARP IN THAT LAKE!!!!!!!!

we don't want walleyes in there....i'll go visit gunner!!!!!!!

[glenn57]

oh yea aerator my azz...……..there is a public access!!!!!!!!!

[Rebel SS]

       

[Dotch]

there goes the slim chance we had of the fisheries dept doing something with our dead sea...…..but then again we don't have walleyes in there either...……...

If you be talking about mille lacs, the problem hasn't been lack of fry from eggs.... It's been survival of those fry.

nope not talking that dead sea, talking the cabin lake that had 2 consecutive years of winter kill. I couldn't give 2 sheets about that lake.

Winter kill lake?  Bullheads and Carp or cough up for an aerator.
Why waste perfectly good walleye on a lake like that?

i'm not looking for walleyes in that lake...just a helping hand with the fish native to the lake panfish, pike and bass. there's never been walleyes in it, lake is not conducive of producing eyes. AND THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN CARP IN THAT LAKE!!!!!!!!

we don't want walleyes in there....i'll go visit Morey's!!!!!!!

There! Fixed it for ya! 

[mike89]

 

[glenn57]

 

[delcecchi]

there goes the slim chance we had of the fisheries dept doing something with our dead sea...…..but then again we don't have walleyes in there either...……...

If you be talking about mille lacs, the problem hasn't been lack of fry from eggs.... It's been survival of those fry.

nope not talking that dead sea, talking the cabin lake that had 2 consecutive years of winter kill. I couldn't give 2 sheets about that lake.

Winter kill lake?  Bullheads and Carp or cough up for an aerator.
Why waste perfectly good walleye on a lake like that?

i'm not looking for walleyes in that lake...just a helping hand with the fish native to the lake panfish, pike and bass. there's never been walleyes in it, lake is not conducive of producing eyes. AND THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN CARP IN THAT LAKE!!!!!!!!

we don't want walleyes in there....i'll go visit gunner!!!!!!!

So you want the state to stock nords so you can harpoon them? 

[glenn57]

Yep.. perfectly legal form of fish harvest. We also use a rod and reel.

Suppose I could head up to Vermillion!

[LPS]

Try to talk the DNR into using your lake to stock fingerlings in.  Then they come and trap them the next year.  They like lakes that freeze out now and then so it kills the other fish in there.  I used to go trap walleyes for the DNR near Fergus Falls.  Loved doing that.  Set hoop nets around the perimeter of the lake and check it daily.  They I would take the walleyes we caught that were I think 8-10" long and would weigh how many lbs. I put in different lakes.  You can fish those lakes after they think they got most of the fingerlings but many of them are still there. 

[glenn57]

from the property owners I've talked to WE don't want walleyes in that lake. the lake wont sustain a walleye population. they restocked the lake back in 1996 when the same thing happened. simply sunfish, crappies and bass. Merc has fished the lake a lot..he can attest to this to. I never seen since 1965 when my parents bought the place the need to kill the fish out of the lake to start over...….

[merc]

Spot on Glenn!!   

[delcecchi]

So natives doing legal stuff bad.  Smurfy doing legal stuff good?   Netting bad?  Or good?   Spearing bad or good?