[FisherPotch]

Originally Posted by B.O.

It appears to me that our walleye are managed for quantity as opposed to quality. Many anglers judge success on numbers of fish caught per outing. Our fisheries managers have chosen to protect the more abundant, and aggressive smaller fish, therefore anglers can effortlessly catch many walleye.

X2 on this statement. It would be nice to manage for quality fish, a good size range with a pyramid style breakdown. Big fish the top of the pyramid and lil guys at the bottom. The bigger guys are fewer in numbers but you need many many younger walleye to just have a few survive to be the big boys. This would be like the "text book scenario" of quantity and quality. Then you have to throw other species into the mix and it gets even more complex to manage. Not an easy job by any means.

I like the idea of a slot limit. But it has to be worked with closures to ensure a beter chance on success.

Example: Say we went to a 40 to 50 cm slot on lakes that curently have a 50 cm size minimum. Then the lake would likely only contain fish under 40cm's! Enless the lake was closed for a few years prior to going to a slot limit. A year or two closure would allow fish to mature past the slot size to ensure the strongest fish spawn. Even to go back and forth between slot and closure every year or every other year could allow for fish to get past the slot limit, to sustain the population. In the scenario with alternating between closure and slot limit it could be worked so that near by lakes could alternate. Lake "A" 40-45cm's and Lake "B" closed, then the opposite the next year. This way people still have some access to fish for food. I have gotten good and used to C&R and I'm more than willing to practice it on the mass majority of outings, I know many other people feel the same way.

Unfortunatly as population rises so will the pressure on the fisheries, the lakes will becomem even harder to maintain. Personaly I'd like to throw in the safety factor and be on the safe side. Alot easier to manage a decent fishery than a collapsed one.