Big muddy almost 40 takes it..uffda!

[Colt45]

^^^^^THIS x 100 ^^^^^^^^^^!!!!!!!!

- - - Updated - - -

ONE correction, SD does have a slot on OAHE. I know some dumb aszes down there who actually think SD slots are why Bismark is catching these pigs.....SMH...

So there is a slot limit on Oahe? I guess I dont understand why the SD game and fish biologists would think a slot is helpful, and the ND game and fish biologists think a slot is not helpful.

 

[Bfishn]

So there is a slot limit on Oahe? I guess I dont understand why the SD game and fish biologists would think a slot is helpful, and the ND game and fish biologists think a slot is not helpful.

I believe i have read that SD only did it so people would quit whining.

 

[sdwxman]

I believe i have read that SD only did it so people would quit whining.

Yes, its a "feel good" social rule. No real reason for it.

 

[Rowdie]

Ya, its a political thing down there. And its not like people run into a bunch over 20" fish and can only keep 1 fish that day. The tournaments results prove that. Most tournaments only the guys who are lucky enough to weigh 2 20's place in the money. You might get in the money with 1 over 20"....We did, twice. One time in the last 20 years have I even heard (and believe) a story of not being able to catch enough unders 20 to keep a limit and too many over 20" was a problem. That was a year and a half ago last fall at the Grand River bridge on HWY 12 when there were bumper boats under it. The two days I was there we averaged 18-20 inch fish. But I "heard" there were days when all you could catch were 20-23 inch, and getting under 20 was tough. Now IF it were the case where every day guys down there were releasing fish in the slot, then maybe, maybe you could say that the slot was doing something.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Ya, its a political thing down there. And its not like people run into a bunch over 20" fish and can only keep 1 fish that day. The tournaments results prove that. Most tournaments only the guys who are lucky enough to weigh 2 20's place in the money. You might get in the money with 1 over 20"....We did, twice. One time in the last 20 years have I even heard (and believe) a story of not being able to catch enough unders 20 to keep a limit and too many over 20" was a problem. That was a year and a half ago last fall at the Grand River bridge on HWY 12 when there were bumper boats under it. The two days I was there we averaged 18-20 inch fish. But I "heard" there were days when all you could catch were 20-23 inch, and getting under 20 was tough. Now IF it were the case where every day guys down there were releasing fish in the slot, then maybe, maybe you could say that the slot was doing something.

Or they beat the whizz out of em and some died while the searched and ultimately got a limit of unders while killing extra overs inadvertently. Mid-summer Lake of the Woods lead core and downrigging is notorious for this.

 

[Rowdie]

Trust me...There are very very few days where there are any extra overs. Tournaments prove that, just check the results.

 

[Bullsnake]

damn

Top Ten Teams

Place Team# Weight Big Fish
1st #24 Lacher-Brilz-Schaffman 6/39.94 13.14

2nd #71 Gusaas-Miller-Nue 6/37.86 13.42

3rd #94 Leier-Debore-Wahus 6/36.50 -----

4th #22 Slag-Albee-Wirrenga 6/36.14 13.86

5th #60 Keller-Klug-Quam 6/36.12 9.20

6th #41 Binstock-Renner-Enzminger 6/31.94 10.08

7th #26 Pink-Labere-Engelhart 6/31.50 9.34

8th #65 Anderson-Anderson-Anderson 6/29.08 -----

9th #73 Arenz-Miller-Frey 6/27.98 -----

10th #53 Subart-Dollinger-Leier 6/27.00 -----

 

[Kurtr]

Yes, its a "feel good" social rule. No real reason for it.

exactly it mostly for the pierre people who think they are smarter then the rest of us

 

[rippenlips]

Does anyone know the number of payouts and amounts for this tourney?

 

[Sub_Elect]

GREAT fishermen?

pfft... We Beasts from the East are forced to become experts because there's only maybe 12 walleyes in the eastern third of the state so you better know what you're doing if you hope to angle one.

You goat ropers are up to your elbows in walleyes - you probably snag what... half of them?

Maybe some day you can bring your superior walleye catching skills out to where the walleyes are elbows deep and teach the goat ropers out here something about pitching jigs, pulling cranks and “snagging” walleyes?! On second thought maybe we aren’t ready for your superior skill set! Make sure to announce when you coming so I can make sure whoever shows up brings their notebooks.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Super Secret Woogie Walleye Club!

 

[JayKay]

Maybe some day you can bring your superior walleye catching skills out to where the walleyes are elbows deep and teach the goat ropers out here something about pitching jigs, pulling cranks and “snagging” walleyes?! On second thought maybe we aren’t ready for your superior skill set! Make sure to announce when you coming so I can make sure whoever shows up brings their notebooks.

I've been trying to get Guy to come out here and wade with me for a couple of years. No guarantees of course, but one never knows. But he's always jetting off to someplace like Monaco, or Johannesburg, or Carpio. Never any time.

Heck, I even offered to skate with him!

- - - Updated - - -

Super Secret Woogie Walleye Club!

I'd join in a heartbeat.. I'm just sniffing around the edges...

 

[sweeney]

Super Secret Woogie Walleye Club!

It's SWS.....that is your first warning

 

[5575]

From the G&F

It is important to note that the Missouri River and Lake Oahe walleye fishery is maintained entirely through natural reproduction. North Dakota Game and Fish has not stocked walleye in its portion of the lake since 1981, and the last time South Dakota stocked walleye in its portion of Oahe was 1998.
Thus, maintaining an adequate number of sexually mature walleye, especially females, is a crucial consideration. It is also important to have an understanding of the species’ reproductive strategy in determining how many females are necessary for maintaining the fishery.
For example, Lake Oahe’s Beaver Bay is an important site for walleye reproduction. In spring 2016, the Department netted, tagged and released 758 mature female walleyes in Beaver Bay. Since a mature female walleye may carry 130,000 eggs, these 758 fish, in all likelihood, deposited close to 100 million eggs in the bay last spring.
Considering these 758 walleye represent only a small portion of fish in Beaver Bay, let alone all of the Missouri River and Lake Oahe, this population has the potential to produce many billions of offspring annually.
The amount of water Mother Nature provides, and how that water is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, remains the primary factor governing the quality of this walleye fishery. Floods (1997 and 2011) and droughts (1988-92 and 2001-08) have periodically influenced this walleye fishery by reducing available habitat and causing forage shortages. Conversely, environmental conditions and water level management that favor forage fish production, walleye reproduction, growth and survival, have produced extraordinary results.
This is where the walleye’s reproductive strategy is clearly effective on the Missouri River and Lake Oahe. Walleye are capable of producing many more offspring than are needed so they can quickly increase in numbers when environmental conditions are favorable. Even if environmental conditions are poor, and the number of sexually mature walleyes declines, they still have the ability to rebound quickly. On some occasions, the Missouri River and Lake Oahe have seen walleye reproduction that was too good for the available forage base to support.
Another important biological consideration is maintaining a healthy length and age structure in this population. A healthy walleye population contains many more younger, smaller fish than large, older fish. However, the presence of large, older fish is a good indicator of a healthy population.
Game and Fish netting and electrofishing surveys indicate a balanced walleye population in the Missouri River and Lake Oahe. While small fish are abundant, fish 20 inches and longer are common, and fish living into their teens and measuring longer than 30 inches are sampled annually.

Social Perspective
Would some form of length regulation or more restrictive harvest lead to anglers encountering, but not necessarily harvesting, larger walleye?
Game and Fish has used different length restrictions for walleye fisheries at times, including minimum length limits, maximum or “one-over” length limits, protected slot length limits (no harvest allowed on 15- to 20-inch fish, for example), and reverse slot length limits (harvest only allowed on 15- to 20-inch fish, for example).
After a half-century or more of experimenting with these various regulations on walleye fisheries across North America, biologists have pretty much defined the biological and social conditions that must be present for such regulations to yield positive results. Game and Fish biologists evaluate the utility of each of these regulation types annually to determine if they could help improve the present condition of any given fishery.
More anglers approach Game and Fish with questions regarding a one-over 20-inch length restriction than any other type of regulation. Again, the biological answer is that the Missouri River has plenty of mature female walleyes to maintain this naturally reproducing population. But from a social perspective, would a one-over 20-inch length restriction enable anglers to catch more big fish?
A Game and Fish Department creel survey of Missouri River and Lake Oahe anglers in 2015 provides some insight as to how a one-over 20-inch regulation would influence angler use of these fish.
Creel clerks interviewed 1,126 individual anglers (498 fishing parties) between Garrison Dam and the South Dakota border, and measured the lengths of walleye harvested by anglers whenever possible. Sixty five percent of harvested walleye were between 15 and 20 inches, 34 percent were under 15 inches, and less than 1 percent were 20 inches or longer.
None of the parties interviewed had more than one walleye 20 inches or longer per angler. Thus, a one-over 20-inch regulation would not have prevented the harvest of a single walleye 20 inches or longer among the 1,126 anglers surveyed.
Creel clerks clearly did not interview every single angler who fished the Missouri River or Lake Oahe in 2015. However, the survey information does provide overwhelming confidence that a one-over 20-inch regulation would have virtually no impact on this walleye fishery.
Moving Forward
Currently, the five-walleye daily limit, with no length restrictions, is maintaining a biologically healthy walleye population in the Missouri River and Lake Oahe. More restrictive harvest regulations at this time are biologically unnecessary, and would not likely lead anglers to catch more large walleye. Needlessly complicating regulations, without benefiting the fishery or anglers, is not the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s philosophy.
However, that doesn’t mean the current situation will last forever, and Game and Fish biologists will continue to monitor and study this walleye population, and the anglers who use it, to ensure that effective harvest regulations are in place for maintaining the highest quality fishing possible for years to come.

 

[Obi-Wan]

A similar article a few years ago reached the same conclusion but that article stated they did not account for or include the self imposed length limit that many anglers practice

 

[Allen]

oo bad the G&F or who ever is in charge of approving these tournaments don't prohibit these tournaments this time of the year when the fish are full of eggs. Seems counter productive...

You must be new around here...

 

[raider]

hahahahahaha... grow up...

if a 180 class buck is taken out of a small area, everyone cheers and gives a thumbs up... clean a 4# eye and get ready for the wrath of God from some at the cleaning station...

if walleyes had horns, every fish over 8# would be cheered - not criticized...

 

[guywhofishes]

ha ha ha - that’s true

 

[Lungdeflator]

hahahahahaha... grow up...

if a 180 class buck is taken out of a small area, everyone cheers and gives a thumbs up... clean a 4# eye and get ready for the wrath of God from some at the cleaning station...

if walleyes had horns, every fish over 8# would be cheered - not criticized...

I've been petitioning the G&F for years to legalize hunting with stun darts. Catch and release deer hunting. I tried to mount a rally for it by the 83 and 2 intersection in Minot, but people just kept throwing 1$ bills in my bucket and yelling "get a job you bum!"

 

[fly2cast]

So does anybody know where and how all of these big fish were caught?