TFF improvement

[justbob]

Hi all. I am looking for ideas on improving the Flowage. Some that are being acted on like the building and placing fish cribs. Another idea is a stocking program? Keep in mind almost everything needs DNR approval.

[Hot Runr Guy]

As long as you asked, I'd like to see some of the log jams rebuilt, heck, isn't there a lot of down timber yet from last years tornado? If they want to start small, start dumping timber in the bay just S/E of the powerlines, across from Donners.

I'm old school, give me a good reason to bring the cane poles back up.
HRG

[BlueRanger]

I would like them to move it to my back yard so I could fish every night after work, build a causeway or bridge from Springstead Landing to Fisherman's Landing to knock 20 miles off the drive to Mercer and points north, and come up with a poison, disease or parasite that only kills northerns in hopes that muskies would begin naturally reproducing.

[ToddM]

Would love to see cabbage and lots of it. I am sure there was alot in the flowage at one time as well as some surrounding lakes before the rusty crayfish ate it.

What is interesting about the pike is they are not stunted. People think they are because a decent fish is rare. They actually have a pretty good growth rate. Problem is, their average life span is only 4 years. I am wondering if this is a strain or they developed into their own strain for some reason. Maybe, stocking pike to break up the strain may be the way to go? I know it sounds backwards but maybe turning them into something viable and worth fishing for put more pressure on them, especially during the winter months and controls their population better.

[gdi]

I agree with Todd. back in the day when I was a kid you used to get some nice Pike a small one was 18 inches and fat,now its a nice fish. Also get a size limit on the Eyes or some kind of slot limit. I know most don't want this but when I first started coming up there it was 16 inches and 5 per day. You rearly caught one less than 18 but that was then but i think it should be looked into. Just my 2 cents.

[ToddM]

Win the improvement in fishing equipment and tactics, a slot makes good sense on walleyes and besides why not keep.some of those pike?

[perchoreno]

I think it would be good if the DNR DIS-improved Fisherman's Landing, and eliminated about 40 campsites around the lake. Nothing like the DNR for making the remote and pristine, into another
crowded fishery. The campfire smoke could kill an asthmatic on a still summer evening.

I attribute more of the walleye smallmouth ratio to increasing fishing pressure from the campers, than spearing.

[skywalker11]

The campers are catching all the fish? The mom and pop, out spending quality time with their kids and having fun.....but they are so good at fishing they catch all the fish? Seriously. I cant believe that there's a problem with the amount of camp sites or the campers. How about we outlaw campfires? No more smores kids.......cause someone doesnt want smoke in the air?

Leave the campers alone, most have kids with them and they need to appreciate and learn about camping, fishing, spending quality time in a unique place. If the kids learn these things then we(the campers) are creating good stewards of the place we love, if we restrict campers then we are limiting the people that will want to protect our resources.

[the other andy]

I'd like to see a brood stock lake established for Flambeau river strain muskies for stocking in the TFF. The 1000 or so muskies the flowage gets every two years or so isn't cutting it (IMO) and it seems like questionable strains (upper wisconsin river) are being introduced, and if the results have been good its not showing up in my experience.

[DonH]

Skywalker11 has hit the nail on the head. What the TFF needs is more Stewards, not less. That's how I really introduced my kids to the place. We camped on an island 1 or two times a year for quite a few years. In fact we're heading up there on Friday, but not we stay in a cabin.

The boys have grown up and now have kides of their own, and we're talking about camping again with them. They have a deep love of the TFF and I consider us all Stewards to the place. It all started with camping trips.

To backtrack a bit. Our first trips with the kids were at a Idle Shores Resort, but only because my wife felt camping was too dangerous when they were young. Once they turned about 10, it was camping and that's when they really fell in love with the TFF.

When my younger son caught his first walleye on the TFF, he was 7 years old. Even though there was no size limit, my boat had a 13" limit. His first walleye was 12.75" long. I explained to him about the importance of returning the fish to the water so it would have a chance to spawn before it was dinner for someone. He released that fish, and was mad at me a the rest of the week.

Not he tells the story about what he learned from that day and how it taught him my love of the place and the importance of being a Steward of the TFF. I overheard him telling that story at a yard party several years ago. Until then, I thought he was still mad at me. It goes to show you never know when you're going to have that moment when you reach and teach your child something, so always do the right thing, and hope it hits home.

[perchoreno]

Campers are just like the blight of floating markers all over the lake. Up the usage and downgrade the experience for everyone, until it no longer is much of a pristine wilderness experience at all, just another outing on a crowded, overused, now stinking lake. I've cleared the trashy marker bouys off the lake for years. Can't clear the trashy campers off. Nowadays you cannot go to any corner of the flowage to find peaceful isolation. I am starting to see something I never viewed on the flowage before, the last couple years, I have picked up floating and beached pop cans. Go tell that fairy tale about stewards to somebody else.

[DonH]

Wow, you sound like a real joy to go fishing with. First, you must think the TFF belongs to you and everyone else is on your water and ruining it for poor little old you. Then you run around stealing markers and actually think it's your right.

This is why my wife and I brought our kids up the way we did, to instill self-confidence and a positive outlook on life.

I'm sure there is a person here and there that will toss garbage, but I can't recall seeing cans and junk floating ever. I can only remember seeing 1 marker in my entire life that I thought about picking up and moving (not stealing it mind you, just moving it), and only because it was in the channel and our group does a lot of night fishing. Most markers I see out there are pretty far off the beaten path and quite safe as far as I'm concerned. Besides just about every fisherman out there keeps an eye on them and picks them up when they move.

Overall, this place is way too special to ever develope a sour outlook about it.

[Ruff Fish]

Campers are just like the blight of floating markers all over the lake.

Wow. I hope that you are just having a bad day perchoreno. I recognized your name, and I can't remember you being that negative before.

I fell in love with the TFF because of camping. I recognize the double edged sword of promoting something that we love for being pristine, because that is the best way to protect it, but......wow.

[hogwall]

Stop spearing(see post under smallmouth) and stock a ton of perch to provide more panfish and food for walleye which will improve growth rates.Of course continue to add cover and keep water levels as stable as possible.

[beelzebob]

Great things could be accomplished on the TFF, and I believe that as individuals acting legally we can do a fair amount of good. The dialogue here reflects the difficulty encountered in proposing anything positive; some individuals will immediately criticize and discredit the idea. Result? No action. Unhappy people are unhappy no matter where they are, even the TFF.

[out_doors_guy]

@perchoreno, Seriously dude? What is the Flowage your personal playground? No one else able to enjoy it?
I make multiple trips there a year, I have NEVER had an issue with campers, there smoke or trash (funny how I've found more trash along the shorelines of private residences) and I have never once felt like the lake was overcrowded. The lake is STILL remote and pristine, the total number of campsites and how they are spread out over 14,000+ acres keeps it that way, and there is NO WAY the campers could be over fishing the lake, in my opinion. As far as I'm concerned the lake is still a walleye factory, the problem is the way you have to fish it has changed over the years with the slow disaperance of the wood, not nearly as much as there use to be, and with the smallmouth population expanding, it has moved the walleyes (NOT replaced them) out to the structure, i.e; river channel, drop offs etc. More cribs would be nice and as someone else said, new log jams would probably help as well, especially for the panfish.

[ol'wildcat]

Lets all just enjoy what we have that is second to no other lake------------ The Turtle Flambeau Flowage!!! We are just here for a short visit on it------- hopefully our great grandchildren can enjoy it too. If you want a fabulous walleye dinner-------- please go to a local dining facility.
Go Hawkeyes!
Out of staters,
The Nash family. [45 years of visits]