Relaxed Samllmouth Limits

[Pherris]

DNR liberalizes northern pike, smallmouth bass regulations to protect struggling walleyes

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Fisheries managers are leaving most walleye regulations unchanged on Mille Lacs (mil-LAX') Lake this season while liberalizing the rules for taking northern pike and smallmouth bass in an effort to revive the big lake's struggling walleye population.

DNR liberalizes northern pike, smallmouth bass regulations to protect struggling walleyes

Article from Star Tribune

The main change announced for walleye anglers on Tuesday is the extension of the nighttime fishing ban, which will run until December instead of ending in mid-June. Daily and possession limits remain unchanged at two walleyes from 18 to 20 inches, except for one longer than 28 inches.

But the northern pike limit is being raised from three to 10, only one of which may be longer than 20 inches.

The smallmouth season will be extended. While the limit remains six, the size restrictions are being relaxed to allow for smaller keepers.

[Juan Grande]

A pike limit of 10 under 28 inches? There isn't an over abundance of small pike on Mille Lacs is there?

The DNR's management of Mille Lacs is totally guided by the resort owners and local businesses. Not saying they shouldn't have input, but I don't think the DNR does what they feel would truly be the best for Mille Lacs long term.

[JP Z]

The main thing I see on this is the Mille Lacs Smallie season opens on May 10th!! Woot!

I really don't think that many folks will be keeping smallies.

"The new regulations reflect our commitment to improving the walleye fishery as quickly as possible with as little harm to the local economy as possible," said Don Pereira, DNR fisheries chief.

More liberal northern pike and smallmouth bass regulations speak to the fact these species can withstand additional pressure because their populations are at or near record highs. The current walleye regulation and extended night fishing ban will protect upcoming year classes of young walleye, adult spawning stock and help ensure the harvest stays within the safe harvest level.

2014 Regulations

Walleye: Two fish 18-20 inches. One may be longer than 28 inches.

Night fishing: No fishing from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, May 12, through Monday, Dec. 1.

Northern pike: Ten fish. One may be longer than 30 inches. Season closes March 29, 2015.

Smallmouth bass: Six fish. One may be longer than 18 inches. Season opens Saturday, May 10, and is exempt from mid-September catch-and-release regulation, allowing smallmouth to be caught through Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015.

[bassfshin24]

Wow those are some crazy regs. How in the heck do you not change the walleye regs and who is really going to go after pike under 30". I mean I know some people do but I really don't think it will be enough to have an affect.

And wow on the no night fishing :-S Yikes

[Juan Grande]

Yeah, the no night fishing must have been a concession the resorts had to make since they make a lot of money on night launches.

[Juan Grande]

"Anglers may keep six fish, only one of which may be longer than 18 inches. The previous regulation allowed anglers to keep six fish 17- to 20-inches, only one of which could be longer than 20 inches."

Isn't this backward from what the smallie regs actually were in 2013? Wasn't every thing over 17" protected and you could keep one at 21" or bigger?

[bassfshin24]

yeah the previous regs were 17-20" protected and 1 over 20". Now its 6 fish up to 18" with one being over 18". Which could sucks because there are a lot of 17"-18" fish in the lake. I could see the launches just filling up smallies limits just because they can

[JP Z]

That could very well become an issue, I would see it later on after the Walleye Quota has been secured..

[H2O Milfoil]

Yep, and if the little buggers tasted better, more people would go for 'em. Northerns are far better eating.

[RumRiverRat]

Yep this is the answer.

The MN DNR is clueless.

[ukefish]

It's all fun and games until the DNR intervenes.

[CAMAN]

Is that no night fishing (period) or no night fishing for walleye? I read it as no walleye...

[Superduty]

I can't believe they didn't do something with the regs to harvest some of the big walleyes. I suppose their hands are tied with the small weight allowed harvest quota. Time to scrap that model. YA THINK???

It's going to be a hoot on May 10th! Sure hope my dang elbow is healed to fish by then. Might be a once in a life time big fish opportunity.

[JBMasterAngler]

10 pike? Are there really that many pike in Mille Lacs that the DNR feels they need to be eradicated completely? I wish they would put a 10 pike limit on quite few lakes with hammer handle problems (whitefish chain for example). However, I do like the idea of pike fishing in late march much closer to home next year

Has the DNR been monitoring angler hours on Mille Lacs? I'm guessing a huge decline this summer? Gonna have to hit the lake a few times before it becomes a complete dead sea!

[Search Function]

Is that no night fishing (period) or no night fishing for walleye? I read it as no walleye...

If it's the same as previous night bans, it's no fishing tackle in the boat from 10PM-6AM. So yes, it's no fishing Period!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Yikes.. that is really going to torque off a bunch of muskie guys too...

[RK]

10 pike? Are there really that many pike in Mille Lacs that the DNR feels they need to be eradicated completely? I wish they would put a 10 pike limit on quite few lakes with hammer handle problems (whitefish chain for example). However, I do like the idea of pike fishing in late march much closer to home next year

Has the DNR been monitoring angler hours on Mille Lacs? I'm guessing a huge decline this summer? Gonna have to hit the lake a few times before it becomes a complete dead sea!

Inshore test nets had very very high numbers of small pike apparently. Historically ML has had a low density pike population of quality fish, now all of a sudden they're seeing a bumper crop of juveniles. I'd think the fear there would be that the pike will hammer the perch numbers, as they have in so many other lakes.

I know some muskie guys will be up in arms a little about the night ban> Not fishing muskie will obviously have zero affect on the walleyes, so it's purely an enforcement thing. Hard to tell for sure what someone's fishing for when it's pitch black. Hopefully muskie fishermen will be able to look at the big picture and just sit down and breathe through their nose for once. That having been said, I'm not betting on that happening.

Man, that lake is a mess.

[thatoneguy]

So basically it's a strategy to appease walleye fishermen but it won't really help the walleye population, it will just tick off muskie fishermen and turn an elite smallmouth fishery into a mediocre one?

[Raider4ever]

Other than the charter boats, who else would be keeping their Smallies? The guys who fish for them usually don't. The monoicthyologians (WalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleye

WalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleyeWalleye) either don't keep them or gut and sink 'em. So they're not in the picture as far as a numbers change. If the band spears them (and I literally have no idea as to whether they can/do or not), they have probably speared/not speared approx. the same number year-after-year. I can't see a need to wad panties into a bundle over this unless the charters are coming in with them by the hundreds on a near-daily basis or the monoicthyologians all band together and start keeping them (personally, I don't see that happening as they get into fist-fights over Emerald vs. Golden Shiners).

[thatoneguy]

FWIW...

[MN Shutterbug]

Yep this is the answer.

The MN DNR is clueless.

If you don't like it, you can always take up knitting.

Whether we agree with the laws or not, I doubt any of us here are qualified enough to justifiably criticize the job the DNR is doing. Accept it or find a new pastime. It's that simple.

[RumRiverRat]

The DNRs mismanagement of Mille Lacs for the last decade is the reason we now have these absurd measures. They are over correcting and over reacting.

They are bowing to pressure from the walleye centric resorts and the walleye mafia in MN.

In 5 years when nothing has changed with the walleye population the DNR sure will have some explaining to do.

[CAMAN]

"In 5 years when nothing has changed with the walleye population the DNR sure will have some explaining to do."

You actually believe there is accountability in this government? They should have to be explaining right now for allowing it to get this way.

[Superduty]

Whether we agree with the laws or not, I doubt any of us here are qualified enough to justifiably criticize the job the DNR is doing. Accept it or find a new pastime. It's that simple.

I usually leave my educational background out of discussion topics. Some of us here are quite qualified to comment on fisheries management. Unfortunately, the science has been pushed aside to keep a large number of users and business owners happy. All one has to do is look at the total harvest allowed to "sportsman" and the total harvest allowed to "natives" and the answer is painfully obvious as to where all the small walleyes went the last 20 years. A dead walleye is a dead walleye. It doesn't matter how it became dead.

[Presco]

My question is about the netting done on Mille Lacs...

If the Reservations are netting and selling the fish, couldn't some of that DNR money go towards paying off the tribes for their lost revenue and then ban all netting for a few years. I know its their tradition, but the tribes have to realize the walleye population is slowly dying as well.