Slot Limit is Back

[tipupuser]

Just wondering about varying opinions on the Slot limit on LBDN. I for one am glad to see it back... Tip Up

[GoHawks]

I am glad it is back and hope it will help restore this fishery to what it used to be! Just my 2cents. Mike

[needham]

When, Where ???

I haven't heard anything about the slot Limit. did the Lil bay walleye club get it reinstated ? if not who did ?
Or is it just a rumor ?

[nitecrawler128]

I'm for it... but I have a question. It reads in the new DNR regs book that the slot limit applies to some imaginary line drawn to the mouth of the Ford River. What if I'm using the Ford River boat landing, but fishing 3-10 miles South of the Ford River? Does the slot limit apply when I get back to the boat landing, or can I save my GPS trails to prove the fish were from outside the boundary? Again, I'm all for improving the fishery, but I gotta admit, sometimes (especially in the fall), I've brought home more than 1 over 23".

[acesario]

what is the slot limit?

[The Bait Shop Guy]

NIGHTCRAWLER128 - They used to say that you were ok keeping more than one over the slot, as long as you could prove you caught the fish outside the boundary. It's pretty easy to look at a GPS trail to see where a person was fishing, and where they were just traveling. I will be sure to ask a CO at the first opportunity.

ACESARIO - Up to five walleyes may be kept. The minimum size limit is 15 inches. Of those five fish, only one can be over 23 inches.

[DooFighter]

I am glad it is back and hope it will help restore this fishery to what it used to be! Just my 2cents. Mike

Don't hold your breath.

[GoHawks]

Why? Is there something I'm missing?

[albe]

I have a reply to an e-mail I sent to the MI DNR about the same question that I keep in my wallet. It states that you are allowed to have more than one fish over the slot limit, if they were caught outside of the slot limit zone, if you do not stop anywhere inside the slot limit zone on your way back to whatever boat landing you launched from.

[DooFighter]

Why? Is there something I'm missing?

Yes, the politics.

When the slot was removed the biologists stated with confidence that removing the slot would have no measurable effect on the walleye population, that's why it was removed. No one here wants to diminish the walleyes, myself included. After 2 years of no slot (I think) a small group of people petitioned the dnr to put it back. I don't know what their motivations were, I suppose only they could tell you that. But I doubt they would. That group consists, as best I can tell, of the bdnglsf club and a few local charter captains (one and the same). Mi dnr again said this slot is not a biological issue for fish, it's a social issue for [some] fishermen. The numbers of fish in the area are great enough that not having the slot still does not impact the fishery. Yet it was pushed through by this small group.

On an unrelated note, has anyone noticed the perch fishery improving the last couple years?

[Capt. Keith Wils]

The slot limit is back because of the slaughter of MANY thousands of Walleye by the Illegal commercial fishing by 6 people. A few years ago the DNR survey said there was around 500,000 legal sizes Walleye, last summer the DNR said there was about 250,000 to 270,000 legal sized Walleye. If you don't think the slot limit will help bring back more Walleye through out the Bay your wrong.
Side Bar the Perch are coming back because of the Fishing Club is KILLING Cormorants and the DNR catching another bunch of Illegal netters on Big Bay De Noc as well. If you think the fishing is so terrific now you should have been around here in the mid to late 70's through the early 90's for Perch and the Walleye fishing until the mid 2000's. Green Bay has what we use to have in Big Bay and the Little Bay from Escanaba north.

[ice chaser]

I am so glad its back it should have never been removed. Anyone that says the bay is full of walleyes only fishes when there's a south blow if it blew north all summer you would be crying there's no walleye. I can't say enough thanks to bays de noc club and the local guides and lure manufactures GREAT job guys now let's hope it stays for a longtime to get the fishery like it was in the 90s..

[raywriter]

Regarding perch: I'm wondering how many big perch must have been killed in the process of netting eating sized walleyes all those years?

[tomjohn]

More walleye = Less perch. The perch are just coming back. But, the hell with the perch fishermen of the Bays De Noc.
Just sayin....

[DooFighter]

I am so glad its back it should have never been removed. Anyone that says the bay is full of walleyes only fishes when there's a south blow if it blew north all summer you would be crying there's no walleye. I can't say enough thanks to bays de noc club and the local guides and lure manufactures GREAT job guys now let's hope it stays for a longtime to get the fishery like it was in the 90s..

Have you thought about what happens to the bay with a south wind? Apparently youre an ice fisherman. Back in the 90's could you see bottom in 30+ fow when you were icefishing? Thats because the nutrients were clouding the water. Has anyone considered that the bay and lake has changed? Surely someone has noticed that successful fishermen today use different techniques than in the 90s. Has it occurred to anyone this bay may not be able to support the numbers of fish it used to? I dont know all the answers, just thinking aloud here.

[DooFighter]

More walleye = Less perch. The perch are just coming back. But, the hell with the perch fishermen of the Bays De Noc.
Just sayin....

Now tomjohn, thats just crazy talk. Everyone knows you can keep dumping top predators onto an ecosystem and get as many as you want to have. If there is not enough forage for them, no worries, they just eat dirt and grow like plants

Plus, there were 301 cormorants killed last year. (as per UPSA minutes of meeting 5/17/11) Thats a h3!!of a good start, i like theyre doing it but 300, 500 or 1000 is not going to save the perch. Hopefully this will be expanded this year as i hear it may.

[tomjohn]

DooFighter... I think you and I might be alone on this but I like to stand up for what I think is right.
They can't keep planting predator fish like salmon and walleye and expect to keep a perch fishery.
Did I say that out loud? May I hear some rebuttal as I'm sure I will.

[Benzie Rover]

You hit the nail on the head with regards to salmon Tomjohn. Lake Michigan tribs have tremendous natural reproduction of kings. For instance the massive runs ups the Betsie and PM get zero plants, but the DNR still bows to political pressure to continue stocking massive quantities in various ports all around the lake. When we have a big year class of natural reproduction, we end up with a massive predator issue with regard to prey stocks. Kings are alewife eating machines. No surpise, alewife #s are way down and there are fewer year classes (age groups) of fish than ever. Bummer for the kings. BUT, GREAT news for the perch. This is why we have good perch right now. Alewives are the #1 predator of baby perch. Less adult alewives, more perch. Shooting cormorants makes people feel better and gives us an enemy we can see and exact revenge on, but in the biological reality is that alewives had a lot more to do with the impact on perch numbers. Through in the zebra mussels taking away the dioperia (baby shrimp) and we have a very sensitive food web out there.

The LBDN slot limit is another social issue. Biologically, not needed, but people get upset when they see large fish being taken. In reality, the 20-22" females will do more for the population than all the 28-31" females, but charter captains like more older fish in the population. If you are really concerned about the fishery you would lower the overall limit to 3 fish, or 1 even. But that would not be good for business. And certainly, if numbers were really down, those gill netters would be hauling out half-empty nets, not full ones.

DooFighter... I think you and I might be alone on this but I like to stand up for what I think is right.
They can't keep planting predator fish like salmon and walleye and expect to keep a perch fishery.
Did I say that out loud? May I hear some rebuttal as I'm sure I will.

[fishfinder]

I agree with the statement on alewives, they are very hard on the perch. And i dont think alot of people know that. They decimated the perch populations in lake michigan before anyone could figure out what was happening. Why the perch populations are coming back in lbdn is anybodys guess, but i do like it. I think it involves alot of different things all coming together at one time. I believe there are plenty of walleyes in little bay for everyone to catch. And yea it might not be like it was way back when, but i think it is still a great fishery. I come to little bay denoc every year in june, and catch plenty of walleyes. I love to eat fish, but how many can you really eat. I am a concerned fisherman, and want the best for little bay more than anyone. WE NEED TO PROTECT IT!!!!
And as far as catching walleyes you just have to be smart in your fishing tecniques. The bay is ever changing and you have to change with it. Its not just throw a line in the water anymore.
There are plenty of walleyes out there, you just have to be smart.
I think the slot limit is a good thing, and should never have been lifted. Hell lets be honest, them 25 and 26 inchers or even 30's are not that good to eat anyway.

good luck out there!