06-14-2025, 09:41 PM
(06-13-2025, 04:20 AM)Paddler Wrote:(06-12-2025, 10:39 PM)Mildog Wrote: Paddler, yes they would be bigger next year, as will most fish released if they survive. They fillet and eat quite good! I let the very small ones go . But on some trips need a fish dinner so the 15 inchers head to the table!! there seems to be a healthy supply of those. Is it really better to fillet an 18 incher? Limit is 6 walleye only one over 24” no minimum rule . My buddy was having his family over for dinner that evening and needed a few for the group. Mission accomplished!
But then again a 18” walleye fights so much better than a 15 incher! Would have that to look forward to!
It's just my personal choice to release walleye under 16". Letting a 15" walleye grow another year seems like a good thing. Plus, doing so means you get to keep fishing. Not a big deal, just my opinion.
Since they have stocked over 2 million fry, each year, for the last three years, there are an unbelievable number of them in Willard now and if they aren't thinned out, the next group that they planted this year will have less room to grow because there are some many feeding off the resource. Last year was a very good year for the shad because the baby shad did not have the big die off they usually have in the Winter. That is why the eyes still have so much fat in them. In normal years they have very little fat on them this late in the season. Now with this big draw down of the water, that will put even more stress on the fish and it could spell trouble, depending on how much they actually take out. I know folks that feel the same as you and there is nothing wrong with that but why take the chance, when we know how many survived this last year. There could be problems for them, if we don't thin them out, but that's just my opinion.