what needs to be done at Clear Lake(iowa)

[iowaperch]

I was wondering what people thought. Is it that there is just not many legal sized fish left in clear lake or whats the deal. I know the last couple years the walleyes have been fished pretty hard. What makes me think about this is this last saturday we went out and we literally caught walleyes all day we had a either a fish or hit every cast. But every one of the eyes we caught were any were from 12-13 1/2 inches. I guess we did catch one nice 18 incher. And dont get me wrong we had a blast catching fish but i was just wondering if the population of keepers is that low or do the little fish and bigger fish not hang out in the same areas. I think the future for the eye population looks really good with all the sub legal fish, but what happens when they reach fourteen inches they will be gone in a heart beat. I am just wonderig what they should do on this lake besides practice catch and release. I usually catch and release but at the same time it is also nice to have a walleye dinner here and there.

[LUNDEYE]

I think an "Opener" on that lake would save a lot of the bigger fish. It would be a happy medium for everyone who fish for walleye's on the lake. Have it the weekend before the Great Lakes opener. There are just too many big fish being kept during and after the spawn/DNR netting. I for one would love to see a protected slot on the lake. 20 to 28 inches would be a good start or 18 to 26 would also work. Just my thoughts.

[stebrichs]

They need to put a season on walleyes. Like they have in the IGLs. The ice fisherman did real damage to the lake 2 years ago. I am not saying it is only the icefishermen, but they took alot of fish, i am guilty as well. Maybe a slot limit too. But somehting really needs to be done. Just my opinion. todd

[Bob Jensen]

Here I go on my soap box again about slot limits and minimum length regulations. I've been on this box before and probably will again.

I've been hearing a lot about small walleyes in Clear Lake. Some folks have taken a couple of nice ones, but most are talking about an abundance of little ones. In fact, the Mason City Globe Gazette had an article about the recent walleye tournament on Clear Lake. The article was very well written by Tim Ackarman. Tim does a great job, and the Globe has an outstanding outdoor page.

In the article the fact that the catch was not what it should have been was highlighted. Too many good anglers catching too many short fish and very few larger ones.

As long as there is a minimum length restriction, there will be lots of little fish. There will be a couple of years where there are some better fish, but most of the time the fish will be just under the minimum length. When they reach the minimum length they are taken home.

Minimum length restrictions are not the answer. If there are any lakes anywhere where a minimum length limit has helped no one's talking about it. I have seen many lakes that have been ruined by minimum lengths. Anglers keep all the fish over the limit, pretty soon it's just small fish. Anglers quit going to that lake, a few years later the fish have grown to an acceptable size, anglers come back, fish it down, the story repeats itself.

The only time a minimum length limit works is when the minimum is very high. Some lakes in Minnesota have a minimum length of 20" on bass, and then you can only keep one over 20. These lakes are tremendous bass lakes

Slot limits have been proven to work. The latest success story is Leech Lake in northern Minnesota. 4-5 years ago walleye quality on Leech was down. A slot limit was put in place. In just a couple of years Leech rebounded wonderfully. It is back to its past glory. This success has been repeated everywhere a slot is in place.

A slot on walleyes was implemented on Spirit Lake just a couple of years ago and already anglers are seeing a noticeable increase in the number of bigger fish on Spirit Lake.

Whenever anglers suggest a slot limit on a particular lake, the fishery biologists insist that "there is no biological reason" for a slot limit. They've said that about slot limits and panfish limits. Maybe there is no biological reason, but the results are easy to see. Stricter limits and progressive regulations will revive a fishery. Look at Upper Red Lake in Minnesota. Several years of no-keeping walleyes enabled that lake to explode.

I also resist a call for a closed season on walleyes. I don't like preventing folks from going fishing. A nice warm afternoon early in the spring is when people should be out fishing. If we provide effective guidelines, and then enforce them, we can fish and still protect the fishery. I think most closed seasons are a tradition thing. We need to get people fishing as much as we can.

The DNR has a tough job, and a slot-limit would make it tougher. Some people would unknowlingly keep a fish that's in the slot, the DNR would write a ticket, and someones going to get angry. That's unfortunate, but that's the way it is. It's our responsibility to know the laws.

We live in a changing world, and if we're going to thrive, we need to change. We can't just take and take and take. It's great to take a few fish for the table, that's what they're there for. If we take the right fish, we'll have a lot of fish, and some big ones, to catch for a long time.

Off the soap box.

Best Fishes,

Bob Jensen

[mike frisch]

Folks:

I have spent several days on Clear Lake over the years and believe that once the fish reach the keeper minimum length and get caught they quickly disappear (to the fillet knife!). Therefore, you are going to have lots of little fish just below the minimum. I believe in slot limits and lower limits. However, I also believe as anglers we need to police ourselves better. I have been observing a good crappie bite on a local lake here in Minnesota all spring and am watching the same guys take limits home several times. They might be eating those fish, but do they really need to kill every "keeper" that they catch? Most of us aren't starving and don't have to keep everything. The state DNR's can only do so much, we as anglers must exercise some restraint as well!

My two cents . .

Mike Frisch
Fishing The Midwest fishing team member

[Bill Krejca]

So, it's just a matter of having a higher minimum limit. This would ensure that there would be a bunch of fish at least just under the "taking length", which is what is currently the situation. This obvious (to me) solution would, unfortunately, be really unpopular with the strictly meat fisherman, as for a few years, little could be kept from such a lake. It would probably also be a headache as far as enforcement goes, which maybe explains why it is not tried. It would also not be real popular with the local retailers who count on fishermen buying stuff from them. At least, that's the way I see it. :)

Bill Krejca

[KabNam]

A good topic of discussion. When this topic continues to come up on the web, about fish management and comparing Clear Lake, Iowa to lakes in Minnesota, such as Upper Red Lake or Leech Lake; keep in mind Clear Lake is only 3600 acres and is more or less a "put and take" fishery. The fishery has constant very high pressure nearly 365 days a year. Some of those lakes in Minnesota are 100,000+ acres and the number of fisherman per acre is much less. Also there is natural reproduction supplemented with stocking in those lakes so a different management philosophy is needed.

I would like to see more people release more fish also. Just because a fisherman or woman catches a legal fish does not mean they have to keep every single one. I am guessing there are lots of fillets wasting away in people's freezers.

[eyeballs]

I think we'll see a few interesting developments on Clear Lake over the next decade with the zebras and dredging. I remember quite a few sickly looking 14 inchers last fall when we were there. So skinny. The keeper size fish we caught this year looked healthier.

The water isn't quite as nutrient rich as it used to be - that's got to be effecting the food chain. And I agree, it's great to keep a few fish for the table, but they need to be the right size and taken in moderation. It will be interesting to see what the growth rates of those 12/13 inchers are this year.

Another observation, those bigger fish this year stayed packed in to a relatively small area with the small fish, not spreading out for better foraging conditions. Seems like another red flag that there's some other factors at work with the environment.

Spirit is shaping up for a good future due in part to the slot, but also the outrageous year class of perch that hatched 3 years ago. The two elements came together perfectly.

I would love to see a protected slot on Clear - as long as the forage base will consistently support a large group of big teeth year in and year out.:huh:

[LUNDEYE]

I like the comment that Clear Lake is a "put and take lake". I think we are at the point and have been for several years where the fisherman have been taking more than the DNR have been putting in. Here is another idea to consider. Why doesn't the Dnr close down the small lake for March and April and part of May. Everyone knows that it is a slaughter in that small lake during that time of the year. Just look at Chamberlain South Dakota and how they close the dredge hole during the sring of the year to stop the "easy pickings". We have to think outside the box here. this is not a Minnesota Lake or the Mississippi. This is a small lake that receives a lot of pressure and a high percentage of the fisherman on this lake do not practice any kind of C&R. If you think i am wrong, go stand at the Grade some night in April and see all the large females leaving the lake in 5 gallon buckets. There are alot of other lakes in Iowa that depend on those females producing eggs for them too. This weekend will be an eye opening for our DNR. Hopefully they will have something in place soon. P.S. The "sail boater's" have to be licking their chops knowing that there will be very few fisherman on the lake this summer.

[iowaperch]

I think the idea of shutting down the small lake is a great idea. I have seen so many big females get taken from there including a 31 incher that every one was trying to talk the guy into releasing but i do believe he said he was going to take her home and eat it.I dont like fishing at the grade because there are always way to many people. Why will this weekend show the dnr about the walleye population is there a tournament or something.

[LUNDEYE]

The Walleye Classic is this weekend. 100 boats with a lot of them being good sticks. If the touramnent 2 weeks ago didn't wake up the DNR, this weekend will!

[iowaperch]

now on tournaments like these do they release all the fish or no. also how do you get in on something like this i would assume there is a waiting list of some sort.

[Rlcrouse]

Go to Walleyepromotions.com for info on walleye touneys in IA. No waiting list.

[IAMUSKY]

The clear lake classic is under clearlakefishingclub.com not associated with walleye promotions. It has a waiting list to get in it only allows 100 teams. It may be a tough bite but there are always a few teams that figure it out. I do bet that half the field will not catch a legal fish though.
Good luck if you are entered,Tracy

[stebrichs]

Just returned from the classic. Spent 5 days over at Clear lake. In those 5 days we only caught 3 legal walleyes. Yes it was a tuff bite. I am sure it was won in the little lake. Didnt stay for the final weigh in. On day one i heard 48 teams never entered a fish. On day one only 75 fish were weighed in. Not good. We wieghed 2 fish today. I am positive that mother nature hates us. The dredging of the little lake has made a big differance. When the wind blows like it did on saturday it now gets very ruff in little lake. Never seen waves that big there. Anyways we had a great time and thanks to the Clear lake fishing club for doing a great job. Todd

[VJ_cyclones]

I am not sure what everyone is complaining about. You claim to be true fishermen and believe in catch and release. Clear Lake is great fishing again this year. have been going out and catching 20+ walleyes a day. How much better can you get than that. Most are below 14" but who cares unless you are a meat "hog" and not a sport fisherman. Storm Lake has a slot limit and do you know what the average size of kept walleye was last year----12 and 1/2 inches. WOW what a fillet, sure hope we goto that.

And comparing us to Red Lake, Leech Lake and all the other lake that have been netted out through commercial fishing allowed to particular groups by our government and now finally placing some restrictions on them (fishermen did not kill those lakes either). Humm the similarity is unbelievable between those lakes and Clear Lake.

If the forage levels had been able to feed the fish levels Clear Lake was carrying, the harvest the last couple years would have been alot lower. The fish are running smaller because of available forage.

Sorry if I rambled but to hear people catching fish pretty much every time they go out complain because they can't butcher them because they are to short (ie. meat hogs), then complain about how the DNR is managing this lake and need to have a slot limit. Please go talk to your local experts to understand what is going on before you think you can solve a PERCIEVED problem better then the people who have spent their entire lives studying these eccosystems.

[Bob Jensen]

To Iowa Perch-

The two tournaments that were held on Clear Lake this year encourage live release and appear to be doing a very good job of achieving that. They have either bonus points for live release or penalty points for those that can't be released alive.

Interesting note about my trip to Wisconsin this past week and a connection to Clear Lake. In many parts of Wisconsin, the longtime guides are asking for a slot limit on most of the lakes, especially the smaller waters. Minimum length limit isn't working there either. Wisconsin River near the Dells has improved dramatically because of a slot.

While I will agree it is fun to catch fish when you go fishing, many people would rather catch 10 20 inchers than 20 10 inchers. They aren't meat hogs, they just feel that bigger fish are a better experience. In most bodies of water, it is better to filet a 13 incher than a 20 incher. With most slot limits you can take fish up to 17 inches, that's a perfect eater.

Some of the folks who fish Clear Lake and posted above are experts at determining fish populations and dynamics even though they don't wear DNR colors. Iowa Musky Tracy is an angler that I know. He would qualify as an expert angler in anyone's book. He and his dad catch lots of big fish and release them. They keep a few fish to eat. Nothing wrong with that.

Upper Red Lake, Leech, Mille Lacs, etc., aren't the only lakes that have slot limits. Many, many, many other lakes just like Clear Lake have slot limits, and they're all better fisheries because of the slot.

It has been proven time after time after time that a slot limit will provide better consistent fishing year after year than a minimum length limit. Lakes like Clear Lake that have minimum lengths will have periods of good fishing for nice sized fish, and periods of time when most of the fish are small.

We're all in this together, and everyone has different ideas what will work to enhance fishing. However, it is very clear that almost all bodies of water that have progressive regulations, even if there is "No Biological Reason" to do so, provide better fishing than lakes with minimum length limits.

Best Fishes,

Bob Jensen

[northernlight]

Dredging is just the start to improving walleye fishing.The lake needs a walleye slot of 18-26inches with 1 being kept over 26.Get rid of min length! Teach and enforce catch and release!Spend the money for enforcement.The biggest offenders live within a 10-mile radius of the lake!

[toofeweyes]

I'm a fan of slot regulations also and during 45 years of fishing I've seen many lakes where they have worked out VERY well and a few in which they didn't. One of the greatest comebacks I've personally been involved with is Eagle Lake in Ontario(just south of Vermilion Bay. My father took me there 7 different times between 1959 and 1971. I returned on my own in1982 and 1992. When my Dad took me, the fishing seemed unbelievable but as time passed the numbers and quality of fish kept coming down. On my trip in 1982 all I heard was how bad it was and we caught Very few fish. I went back in 1992 and discovered they had implemented a slot plan for walleyes, muskies,northern, and smallies and had also set it up as a 1 trophy fish limit for all species. I don't remember how they treated pan fish but I do remember there was a lot of complaining from the locals about the small limit on them. The fishing in 1992 was much better than it had been in 1982 because of what they had done. I've talked to a couple friends that have been there 4 times since 2000 and they can't believe how incredibly good the fishing has gotten. I really wish the Wisconsin DNR would become more prone to slot usage as they seem to favor minimum size limits which have not had any success that I've been aware of.

my 25 cents worth

[bdirks]

Sorry that I am a little late to this conversation but I have a classic example of a minimum length requirement and a protective slot doing great things for a lake that is similar.

I recently moved from the Madison, WI metro to Iowa. I frequently fished Lake Wisconsin, a reservoir on the Wisconsin River that is 20 minutes from the capitol square in downtown Madison. It is located between the Wisconsin Dells dam and the Prairie du Sac dam. Total lake size is 9,000 acres. Lake Wisconsin is open year round and has a 15" minimum length and a protective slot on Walleyes, Saugers, and Saugeyes of 20" to 28" with one fish over 28". The limit is 5 fish per day (mixed between the 3 species), 10 possessions. They also have a 20 fish limit on Crappies. Lake Wisconsin is currently producing Walleyes, Saugers, and Saugeyes in all sizes. On any trip you catch good numbers of "shorts", a good number of very healthy keepers, and you also have a very good opportunity to catch some really nice slots and an "over." I personally have caught a Sauger that was a mere 2 ounces short of the Wisconsin State record with other people now claiming that they have caught fish over the record. The only down side is that you can't keep those fish or certify them because they are in the slot. This year three nights in a row, a friend and I boated a Walleye every night that went over 27". If you look at the photo galleries for many of the area guides, like Joel Ballweg, they frequently catch very healthy slots and overs with near regularity. Also the fishery is producing frequent limit catches of Crappies in the 10" to 16" range with the numerous fish in your limit being 14" to 16". The Crappie limit, minimum length, and slot are doing a great job on Lake Wisconsin. This also holds true for Lake Pettenwell, another reservoir further upstream on the Wisconsin River.

Having seen the results of the minimum length and slot first hand I would add that "meat" fishermen are only hurting themselves by fighting a slot and minimum length. They could be limiting out on good eaters 15"-17" rather than struggling to fillet out 12" and 13" fish. I would think that in the case of Clear Lake, a smaller body with many more limitations with regard to natural spawning, a minimum length and slot would be a no brainer. With so few opportunities to catch Walleyes in the State of Iowa you would think that the IDNR would want to make those opportunities "quality" opportunities.

Just my two cents,
Brian

[Bob Jensen]

Brian:

Thanks for your input and welcome to Iowa.

Best Fishes,

Bob Jensen

[LUNDEYE]

Brian:

Very well said!!! Hopefully the IDNR makes some changes very soon.

[cspierings]

I fish Lake Wisconsin here in southern WI. I also fish some of the other local lakes like Mendota and Waubesa. If fish up the Dells and have fished Lac Seul for years.

I have to say that from what I have seen since I started seriously fishing walleye about 1982 is that slots make a huge difference in quality of the fishing for walleye. I would love to see it applied to all species.

I saw Eagle Lake in Ontario at its worst and headed up the road to Lac Seul, saw that as it recovered and now it is a special place to me. Lake Wisconsin is a place I find myself fishing more and more because of the quality of the fish available.

I sure hope IDNR and the WI DNR put these slots in place in as many places as possible.