Let me start by saying I accept the treaty because I know there is nothing I can do about it.
But here are some personal observations I have found to be shared by others that know the flowage.
Back in the 80s when I started fishing the TTF, I could find walleyes about anywhere. I only made 1 or 2 trips a year and was still successful. Now a decent walleye is scarce. Federal money is being used to study the effects of smallmouth feeding on the walleye and knocking reproduction numbers down. This story is in the Wisconsin Outdoor News, June 15,2013, page 5. Same issue, turn to page 8 and the headline reads "Chippewa tribes spear 32,000 walleyes".
Well Duh. My problem with this is that no one in the DNR or any elected official will come out and say the obvious. Sure there are issues in nature that will have some influence on population numbers. But 30 years of spearing has to have a very significant impact too. And a winter muskie spearing contest?
The Capital Times newspaper had an article written by another observer. This person's point, very simply, was that the creel count shows that sport fishing has not been impacted much by spearing. To me it says that if you can't catch a fish you are a lousy fisherman. Here is a sample with a link to the whole article.
“The better anglers are catching three, four or five,” says Mike Staggs, director of the DNR’s Bureau of Fisheries Management. “But most anglers only catch one (walleye) on a trip.”
Staggs’ observation is based on what are known as creel surveys.
The surveys are conducted at random times throughout walleye season – which runs from the first Saturday in May through the first Saturday in March. DNR staff visit lakes across the state to ask anglers the number and size of walleye they catch.
From 1990 to 2007, those surveys show:
In lakes with no minimum fish length regulations:
• 76 percent of anglers fishing for walleye were unsuccessful.
• Of the 24 percent of successful anglers, 13 percent caught only a single walleye, 5.4 percent caught two, and 5.5 percent caught the legal bag limit of three.
In lakes with a 15-inch minimum length regulation:
• 88.2 percent of anglers did not catch any walleye.
• Of the 11.8 percent that did, 8.8 percent caught a single walleye, 1.8 percent caught two walleyes, and 1.1 percent caught the legal limit of three.
In lakes with an 18-inch minimum length regulation:
• Anglers did not generally harvest more than a single walleye daily.
You read what you want into this. But I think Wisconsin should adopt rules closer to those of Canada's slot limits. They will tell you a 10 pound walleye will lay 10,000 eggs. Our walleye are apparently creating some huge smallmouth bass because it is obvious spearing has nothing to do with it.
I make no claims to being anything close to a biologist in knowledge. But I think I know a good size pile of bull when I see it.
Now talk amongst yourselves.
Read more:
http://host.madison.com/news/local/w...#ixzz2RLQ58C5g