fair or foul

[walleye wil]

I wanted to ask you guys about this a few years back, but forgot.
we were on a fishing trip at Mitchell/Cadillac back in 2013, not catching much so one day we went to Houghton lake
since it was only about 40 miles away. we drove out on the ice and stopped where some guys were set up with there shaks and running tip-ups. they were all real nice and we talked to them for awhile as they had some runs on there tip-ups catching pike. I noticed that before they put them back when they were to small to keep, they took a hole punch and punched a hole in there tail. when I asked the guy why he did that he told me it was to slow them down so they didn't eat the walleye as easy. is this something you guys have ever heard of? I didn't think it was legal, but never found anything on it, except we did read that the hole would grow shut within 2-4 weeks. wondered what dnr would say about this?
would like to hear what you guys think.

[IceBucky]

It sounds like to me they are very ignorant and have decided to make assumptions! That being said they are putting a value of one species of another  on personal preference.   Not a good idea.

[marmooskapaul]

Nay...when you weren't looking they put a hole in their head...that really slowed them down??

[Zachery80]

So, they are trying to slow down the species of one fish and trying to make another species thrive in their habitat.
Didn't people start a few wars for this type of action?

[walleye wil]

nobody said a word about it, seen 2-different people do it.
wanted to hear from more people about this if possible.
thought I might hear from wax or jigmup or even hoosier.
haven't seen hoosier on all year, whats up with that?

[tater140]

Never heard of that before... but I say foul.

[Gills-only]

Wouldn't want to have DNR watching them do that , don't know if in violation but don't want to find out!!

[crappiecrusher34]

Maybe they weren't trying to slow them down. I think they were marking fish to see how many times they catch some of these fish over and over through out the season. My opinion.

[bigr]

You could probable compare that practice to throwing small fish on the ice because some think it benefits all other species and the lake. A lot of passed down traditions that are still believed. Some work and some don't but all will be argued.

[wax_worm]

nobody said a word about it, seen 2-different people do it.
wanted to hear from more people about this if possible.
thought I might hear from wax or jigmup or even hoosier.
haven't seen hoosier on all year, whats up with that?

I doubt what they are doing is legal and it certainly is not going to serve the purpose these idiots think it will.  If you have ever seen a bass tail after spawning it is sometimes 1/2 or 3/4 gone from fanning the nest on the sand, gravel or rock.  In a few months that tail is completely regenerated.  If these idiots think using a hole punch to put a hole in a pikes tail is going to keep it from eating a walleye they belong on the short bus.  For one the pike will close the hole in a couple months at most, and second, pike are ambush predators.  They lie in wait for something to come by and then attack it.  A small hole in the tail is not going to stop a pike from ambushing and catching a small walleye, gill, crappie, duck or whatever else it wants to eat.  I think the DNR would likely frown on this practice and may even write a ticket for it.