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| Jerry your input is appreciated and I will continue to enjoy Green Bay as well just won't enjoy it as much while the large schools of transient giants Green Bay once bolstered are declining.  |
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| You can't tell from my second day weight but the fishing on the bay its self is better than it has ever been. I had my eleven year old grandson pre fishing with me two weeks before tourney, in a 2.5 mile pass he boated 17 eyes over 24, one being 28.5. But if this was 2005 on the same location we would have had 10 fish over 26 instead of 2, this doesn't mean the fishing is going down hill it just takes so long for those beautiful fish to reach the 28 inch and bigger mark. I have a question for you how old do you think a 28 inch walleye is on the bay, my guess is 18 years, curious to hear your response... John Schneider |
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Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | just fish - 7/26/2011 7:56 AM
You can't tell from my second day weight but the fishing on the bay its self is better than it has ever been. I had my eleven year old grandson pre fishing with me two weeks before tourney, in a 2.5 mile pass he boated 17 eyes over 24, one being 28.5. But if this was 2005 on the same location we would have had 10 fish over 26 instead of 2, this doesn't mean the fishing is going down hill it just takes so long for those beautiful fish to reach the 28 inch and bigger mark. I have a question for you how old do you think a 28 inch walleye is on the bay, my guess is 18 years, curious to hear your response... John Schneider
Spot on!! Did I say that right? hahahaahaha John said that in one sentance. |
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| I would agree with your guess of 18 years, John, perhaps a pinch lower in age for the Fox River fish due to water temps.
And to clarify my point, I don't believe the quantity of fish is going down, I believe the size of the fish are. Bio mass, says Green bay can support so much, the trade off will be more smaller walleyes for less larger ones.
I also remember when you fished with Greg Erdman. |
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Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | Jayman - 7/26/2011 10:26 AM
I would agree with your guess of 18 years, John, perhaps a pinch lower in age for the Fox River fish due to water temps.
And to clarify my point, I don't believe the quantity of fish is going down, I believe the size of the fish are. Bio mass, says Green bay can support so much, the trade off will be more smaller walleyes for less larger ones.
I also remember when you fished with Greg Erdman. :)
And I remember when erdmann fished with shrek! |
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| John I'm to go through all my tag return information and I will post information hopefully tomorrow when I get time. Jayman right on I think the same way the system is supporting more fish but the trade off is a smaller size. Ecosystems change and I feel we are definately in the midst of a change. Also agree with fish that tend to relate more to the southern portions of the bay would grow faster due to year around food and water temps. I guess my one comeback to your comment John of you thinking fish that are 28 inches long are about 18 years old then are you not concerned for the future of the big fish of Green Bay. Explotation rates are without a doubt at the highest rates ever on Green Bay. I will be back later with tag information. |
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Location: Manitowoc WI | Green Bay walleye can reach 28 inchs in 8-10 years. Inland lake would be about 18 years+. Female's grow faster then males. Sexual maturity is around 5 years old for female. The men get it done a little earlier.
The whole lower bay theory of fish growing faster may have some truth.
I just don't understand why people have this conversation every year about the big fish being gone and they base it on personal experience in a body of water that is as big as it is. like your 3 humps off the west shore are an all time gauge to predict walleye population's.
Anyone that is arguing that there were more fish in the system 20 years is loading your ears full of BS.
Anyone that says big fish are gone need to check the AUG stats when the big fish are not GORGING themselves on alewive.
Actually please someone show me some averages from the marinette/menominee tournament over the last 5 years.. Im curious what direction that chart points to.
If you think the big fish are gone, maybe your old techniques are not working due to ecosystem changes.
MWS 2010 http://www.fishtfm.com/history/2010/MWSMenominee.htm
MWS 2009 http://www.fishtfm.com/history/2009/MWSMenominee.htm
MWS 2008 http://www.fishtfm.com/history/2008/MWSMenominee.htm
MWS 2007 http://www.fishtfm.com/history/2007/Menominee.htm
MWS 2006 (THE YEAR OF ALL THE BIG FISH STARTED TO LEAVE LOL)
http://www.fishtfm.com/history/2006/Menominee.htm
MWS 2005 http://www.fishtfm.com/tournaments/2005.shtml
Edited by budsbud66 7/26/2011 3:12 PM
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | I'm inclined to agree with budsbud66. I also agree that currently there are not as many big fish as there was 4-5 years ago but there are still MANY big fish in this system. The future looks bright and should get brighter over the next 4-5 years. |
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Location: Badgerland | AMEN BB66... |
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| Biggs, do you fish the bay other than Door County? Where's your data to support 8-10 years?
Not as many big fish 4-5 years ago, Jerry? How do you expect those fish to return when they are getting plucked at the ripe size of 15-24" and then some?
And lastly, Troy, if you agree with Biggs so much why does Bay de noc need a slot? we need a slot to protect all the big fish that still exist? |
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| Food for thought from the 2010 management report published by the WI DNR.
Catch and Harvest
Total catch of walleye from Wisconsin waters of Green Bay was estimated at 234,872 during the 2009
open water season (March –October 31), this was a 42% increase from the estimated 164,601 caught
during 2008 (Figure 4). This was two times greater than the average estimated walleye catch for the last
15 years of 117,396 and the largest estimated catch since the Lake Michigan Creel survey began in 1986.
The total catch of walleye increased in all counties surrounding Green Bay.
Total open water season harvest of walleye from Wisconsin waters of Green Bay increased from 47,820
during 2008 to 83,425 during 2009 (Figure 5). Harvest increased in all counties during 2009 compared to
2008, except for a slight decrease in Door and Kewaunee counties. Brown County and the lower Fox
River had a large increase in harvest of 67%. The average size walleye harvested was 21.2 and the most
common size in the creel was 23 inches, likely from the dominant 6 year old 2003 year class (Figure 6).
The walleye catch has been relatively high for the last five seasons, with the greatest contribution to the
catch from the lower Fox River and Brown County waters of Green Bay. This is likely attributable to the
very strong and abundant year class of 2003 (Figures 1 and 3). Angler attitudes appear to be changing,
and anglers are harvesting higher numbers of walleyes from Brown County waters. This may be in
response to the decrease in PCB contaminant levels and the increased size of fish available for
consumption based on consumption guidelines (WDNR 2009). However, the relationship between catch
and harvest of walleye from Green Bay is likely complicated by anglers: 1) targeting trophy walleye, 2)
catching walleye during the spring season with a one fish daily bag limit, 3) practicing catch and release,
or 4) some combination of these three scenarios. |
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Location: Badgerland | ONE REASON: http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=384090
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that this regions population needs a shot in the arm after this happened. That's why the MDNR has reinstated the slot for 2012. |
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Location: Manitowoc WI | So the dnr says in 5 years a fish can hit 23-24 inchs.. as the above article states. Do you still think it takes 18 years for a fish to hit 28 inchs?
Out of all honesty, I was on Jman's size thinking it takes 15+ years for walleye to hit 28 inchs,. A fish biologist put me in my place.
I am Just bouncing info that i got. I wish i could find the email.. it was a few years ago.
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| The General - 7/25/2011 10:53 AM
Thank you George and Guest for explaining to "Lure Presentation" what big fish are!! I"m talking 27 to 33 inch fish. Not the 3 to 5lbers you enjoyed yourself with this weekend. Oh ya and my 68lb prediction was eighth place. A whopping 4.5lb average out of 140 boat tournament. lmao Thanks for reading my posts though :-)
I don't need any explaining on this matter because your big fish are the same to me. All my fish over 20" get released and smaller ones get cooked. The exception is someday a 32"+ is going on the wall.
Larry 
Edited by LurePresentation 7/27/2011 1:10 AM
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| "The average size walleye harvested was 21.2 and the most
common size in the creel was 23 inches, likely from the dominant 6 year old 2003 year class " Keep in mind these are Lower bay fish, which I suggested probably grow quicker than the rest of the bay.
5 years = 23-24"? Did I miss something, Biggs? Another biologist once said that the fish, the ones you like to fish (DC) are nearly 20 years old to reach 30".
Troy, I'm well aware of the illegal netting that took place in Bays de noc. I would be willing to bet that it is still happening, and was happening for sometime, even when the bite was fantastic. But the ecosystem has changed and I'm just not changing how I fish those walleyes. Perhaps you need to change too? I'm talking about the Bay as a whole, not 3 pieces, if you want to break it down by sections I'll be glad to. |
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| Look what I dug up.....funny how peoples attitudes change.
http://walleye.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1... |
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Location: Badgerland | LOL... You brought up LBDN, I didn't and we have changed how we put double didgit fish in the boat up there due to the ecosystem, it's called up all night sleep all day, the numbers of fish per night isn't far off from what it was during the day 8 years ago, maybe 15%. I'm in favor of the return of the slot, because those fish are your breeders and the overall quality and quantity of unders has been down the last 2 years.
Edited by 620 7/27/2011 8:15 AM
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Location: Manitowoc WI | Gobies have to be taking over main forage, when alewive/shad are not around. Perhaps they don't pack the nutrients that crawdads/alewive/shad do? adversely affecting growth rate?
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| I do know this that the alewife population is strong from Oconto north, hell the gulls weren't even flying they were so full. And I base my opinions on fishing from GB all the way to Escanaba. I don't just fish a small area and I don't talk about this without paying my dues on the water. But I don't have any facts to back up my beliefs, except for time on the water. I personally have never kept a walleye on the bay over 20 inches including a 33.5 incher out of Big Bay, the only fish of mine that have died were in a tourney and that isn't many. I absolutley love fishing the bay and want to see it prosper and grow in the hopes that a major tournament trail will come there every year. Oh by the way I miss Greg and all the rest of you guys, and the park bench experience..... |
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| hahaha LBDN, the numbers at night 8 years ago we're even better. |
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| Wow, I just visited the Lake-Link site and 50% of the posts are from guides. What an easy way to make a few extra bucks. Get a captians license, and post how to catch big walleyes on the net. The videos are still there by the way. I'll bet every one of those fish in the pictures are dead and on their way home. I get a kick when the guides say "all fish released" and they forget that the shot is taken at the boat landing showing all the fish dead. I started fishing the Bay 30 years ago and there is now so much pressure, I quit. Because of the 5 fish limit, it has become the destination for meathunters. |
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Location: Badgerland | Justin you are spot on with "AF" |
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Location: Rhinelander | Pay attention to year class structures and YOY in fall surveys. too. |
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| I too seen somewhere on the net, a couple michigan tagged eyes that were 28"+ and were aged at 18 or 19. Those "dc" walleyes i believe are slow growing. It will be a matter of time before that size structure will fall as well. I beleive those fish are not the same fish of the lower bay like some people believe. My neighbor goes up and keeps everyone of them. Yes he cleans 31"s. Some guys i Know don't go to Lake Erie no longer. Why drive so far. I no longer fish the lower bay, cause i go strictly to catch big fish. I figure in a couple yrs i will have to go further north yet. I love my 14" to 16" bago eyes for eating. |
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Location: Manitowoc WI | Those would be some awsome tags to have! I don't think there is many fish in the system that even get that old.
Edited by budsbud66 7/27/2011 9:33 PM
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