The Mille Lacs fishery input group met on Feb. 23, and local bait shop and resort owners showed up to get the scoop on the lay of the lake and offer their advice to representatives of the DNR.
After the meeting, which took place at Hazelton Town Hall, Patrick Schmalz and Tom Jones of the DNR talked about their presentation. The total angling harvest has been set at 411,500 pounds, and the protected slot will stay the same for walleyes (18 to 28 inches). According to Jones, the DNR’s large lake specialist for Mille Lacs, the possibility exists for a mid-season slot limit change. “If the harvest is low we could go back to 20- to 28-inches,” Jones said. “Nothing is set, but we’re looking at it.” Schmalz, a research scientist at the DNR’s Aitkin fisheries office, said the meeting went well. “This year was definitely on the positive side.” According to Schmalz, there’s plenty to be positive about. “The lake is in pretty good shape this year,” he said. “The walleye population is considered to be in condition 1, which is the best.” Condition 1 means the harvest could be upped by as much as 30 percent if the 411,500-pound cap is reached. “Because the lake is in such good shape we’re allowed the flexibility in regulating it,” Schmalz explained. The distribution of year classes is a key factor in judging the state of the lake, and Schmalz said it’s pretty balanced. “The 13- to 18-inch range is probably the most abundant,” he said. “So there are quite a few keepers.” While the 2010 ice fishing season slowed down considerably as the winter lingered, it’s still a lot better than it was last year. The DNR’s estimated harvest through January is just under 21,000 pounds, two and a half times more than in January of 2009. “A lot of things are pointing towards a good season this year,” Schmalz said.
Bass vs. walleyes The 21-inch minimum for bass has been in place for 10 years, and Schmalz said it’s unlikely that it will change anytime soon. “This lake is up there with world-class bass fisheries,” Schmalz said. “Our catch rates are pointing towards a population that’s growing, and it appears to be drawing more anglers as well.” Questions rose regarding the effect a growing population of smallmouth bass would have on the walleyes in Mille Lacs Lake. Schmalz said the effect is likely to be minimal. Schmalz did say that in the event of a severely depleted forage base, the bass seemed to have the edge on survival, but the scenario was highly improbable. Schmalz said that if the water clarity increases due to the growing zebra mussel infestation, it could tip the balance in favor of the bass. If the water gets clear, there may be more night fishing for walleyes, or fishing in deeper water. “Walleyes don’t like the light,” he said.
Where are the perch? “That’s a good question,” Schmalz said. The perch bite has been slow for most of the winter season, and the DNR isn’t sure why. “Our gillnet surveys suggest that the perch population is in good shape, and that includes the 9- to 11-inch range,” Schmalz said. “Perch are baffling. The numbers we caught in our gear is not really represented by the numbers being caught by anglers, for some reason.” Jones agrees. “One thing that happens is when there’s lots of little perch people think there are fewer big perch,” he said. “That’s not necessarily the case.” There are plenty of smaller perch in the lake. On that point anglers and the DNR agree, and Schmalz expects that to translate into a very good harvest in 2010 and/or 2011. “In 2002 we had a big bloom, and in 2008 there were a lot of jumbos,” he said.
Northerns/muskies There was no change in the muskie regs for Mille Lacs Lake, although the rest of the state has now adopted the 48-inch minimum limit. “Before it was about half the muskie lakes in Minnesota,” Jones said. “Now it’s statewide.” There could be changes in the protected slot for northern pike. “Pike harvests have gone down since we went to the 24- to 36-inch protected slot,” Jones said. “People would like to see something put in place that would allow them to take more pike.” Last year’s total harvest for northerns tipped the scales at 3,000 pounds, well short of the 12,500-pound limit. “That’s another thing we’re looking at,” Schmalz said.
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