Just because you can doesn't mean you should..

[Kurtr]

Go to Erie and it is a 28 inch fish is just another fish. Zebra mussel are what saved Erie.......

 

[Kentucky Windage]

You are making my point. I don’t keep 24” fish so they grow up to be 28”+

There is a big difference between 15” fish that grow to be 24” and 24” fish that grow to be 28”+ . If it was that easy for a fish to grow to 28” then they would be as numerous as the 24” fish. There is no reason Sak couldn’t be a bigger trophy fishery. There are trophy fish but they are not as numerous as it could be.

Slot limit talk here.

 

[Flatrock]

You obviously don’t fish Sak very often unless you are fishing the east end.

Obviously you've never fished Erie and are overestimating Sak. Yes, Sak is a good lake but don't even try and tell me it's comparable to Erie for size. Van Hook is where I've spent 90% of my time fishing and I've never once caught 5 fish that averaged 5 pounds. I know some guys who have but it is damn uncommon. On the contrary, the 2nd day I ever fished Erie, I had 5 that averaged over 7 pounds and that was absolutely nothing special.

 

[eyexer]

To each their own. But I can already see the headlines 5 years from now “ great lakes fishieries biologists seek taxpayer money to study the decline in walleye populations”.......

it just continues to go up out there.

- - - Updated - - -

prior to zebra's huron and erie had horse shit fishing

 

[ORCUS DEMENS]

In the Spring the majority of walleye in Lake Erie and some from Lake Huron are on the reef comlexes of western Lake Erie and the Maumee River. If you think this is ridiculous look at the average winning weight for the Walleye tourneys there in the spring. As Wags mentioned these walleye go through cyclical population changes. When conditions are right (no spring storms) you can have an amazing year class of fish. If the storms kick up, the water becomes "stained" meaning sediment is stirred up in the water column. When it settles out it covers all those eggs on the shallow reefs and the future walleye suffocate resulting in a poor year class. If I remember correctly, 2013 was a phenominal year class and those fish would be in the 24" + range now and would make up a fair percentage of the total population.Trip mentioned monitoring of the population, Lake Erie is one of the most studied of the great lakes. Quoatas are set every year based on survey trawls as well as creel surveys. Allotments are agreed on by the following states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan and the province of Ontario. NodakBuckeye mentioned Wild Wings, I have fished there many times in the spring. You can practically walk to the reefs on all the boats there. Lastly Camp Chef mentioned not keeping, eating large fish because of mercury levels. He is correct about that concern. North Dakota has low population and resultingly few coal fired power plants and heavy industry. The Great lakes has a long history of being a dumping ground for all sorts of materials. Check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources web page about fish consumption advisories and your eyes will pop. In North Dakota you have been fortunate to have fairly clean ecosystems because the primary industry has been Agriculture. I wager the tone on here would be different if many here faced the same ecological challenges faced along the Great Lakes. Be thankful for the fisheries and natural resources you enjoy here. This from one who has seen how truly bad it can get. I remember when the Cuyahoga river caught fire and made the national news. It wasn't the first nor worst time that and many other rivers in the area caught fire. Ok long winded post over. I am ready to be burned in effigy. Have a great rest of the weekend.

 

[Migrator Man]

In the Spring the majority of walleye in Lake Erie and some from Lake Huron are on the reef comlexes of western Lake Erie and the Maumee River. If you think this is ridiculous look at the average winning weight for the Walleye tourneys there in the spring. As Wags mentioned these walleye go through cyclical population changes. When conditions are right (no spring storms) you can have an amazing year class of fish. If the storms kick up, the water becomes "stained" meaning sediment is stirred up in the water column. When it settles out it covers all those eggs on the shallow reefs and the future walleye suffocate resulting in a poor year class. If I remember correctly, 2013 was a phenominal year class and those fish would be in the 24" + range now and would make up a fair percentage of the total population.Trip mentioned monitoring of the population, Lake Erie is one of the most studied of the great lakes. Quoatas are set every year based on survey trawls as well as creel surveys. Allotments are agreed on by the following states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan and the province of Ontario. NodakBuckeye mentioned Wild Wings, I have fished there many times in the spring. You can practically walk to the reefs on all the boats there. Lastly Camp Chef mentioned not keeping, eating large fish because of mercury levels. He is correct about that concern. North Dakota has low population and resultingly few coal fired power plants and heavy industry. The Great lakes has a long history of being a dumping ground for all sorts of materials. Check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources web page about fish consumption advisories and your eyes will pop. In North Dakota you have been fortunate to have fairly clean ecosystems because the primary industry has been Agriculture. I wager the tone on here would be different if many here faced the same ecological challenges faced along the Great Lakes. Be thankful for the fisheries and natural resources you enjoy here. This from one who has seen how truly bad it can get. I remember when the Cuyahoga river caught fire and made the national news. It wasn't the first nor worst time that and many other rivers in the area caught fire. Ok long winded post over. I am ready to be burned in effigy. Have a great rest of the weekend.

Mercury is a problem out here too with all the coal plants around. If pollution is that bad out there I’d just throw them back. I enjoy fishing more for sport and like the chance of catching monster fish. How common are 14#+ fish?

 

[Captain Ahab]

 

[guywhofishes]

you guys need to read up on what the source of mercury in lakes typically is... and how selenium plays a role in negating your uptake

bottom line - stop with the mercury concerns

 

[Kurtr]

Stop with that science and facts guy. I have been looking at Great Lakes charters the last few days and the guys in the op are average at best. Seen a stringer of 24 average was 11 biggest was 13.75. It was going to get mounted the rest were steaks

 

[Wags2.0]

You would have to eat an absurd amount of fish to worry about mercury. Dental fillings probably release more mercury into your body than any amount of fish you could eat

 

[Captain Ahab]

you guys need to read up on what the source of mercury in lakes typically is... and how selenium plays a role in negating your uptake

bottom line - stop with the mercury concerns[/QUOTE


Where do I find this magic selenium tartar sauce;-)

 

[Davey Crockett]

I knocked up this chick that used to fish a lot with me back in the 80s and we read warnings that pregnant ladies should limit Devils lake walleye intake due to mercury. True story

 

[Allen]

I'd quit calling what I do fishing if'n I only caught 0.15 fish per hour. What the .....?

 

[Meelosh]

I'd quite calling what I do fishing if'n I only caught 0.15 fish per hour. What the .....?

Im feeling personally attacked here.

 

[guywhofishes]

you guys need to read up on what the source of mercury in lakes typically is... and how selenium plays a role in negating your uptake

bottom line - stop with the mercury concerns[/QUOTE


Where do I find this magic selenium tartar sauce;-)

ha ha - As you probably know, it’s right in the fish along with the mercury, just like God planned for the flock of the most famous fisherman of all.

 

[dean nelson]

You are making my point. I don’t keep 24” fish so they grow up to be 28”+

There is a big difference between 15” fish that grow to be 24” and 24” fish that grow to be 28”+ . If it was that easy for a fish to grow to 28” then they would be as numerous as the 24” fish. There is no reason Sak couldn’t be a bigger trophy fishery. There are trophy fish but they are not as numerous as it could be.

please feel free to describe the difference between a 15 inch fish growing to 24 versus a 24 growing to 28 I would like to see actual scientific research noted in this dissertation cuz I'm sure it'll be riveting! Here's one thing I don't need a scientist to tell me if you kill a fish at 15 in it still dead and heres another thing i don't need a scientist tell me no matter if the fish is 24 28 or 32 at one point in time it was 15 and if you killed it it was dead and it never got any bigger! I'd also like to know how you tell if a 15 inch fish will eventually be a 30 inch fish versus a 24 inch fish will only ever be a 26-inch fish!

 

[johnr]

Fuck, fillet em all