here's your chance LOTW's

[glenn57]

Lake of the woods guys........i just seen  this on rapper.com. was posted 2/14/2024/

the DNR is looking for input on LOTW's for a new management plan............there ya go boar....let'em have it!!!!!

[Gunner55]

  A couple links here, if you want? https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/news/2024/02/13/minnesota-dnr-seeks-public-input-updates-lake-woods-fisheries-management-plan There's a survey you can complete with this 1.........https://engage.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries-public-input-wildlife-public-input/surveys/lake-of-the-woods-management-plan-scoping-questionnaire

[LPS]

Was in the newspaper this week too.

[Boar]

Good and i will!

[glenn57]

Good and i will!

make sure you tell them red needs to have tighter restrictions too!!!!!
they havee a survey......i filled it out......nothing earth shattering but told them i think the season should close when the rest of the state closes its game fish season!!!!

but thats gonna butt heads with the businesses up there for sure!!!!!!

[Boar]

 I mentioned to close march 15, experimental for 3 to five yrs
Do away with ice roads
And 4 fish limit only 2 walleye, 1 in the slot

[glenn57]

Do away with ice roads

yea that'll go over like a lead ballon!!!!!!! i get what your getting at though!!

[Boar]

I know but thats a major factor, dwindling population.

[Jerkbiat]

I said the need to at least limit how far the roads can go. Shortening the season could be tuff when Canada stays open until April.

[glenn57]

I said the need to at least limit how far the roads can go. Shortening the season could be tuff when Canada stays open until April.

just curious JB......how far should the roads be allowed to go??? when i was up there i dont remember how far out we were????

just asking. i've been on the lake once in my entire life.......not sure if i'll ever go there again.....so dont have much skin in the game really!!

[Jerkbiat]

I say they should be limited to 8 to 9 miles. That is all they used to do. And then resorts would take bombardiers and track vans to go up to the islands. It was more if an adventure then. Now the fish are never able to get away from the masses. Just constantly pounding on them. This crazy winter has been a blessing for the lake. A couple more like this would be great. And for the deer too.

[Boar]

If non residents wanna get a canandian liscense, their welc9me to fish the canadian sise then imo.
 Distance on ice roads imo wont make any difference, imo its tue fact that jo matter how far thwy over 22ft every fish thats caught is dead released or not. Shuting donwn ice roads say for 3 yrs experimetaly would do alot of good, even for the reorts.people wann ive fish that bad they will pay. Think about it, wife and i pay 3 to 400 for 3 day weekwnd on the ice, that went to cookie 2 weekends ago. Win win.

[Jerkbiat]

IDK, what has changed the most over the past 6 to 8 years. The roads going all over the lake. Before that they would only go out 8 to 10 miles and from there it was bombers like it had been for decades. As for barotrauma, I think some of that is a myth. The walleyes rarely ever have trouble being released. The suagers sometimes do. But then they just get eaten. IDK in the end what the answer is.  Lowering the limit will probably happen. But I don't think that will help. Closing the season early has a snow balls chance and I personally would not like that. Need something to do in the long winters up here.

[roony]

Too many people with too much money. The fish can't keep up with all the technology used to catch them.
Use to go out and catch a few fish and eat them. Now people stay out there and just pound them. I'm in the camp that thinks a lot of the released fish don't make it. By the time they eff around, drop the fish a couple times, take the pictures for social media the fish is got its slime removed and it will die more often than people think.

[LPS]

With more and more wheel houses that means more people on the ice for longer hours/days.  Meaning they take up more room on the lake.  Hence going out further. Which means more money like Roony said.  But to stop the money flow I don't see happening.  We all own the lakes. I do think we are running out of fish too.

[Gunner55]

I too, believe the wheelhouse revolution has played a major role in the # of people on the ice every weekend. Just the # we see on 46 & 2 on our way to town & back when we're up there this time a year is pretty surprising. It's ~ 40 miles to GR for us & we'll easily see 15-20 going both ways. Our grocery day is usually early on Wednesday & I have to believe there's a lot more going up on Thursday/Friday or going the other way on Sunday/Monday.