DNR stocking walleye fry in Duck Pond?

[guy100]

Is this good or bad? I would assume the later of the two, but don't know much about it. Looking for info on this subject. Any help would be apprciated. The DNR contacted the landowner where I hunt and asked if they could stock walleye fry in my favorite pond.

[lawdog]

very controversial issue. Same with minnows in duck ponds.

They scew up the exosystem, effecting the food sources that the ducks use and then the ducks quit coming...

[Farley]

I think it would be good if there are already minnows in the pond. That way the walleyes will feed off the minnows. Minnows have a bigger impact on the duck situation than walleyes.

[guy100]

There is no minnows in the pond right now. The DNR wants to stock full of walleye fry, and then stock other lakes around the state.

[Farley]

Let them do it, and dont forget your fishing pole when you go out to the duck blind.

No Seriously, if you value the duck hunting on this pond, do as much research as possible before you give them the o.k., probably something you're already doing anyway.

[B. Amish]

if you're sure there are no minnows in your duck pond, then the walleyes will most likely have a negative effect

[Riverratpete]

Personally I wouldn't let them do it until they can show you in writing whats screwing up the duck waters. Is it the minnows for the bait dealers? or the baby wally's for the fisherman? is it drain off from tiling all the farm land?, been to many reports myself included) of duck water degradation due to minnows/wally encroachment. Too many people with places up north that think there should be Walleyes in every lake no matter if the lake would support them or not rather than letting mother nature decide what grows best in the lakes. Look at the "Diamaond Lake" topic from a couple months ago, lots of people weighing in.

[ChuckN]

I've personally seen the DNR ruin great shrimp infested small lakes before. I checked the DNR reports on one lake, in a matter of 4 years I believe they stocked over 3 million fish. No more shrimp, duck hunting went bad.

However, if the water full of fatheads I don't think you have much to lose.

[chub]

If your slough is full of scud, tell em to get bent. If they stock it, you can kiss your hunting good bye. If they want to stock it and have approached you, and you say there's no minnows in it, it's gotta have scud.

No way Bud. Don't let em do it.

[poutpro]

My grandfather's slough got stocked with walleye. It had fatheads and shrimp in there. The ducks prior to stocking all had bellies full of shrimp. I beleive when stocking they thought that walleyes would just eat the minnows, but when they were gone, then the walleyes ate all the shrimp. That winter the slough froze out and there was no walleye left either. Bad Deal.

There is a proposal going around right now of putting walleyes in a lot of little duck ponds to bring back especially diving ducks. They think that they walleyes will eat the minnows, so the minnows won't eat the shrimp that the divers want. It's a good theory, but I think that they eyes will eat the shrimp too, but all of this is just my opinion and I'm no expert.

[Mark Christianson]

Funny you mention that PP.

I just talked to a guy at the USFWS today, and he talked about that EXACT topic. There are some studies that show stocking walleyes fingerlings stocked in some waters COULD help improve the overall duck attraction. The walleyes would prey on the minnows/fish that are eating the "things" in our shallow lakes that ducks want to eat.

[Dean Schellinger]

Its called an environmental band aid. It solves the one problem but it will eventually have an impact on someother unforseen problem down the road that will need solving with another env. band aid. They best thing is to restore to what it was orginally that is the only way to completely solve the problem. Try and stop them from stocking those walleyes.

[full force five]

I know of many many many lakes in Itasca Co. that were once terrific bluebill lakes full of skrimp’. The DNR used them as walleye rearing ponds and now they are terrible. The 'skrimp is all gone. Walleye is king in Itasco co. bluebills use to be but not anymore. It’s one of many factors killing the bluebill hunting in Minnesota.

[GullGuide]

It's one of the factors killing bluebills period.

The bills have nothing to eat on the trip back up North in the spring. They are undernourished and because of this stress they are having very poor breeding success.

When the walleyes are done eating the minnows, they will eat the shrimp. More than likely there are no shrimp left anyways if there are no minnows in there and if there are no minnows, then the walleye will eat the shrimp and the kiss the slough goodbye.

It just ticks me off that the DNR does this. They have ruined many a good duck lake already and to see that they are continuing with this practice really makes you wonder.

Funny how those of us without a degree in biology have more of a clue than those that do.....maybe we just rely more on common sense than a book.

[Riverratpete]

Politics man, rich guy buys dream cabin on small northern Minnesota lake which has only had some Bluegills and Bass in them before. Now rich guy wants walleyes, not BG's and B so they call their rep and complain that I'm a taxpayer and property tax blah blah blah and I want walleyes. Politician goes, by all means, let me do whatever I need to do to get your vote so that I can stay in office and get my cushy pension regardless of biological effect. DNR goes "Yes Sir" and starts to stock more and more walleyes in ponds that were always just duck ponds with some frogs and turtles. Now guy up on northern lake has stocked wallys that he can't catch because their weed wally's and the duck ponds have no food in them for the ducks when they migrate. In the immortal words of Don Henley "Call someplace paradise and kiss it goodbye." Just my 2 cents

[Sartell Angler]

I agree with whoever said to tell them to get bent...god knows the DNR has ruined enough shallow lakes by using them as rearing ponds.

I fish for walleyes like everyone else in the state, but would rather see the duck hunting improve than our state's already-fabulous walleye fishing get any better. Preserve your pond my man!

sa/wdw

[Eric Wettschreck]

We have enough walleye lakes in this state. Let's work on getting the ducks back.

Or, put a few northern pike in the pond before the DNR stocks it with walleyes. The walleyes won't be in there for long.

[guy100]

Like i said before, this is not my land. However the landowner asked how I felt about this and I told him that I didn't want them to use it. I'm not sure what his final decision was but I will find out.

I wonder if there is any bass in there?

[sheepheadslayer]

The states fishing brings in far more money than duck hunting. Having the season open later would be one way to see more divers. I prefer the taste of walleye far better than a fish duck. We all have different views and I would say let it happen, if it wasn't for the DNR alot of us wouldn't have a place to hunt anyway.

[Redwalleye]

I agree, there are already plenty of great 'eye lakes, however something needs to be done to bring back more 'bills. I remember going into my favorite diver lake and coming out with shrimp all over my waders. Dont see that anymore.

[PikeTipper]

Quote:

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We have enough walleye lakes in this state. Let's work on getting the ducks back.

Or, put a few northern pike in the pond before the DNR stocks it with walleyes. The walleyes won't be in there for long.

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Problem is that the Northerns will turn on the ducklings when the walleyes are gone. Better throw in some bass instead.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Never thought of that, my bad. Bass or even perch would work better.

[GullGuide]

Ducklings? Last time I checked Bills do not normally nest in Central MN...lol.

Anyhow, educate the landowner about the negative effects of letting them do this. The more info he gets, the better. Ticks me off that the DNR uses "pie-in-the-sky" tactics by saying, "we are going to use this to stock area laskes to make better walleye fishing...blah, blah, blah". Why ruin one resourse to better another?.

Why can't the DNR just pick a few lakes and designate them as rearing ponds. Rotate them around like one would with crops. One year they take lakes A B C and D, put the walleye in those and in lakes E F G and H stock shrimp and then lakes I J K and L they would leave alone. The next year they put walleye in I J K and L, stock shrimp in A B C and D and then leave E F G and H alone. Next year they just shift it around again.

But that would make way too much sense......

[ChuckN]

I'd be willing to bet anything that a bass will devour a duckling over a pike, any day.

Just flat out leave fish out of (some, most) ponds.

What our state needs is mother nature to cooperate. A good ole, incredible drought. Kill everything in the ponds, dry them up completely or shallow enough to have a complete winterkill. Then let mother nature fill them up a bit with new plants and life. I think that's what the DNR and USFWS is hoping for!!

[Eric Wettschreck]

Chuck, here in the SW corner of the state that is happening more than a lot of people would realize.

Lots of dried up sloughs, ponds, lakes are low, rivers are way low for this time of year.