Slot limit info

[Icefish2]

I was unable to get a diffinitive answer to my question, regarding the possession of more than one 23" walleye, caught outside the legal boundries. I contacted Terry Cook of the MDNR, out of Lansing. He is part of the fishery laws enforcement of this state. He stated that it's unlawful to possess more than one fish over 23" within the boundary, regardless of where it was caught. I don't agree with this interpretation but thought I should pass it on.

[upangler]

I kind of like it how he said.
There are always people trying to find a way around the laws.
What is to say someone won't have 3 fish over 23" and when the dnr checks them, they say we're in the slot now, but we're fishing for perch with these crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers and we caught these big fish outside the zone.
Brett

[SSMACNCHEESE]

On a grey issue like this its almost a givin you would be given a ticket. Whenever its questionable they will write you a ticket anyway because most people will just pay it and not go through the courts. Just my opinion

[DooFighter]

That is exactly what I would expect fisheries law enforcement to say.

Hopefully a local officer checking you would consider other variables. For instance, I own a 21' boat that drafts 2.5 ft, maybe a little more. There is no way I'm going to get out of the Ford river in my boat, nor am I going to lauch at Cedar river and run 20+ miles up to wherever it is south of Ford river that I'm going to fish. Therefore, I have to launch at Esc/aronson Isl (slot area) and run south to fish a non slot area. If I was ticketed for this fishing practice, I would certainly fight it.

[jerkbait]

Hey guys, just wondering what is the penalty for being caught on the wrong side of the grey mile? I might have to put in at no see um next go round.

[albe]

This is the question that I asked on September 17, 2002 06:59 AM to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources via their website.

When launching a boat at the Escanaba, Gladstone or Kipling boat ramps to fish the area south of the only one walleye over 23" special fish size limit of Lt. Bay De Noc, can I return to these boat ramps or a resort where I am staying with a limit of walleye where all walleye are over 23"'s without receiving a citation for more than one walleye over 23"?

This is the reply I received on September 18, 2002 07:40 AM:

we wrote - Yes you can. This would be the same as driving your car back to your resting place with legal fish. You should not do this if you intend to stop your boat and fish where the regulations differ.

This was received from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

I carry this e-mail with me whenever I go fishing in the upper peninsula.

[CaptainKenLee]

Thanks, that's what I was told by a local c.o. myself. As long as you don't stop and fish in the slot waters, have rods stowed, etc., you are o.k. If you stop and fish in slot waters, or have the appearance that you're fishing or about to fish in slot waters, then I think you can expect a ticket to be issued. It's pretty much common sense. I think that most anglers abide by the slot limit pretty good, I think we can put this thread to rest now. The whole issue might be a moot point if the DNR gets rid of the slot limit next year as planned.

[FishEater]

Who honestly looks for 23"+ walleyes to eat? Fun to catch Great pictures, but which Fillet are you picking out of the pile, a nice crisp fillet from a 16" or a big ole hunk of??
Just my 2 pennies worth

[DooFighter]

I've said this before...call me up, I'll take all those big ole hunks you don't want.

233-1697

[Tugboat]

I cut my fish into the same size pieces no matter what way I cook them and can't tell the difference in taste.

[RudyG]

"I cut my fish into the same size pieces no matter what way I cook them and can't tell the difference in taste."

Me Too

[hook em and cook em]

I cant agree more. If you can pick a 16 incher over a 25 incher by tasting it, you dont know how to cook 'em. I hope they take that slot limit off the bay because of the confusion we have now with the areas. You can fish for a long time in the upper bay area and not catch a 23+ inch fish. There was a time when there were a lot of them, but since that slot limit has been put on, there hasnt been as many (only my opinion).

[deltadawncharters]

Just one more opinion on the 23" slot limit;
There are laws regarding the slot limit. Each person seems to either not respect them or they interpret them to suit their own needs. It even appears as though the DNR doesn't know their head from a hole in the ground when it comes to the law and its' interpretation! They ought to read their own book!!! "Out" is "out' and "in" is "in".
We don't need laws to protect the fish, we need fisherman to protect the fish. When they drop the slot limit and the fish are all gone who do we have to blame? Each and every fisherman ought to take a look in the mirror. I hope they like what they see!

[The Bait Shop Guy]

You can fish for a long time in the upper bay area and not catch a 23+ inch fish. There was a time when there were a lot of them, but since that slot limit has been put on, there hasnt been as many(only my opinion).

So, are you saying the 23 inch slot is the reason you don't catch fish that size?

I was kind of on the fence about removing the slot until learning the extent of the illegal netting that targeted fish that size and bigger. I'm all for keeping the slot for at least another 10 years until we recover from that atrocity!

[Fastcat]

I guess my question would be, how many of the fish at Minneapolis Shoals, Ford River area, etc... are in Upper and lower Little Bay in the spring and/or winter? If so what effect does the slot limit have if you can go out of Big Bay, Ford River, Cedar River, etc and catch a limit of Overs? I would think that a slot limit for ice fishing would make more sense for the current boundary. Just a question because personally I have always assumed that the fish in Little Bay (Whitefish-Escanaba) migrated out to the non slot waters in the summer and would be caught anyway.

[Salmon/Ella]

Do the gill netters have to go by the 23" rule also? Large mesh gill nets only target the larger fish, so what are we trying to save them for?? I too have an email from the DNR that sates if the fish are caught outside the slot area they can be brought back in as long as I don't stop to fish along the way. I too think the DNR is playing the role of the ostrich here, but that rule is long over due to be done away with.. I pay just as much for my license as people who live outside the slot and I also can't launch at the ford..

[DooFighter]

Here's another question...does anyone know anyone, or yourself been checked regarding the slot size? I've been told the slot is never enforced anyway. So we're probably all discussing a moot point.

I suppose the way fisherman could protect the fish the most would be to not go fishing, right? That would be dandy. This whole idea that those who catch and keep big ones, within the limits of the law, are raping the resource is ridiculous. Who here heads out of the harbor thinking, boy, hope I get a limit of 17 inchers today? Those are the big ones of 2-4 years from now, right?

[upangler]

I throw walleye back bigger than about 22" or 23" anyways.
To each their own.
If I am keeping fish, I would rather keep a 17"-18" for eating.
Not that I wouldn't eat up a 24" that was bleeding out, but if I had to choose, I'd take a smaller fish.
I don't care what anybody catches or keeps, as long as they don't do it illegally with a net or a spear....
I have never been specifically checked on the bay for slot size, but when showing my fish to the census guy at kipling launch, i'm assuming that if I pulled out four or five 26" fish, something would be said.
Brett

[Frank S]

Question regarding the BaysDeNoc tournament on Sunday. After reading Capt. Myers statement about in or out, I'm wondering if more than 2 fish over the slot will be allowed to be weighed in Gladstone (In the slot area). Seems like the weights for the last tourney were pretty heavy for only 2 "overs". I know Capt. Bill is an officer of the club, wondering what their stand on this is. Catch and release only works if the fish survive.

[Salmon/Ella]

I have always assumed that the fish in Little Bay (Whitefish-Escanaba) migrated out to the non slot waters in the summer and would be caught anyway.[/QUOTE]

Not only do they migrate south of the slot waters, they have been doing this all along. I have fished the Menominee since before the slot was introduced and have caught many tagged fish of all sizes, including over 23" fish. All the fish were tagged by the DNR at Rapid river. I never could understand why a slot was needed when the fish were already so far south. The fish I caught were in April and early May when fishing was open year around on the boundary waters. Seeing as our season doesn't open until May 15, what if any good does it do to have a slot???

[The Bait Shop Guy]

Question regarding the BaysDeNoc tournament on Sunday. After reading Capt. Myers statement about in or out, I'm wondering if more than 2 fish over the slot will be allowed to be weighed in Gladstone (In the slot area). Seems like the weights for the last tourney were pretty heavy for only 2 "overs".

I'm also on the board of directors for the BDNGLSF. As far as the tournaments go, each 2 man team is allowed to weigh in only 2 fish over 23 inches - irregardless of where they launched or caught all their fish at. I helped at the last weigh-in and saw every fish that got weighed. I can promise you, those weights were right. It's pretty easy to get bags over 20 pounds when you have a couple 8 or 9 pound kickers and the rest of your slots are in the 3 to 4 pound range.

In an effort to make things a little safer for the boaters, teams are now allowed to trailer their boats to different access sites. Unfortunately, the DNR changed the VHS regulations this year. The rules now read "A person who trailers a boat over land shall drain all water from the live well(s) and the bilge of their boat upon leaving any body of water." Kind of hard to keep them alive to release like that. As a result, we've had to keep all the fish after the tourneys this year. Some are used for a fish fry after the tournament, the rest are donated to St. Vincent's, or The Salvation Army.

[The Bait Shop Guy]

Seeing as our season doesn't open until May 15, what if any good does it do to have a slot???

I think the original intent was to protect the fish in the fall and winter when all those "scattered" fish return and are concentrated in the bay. I also think the slot went into effect before information from tagging studies told us where those fish went to after the spawn.

[Salmon/Ella]

I also think the slot went into effect before information from tagging studies told us where those fish went to after the spawn.[/QUOTE]

I returned all the tags from these fish and they were caught in the late 80s to early 90s. I fished there until they cut the limit to 1 fish. That's too far to go for 1 fish. I caught my share tho.

[jigginfins]

Not that anyone knows me and that my opinion matters. If i was asked to appoint a slot limit for fishing. I would have a slot limit on all michigan waters.

Great and inland lakes. I would protect the the mid sized fish. Keep one over 26 and 4 up to 17 or under. Protect the 17 - 26 inch fish. I would also put slot limits on other specied too.

Other states do and so do our neighbors to the north too. And it goes to show. They have alot of great fishing to bost about. So do we, but other areas its almost effortless to catch fish.


So thats my opinion. If i knew who to talk to about it, I would bring it up.

T.C.

[hook em and cook em]

The slot limit is obviously allowing walleye to grow larger. Larger fish need a lot to eat. Are they going to find that kind of forage in the upper parts of the bay? I dont think so. I have also noticed the the fish in the upper parts of the bay are getting smaller. I see a lot of people post "It is nice to see those 12 inchers out there". Personally, I like to catch fish I can take home and fry up. I'm not a fisheries biologist, so i dont know what to make of it. I do know there used to be a lot more fish in the bay, and now we have to travel some distance to catch them. I would think the slot limit keeps people from coming to the bay denoc area for fishing trips. I am for a modified slot that has been mentioned here on this thread. Start it the 1st of october and run it through the end of ice season. Open it up in the summer, and more business that caters to the tourist will benifit. Who could resist coming to the UP for a week of walleye fishing if they are allowed to come in with the fish they catch?

[The Bait Shop Guy]

Guess I don't see your logic. As someone who depends a lot on out of town fishermen, I see the slot as more of a draw than a hindrance. I'd be in favor of a modified slot, but the DNR would never go for it.

[jtourangeau]

launch at cedar,they cant mess with you there.

[hook em and cook em]

J.T., Launching at cedar river to fish by the bark river. That isnt a very good idea as far as having a safe fishing experience goes. Why punish people who prefer to catch fish they can eat insead of 12 inchers?

Chris, I dont believe that more people are coming here to fish since the slot limit has been enacted. I fish out there, and the boat traffic has slowed considerably over the past 7 or 8 years. I am sure the economy has had a hand in this year, and maybe part of last, but that doesnt account for declining numbers over the past decade. I am glad your business is doing well, but but claiming the slot limit has made this area a better tourist destination doesnt add up. That is right up there with the "there are more fish in bay de noc now than there ever have" idea. From 1990 to 1997 the fishing was awesome here. Then it started declining, with fewer fish being caught, and the quality of the fish going down. Now days going out and catching a limit is reason to celebrate. No need to say anything like "change your tactics", that only works if there are numbers of fish and people are still doing well on the water. Why wont anyone admit that mismanagement by the DNR has caused problems?

[The Bait Shop Guy]

Wow, where to begin?

Chris, I dont believe that more people are coming here to fish since the slot limit has been enacted. I fish out there, and the boat traffic has slowed considerably over the past 7 or 8 years.

The slot hasn't increased the number of people fishing on the bay, but it certainly hasn't hurt it. Usually after we sell licenses to people from out-of-town, we explain the regulations to them - including the slot limit. Out of the thousands, (yes, thousands,) no one has ever said they thought it was a bad idea, and that they would never come back.

I am sure the economy has had a hand in this year, and maybe part of last, but that doesnt account for declining numbers over the past decade.

Last fall was the slowest we've ever had. The economy was certainly a factor there. You do see fewer boats than there used to be, but that's a nation wide problem, not just a Bay de Noc thing. Despite the dropping numbers of summer and fall fishermen, icefishing has gone through the roof! You can't deny there are more people on the ice than ever before, despite the slot.

...claiming the slot limit has made this area a better tourist destination doesnt add up.

I'm guessing your work doesn't depend a large part on tourist fishermen? It does add up if you are a fisherman looking for a better than average shot at a trophy class walleye. People who come here from out-of-town, usually don't do so to catch a limit of eaters. They are looking for that fish of a lifetime to put on the wall, or to tell there buddies "Yeah, we caught all these fish, but could only keep a couple because the rest were TOO BIG!!!" It's a hard concept for a lot of "meat fishermen" to wrap their heads around. Nothing wrong with being a "meat fisherman," but you have to realize not all fishermen are out there just to put meat on the table.

Now days going out and catching a limit is reason to celebrate. No need to say anything like "change your tactics", that only works if there are numbers of fish and people are still doing well on the water.

If there are numbers of fish, and people are still doing well on the water, DON'T change your tactics! If however, conditions change, you DO have to change your tactics! You are right, this bay isn't the same as it used to be. If you are fishing the same way now, as you did in the 1990's, you will not be as successful as you could be. The charter captains seem to be doing fine. I'll bet if you asked, none of them would say they fish like they used to 10 to 20 years ago.

Why wont anyone admit that mismanagement by the DNR has caused problems?

How has the DNR mismanaged things? I don't think the DNR had anything to do with zebra mussels, gobys, changing water levels, and illegal netting (all things that have changed the fishing on this bay more so than the 23 inch slot ever could.)

As Ken said earlier, all this discussion is moot if the DNR removes the slot in the near future. If they do, and the fishing rebounds, I'll go fishing with you Hook'em and Cook'em. I'd be more than happy to let you tell me "I told you so."

[finaddict]

I don't think the DNR had anything to do with zebra mussels, gobys, changing water levels, and illegal netting (all things that have changed the fishing on this bay more so than the 23 inch slot ever could.)

One of the best statements I've heard on this website in a long time!

Capt. Jim McDonald

[hook em and cook em]

What do you figure is keeping tourists away? You cant say people are here and I dont know because i dont own a business that caters to tourism, because anyone can see that the people just arent coming. We have half the number of bait shops that we used to, and people are trying to sell their hotels, motels and resorts. Doesnt add up to a booming tourist industry. As far as conditions and locations, this is precisely my point. The best fishing is south of escanaba. This area is outside the slot boundry, and thats what started this debate in the first place. If your average fisherman owns a 16 foot fishing boat, he isnt going out there. If he wants to catch some fish, he has to rely on the bay area. He wont have great success there, and will lose interest in the area. As far as DNR goes, I dont suppose this branch of the government has any responsibility over what happens with a sport fishery where they regulate. Illegal netting? That must fall to the city parks and recreation department, right? I dont know why you figure you need to argue with anyone who posts a comment here, but i am pretty sure when you aggitate people who use services you render, they might not come in for some crawlers and whatnot. No need to rebutt, I'm not blind and you wont sway my opinion in any way shape or form. I have likely spend thousands more hours than you have on the water, and dont really need anyone telling me that up is down and left is right.

[The Bait Shop Guy]

I don't know all the reasons for any drop in tourism, but it's certainly not because of the slot. I don't expect to change your mind, but I will argue all day when someone says the 23 inch slot limit is the reason for all the perceived "problems" with the bay.

[jerkbait]

Hey hook em and cook em its not the size of the boat its what you can do with it and how you do it... I fish outta the ford 90% of the time in my 14'er and am quite successful dont get me wrong it is big water however a good eye for weather and wearing life jackets, gps, spotlight, and haveing a float plan will ensure you a safe trip. So not sure on your logic about your typical 16' boats staying in the bay but there is plenty of room for 16'ers out there and if you wanna catch some fish so you can cook em thats where Id be looking.

[hook em and cook em]

Putting out at the ford river is a good idea, if you have the right boat. The shallow water there makes it hard to navigate anything much larger than you have. The boundry for the slot is the ford river mouth... which side of the mouth, i dont know. I fish down that way and know whatcha mean about the spot. I said "average fisherman". The average guy isnt going to venture out there out of fear. It is an easy place to fish, but many people dont like the idea of getting caught in a situation that far from port, and are unfamiliar with that area (and it gets rough). Maybe the slot limit doesnt matter, but i'd guess that more people used to come here to catch some eaters than some slobs. If they want a hog, they come in the fall. I'll stick with my declining forage base theory for the reason the bay seems to hold MOSTLY small fish anymore. Big fish eat more, which requires more forage base. Smaller fish can be sustained on much less, and will hang out there.

[CaptainKenLee]

Fishing in the bay has been pretty good lately, no reason to go south if you just want to catch fish. We've been getting good catches in the bay lately with some big fish thrown in too. One of our customers that comes in the store has been getting 40-50 fish per trip lately, sure many little ones too, but he's been getting his limit of eaters and several nice fish as well, and he's been fishing from the Days River north.