Eat'n Size

[TurnUpTheFishing]

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I think that the DNR does a wonderful job with our fisheries and I am a full supporter of everything they do, but I was just curious what people thought of the idea of reducing the limit from six fish to three or even four fish? I was just thinking that unfortunatly not everybody has the kind of personal limits that we've listed here. (I also don't keep fish over 20'') I just hate seeing six or twelve very nice fish leaving a sensitive lake with a couple of guys that fell into the big ones... I thought maybe a reduction in the limit would address that scenerio and help out some of these smaller less resiliant walleye fisheries. I personally feel that a four or three fish meal is more than filling... Like I said I am full supportive of the DNR, just was curious...

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I had a talk with someone about this subject, they brought up the point that if the limit was only 3 or 4 people may be more inclined to keep the bigger fish to get more meat. Personally Im all for a reduced bag on walleyes and wouldnt make me want to keep fish bigger than 18-20".

[Moses2531]

Hey thanks alot for your reponse, I totally agree with that argument, I could see the inclination to keep bigger fish since you could only get three, but then again if someone gets into big fish they could only take three or four home with them rather then six. I guess there could be a one fish over a certain length limit installed as well or something... It'd be nice if there was just more people like you though that wouldn't be driven to keep bigger fish just for the meat, if filleted properly a 15" walleye can give you plenty of a meal...

[Sportland_Bait]

My personal keepers run 14-17.5 inches. Usually unless the fish is hurt everything over 18 inches gets to swim another day. I usually only keep about a dozen fish per year to eat. In our guided trips I stress to our guides a 14 inch minimum and 20 plus goes back. Hopefully it rubs off on people and the quality of walleye fishing keeps getting better here in the Nisswa area. It sure was good this last season.

Jason Erlandson

[JoeTC]

I personaly dont let anyone keep a walleye over 18in in my boat because I fish a mid sized lake that can't handle a lot of fishing pressure. And I would never keep a walleye 20 or over for the table anywhere.

I don't see why there aren't protected slots on all lakes. The put slots on all the big walleye lakes that can handle fishing pressure and the medium to smaller lakes that can't handle the fishing pressure don't have any restrictions. I think all our lakes need some sort of protected slot to protect the walleyes that are most important to the lake. I would say something like 22-27 should all be thrown back.

I also believe that the limits should be reduced. Six fish is more than any one person needs. I read in an old In-Fisherman magazine that if every licensed fisherman in minnesota kept one limit of walleye that the walleye population would be reduced by 85 percent. I don't see a reason for any one to need more than 3-4 walleyes, if a guy wants to feed his whole family then he should bring his whole family fishing with him.

Overall I thnk the walleye fishing in our state is excellent but I think it could be better and with increased fishing pressure I feel that the smaller lakes need to be be protected. I see too many people throwing 25 inch walleyes in there livewells when they don't realize how many great eating size walleyes that fish could make in a few years.

These are just my opinions, no offense to anyone who disagrees.

[Moses2531]

I definetly agree with you Joe! No reason to keep the 20 inchers and a six fish limit is alot to ask out of these medium lakes that u were talking about! Very good point!

[RandyR]

I am in favor of reducing the limit to 4, and I think that the movement to protected slots on certain lakes is long overdue. We take a yearly trip to the Lake Nipigon area (Ontario). Ontario has been using slot limits for many years on waters that face far less pressure than ours. We buy conservation licenses with a limit of 2 walleye each and that is plenty for us when in Canada. I am certain that the slot limits that apply in most Canadian waters play a role in preserving the fantastic fishing we experience there.

As I have gained experience over the years I keep far fewer fish than before and I release all walleye over 18 inches.

We had the best walleye day of our lives two years ago in Canada, catching numbers of larger walleye. It was very satisfying to release them and watch them swim away unharmed. My son was 15 at the time and he told me as we were driving home that he thought it was alot more fun to take a picture and let them go.

I don't have a problem with someone taking home a legal catch, I think that is fine, but I slowly realized over time that for me the joy of fishing is the act of fishing itself. Catching has become less important even as my success rate has improved.

I agree with the previous writer about the low end of what I keep for the fry pan, it depends on the lake. My favorite Minnesota lake is Birch near Babbitt, and I will keep a couple of 13 inch fish for a shore lunch. In Ontario we like 15 to 17 inches to keep. When you can catch 3 pound walleye all day keeping a 17 incher seems ok.

[Ole #1]

I'll keep 12-20 inchers. Getting hungry already.

[iamgmc]

In the days when a group of us would'nt consider keeping anything under 16"s and upgrade whenever possible.In a complete turn around,14-17"s after fishing LOW cleaned those smaller fish excellant table fair!!I also would like to say the MN fisheries dept. is doing an excellant job managing our waters.sometimes question a certain project but thats the only way to gets the results to prove a therory.I myself would be in favor of daily limit of four and possesion limit of 12 so the resorts can still have the customers bring some home.If you need to feed the relatives fish keep a few smaller bass they won't know the differnce!!

[climbmda]

I prefer 13-18 for eaters. I never keep more than 2-3 from a given trip, just to have for dinner one night. Saturday in the metro we caught several 'eyes between 13-21". I kept a 13 and a 14 for dinner. (first 2 I caught) and we threw the rest back in the hole.

I had a guy walk up to the house shortly before we left and tell me I shouldn't be keeping any at all, and that he'd appreciate it if we threw them all back in the future. I politley told him that I keep very few fish each year, and that if I wanted to legally keep a couple for the pan, that was my choice. Then said I had no problem with releasing fish, and would keep it in mind.

I'm all for protecting the resource, but the guys like me keeping a couple every few weeks are not the problem. It's not like I had 8 inchers, or a couple of 24's on the ice. Part of fishing for me is eating fish aftwrwards.

[Rost]

90% of my fishing is catch and relase. I keep about 3-4 limits of walleyes per year. But when I do keep fish, my perfect fish for the frying pan is 16-17 inches.

[Harmonator]

I never keep a limit of fish, only enough for the family to eat the night i catch them. 13-18" are my choice

[Surface Tension]

Its good to hear folks talking about releasing those larger eyes. Its even better to hear the stories of how guys hit that higher level with their fishing and convert from harvesting anything to a selective harvest.

[Fish2catch10]

I see your point on the smaller lakes about the reduction of the walleye limit and slot limit. I am for one NOT in favor of dropping the limit down to 4 and for a state wide slot limit rule. I laugh if the DNR puts a state wide slot limit rule, because its a joke to me. If they want to make rules about conserving the walleye population then they should have a rule on not letting fisherman use the latest technology, meaning you cannot use a vexilar, marcum, aqua vu or even a GPS on certain lakes around minnesota, even on Mille Lacs they should be banned. Sounds pretty outragious but seriously fishing is becoming a joke when you have all that dump and you think that vexilars or marcums are not hurting the fish population think again. Look at GPS coordinates and where people have all the reefs and bars all marked off with their GPS, instead of marking your spot by land marks or just drilling holes and checking depth by hand until you come upon a reef or bar. Now anyone can go out and catch fish with the technology we have today instead of learning the lake and the fish in the lake. The fish do still have to bite your line but with the technology it makes it a sure of a hell lot easier don't ya think? Seriously think about! I just look at how the old timers did it back in the day and seeing how they had to work for their food/fish instead of today's fisherman who has alot more luxuries now than they did back then. I also think the technology used today is the reason why there is so much fishing pressure in this state as well, because it is so easy to get onto a lake with a vehicle and drill holes with a power auger and then with all the portable houses made today its no wonder there are too many fisherman that are out there fishing.

I do think that the DNR should impose a permit rule as well on some of the lakes in Minnesota, just like they have up in Ely and in the Boundary Waters. I think people should have to apply and get permits to fish some of the lakes around this state just because of the pressure they get, and then you can see how improved the fishing conditions will be on that certain lake with less noise, less people, and more of a natural scene to the lake like in the Boundary Waters. Because everyone seems to rave about the beauty of the Boundary Waters, and if you think about we could have something like that down in southern minnesota and in central minnesota, if everyone did something about and have the state set aside 5000-10,000 acres for just woods and restoration of nature instead of housing complexs and developments!! ISH! I think that sounds like a good idea? Don't you all think so? Thats one I give you city folk credit for living in that cluster mess down there in the twin cities!

Also then think all of us Minnesotans will see what the people up north who live near the Boundary Waters must endure just to fish their local lakes like we do down south here in the central and southern part of the state. You guys may think im nuts and are prolly laughing, but you have to live it to see how it really is then, and i really laugh at you guys who are all for the state wide slot limit rule and reduction of the state walleye limit, because you wouldn't need those dumb rules if you just took people off the lakes with the permit system and the technology ban rule.

As for good eating walleyes, they all taste the same i have eaten a 32" walleye before and it tasted the same as a 13" or 17" or 22", because i have eaten walleyes in all those different sizes. That 32" walleye was in the Boundary Waters so we ate good, and it fed four of us. You may think thats awful but when your up there you eat whatever you want for fish and whatever size they are, its pretty nice not following a slot limit! Because you are living off the land and eating fish, its not like you can go to the grocery store down the street to get food, oh and this 32" walleye would of died if my buddy would of released it back because it was very tired after spawning and all but dead, when he caught it. Plus there is enough walleyes up there that taking one 32" out of the population did not hurt it. But when i do fish walleye i always try to shoot for my limit of 6 which never happens, and i keep whatever i catch unless its under 13" then i throw them back to grow up. Because i like to eat fish not just for one meal but for many, so you gotta stock pile when they are biting for the time being before the DNR do impose more stricter rules and some state wide slot limit that you gotta follow.

[HARPOON-OR-BUST]

WOW, SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS! I DON'T KNOW IF YOU JUST SIGNED UP LAST NIGHT AND DESIDED TO CAUSE CONTROVERSY OR WHAT THE DEAL IS........SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE MADE THOUGH YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT FIRST, NOT ONLY JUST THIS TOPIC.

[OUTDOORNUT]

Do you think the Boundary Waters has permits to help the fishing? You need to check it again. The permits are to assure there isn't more campers than sites in that area. There is a large percentage of folks that use the BW and never wet a line.

So your saying a 15 year old fish tastes the same as a 4 year old, does a 15 year old steer taste the same as Veal??

I can't believe how much my Vex has helped me put more fish in the shack, just turn it on and you don't even have to drill a hole, or clean the fih either, it does all of that for you. Good thing my GPS has the ability to also change the berometric pressure to be idea for every time I go out fishing. Don't forget about my magicly advanced headlamp, it attracks fish without even turning it on. If you were to look towards you hole with it, you'd need eye protection, for they would be flying out of the hole at you.

I say we should also ban lake maps, just think about how easy lake maps have made fishing. I mean you just open them up and it shows you just were to fish, what to fish with and how to fish them.

We should also do away with Gor-Tex, thinsulate and the many other advances in clothing that allows us to say out fishing longer and through more eliments. If you want to go fishing you need to bulid yourself a birchwood canoe and if your a good trapper you can make yourslef a decent coat and pants, this way we could also do away with public landings and turn them all in Portages. Don't even think about using a graphite rod or any of those fancy "reels", no mono or superbraid, get yourself a stick and start weaving some hemp for string. That is if you have enough energy from your walk or horse ride, don't want to take advantage of modern technology....the gas motor now would we. So if your lucky enough to catch some fish, you best eat them with the fire you made by rubbing two sticks together, because in your mind the cooler isn't fair to use either.

[HARPOON-OR-BUST]

LOL, EXACTLY

[Mr.Perch]

You know the latest technology is not a guarantee for fish. I am kind of a low tech fisherman just because I am an old guy and cheap, Not because I have anything against the latest fishing stuff. My point is I quite often out fish friends who have all the latest stuff, its not what you bring fishing its how you treat the resource while you are out there. Take a fish for a meal fine fish taste better fresh and needing another fresh 16 inch walleye is a good excuse to go fishing again. I personally do not keep many fish a year, too much fish cleaning as a kid to want to do that to often. Please save some for the kids and grandkids to catch.

[SpearmanInk]

Outdoornut those permits for the BW's are for everything= fishing, camping, motorboats and just to keep that land overall the same and in its natural state. I know I just became a member but I have been to the BW's and have good friends that live near Ely and what I think Fish2catch is trying to say is he is talking about the fisherman and outdoorsman that live near the BW's and fish those lakes regularly IF they get the permit to do so. Just like anyone of us who wants to fish a local lake in our area, we do not need a permit to enter the lake, like they do up in the BWs. My friends in the Ely area are still upset about the BW's and how they cannot have access to those lakes at anytime they wish, because of the permit system. Just like we do in any other part of the state, we can fish or recreate on any lake and have the access to those lakes at anytime. Unless they are privately owned or the DNR has some restrictions on them, but mainly we have access to many of our honey holes or local lakes we want to fish. Trust me you go live up there near Ely and then deal with those rules, and then fish lakes you regualarly fish around Duluth and tell me how you would feel. It's alot different than you think, and you cannot tell people in the arrowhead region and on the range to just deal with it because they live there and we do not.

I also do know some lakes in central minnesota that do have a law just like fish2catch stated where they do NOT allow any technology into those lakes. Meaning, no snowmobiles, power augers, 4-wheelers, vex, etc. And I know it has helped preserve those lakes from being fished out and taking the pressure off of them, because of the fact is that most people are to lazy to walk a mile or 2 to fish a lake now a days, if they can't use a 4-wheeler or snowmobile. I know there are some people who will walk that far and I am sorry if I offended you but most of the people I know that fish won't. So I think he must of thought about those lakes and then thought about maybe there should be a law statewide for smaller lakes like in central minnesota here. I don't want to sit and defend this guy but I just see what he is saying and maybe its just another opinion that is posted on here just like all of ours.

Mr. Perch you sound like my grandpa, god bless his soul. I showed him the new technology in the new Reeds Catalog, that they offer to us fisherman and he just laughed because he said "I would still out fish them fools who buy that dump. Nothing wrong with catching fish hand over hand, and nothing wrong with finding your depth with a lead depth finder, line, and arm lengths." Made me chuckle a bit when he said that.

As for walleyes, I like to eat them as everyone else does, but it depends on the situation I am in, the lake I am fishing on, and the people who I am fishing with to decide if I keep a meal or throw them back or just make a "meat run."

[Mr.Perch]

SpearmanInk

Great post. It is always good to see the other persons point of view. I know what you are saying about folks not wanting to walk anymore makes it peaceful out when that’s all you can do. I have no problem with anyone fishing within the law. For myself I keep only walleyes between 15 and 20 inches and not that many. Cleaned way to many fish as a kid. I will never say I can out fish guys all the time with the new stuff, its just I like the way I fish. You sound like a great person seeing the others point of iew is a good thing. Good luck fishing.

[OUTDOORNUT]

Single day passes would allow your friend in Ely to fish the lakes within the BW daily. The permits are for overnight entries only!!!!

[Mr.Perch]

Outdoornut

Can we assume that you meant to reply to SpearmanInk’s post since I did not talk about a friend in Ely and he did?

Outdoornut what is your Eat'n Size / keeper size?

I still say it is how you treat the resource not the technology you use. Fishing quite often comes down to personal ethics, responsibility etc. whatever you want to call it, to protect the resource for future generations. Personal limits that are more restrictive than the law are just one way we can go the extra mile to protect the future of the sport.

[OUTDOORNUT]

Mr. Perch,

Yes I was talking to Spearmanink.

I don't eat many fish at all. I release most of my inland fish. I may keep some Pike if my dad is going to pickel a batch, but if I were eating Eye's it would be 15-20" I do enjoy a fresh meal of Coho's or a small King on the grill and I make up a mean batch of smoked Trout and Salmon otherwise that is about it.

[SpearmanInk]

They already know about the single day passes. But he told me sometimes you cannot get them, especially in the summer if there are already a certain number of people who are already in the BW's. Oh well.

My quote of the day, "Can't be picky, somedays all you can catch are walleyes over 24 inches!" Those days are fun though!