Mille Lacs - Who to Call

[Perchboy]

Does anyone have names or phone numbers for those of us that would like to voice our concerns over the Mille Lacs issues. We can all sit on this board and bit@# from now until then end of time, but we know how much good that will do. I think there are a couple different issues. One is the Native American netting issue, I don't think anything can really be done about it, but I/we should all put our two cents in. After all, this is still a democracy (or is it?). The other issue is the DNR and the imposed slot limit. I'm in not position and will not say the DNR is doing a poor job, but I have to say that I really know very little about how they come to the conclusions of their numbers. I do know that Mille Lacs is a phenomonal fishery and it certainly seems extremely healthy, which makes it all the harder to understand the slot. Thanks.

[AquaMan]

Pound your political leaders with enough e-mails to choke a horse. Let the entire legislation know that you are not happy and that, in order to get votes next time around, they need to react...NOW. The most common denominator amongst Democrats and Republicans is votes or the lack there of. Either party would love to hang that shingle (This fishing issue) on their door.

This has developed out of an arrogance on the states part that we will not succumb to idle threats about treaty rights, etc. Well, they did not listen to the sportsman then and now we are the ones suffering. It had nothing with rights but rather egos and we lost that battle. Do you want to loose anymore? The e-mail your constituents and get this issue in front of every politicians you can.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.·´¯° --- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

Eric@crowncomputerinc.com

[Mille Lacs know it all]

How does the Dnr come to their conclusions? I thought they made it pretty clear. 1/3 of the allowable harvest already taken in May, all the numbers are laid out for you to see. You people make me laugh, you think everyone can just keep taking form this lake and it'll be fine. If you had it the way you wanted it, the lake would be ruined in a couple years, they you all would complain about mismanagement from the Dnr.

The Dnr is doing fine here, the worse thing we could do is to leave it to a bunch of know nothing polititions to decide the slot on Mille Lacs. They probably don't even know what a slot is.

[Jeff Zernov]

Let's look at a little math to justify the 51,000 pounds over opening weekend. The PWT tournement averaged 2 pounds per fish one week after opening. Thus the 51,000 pounds represents aprox. 25,500 fish killed on Sat and Sun of opening. Let's allow 4,000 boats per day. Each boat would have to keep 3 fish per day for both Sat and Sun. Sorry it didn't happen at Garrison, Myr Mar or Wealthwood. Where did you guys keep all the fish?

[Perchboy]

I fail to see in my post where I was complaining about the DNR, I guess I must not understand myself?? My question was not about what has been taken out of the lake already, any idiot can recite the numbers the DNR throws out as to what has been caught, my question was how do they come up with what's safe to take out of the lake. I'm very sorry if I somehow offended you with trying to learn something, but I'm glad "us people" make you laugh.

[Hans]

Each of those 4,000 boats had an average of 2.7 anglers in it.

Hans

[Borch]

The quota was not based on what the DNR saw as an acceptable harvest from lake Mille Lake. Rather it is a negotiate figure base on the courts decision based on the treaty aggreement. Take a look at harvest number estimates from years prior to the courts decision. Not even close. Was the fishery bled to death prior to the court's decision? Not in my experience. So lets knock off this "the lake would die if you guys kept wha you wanted" bull.

[bglenn]

Tom Jones - Big Lake Specialist - Aitkin Fisheries - 218-927-3751
Rick Bruesewitz - 1837 Treaty Biologist - Aitkin Fisheries - 218-927-3751
DNR Regulation Desk - St. Paul 1-800-766-6000
DNR INFO - St Paul - 1-888-646-6367

[AquaMan]

Hmmm, show me a lake that has been "killed" by sportsman and I will show you 10 that have been "killed" by commercial netting.

Sportsman typically self regulate where as commercial continue till she's dry. I am not blaming the DNR, in fact, I think that based on their limited control over this situation they are managing it well. However, the panel that was formed to advise on the lake quotas all recommended the 16-18" slot right off the bat since harvest on ML is highest in May. That was overlooked and now we are faced with a smaller future harvest in light of a record 167,000 pound harvest to date.

These are the issues I do not fully understand. Why was the committee formed to provide support ignored? The Native American harvest will be 1/2 the total save harvest level in 2 years. Admittedly they have only harvested 1/2 of their quota for >>>off-reservation harvest<<< in the past few years, but that has increased as well and will continue.

I do not have "the" answer as I doubt anyone without a crystal ball does either, but working together is paramount for homogeneous success. Finger pointing will not accomplish much of anything...save a bruised finger
AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.·´¯° --- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

Eric@crowncomputerinc.com

[Mille Lacs know it all]

If you all want meat that bad, then go to the grocery store. Walleye fisherman have got to be the greediest out there. I know I won't be "suffering" with the new regs.