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Member
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Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | Kemos - 12/13/2011 1:56 PM
Hey guys,
Interesting debate. Green Bay is a Walleye factory. One thing that you are all forgetting about is the forage base. The Great Lakes have been changing dramatically. Ask any of the guides up in Sturgeon Bay. Those Whitefish never used to be stacked up there like that. Ask yourself why?
Hahahahahaha nope kemo's, you gotta tell us, lets not make this a guessing game.. I do ask you though, if them whitefish were never there, then what in the heck were all the nets set for in the summer in that area? Changing forage base? I would need a deeper explaination.
Wade, I totally agree with you that the more fish you catch in a day, the better chances of sticking one good and killing it. |
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| I agree with that also, but in that case keep the fish and use it for a great meal. or put it on the wall. I want you all to know I have never seen the walleye fishing so good as it has been in the past five years. The walleyes seem to be everywhere, but the big fish population has been hit hard by both tournament anglers and weekend fisherman and I miss those days. Oconto Park two is the perfect example of what can happen. John Schneider |
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Member
Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | The writing was on the wall the day I seen 3 old guys taking pics with 15 sleds over 27. when asked, they freely said that they do that almost everyday, they are retired. |
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Member
Posts: 397
Location: Badgerland | I would bet Stacker's story happens 10fold off county park 2, 90% of the campers there through May are double dippers filling thier freezer. |
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Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | 620 - 12/13/2011 6:27 PM I would bet Stacker's story happens 10fold off county park 2, 90% of the campers there through May are double dippers filling thier freezer. Well, I do not like it when people stereo type tournament fishermen so I will not stereo type the campers. People are funny AIM does a great job of educating people. They show them how to catch the fish and show them the exact location. It's too bad that most miss the other important lesson of taking a picture and throwing most of 'em back. With Knowledge comes responsibility. I truly believe that most tournament fishermen get that. It is our job to keep trying to educate others. We can all do this without having to defend any mortality that occurs with properly run tournaments. In the scope of things, these tournament fishermen are doing less harm to the fishery than the weekend fishing barge keeping a limit. Don't get me wrong, I am all for CPR BUT there is absolutely nothing wrong with selective harvest too. None of us should be ashamed of putting some great eating table fare on the menu. Sometimes I think we are our worst critics and enemies. IMHO I do not want walleye fishing to become like musky fishing where everyone is condemned if they keep a fish. Properly harvesting fish is okay. Being a meat hunter is no longer accecptable. Even with the horror stories mentioned above, if the DNR reports that I read are correct, the fishery is fine with quantity. As sportsmen, if you want more quality do what fishermen in Michigan did and speak up for a slot. Their voice was heard (again) there. As someone mentioned earlier, maybe the meat hunter will say that it just isnt worth it (going out) if we had a slot. |
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| Hey guys I know I'm not as smartas all the regular guys on this site because wvery time someone says something they don't agree with they slam them but here it goes, while hunting at Navarino this fall I ran into a biologist from the dnr for Green Bay in casual conversation I asked if he could lower the bag limit back down to three because of the double dipping and culling that I know is going on and he responded with a emphatic NO too many fish we've had some really good spawns over the years and there are to many fish in the system. When I said they seem to be shrinking in size he replied that this will happen as the older class fish get caught and die off it was only a natural evolution and ther will eventually be others to take their place, personally I would have to agree with this because I have seen this through the years fishing this body of water long before most knew what was available, I could fish bay beach area on a saturday and catch eighty fish between 23 and 28 inches and not see a boat for three ar four weekends straight. I believe this man, he sited spawn numbers and how the spawning is occuring all over the tributaires now versus just the fox and lower bay. Wish I could remember his name but I became much more relaxed after talking to him. |
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| That Biologist is right about the spawn and numbers, but i don't think they will ever come back like they were. I like the idea of a slot, except protect those fish from like 23 to 26 or 27 inches. I know how you feel big eyes, as I used to go out of Oconto Park Two and catch with my buddies 30 or more over 26 in just a few hours and the only boats we would see would be fishing trout. The internet played a big part in that little secret getting out. People had to brag and show their catch to anyone watching. I would be all for putting together a petition for a slot and see ho many signatures we can get. John |
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| I too remember those days and the number of fish are down from there and the problem I have with that survey is how can they tell with that large body of water . when doing teir netting they maybe miss the mark or they maay be on a large school at that particular time those fish are so migratory please help me understand is there something im missing |
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| His netting was done in the rivers after the spawn and on fish through out the summer months, I'm sure you have seen those net stakes like me and said to youself hmm. Good idea John lets get it started I' all in for a slot seems to have helped in other areas of the walleye world and also on other species. |
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| No one used to fish the bay. THis summer their were always 25+ boats walleye fishing off oconto or Geanos. Most of these guys were keeping limits of big fish. Nothing wrong with keeping those small eaters. But I saw boats at the landings with limits of 24in+ walleyes. Hurts when they do that daily.
One boat had 4 guys with 20 walleyes. All were over 24 with the biggest at around 30. Im sure they tasted like crap. All of them were dead floating in the live well in 75 degree summer water. But they had to show them off to everyone that they saw. |
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Member
Posts: 397
Location: Badgerland | If you want to implement some change start here. How to do it is all explained.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/spring_hearings/index.html
Edited by 620 12/14/2011 6:42 PM
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Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Troy,
If you are serious in doing this I suggest that someone contact ALL tournaments doing business on Green Bay in the last 5 years.
Ask these organizers if they are willing to supply data on the average weight of fish caught. Any good tournament has enough data to show this decline if it exists.
In the letter, ask if they would be willing to allow you to have a sign up at their tournaments on support of a slot.
This info would tell you if you have the needed initial support.
I'm willing to help. |
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Member
Posts: 397
Location: Badgerland | Those are great ideas you have there. I would add your more likely to get a 3 bag limit vs a slot to go over. I introduced a resolution last year in my county to have the Great Lakes Pike season to coincide with inland season to protect the hungry prespawn females and it passed and will be voted on state wide this spring. I will let someone else tackle this walleye issue, as our club is working with the DNR trying to get the Brown Trout population back up here in Marinette/Menominee. I can't be batting for both teams, when it comes to planted trout predation, the walleye is culprit number one. |
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| .
Personally, I think the spring hearings are a waste of time on this body of water. 54" limit on muskies was passed twice, decisively, and still no 54" limit. Because the DNR biologist didn't want to keep anyone form harvesting a fish of a lifetime.
So when I hear that the new DNR biologist say there are too many wallyes in the system, then it's extremely unlikely that any amount of support for lower limits or a slot would get any serious consideration by the DNR.
Your time would be better spent trying to find and report double dippers.
I've run into guys in the parking lots with limits of big fish. When I ask them if they are actually going to eat these fish, they say yes. When I ask them if they've ever tasted a 15 eye from bago, and compared them to these big awful tasing fish from GB, they look at me like I'm crazy.
And not all all tourney anglers are dedicated to CPR. Prior to the 1st AIM tourney on GB, I observed one tourney angler with her prefish partner/client and they had 10 big fish on the stringer for pictures at Suamico landing the day I was there. Kirt can back me up on this.
Edited by Shep 12/15/2011 11:55 AM
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| We all know the population on Bago and the Bay are not in any harm currenty by Fisherman. (Not not to mean they might be some day) There just aren't enough people to "destroy" it. It all comes down to egos, The have's and have nots, the tournament vs. meat hunters or the armchair biologists blah blah blah. We all have are "wants" and we enjoy this sport but have differning opinons on what should be done. Some of us want trophy fish, some want to save the spawners, and some want eaters...
We're talking about a revenue worth hundreds of millions of dollars. We all need to to band together to contribute to a solution. I too belive the cc is not the right method but its all we have.
Heres my solution for every angler that fishes the Bay and the Bago pond:
1-Biololgy says we don't have a population problem so a 5 fish limit seems to be in order for both systems but the ability to change it yearly is needed.
1a-Spawn protection is working economicaly, and biologicaly on the lower Fox in the spring. Incorporate the 1 over 28" on the Wolf as well.
2-As for slots on Bago, I disagree on the need to protect the spawner with a slot as biology says there is no harm, but would like to see if a trophy size can be maintained, say one over 27".
Of course this means the Law makers need to be the ones that have the ability to make changes yearly and safisfy all uses as mother nature makes changes too. That simply sounds like an imposibilty with a half billion dollar piece of business.
Good Luck
Tyee
Edited by tyee 12/15/2011 11:06 PM
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Member
Posts: 2300
Location: Berlin | I don't think we have any problems on bago and could care less about the fish over 27" population. I do however wish we could find a way to control the Pelican/Cormorant population. They do more damage then all the fishermen put together during the spawn. |
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Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Now that I think about it, I wonder how many DNR biologists would say they are glad the really big fish are gone? Those eating machines may have provided little to the spawning effort if they were past their prime. I wonder? |
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Member
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| I agree Rich. Fished the menasha dam and watched 1 cormorant eat 4, 10 inch walleyes in about an hour. Times that by 5000. Kill them all I say. |
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| Cormorants mainly eat fish under 7” but have been known to devour larger, they consume around a pound of fish each day…they do like walleye. Pelicans consume around 4 pounds each day and their lower jaw opening to the sack is rarely larger than 2” wide, they mainly target small rough fish…they are not known as walleye eaters. |
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Location: Berlin | They might not prefer walleyes but I have seen them eat them with my own eyes. They gotsta go! |
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Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Rich,
What do pelicans taste like? |
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Member
Posts: 397
Location: Badgerland | Wow... Little tid bit, I'd change up your misinformed information source. Cormorants have been sliced and diced with eyes in them already over a pound, and if you don't think Pelicans eat walleyes go watch them in April in Depere by the dam they scarf down 1-2lb males like M&M's.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Cormorant+stomach+contents&h...
Edited by 620 12/17/2011 1:08 PM
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| 620 - 12/17/2011 1:04 PM
Wow... Little tid bit, I'd change up your misinformed information source. Cormorants have been sliced and diced with eyes in them already over a pound, and if you don't think Pelicans eat walleyes go watch them in April in Depere by the dam they scarf down 1-2lb males like M&M's.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Cormorant+stomach+contents&h...
What? I never said cormorants don’t eat larger fish…I stated the exact opposite, the average size is 7” and they eat on average a pound a day. Pelicans are not known to go after walleye like cormorants do, they eat primarily rough fish and they consume around 4 pounds a day, never said they do not eat walleye.
Eradicate a indigenous bird that eats walleye, sound conservation at work.
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Posts: 397
Location: Badgerland | .................................. |
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Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | tid bit,
What redeeming values does a cormorant have that causes one to want to keep them arond? Being at the top of the food chain I get to decide. I'll even let you help me. Persuade me for wanting to keep them around. |
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