5 island lake needs help

[Guest]

the state needs to put a slot limit on the lake. there are a bunch of guys up there keeping 10 to 12 inch dinks and 22to 24,25,26 inchers too. i dont think they know how much damage they are really doing. these guys do this spring summer fall and winter. they are going to destroy the lake if we dont help!!

[jr712]

I have heard the same thing from numerous sources. Heavy harvesting of 12-13" fish with a few big fish being caught. I don't really care about the big fish harvest although a daily limit of one fish over 20" or something could be resaonable. I don't think it would reduce harvest that much. And those fish don't successfully reproduce in 5 Island

However, harvesting the dinks is just nuts. unless a lake has a serious prey shortage, we should not have any lakes in Iowa without a 15 or 16" min. limit.

The DNR has a walleye management goal of max. harvest and dates back 30 years when our walleye fishing was much more marginal than it is know. It needs to be changed to a goal that also address quality issues. Harvesting under sized dinks does nothing for quality of fishing. This policy change must be made in Des Moines our Fisheries field people have little input in this process. Most of the biologist I know are in favor of much restricted walleye harvest statewide. My 2 cents.