[chubbdarter]

Originally Posted by freeones

How long has it been like this now? Any sign of things getting bad?

When did fishermen become like a group of old women? Sit around all day in front of our computers worrying and looking for problems where none exist, or where we don't even fish? Busy bodies, do-gooders and know-it-alls.

I started this thread because of the purposal by SRD to have more angler input. I intentionally picked a body of water i do not or have never fished so, to simulate what a Bio/SRD person may also be confronted with. My purpose was to see what questions should be on the survey to gain the most important data. It appears name calling should be part of SRD's survey. Im positve and have confirmed with other agencies in North America that angler surveys do provide important data.

Could PCR collapse one day? For sure, but what can be done about it today? Not much would be my guess. Should anything be done? Not unless there's a damn good reason for doing it. I don't want to bury my head in the sand either, but all this talk of stocking different prey species, limited harvest, etc... is just pointless speculation from people that really don't know what the consequences of those things would be. Why would you mess with a fishery like that because it MIGHT improve it, or it MIGHT prevent it from MAYBE collapsing one day? By all accounts I've heard on this thread, other than concerns about the average size of the walleye population, it's pretty healthy. I haven't heard any concern from SRD about the situation either.

You are now participating in the survey and have every right to comment the way you feel

If the population isn't maintainable as some have suggested, and there is no recruitment, and the walleye have reached their maximum size based on available forage, then what's wrong with that? There's likely not much to be done about it at this point that will overcome all the previous years of failed recruitment and the lack of forage. It is what it is. It may not last forever, but that's OK, we know the formula to restore it. What's wrong with having a lake that is essentially a put/take walleye fishery? A really good one.

That very well could be the input SRD is looking for. With all respect to your post, I beleive there is situations where the present recreational benifits may out wieght any long term technical fishery management. So in many ways i agree with you. If the surveys come in that anglers want the lake to be left alone with no furthur management, I believe that option should be respected in whole or in part.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

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