Made me sick to see!

[Down Deep]

Last week I was out on Lake Superior and encountered a commercial fisherman harvesting Lake Trout. When you think of the millions of dollars that have been spent to resurrect the Lake Trout fishery on the big pond it is kind of the same thing as what the DNR and all other parties did for Red Lake. Both lakes are producing an adequate number of fish to allow for some commercial harvest. I fish Red a few weekends each open water season and the catch is better there in terms of numbers and average size of walleyes caught than in LOW or Rainy (at least that's my experience). Given the multitudes of fisherman lining the shorelines on Red during the spring bite and the full barrels in the cleaning houses, I think most are very satisfied with the Red Lake management plan.

[IcePro]

or did they say "Red Lake in MN" to make it sound like the fish were just freshly caught.

[DTro]

Sorry, just thought I would mention it since a lot of places assume it’s the Red Lake in MN.

 

I was just checking out the Red Lake Processing plant HSOforum and I couldn’t find anything about a length minimum when accepting fish, but your price you mentioned seems about right compared to what they listed:

 

14.99----Frozen skin on

15.99----Frozen skin off

15.99-----Fresh Skin on

16.99-----Fresh Skin off

 

Brad, what is leech complaining about and what facts didn’t he get straight?   He was just stating that the fillets looked really big and it made him sick that those big fish were taken commercially and sold.  Commercial fishing can really take a toll on a body of water (no matter the method of catching them) and hopefully those making decisions can keep everything in check in regards to commercial fishing in MN.   Personally I hate to see any commercial fishing on inland waters in MN.  I’m a supporter of treaty rights, but hate seeing the commercial thing

[harvey lee]

I have had many thoughts on this lake and the commercial end of things.

As long as the Native Americans on URL follow all the laws and guidelines, then so be it.

I just hope that when it was overfished it does not happen again.

If we really want to look at all the issues, I am sure there is blame for overharvest on this lake by both parties, we just dwell on the NA's as we are white. Why would we blame ourselves????

If everything the Natives are doing as I said within the laws agreed to by both parties, then so be it whether we care for it or not. Whether I agree or disagree with the netting laws really does not matter as this is the law the courts decided to implement.

Just like any court case, some are happy with the decision and others are not, that will never change.

As far as the meat markets that sell fish, who knows where they got them and what they really are. Seem's there have been establishments that have sold wZander for walleye in the past in thier restraunts.

[laportian]

Red Lake is in the best shape it's ever been in. With the state and the tribe both sticking to their management plans they have created the best fishery in the state as far as walleyes are concerned. The tribe has the bulk of the allowable harvest. Its like 820,000 pounds but they take closer to 500,000 pounds.

My uncle works for the Red Lake DNR and he has been part of the lake surveys up there for the past thirty years and he told me that this spring the counts were higher than they've ever been. To me that points to sound management. The harvest is closely monitored. The state takes its' share and the tribe gets theirs. Both hook and line and netting by the fisheries crew are taking and the walleye numbers are way above target. I spend my winters and springs up on the lake and can tell you that these are the hey days. All the guys that can't stand anything to do with Natives and netting can just as well stay home and keep complaining because the lake is kicking butt right now.

[jerkbait]

Hey Lap, quick question. Does the tribal DNR close the harvest season during the spring time spawn or is it open all year long?

[laportian]

No harvest during the spawn on Red.

[bobbymalone]

I don't fully understand the during the spawn complaints... any walleye that come out of the lake are removed from spawning, just might be months early.

[ib_jigged]

That is why I only eat walleye that I have caught! Much better when fresh and knowing that you caught them.

If everyone did this, there would be no reason to commercially fish them.

[laportian]

There is a restaurant in Bemidji that features Red Lake Walleye. My cousin Marv owns it and it is really nice to go to a nice restaurant and have a choice of ways to eat walleye. I highly recommend it.

[jerkbait]

Thanks Lap! My argument about netting during the spawn is the fish are all concentrated in the same areas and there for more are harvested before they have a chance to spawn. Maybe the tribes that net Mill lacs could take a look at why the Red Lake DNR does not allow netting during the spawn.

[OnAFly]

Bobby - Here's the best rationalization I can think of, in terms of protecting numbers.

Think of each fish in terms of output during a life cycle.

Output = Spawning

If you wait until after the spawn to remove the fish, you are maximizing the total number of spawns per fish's life cycle. If you remove the fish before the spawn, you are minimizing the fish's total number of spawns in it's life cycle.

Therefore, holding off harvest until after the spawn will increase the population since you are maximizing the number of spawns in each fish's life.

[leech~~]

Info, I found. A large female Walleye can lay up to 500,000 eggs, and no care is given by the parents to the eggs or fry.

That would be 500,000 more fry in the lake each year per female taken out before the spawn!

[harvey lee]

If one keeps a larger female during anytime of the year, that female can also not spawn the next spring.

I do not keep any eyes over approx 19 inches for the table.

Makes me sick when I see people keep 25" plus eyes but that is within the law and thier choice.

Also seen people pre fish for a tourny in deeper water on ML and they fish the deeper holes. These fish or many of them die after the release. Does not help the spawn for next season either but it happens. They easily could have left that area but chose not to.

I was pre fishing with another and after we hit a couple nicer eyes, we left but there were people there that just kept fishing and when they caught a larger eye, they would throw it back. That day I saw 5 nice eyes just floating on the water. That does not help the spawn for the next year and really no differnt than say netting during the spawn as they both reduce the number of spawning females.

Plenty of blame for all, not just the netting by some Natives.

We ALL need to help protect our fishery if we would like to enjoy future fishing.

[Duffman]

Just think of all the 16-17" female walleyes that hit the grease before they have had a chance to spawn once in their lifetime.

[JBMasterAngler]

You mean it would be 500,000 more eggs in the lake...not fry. There's no such thing as a 100% hatching success. Infact, anywhere from 50% to 90% of the eggs don't hatch. And out of those survivors, less than 10% will grow old enough to complete their 1st spawn.

With all that being said, netting during the spawn should be outlawed. Even if it doesn't improve the fishery, at the very least it will be 1 less thing for walleye fisherman to complain about

[leech~~]

You mean it would be 500,000 more eggs in the lake...not fry. There's no such thing as a 100% hatching success. Infact, anywhere from 50% to 90% of the eggs don't hatch. And out of those survivors, less than 10% will grow old enough to complete their 1st spawn.

With all that being said, netting during the spawn should be outlawed. Even if it doesn't improve the fishery, at the very least it will be 1 less thing for walleye fisherman to complain about

You are correct!

[B-man715]

I don't fully understand the during the spawn complaints... any walleye that come out of the lake are removed from spawning, just might be months early.

Bobby you are dead on. Many people can't grasp your statement.

The theory of netting after the spawn is only beneficial one time (the 1st year of netting). If you net every year, the time of year becomes irrelevant..........

[Brad B]

Leech,

Kelly the owner is not a family friend. My family has been buying all types of meats from Foley locker for over 30 years now. It's nothing personal at all. Knowing the type of people they are that own it, I would guess they would get the fish they sell from Commercial fish farms. You have me wondering now thou. I think I will ask Kelly the next time I am up there. I think it would be best to hear directly from her as to where they get their fish from.

[DTro]

The time of year IS relevant though in regards to schooling/migrating fish in the spring.

There is a reason netters do what they do when they do it.

[Brad B]

Sorry, just thought I would mention it since a lot of places assume it’s the Red Lake in MN.

 

I was just checking out the Red Lake Processing plant HSOforum and I couldn’t find anything about a length minimum when accepting fish, but your price you mentioned seems about right compared to what they listed:

 

14.99----Frozen skin on

15.99----Frozen skin off

15.99-----Fresh Skin on

16.99-----Fresh Skin off

 

Brad, what is leech complaining about and what facts didn’t he get straight?   He was just stating that the fillets looked really big and it made him sick that those big fish were taken commercially and sold.  Commercial fishing can really take a toll on a body of water (no matter the method of catching them) and hopefully those making decisions can keep everything in check in regards to commercial fishing in MN.   Personally I hate to see any commercial fishing on inland waters in MN.  I’m a supporter of treaty rights, but hate seeing the commercial thing

Darren, there is a difference between commercial fishing on the lakes of this state and private commercial fish farms. I don't support commercial fishing on lakes but have no problems with commercial fish farms that have private ponds or large tanks to raise and keep fish in and then process them on site for retail sale. after all they bought the fish to put in their ponds or tanks and have the right to do with them as they please. Don't forget the commercial fish farms are licensed and inspected by USDA.

[leech~~]

Leech,

Kelly the owner is not a family friend. My family has been buying all types of meats from Foley locker for over 30 years now. It's nothing personal at all. Knowing the type of people they are that own it, I would guess they would get the fish they sell from Commercial fish farms. You have me wondering now thou. I think I will ask Kelly the next time I am up there. I think it would be best to hear directly from her as to where they get their fish from.

Brad, I don't know the Kelly folks my self but they have some very good meat products up at the meat store I stopped in at and I will continue to buy them up there.

[Sleder]

It would say PRODUCT OF CANADA on the Master Carton if they were from Canada .

They have to be labeled that way in order to Export them from Canada or to Import to US.

[B-man715]

The time of year IS relevant though in regards to schooling/migrating fish in the spring.

There is a reason netters do what they do when they do it.

Agreed.

It can be easier to net in the spring.

Now let's say the spring netting was slow and it took all summer/fall to fill the same quota............ it would have little affect on the next year's hatch.

Again, if netting occurs annually, the time of year becomes null (assuming there is a quota to be filled and it is met every year).

[jerkbait]

The time of year IS relevant though in regards to schooling/migrating fish in the spring.

There is a reason netters do what they do when they do it.

Exactly!