Red Lake: Go Early

[Fish Felon]

DENNIS ANDERSON

Upper Red Lake walleye regulations to tighten this winter


By: DENNIS ANDERSON
November 17, 2014 - 2:11 PM


Protected slot will be 17-26 inches

Dennis Anderson
Plan to fish Upper Red this winter?

If so, expect tighter walleye harvest restrictions.


Starting Dec. 1, anglers can keep three walleyes, with a possession limit also of three. And the protected slot will be 17-26 inches. One walleye may be longer than 26 inches.

Until Dec. 1, the limit is four, with a protected slot of 20-26 inches.

“More restrictive walleye regulations are not an indication of any biological problems with the walleye population on Upper Red Lake,” said Gary Barnard, Bemidji area fisheries supervisor. “The current walleye fishery is in excellent shape, but the great fishing has attracted considerably more angling pressure, which resulted in walleye harvest exceeding the safe harvest range for the first time since walleye angling reopened in 2006.”

Harvest reduction was discussed at an Upper Red Lake Citizen Advisory Committee meeting in late September.

“Previous advisory meetings were easier when we were relaxing regulations, but everyone on the committee understands the importance of protecting this fishery and adhering to our joint harvest plan,” said advisory committee member Joe Corcoran.

The regulation package had full support from the committee as the best way to balance harvest reduction with business and angler interests, Corcoran added.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

Just make sure you drill a separate hole away from the fish house so they don't see the guts on the bottom when they drop a camera down on you

[lanyard]

Glad to see more slots..... they've worked well at crashing year classes on Mille Lacs

[triplecurler]

Why does every fishery need to be a trophy fishery? The all mighty dollar wins out again. Maybe I want to fish to feed the family, not for big fish. Politics!

[169Sportsman]

I always hear bashing of slots, but I rarely hear alternatives. Slots don't make trophy fisheries, they protect fisheries from over harvest. Mille Lacs issue in my opinion is too much pressure to sustain a healthy population EVERY year.
So what would you guys do if you were in charge?

[gimpfinger]

I always hear bashing of slots, but I rarely hear alternatives. Slots don't make trophy fisheries, they protect fisheries from over harvest. Mille Lacs issue in my opinion is too much pressure to sustain a healthy population EVERY year.
So what would you guys do if you were in charge?

I don't know...maybe walleye guys can throw some back once in awhile or maybe don't keep your limit every day (or multiple times a day) for a week during a hot bite.

Most pike, muskie, flathead and bass guys have figured this out a long time ago.

your mom...

[gimpfinger]

I always hear bashing of slots, but I rarely hear alternatives. Slots don't make trophy fisheries, they protect fisheries from over harvest. Mille Lacs issue in my opinion is too much pressure to sustain a healthy population EVERY year.
So what would you guys do if you were in charge?

I don't know...maybe walleye guys can throw some back once in awhile or maybe don't keep your limit every day (or multiple times a day) for a week during a hot bite.

Most pike, muskie, flathead and bass guys have figured this out a long time ago.

your mom...

[Trigger]

They should have managed Red as a crappie fishery.

[gimpfinger]

They should have managed Red as a crappie fishery.

NO!!! Because walleye!!!

your mom...

[lanyard]

I'm a recovering walleye guy. Some of my numbers might be off since the "reconstruction" to make me more normal.

I get the idea is to protect the breeding fish. And maybe with the 17" minimum enough people will get their 14"-17" fish.

But after what, 6 years, the 17" fish will be 26" and past spawning and all the year classes underneath will have been losing population each year until they hit 17".

Close the gap to 17"-22", with two over 22" no more than one over 26". Get the most out of that 5 year spawning span and start moving the bigger fish out.

Or did the DNR change all that in their wisdom years ago with a "one over 22" in the daily limit?

I quit caring about walleyes years ago, but bad management still drives me insane. The slots are socially contrived "science" based on human carrying capacity and a need to say things are being managed appropriately.