08-22-2019, 10:40 PM
[#0000FF]The biggest walleyes killed on Willard are not from the walleye specialists who fish them post spawn and in the fall. They leave the inlet open to fishing and snaggers rape the big females with big treble hooks.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]DWR arguments against closing the inlet during the spawn is that it gives "average" anglers a chance to catch walleye...and spawning in the channel does not usually produce viable fry since the bottom is mud and not well aerated. Most natural spawning in Willard takes place around the rock dikes.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I don't begrudge anyone catching and keeping walleye...even larger ones...while using sporting tactics during normal feeding periods. I just resent the hell out of the happy harvesters that treat Willard as their private fish market and catch and kill as many fish as they can...by any means...legal or otherwise. So what if the big females will not spawn successfully and produce viable fry? At least they would remain in the lake for "sportsmen" to pursue by legal walleye fishing methods.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]As far as Starvation, having an abundance of small wallies is nothing new. Before perch showed up all the walleye and smallmouth were stunted. They had eaten up the hordes of chubs that used to fill the lake and were out of food. There were even contracts issued for netting out the small walleyes. But when perch showed up, the predators ate well and prospered. Now, after several years of low perch populations the walleyes are struggling to get past the teen-incher stage. Some are getting by on crawdads and a few stray perchlets, but no more 30 fish days with limits over 20".[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Unless Starvy suddenly starts producing larger quantities of edible sized forage fish, there is not likely to be a solution. Slot limits don't mean much when few fish are growing beyond the slots.
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[signature]
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[#0000FF]DWR arguments against closing the inlet during the spawn is that it gives "average" anglers a chance to catch walleye...and spawning in the channel does not usually produce viable fry since the bottom is mud and not well aerated. Most natural spawning in Willard takes place around the rock dikes.[/#0000FF]
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[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]I don't begrudge anyone catching and keeping walleye...even larger ones...while using sporting tactics during normal feeding periods. I just resent the hell out of the happy harvesters that treat Willard as their private fish market and catch and kill as many fish as they can...by any means...legal or otherwise. So what if the big females will not spawn successfully and produce viable fry? At least they would remain in the lake for "sportsmen" to pursue by legal walleye fishing methods.[/#0000FF]
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[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]As far as Starvation, having an abundance of small wallies is nothing new. Before perch showed up all the walleye and smallmouth were stunted. They had eaten up the hordes of chubs that used to fill the lake and were out of food. There were even contracts issued for netting out the small walleyes. But when perch showed up, the predators ate well and prospered. Now, after several years of low perch populations the walleyes are struggling to get past the teen-incher stage. Some are getting by on crawdads and a few stray perchlets, but no more 30 fish days with limits over 20".[/#0000FF]
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[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]Unless Starvy suddenly starts producing larger quantities of edible sized forage fish, there is not likely to be a solution. Slot limits don't mean much when few fish are growing beyond the slots.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]