New 2007 walleye Regulations

[walleyekelly]

Just curious about what some think about the new slot on walleyes in the lakes area and storm lake goin in effect on January 10, 2007. I think I have this right--- all walleyes between 17''-22'' must be released and 1 over 22'' can be kept.  I would love to hear any comments , , or . Here is where you can find more info http://www.iowadnr.gov/nrc/06nov/12.pdf                             
Here is a littleon it.................... ...................... ...................... ...................... .
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Natural Resource Commission
ITEM 12 DECISION
TOPIC Final Rule – Chapter 81, Sport Fishing Rule
Approval is requested to amend Chapter 81, Sport Fishing Rule. The proposed
amendments modify length limit regulations for walleye at some lakes.
A 17-inch to 22-inch protected slot length limit replaces the minimum length of 14 and
15 inches at the Iowa Great Lakes and Storm Lake respectively. Walleye less than 17
inches and greater than 22 inches may be harvested with no more than one walleye
greater than 22 inches permitted per day. The daily bag limit remains at three fish. The
proposed length limit changes would increase brood stock density (fish over 17 inches),
increase angler harvest by 20 - 40 percent, and decrease hooking mortality. Comments received from the eight public were directed at the walleye regulations in the
Iowa Great Lakes. Concern was expressed by six people regarding possible overharvest
of fish less than 14 inches.
These amendments will become effective January 10, 2007.

[BojiHawk]

As far as regs go, I guess I feel that most of these gov't divisions and their employees have years of formal training and base these decisions on previous studies, favorable results from other fisheries, and are carefully plotted to provide us with balanced year classes of fish.  I will not pretend to know more than them or to recommend courses of action (or protest them) that they have spent years studying and analyzing.  There are many such lake-specific regs (see Oahe and Upper Red) that may seem odd.  It just seems to me that having lay people try to dissect why they would do this is like me trying to operate on someone.  I think that we need to put a little faith (not blind faith) in what our natural resources people are doing.  No one would make decisions that they did not think would have the most positive impact on the quality of our fisheries and, therefore, the economy of the state they represent.  I just can't imagine why anyone would think a regulation or limit would be implemented for otherwise. Just my opinion.

[goody]

This is a very good thing.  Now if we can just get a statewide minimum length limit on walleyes set we will be making even more headway!

goody

[BojiHawk]

I can tell you this in an anecdotal manner:

I fish East Lake Okoboji all spring, and summer for that matter.  My dad and I caught at least, this is very low-ball, 100 walleyes per evening slip bobbering off a dock across the lake from Parks Marina.  Of the 100+ fish we caught, we had a hard time sorting out 3-4 keepers per evening.  Whoever is yelling about culling a few smaller fish out of that lake knows nothing about fishery management.  I'm not sure what it is about that lake.  Every year we say "Well, next year we are going to have some great quality fish."  And each year we spend about $15 a night on leeches to catch 12-13" fish.  I don't mind having some small fish and given the option of catching nothing...I'll take a hot bite of dinks all day.  And the fish are healthy, chubby little walleyes.  But where do they go??  I went to the north bridge, boat, south bridges, deep water, shallow reefs, etc.  Caught some hogs but found almost no 18" - 22" fish.  I can't imagine why people are complaining about protecting these brood stock fish.

[CrappieBuster]

What this state needs is panfish regulation.  No wonder theres more dink crappies every year because anything over 8 inches people keep!  Bag limit, size limit whole 9 yards.

[Catchaser]

I'm no fisheries biologist. But since the walleye stockings in a local lake got up to serious numbers the crappie have finally after 30 years reached 11 + inches. The gills have got large also. Isn't this from the thinning of the smaller fish?

[brittlab]

CC, you are right on the money. Tom F. told me that the eyes have finally started to clean out some of the crappies and gills. Once they decided to stock bigger fingerling eyes, it improved the survival rate and enhanced the whole fishery. For years their growth was stunted by too many fish, not enough forage and lack of predators. It's nice to finally see some specks over 9" I donated $50 to the BCCB for walleye stocking this year and will do it again next year. I like the slot limit and wish they would set one up for Brushy Creek also.

[BojiHawk]

Definitely...if you are seeing smaller fish (stunted) it's due to underharvest / non-predation.  I've seen this happen in ponds to bass - they looked like boomerangs they were so thin and when you walked along the shore the swam away in droves...like tad poles almost.  We went out and started fishing them out.  Addded 2 pike we caught and in about 2 years it was a good bass pond again.  Actually, if you see small crappies, perch, etc the very best thing to do is keep the fish that are the most plentiful....even if it means keeping some smaller perch ot whatever.  I was very tempted to harvert some of the 12" walleyes last spring after the 100th fish in 3 hours.  But the impact would have been nothing and, of course, it's illegal.  I hope people on East Lake all keep their limit of this year class fish during the up coming season.  The reduced numbers will help the fish population thrive for the remaining 'eyes.  At many times, these fish were hitting plain jig heads under a bobber.  Safe to say, there was not enough food down there.  Once in a while, you can get lucky but we stopped tipping the jigs on several weekends and the action just didn't slow down that much.   I also caught several 11-12" walleyes on a very large Reef Runner...kind of makes you wonder.

[toothfish]

Although I see the slot as a good thing I am concerned about policing of this law. With thousands of docks and thousands of people fishing IGLs I fear the law will only be for those of us that will respect the slot. I would guess this is true in all law enforcement but IGL may be different than any other body of water in Iowa when it comes to shear numbers of visitors and docks.

[fishiowa]

I think this new slot is a great idea, it caught me totally off gaurd. If this helps improve the pan fish quality (IGLs) also, this is the best to happen in a long time. One thing I do not understand is why can't we get good pan fish in Storm Lake. DNR biologist Lanny Miller told me perch won't reproduce in Storm Lake because of the type of weeds it has and the way perch spawn.  What about blue gills or crappies, anything is better than those white bass.