spawning walleyes

Who the heck is Al Lidner???? The only real walleye fisherman I know don't make phony videos or publish trash magazines!! They're too busy fishin' huntin' and trappin'! Let the DNR worry about the walleye population-that's why they lowered the limit this year. With the erradication of the Canadian Commercial Rapists the walleye population will rebound. Just don't get complacent and let those idiots back on the lake!!!! N'est pas??? Good luck, and good fishin' this year.

I hate to get sucked into this but every year we have this argument. We have to remember that not all walleyes in lake erie spawn in the rivers. So even if the pressure was increased the walleye will still be spawning else where. I'm not saying that it wouldn't damage the population some, but you would be suprised as far as where else they spawn(central and eastern basin). AS far as throwing back the larger females, I've seen allot of talks by ohio sea grant and ODNR that say the best spawners are the 3-6 pounds. The older ones are less fertile. They also say that more walleyes die of old age then get caught. Also by just keeping the males, it doesn't help spawning either. Without the males the eggs will not get fertlized. So by thinking your doing the system a favor by just keeping the males isn't exactly true. Lastly by keeping the fish out of that river is more hazardous to your health due to the pollution that get's dumped into that river from the industries. The longer there in there the worst it will be. The ODNR and Ohio sea grant our some of the best people in the world on this subject and I think they would be able to tell us what's hurting the system. And if it was truely causing severe damage it would have been stop long ago. The least of our worries is fishing in the rivers. The gill netters our doing far more damage then us. I personally don't fish the rivers so it wouldn't bother me if they stopped, but till they say otherwise then I think your intitled to your limit of fish. And by calling other people crazy just because they don't have the same beliefs is not fair to judge other people. This of course is just my opinion! Where's the spring already!!
Good Luck!!
Tim FRick

[Rick]

Eagle Eyes, I agree with you 100%. Only stupid Ohio ODNR allows this free for all at any time fishery. There should be lakewide seasons and size limits for both sport and commercial.

Alot of real good ideas on this subject. But I have a question, what kind of impact is there when you throw those eyes back that are full of growth's all over. Personally that counts as one, at any size.

[ezmarc]

Rick, I'm wondering why you asked this question in the first place! I'm also wondering why I ever answered in the first place! Seems like you already had your mind made up and just wanted to stir the pot some.

I know several people in the ODNR and there's not a stupid one in the bunch. I trust their educated, even if political, judgement more than some faceless, nameless person on this message board.

Tim FRick, I have to argue with you on a few points that you made. The majority of the walleyes spawn in the western basin. It is the nursery grounds of Lake Erie. There is very little successful spawning done in the eastern and central basin. Not enough to make any significant contribution to the the system. You should take everything that you hear from ODNR with a grain of salt. If they knew what they were talking about, the walleye population wouldn't have crashed like it has. There is a lot of politics running our fisheries people and not sound management. They estimated that the state record walleye was around 15 years old. So much for more dying from old age than are caught every year. One male walleye can fertilize many females. They are not monogamous like humans are supposed to be. I agree with you that we have some very knowledgeable and concerned people that work for sea grant and the odnr even though I like to bash them. Unfortunately they have to answer to their bosses just like the rest of us. It is insanity to disrupt spawning fish , especially when the population is as low as it is now. There is no reason why someone can't stop fishing in the river for 3 to 4 weeks out of the year. The ones that are crying the loudest about closing the season during the spawn are the snagging gamehogs that can't resist jumping on a massive migration of fish. The majority of the walleyes caught in the river in the spring are snagged. I've seen it firsthand. Not every guy inthe river is snagging but quite a few are. Just like evrything it only takes a few to give the rest a bad name. Please let your common sense rule your thoughts and not the statements of fishery people who are trying to cover their rear ends all the time. Thats all I have to say. I wish you good luck and good fishing except during spawning season.

[Wild Bill]

The Ohio DNR is protecting the spawning walleyes from the sportfisherman by dropping the limit to four fish.You can legally keep four fish per day,period.Turnem loose or keepem,four fish per day in my opinion will protect the fishery.Now,as for the gillnetters,that`s another story.I have a hunch that their limit is a little more liberal than ours.

rick i have a good freind that is the ohio rep that represents sport fishermen in the western basin against canadian nettters in the waters of lake erie the question on spawning eyes is irrelevant to what is happpening with the differences in commmercial quotas to OUR FISHERY. big government and big companys hurt more than a hook and line guy like you and I. marknm later

I think ALL fishing at spawing time should be CR or with slot size to protect females

[Rick]

ezmarc, You are correct. I did have my mind made up. I just wanted to know how others felt about the subject. I too know people in the ODNR and I have great respect for their knowledge and abilities. However, I feel betrayed when they let the politics involved with things such as this interfere with what they know is right. If you got the idea from what I wrote that I think that any of them are stupid then I apologize. My problem with them is that they shouldn't let politics enter into their decision making!