Looks like Wildlife board has approved new rules for Walleye limits 6 fish “over 18” only one can be over 24”
Don’t think I like that. What are others thinking about it ?
I hate it.
I told biologist at Scheels meeting earlier this year that after I spend $50 in gas (that was in April or May, now nearly double) and the State Park launch fee (that NO currently registered boat should have to pay) that it would be very difficult to throw back sub-eighteen inchers.
In his almost exact words “you better learn how to catch bigger Walleye”.
Not cool.
That’s a poor reply from the biologist. He should realize anglers pay his salary. Better if he would explain the science /biology why this makes sense and maybe more would be happy with it? Next year fishing at Willard will tell us if it’s good rule or not I guess.
If it’s letting a bunch of sub 18” go to get 6 18 or not getting 6 18 plus that will suck. I don’t fish for Walleye to Catch and release. Trout, SMB, LMB and others yes.
Maybe I missed it but I thought they were going to get angler input on this before they made this decision, bummer. If all the 14 inchers I caught this year are 18 incher next year, then it will be a good year but I guess we will see. From what we are seeing out there holds true, with the vast number of shad, they have plenty to eat but will that be enough to get them to grow 4" in one year, if it does, we should have plenty of 18 inches to catch.
I get it. This will actually be beneficial to increasing walleye size and reproduction. Also likely this is a one-year effect. All those 14+ walleyes in 2027 will be keepers in 2028. 14 to 15 inch walleyes typically grow 3 inches from year 3 to 4 in high temps with plenty of forage waters like Willard. I do wish the DNR had left things as they were but there is some logic to it.
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Well I doubt the catching is going to slow down but the “keeping” might. My concern is that enforcement of the size might be lacking as I have never seen anybody check the catches
Reading further into the change of fees;
- Increasing the cost of the aquatic invasive species decal for motorized boats from $20 to $25 for residents and from $25 to $50 for nonresidents in order to adjust for the rising costs of operations and recent reductions in federal funding.
Every fishing show I watch keeps saying “15 and 16-inchers are the perfect eaters” and that sportsmen should put back walleye above 18 to be spawners. Maybe things are different here in Utah, but I doubt it.
Ya gotta love goobermint. “You can’t keep as many, but we’ll charge you more for it.”
You did miss it Curtis. The proposed changes were published back in August and comment submission was allowed until Sep 9th.
The Wildlife Board met on Sep 17th and approved the recommendations.
In years past we would have someone post about this, did anyone get a chance to vote about these rule changes? Thanks for the info Bob.
Where did we as humans go wrong that a clarification needs to be posted that an underwater Spearfisherman is not allowed to harvest game fish where the rule is already set at a limit of zero.
Sad sad days.
Where is the info published on proposed rule changes? I guess I was busy hunting fishing I missed the comment period as well.
Shane,
Think about the movie ‘1984’ and the total indoctrination of the population. We have pretty much arrived there in our education system from K all the way to a BS/BA degree. The Trap kids at both of my clubs can’t add up the misses and subtract that number from 25 without a cheat sheet attached to the clip board. And too many of our fishing population comes from the ‘new’ education system. Therefore, they need to be told that they can’t harvest game fish when the limit is already set at zero. It is sad.
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It is always posted on the wildlife.utah.gov website Pat. And for everybody’s information, you can go to this link and subscribe to their mailing lists: Subscribe to get the latest news and updates - Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Most of the time that’s worthless so I don’t look at it I should sign up for updates by email. Usually a buddy or somebody pipes up, but I was away hunting a bit in August..,
Oh well!