One of the lodge owners on the lake stated that two years ago the water was very low and the gulls had a field day eating the rusty crabs. We also noted that there was a marked decline in rusty numbers this year, my kids would be up half the night in years past when they were younger catching buckets of them for a boil. My theory, based on some research on rusty crab life cycle and experience with some northern WI Lakes, is that the crash in the rusty population has allowed the native bait fish populations to explode due to lack of predation by the rustys. I am no liminologist nor do I have a degree in freshwater ecology, just an engineer. I suspect that the walleyes, now, do not have to work hard to find food and are feeding on suspended baitfish at will all day long. It will be interesting to see, over time, if there is direct correlation to rusty crab population and the quality of walleye fishing in the lake. I just hope we don't have to wait too long! I sure hope all those 20+" fish we caught and released are still there and reproducing. There were many nights out there when we had to have chicken for supper as everything was over 20".