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Posts: 15
Location: Goshen, IN | Im from Indiana, and even though we arent well known for our walleye fishing, we do have some nice fisheries. We have a 6 fish limit, and our size limit is 14" ( except on the St Joe river 15"). Our Dnr stocks 3 of our lakes with 6-8" eyes and the rest of our lakes & rivers are stocked with 1-2' fingerlings or fry.
Heres my question:
With the growth of the sport of walleye fishing, how do anglers feel about selective harvest compared to slot limits or just standard limits. How do we keep from over fishing or resources?
The reason I ask this is, a member of my site, who also fishes other species, wondered why most walleye anglers dont practice catch and release like bass or musky anglers. His point of view came across like walleye anglers didnt care as much about their sport. I know our fish taste great, but how do we promote ourselves? How do we get across to our anglers the need of self managment and not to over harvest? And how do we get the importance across to our DNR, as of now they treat it as a put and take situation.
Any information is appreciated, and if you would not like your thought known publicly, you can email me at: [email protected]
Thank you in advance,
Doug Burkhead
Edited by Eye_Hunter 6/13/2005 3:55 PM
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Member
Posts: 15
Location: Goshen, IN | 70 some views and not one post
Thanks alot for your thoughts
Doug | |
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Posts: 1382
| Slot limits ARE selective harvest, are they not? I don't really see any difference. Most walleye anglers I know catch and release 99% of the time. Thoughts? | |
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Posts: 2567
Location: Manitowoc, WI | Most fisherman I know practice catch and release. Not sure who you are referring to when you say most walleye fisherman don't. I'll keep maybe 10-15 fish a year for a couple of meals for my family. That's plenty. | |
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Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Eyehunter.
Don't be so quick to judge the (Lac of response) to your query. The topic you've chosen to ask about has so many answers and draws so much fire at times, that I'm not that excited about giving you my feelings on the subject either.
I think everybody at some point should analyze the reasons why they fish to begin with, and consider what (if any) rewards they want out of it. Recreation, Professional endeavor, the sport, the challenge or a life long passion that's simply includes taking some tasty fish home to eat. And now we can face some hard facts about Bass and Muskies. Their not that great to eat. But they have an appeal all to themselves on the trophy and stamina scale. I raised a calf once and after it was about 1 year old we ate it. I've had my dog Otter for 6 years now, and his personal fate will not include his being grilled. My point is, you cannot factor one specie in with the others when there's some rational differences.
Now IMHO, the catch and release part seems to be directly hinged with each individuals mind set, experience and (believe it or not), age. "MOST" Guys who don't catch many fish (beginners/young people) or get to fish less often, tend to keep and kill everything they catch. There's a macho thing related to the younger crowd that starts when they first notice the (Mines bigger than yours) phenomena. As one gets older he seems to respect life more and the effort achieved by every living thing that reaches adulthood, no matter what it is. I don't kill things anymore without asking myself if it will be used by me or my family and not wasted. Those BB-gun days, when every living thing in my neighborhood was in danger of death at all times by Me are gone, and I'm glad they are. Catch and release ethics are better understood and practiced when instilled, and not shoved down anybody throat. IMHO.
Edited by walleye express 6/25/2005 4:57 AM
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Posts: 1188
Location: Chicago IL. | To be honest,do you see bass/musky on any menu in any resturant? Walleye are good to eat. Yes I keep mabey around 20 or so walleyes to eat thru out the year and release the rest. Catch and release depends on the person fishing. I belive a slot limit should be imposed on all walleye water that needs to be stocked to keep up with the demand of the kill. Alot of people fish to take fish home to eat. Thats why they fish,and it there right to do so. As a tournament angler we hate slots but we deal with it. I can see the effects of the slot on the lower pools on the Mississippi River already, and it will only get better in the years to come!!! | |
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Posts: 84
Location: townsend,wi | when i catch a muskie i eat it,because they eat to many of my walleye.as far as bass they taste like crap.wish i new a way to cook them.i practice catch and release on walleye i always did. | |
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| If Walleyefirst ever has a "Post of the Year" competition for 2005, Capt. Dan's response here on Selective harvest would get my nomination. Couldn't have been said better! Standing ovation Capt.! | |
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Posts: 617
Location: Oshkosh, Wisconsin | Anglers that do not violate the daily possession and total bag limit laws will not cause a significant impact on 99% of all waters. A few bodies of water deserve a little more special consideration, but by and large, fish are food, not friends. Eat them.
And for the record, musky on the grill is a pretty special treat.
Edited by Brad B 6/24/2005 7:57 AM
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Location: Rhinelander | I believe the DNR has a handle on the necessary harvest controls on most waters, and will adjust if overharvest is a problem. We can only keep 1 or 2 walleyes on most waters here because we share the resource with it's original stewards, so when I DO go out after walleyes, if I get a big girl, she swims. If I get a 15 or 16" male, it's frying pan time.
NW Ontario has a great program allowing those who wish to buy a conservation license. 1/2 the bag limits, and NO muskies at all. Many do.
Size and slot limits, as pointed out, ARE selective harvest tools implemented by the management people. | |
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Posts: 377
Location: Neenah Wi | If most of the people on this site kept everything they caught we could fund the DNR with the fines that are paid.You could not eat that many fish.I see many let the bigger fish go and select the smaller fish to hit the pan.I'm one of those and if someone decides they want to keep what they catch so be it that is up to them.Are bass fisherman any more conservation minded than walleye fisherman I highly doubt it.As it was said before walleye are much better eating than bass.Have you ever seen a bass show and they catch a walleye they almost always put it in the live well for the frying pan.That should tell you something. As Dan put it as you get better at fishing you tend to release more and more.Or was that older.I think better is alot better than older.LOL Keep what you can use and release the rest.
Edited by Risor39 6/24/2005 9:15 AM
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Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | As Dan put it as you get better at fishing you tend to release more and more.Or was that older.I think better is alot better than older.LOL Keep what you can use and release the rest.
Risor.
It was both. In most cases, older, better, wiser get hinged together rather we like it or not. 
Edited by walleye express 6/24/2005 1:58 PM
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Posts: 201
Location: Jackson, Wisconsin 53037 | Dan,
I couldn't have said it better myself. I've fished 5 tournaments this year, with all the pre-fishing and just taking friends out walleye fishing, I have kept one walleye. It was hooked down in the gullet.
We go up to the chippewa flowage for two weeks every year, crappie fish and just keep enough to eat. The kids love to go out and catch the fish, they also like to keep them. I might go out a couple days and target walleyes, and I keep them then unless they are too big. Go back ten years ago, I was younger and less experienced. When I caught fish I wanted to keep them and did. So what dan said I have to agree with.
I also can see why anglers keep everything they catch. They paid for the license it's their right, as long as they are following the bag limits and rules. I hate to see someone keep a 5 or 6 pound walleye, but it is their right.
Eric | |
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Posts: 15
Location: Goshen, IN | First of all I just want to appologize for not responding back promptly to your posts, I have been dealing with some family matters.
Secondly, thank you to all who responded, I really apreciate your thoughts on this subject. I know some of my questions were kind of on a personal note. But I think sometimes we need to get subjects like this out, for the betterment of our sport.
I personally very seldom keep walleye, but yet I see alot of anglers in my area, keep about everything they get their hands on. And I have seen the quality of some of the places I fish go down. Just over the last few years in my favorite lake I have seen the size of walleye go from a 1.5lb average down to about .95. And from being able to get 60 - 4lb walleye a year, down to about 4. It doesnt bother me so much to see anglers keep 14"-17" walleye for table fare, but when I see people taking 4lb - 6lb eyes out to eat, it drives me crazy, especially when those people will complain about how the fish keep getting smaller in size and in quantity. I'm just trying to figure out a way to get our state, and our anglers to look at our sport through a different set of eyes, without preaching.
Thanks again,
Doug Burkhead | |
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Member
Posts: 376
Location: Menominee MI, In Da UP Eh? | Um, To the lack of response thing, maybe we were all out doing somtething stupid, like fishing? LOL!
Seriously though, I think a lot of valid points have been raised here, and do agree that slot limits are a form of selective harvest. of course slots are selective harvest madated by the Fisheries Departments/DNR.
Slots are generally imposed as a temporary way to conform the population of that given body of water.
True selective harvest, IMHO, is when an angler decides to keep only two or three legal fish for the pan and let the rest go.
Edited by Nofish 7/2/2005 11:34 AM
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| Well... you will always get those elitist types who fish certain ways for certain species, look down their noses at other fishermen and don't keep any of their preferred species. (Strangely, these same folks will keep walleye and perch to eat when they catch them, however).
For starters......Ask your buddy what LM Bass fillets cost at the store. LOL! Just kidding... but, it is a part of the overall situation.
Unfortunately there are many meat hogs who fish and keep walleye. They could be the same guys who pile up 75 bluebills when they can, too. So... your buddy may be a little bit right, too.
The people visiting this site would tend to have a very high reverence and regard for walleye and would practice catch and release.
There are all kinds of ethical and unethical people partaking in the outdoors..... and walleyes do seem to get more tahn their share.
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Selective harvest