Nodak Outdoors Hunting & Fishing Forums

[goosehunternd]

I was in Ed's Bait yesterday and 2 guys brought in a cooler of fish between 5-8lbs, when asked why they kept them there answer was for their "Pride" That really irratates me when I see the future of the lake on the cutting board.

I guess my question is, What do we as North Dakotan's have to do to get a slot placed on our few Walleye lakes?? I have talked about it in the past and I know there is alot of you out there that feel the same way.

[94NDTA]

I completely agree. Why DL doesn't have a slot limit is beyond me. Everyone speaks of how large the lake is, and that there is no way it will get fished out. Anyone remember Jamestown resevoir and the ton of huge crappies it USE to have?

[MOB]

I used to cringe years a go watching people fillet limits of big walleyes at Gettysburg on Oahe. South Dakota now has a statewide daily limit of 4 walleyes with only one over 20"/ day. There is also special regulations for individual lakes on a lake by lake basis. This seems to be working well here.

[bowinchester]

I'm not saying what you saw was right but I will say be careful what you wish for. I personally think the slot limit on Mille Lacs is a big reason why there are so few fish in the lake. All we could catch were big fish (over 25") and many were males. Those sized fish can eat a lot and did. Now they are dying off (of old age most likely) and numbers are plummeting. A slot limit is a good thing but I think too much restriction can have reverse effects.

[cavedude]

I've been thinking of a slot limit for north dakota for a few years. Yeah it'll piss some people off and some won't abide by the rules but I think it'd be nice to try 3 or so years.

[dakotahonker]

No matter what they do some people will be happy and others will gripe about it. There is nothing that can be done to satisfy everyone. I for one am a huge supporter of what south dakota has done to protect the walleye fishing in the state. The statewide 1 fish over 20 inches a day is in my opinion the best thing the game and fish has done for the future of the fishing in the state. And in addition to that like previously mentioned there are also lake specific regulations as far as some lakes having a minimum and what not. I think if Nodak would place these kinds of regs on their lakes it would greatly enhance the walleye fisheries throughout the state and may even turn some bad fisheries into good ones. In my opinion fish over 20 inches arent the best eaters anyway and are better put back to reproduce and for others to enjoy.

[NDJ]

I would like to see one on DL and connected lakes/coulees just for the fact they don't close the season...or a slot April 1- May 15th.

I also think it makes for a better tourney with the no cull...do you keep the first over slot etc, of course you would have more cheating...

[Ron Gilmore]

Every year the issue of slots comes up. Sometimes it is because of someone seeing a stringer of big fish taken or they are only catching smaller fish and want bigger fish etc....

If you have ever attended a G&F Advisory meeting you will find that size restrictions or slots are used when a population or year class of fish needs protecting. MN our neighbors to the east have used slots a lot. Having attended a few meetings on the MN side over the years, the DNR in MN admit that most times slots are put in place less as a management tool but more as a fisherman tool in keeping them happy and to be honest duped into thinking something positive is being done.

The walleye population in DL is very healthy and with high water this year again should have an outstanding hatch. You can catch a variety of size fish on that lake from 8" on up in walleye.

These threads remind me so much of the people that want deer herds managed so that 150 class bucks are common instead of a trophy. Sorry but DL does not need a slot or size limit from a population management position.

Putting a feel good regulation in place that is not needed and could be detrimental is not sound management.

[KEN W]

dead on once again Ron.....


Is there any biological reason to put a slot or minimum size limit on Devils Lake?I haven't seen any.Do people really think our GNF wouldn't do this if it was needed?

The same armchair biologists cried that we would decimate the walleye population when our GNF said there was no reason to close the season on walleyes in the spring.Guess what.....they were right.

I'm all for it if it's warranted......but seeing someone cleaning a limit of big fish doesn't make it necessary.

[Plainsman]

I seen someone mention Jamestown reservoir. Reservoirs are always good for a few years then decline because they are managed for flood control. When they first flood they cover vegetation which begins to decay. The decaying vegetation causes a population explosion of very small invertebrates like rotifers etc. They provide a food base for aquatic macroinvertebrates which provide a food base for small fish which etc etc.
What has made Devils Lake so productive is the constant flooding and moving up into more vegetation. It has kept nutrient levels high and productivity high. If the lake remained constant it would be less productive. If they could control water levels they would then need to draw it down, let vegetation reclaim the bare bottom, then reflood. Devils Lake is seeing it's better years. On reservoirs try talk fisherman into drawing a lake down and having no fishing for a year or two. That's going to happen when pigs fly. They want that water.

If you want better chances of big fish and a healthy population on Devils Lake you could allow only two fish out of five to be over five pounds or over 28 inches etc. People could still keep trophy fish, but they wouldn't be saving whole stringers of 6 and 7 pound fish that don't taste that good anyway. They certainly are not taking them all to the taxidermist.

I have often heard people ask why the small fish at Devils Lake are fat and the longer fish are not in good condition. I have not talked to any of the state fisheries biologist, but I have heard there is a poor minnow base. At the same time I have noticed high populations of Amphipods (Gammarus lacustris and Hyalella azteca). From an energy budget perspective small fish can fatten on these invertebrates, but larger fish spend to much energy trying to gather enough to eat with this type of food resource. If you can't manage the lake level and vegetation flooding, scatter a few tons of hay in shallow water. I am sure nitrogen and phosphates are already higher than needed, but cellulose brake down and other nutrients are not available. No all the cow crap along the shore does't help. They have already digested the nutrients the macroinvertebrate community wants.

[magnum3.5]

Not being a biologist or anything but I spend about 50 to 60 days ice fishing Devils Lake and I would like to say that our walleye population is awesome. There is a lot of those 13" to 18" fish although there is a lot of 22" to 26" fish. The walleye's are doing the best I've seen in years with that said I don't think we need a slot for the whole year although I would like to see one for channel A in the spring. Even maybe knock the limit down for the channel for a period of time in the spring.

A pike fisherman could say the samething. Seems to be an awful lot of big pike kept on this lake but once again it can afford to loose a few. Seems to be all people want to fish for anymore is walleye if you want to have some fun take a day out your next trip and chase some flags I will guarantee that you will have a great time and great eating as well.

If you keep returning all the big fish and just keep "the little ones" you are also taking away the forage base as well. If everybody just kept the eaters their would be nothing to come up. The younger class fish wouldn't make it. Maybe I am wrong but I don't see anything real significant change in the size of fish we've been catching in the last ten years or so other than there is more of them and alot of nice ones.

Magnum. [/u]

[Wingmaster]

I completely agree that if it was needed the GNF would make a slot limit. They had slot limits on the Red River for a number of years. When the study was over it was determined that they did nothing. As for guys cleaning limits of big walleyes it makes me sick. No need to keep a walleye 3lbs or over in my mind.

[Backwater Eddy]

I wish the Red River size slots were still in effect. The reduced daily limit was a compromise with nd/mn and offered up to offset the old slots.

I personally would wish to see a yearly slot in the form used to out North on the Red, only 1 fish over 28" allowed a year...and that is it. You need to sigh off your license once a slot over fish is harvested and failing to do so is carries a significant fine.

This allows the angler the trophy opportunity but does not encourage over harvest of trophy class fish.

[Plainsman]

[magnum3.5]

No, Plainsman I have not fished the sheyenne in many years. Not sure if I have even heard of it. The last time I fished it was maybe 6-7 years ago in the spring. I am not sure of the the name of the place was but I do now the taxidermist that lives near. The dams that I have fished are warsing at Sheyenne and Warwick dams. I have not fished them since I was a kid. Man the bullhead fishing was crazy back then. Good times.

Magnum

[teamflightstoppersND]

Now when I catch any thing over five pounds I throw it back, but keeping them may not be such a bad thing. I was reading a the North Dakota Outdoors magazine about fish reproduction and it said most of the big walleyes over 21-22+ inches are less fertile than a smaller fish. The bigger they are the less fertile eggs they will produce. Their eggs are less likely to fertilized properly to become a minnow. It also said fish from 16-20 inches were the best reproducers. These are the fish mosty of us keep. Maybe we should throw those ones back?

These guys maybe did catch the fish so they could brag about them, but if there was a slot limit then these fish will grow larger to be caught by some other angler. A slot limit would possibly allow a fishery to become a trophy fishery. If these fish are caught again they will only be bragged about even more. So don't go jump all over these guys when they keep these fish.

[donaldcolvin]

i think that everyone is taking all of the skill out of fishing they have all of this worthless technoligy they dont even have any skill when it comes to fishing becides they dont even work anyways those stupid tech toys are dumb

[mallykiller]

[donaldcolvin]

[holmsvc]

[njsimonson]

Oh snap. Here we go.

For the record though, the Vexilar is one of God's greatest creations.

[donaldcolvin]

[ruger1]