Spring Hearings Please Vote Yes!!

[Eric Haataja]

Unfortunately I will be working in Green Bay during this saesons spring hearings but if any can come to this hearing and vote Yes to help reduce the harvesting of the walleyes please do so!!

Eric

Dear walleye enthusiasts,
On Monday, April 14th, at 7PM, the DNR will hold its annual "spring hearings" in all 72 counties.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/spring_hearings/

Milwaukee County's hearing will be at Greenfield High School, 4800 S. 60th St.

On the ballot this year, attendees will get a chance to vote on a proposed lowering of the walleye bag limit on the Milwaukee River. (See attachment or below for full text of question.) The Milwaukee River Basin Chapter of Walleyes for Tomorrow introduced this resolution, and we hope to see it pass. Turnout is very low at these hearings, so every vote really does count; in 2007, only 120 people attended the Milwaukee County hearing. While the vote is non-binding, on each question the most weight is given to the home-county's vote; how Milwaukee County votes on this issue will hugely impact the final decision.

Look for "Question #70: Walleye Bag Limit" on Milwaukee River under the category of "Warm Water Study Committee Advisory Questions."
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/spring_hearings/2008/2008SpringQuestionnaire.pdf

Bring your friends and family -- we can make a difference on Monday!

David Coles, Treasurer
Milwaukee River Basin Chapter, Walleyes for Tomorrow


QUESTION 70: Walleye Bag Limit on Milwaukee River



The walleye fishery in the Milwaukee River Basin was all but wiped out as the city became industrialized. This historic fishery is now being restored but is extremely fragile at this point. It makes no sense to allow anglers to harvest multiple walleye per day from such an unstable adult population (estimated in the hundreds). Furthermore, health concerns make it unwise for anyone to eat these fish more than occasionally- adding to the argument that the current, five walleye daily bag limit is unwise. Given its location- in the middle of Wisconsin’s largest population center-this fishery is clearly of statewide importance.



The solution to this problem would be to introduce a rule change reducing the daily bag limit for walleye from five fish to one fish in the Milwaukee River and its tributaries where current Lake Michigan regulations apply. Specifically, these rule changes would apply to: the Milwaukee River upstream to the HWY 60 Grafton Dam in the village of Grafton, and tributaries of the Milwaukee River upstream to the Lepper Dam in the village of Menomonee Falls and the tributaries of the Menomonee River upstream to the first dam or lake.



> Do you support a lower daily bag limit from five walleye to one walleye on the Milwaukee River upstream to the HWY 60 Grafton Dam in the village of Grafton, and tributaries of the Milwaukee River upstream to the Lepper Dam in the village of Menomonee Falls and the tributaries of the Menomonee River upstream to the first dam or lake?

70. Yes _____ No _____

[trophy taker]

thats an excellent idea! im goning to definately try to make that.

[BigMusky]

do you have to be a resident of that county to attend that meeting and vote?

[HotHead617]

I think the only problem and correct me if im wrong but they release the small restocking trout into the river and alot of those fish are ate by the walleyes and other predators so alot of those new trout never make it out into the lake......and i do agree with the limit dont get me wrong but would that also not create other problems with other fish?This one is a toss up!!!!
No i dont think you need to be a milwaukee county resident to go down and vote.

[Eric Haataja]

The walleyes do not even remotely affect the trout and salmon populations now that they are using the fish pens, and the data has shown that when they use the pens. However they will eat some stocked salmon and trout but they really have no "signifigant" impact on the fishery. Our records have indicated that the salmon fishery has only improved in the past 10 years as far as catch rates go here in Milwaukee since stocking began. So obviously the fish can co-exist.

To be honest from what i have seen in the spring when the salmon and trout are stocked I have seen more brown trout eating the small smolt than any other fish that I have cleaned. So does that mean we stock less browns because they are eating the salmon smolt?? No it means they can also co-exist.

Remember they are no looking at stocking 1,000,000 million walleyes a year here maybe 5,000 -10,000 a year some years no have been stocked and lots of those will be eaten by pike and brown trout. I'm all for protecting and preseving our salmon fishery and I believe they both can work, so does the DNR or they would never have stocked them to begin with. Show up and Please vote Please!!!!

Eric Haataja

My 2 cents

[watrfwlnut]

Eric,
a question for you...I myself notice and have heard many charter captains complain about the lack of bait(alewives) in the lake...I can remember as a kid the beaches and shorlines being covered with dead ones because of the abundance...you never see that anymore...I also can remember 30lb salmon being taken regularly...I would say the biggest reason I hear of for our salmon not reaching the size they used to in the past is the amount of fish being stocked(not just Wi but MI,IL, IN) versus the amount of bait...if theres not enough bait to support the current trout/salmon stocking programs in place now do you think its smart to introduce another species that is only going to compete with them for the lack of food thats out there now..?? we dont really see that many fish even over 20lbs now...I cringe when I think about where its headed...

FYI...I have nothing against walleyes..!!! I got to Erie 3 times a year to catch them and would love nothing more than to have them here in Lake Michigan...just trying to look at the big picture...

[BigMusky]

alewives actually eat young walleye and they downfall on Saginaw bay is why the walleyes have exploded there. I think people need to remember salmon are stocked because commercial fishermen destroyed the walleye and lake trout populations, so there was nothing left for sport fishermen. I would gladly say good bye to them if it meant we have great walleye and lake trout fishing again.

[watrfwlnut]

goodbye to them..?? who..?? the trout and salmon..?? Musky are you serious..?? do you have any idea the amount of money generated by these fish..?? outside the fact that a 5lb trout/salmon could drown a 10lb walleye...OK I'll keep my opinions to myself...

I also wasnt aware that alewives ate young walleye...how is this possible..?? if youre talking about a natural hatch walleye then maybe...and only for a very short period of time I'm guessing...but any walleye stocked by our DNR would be way past the point of being eaten by an alewive at the time of stocking...

I also didnt know of the great walleye fishery Lake Michigan was(on the southern Wisconsin side) before being wiped out by commercial fishing...if I remember correctly the first return of salmon stocked on our side was 1968..?? help me here guys I'm not positive..?? but I remember nothing of any walleye fishery prior to this...I'm not old enough personally to remember but come from a family who lived for fishing on the big lake and heard nothing about it...

also the salmon stocking in Lake Michigan started on the Michigan side by a Doctor I believe...not as means of replacing a walleye/lake trout fishery but rather as a way to control an out of control alewive population(that were in there before the salmon) and with the posibility of creating a sport fishery similar to what was out west...

guys, forgive me for not being more detailed here...I know I should have checked into this more before posting...BUT...not much for research I guess...going more off memory than anything...

[watrfwlnut]

Ok, I had to check...

the doctors name was Howard A Tanner...
coho were the first introduced in Michigan in 1964...
the first return on our side(WI,ILL) was 1967...
Lake Michigan itself had no sport fishing until after the coho stocking(actually 1966 was the first year of sport fishing)...
Lake Trout and Whitefish were wiped out by commercial fishing...hence the explosion of the alewive population(no preditor)...
NO mention of walleye anywhere..??
alewive comsume: aquatic insects, plankton and algae...again no mention of walleye..??

damn that was like doing homework again... :)

[Eric Haataja]

You have to understand that walleyes here in the Milwaukee harbor will have no affect on an alewive population in the lake,they eat everything from crayfish, shiners. mud minnows, chubs, gizzard shad etc and at times they do not feed for weeks at a time unlike a salmon or trout.. sure walleyes eat alewives but they would never even romotely have an effect on the population. Salmon and trout on the other hand are fish feeding machines, and the problem we mad is that we over stocked the lake with too many salmon. Don't get me wrong I never want to see the end of the salmon fishery and I would oppose walleyes fishing here in Milwaukee if it some how had a "Major" affect of the salmon fishery which it does not.

I just think it's great to be able to fish for everything if it's managed properly. I'd be in favor of stocking a few spotted muskies in the Milwaukee harbor, guys would go crazy about that as well but the riality is if you stocked a handful they would be never affect the salmon fishery. Personally I think some of us as fisherman are way to set in our ways and are also vary narrow minded that's why I'm not no longer a member of GLSF of Milwaukee, they wasted so much time and money trying to sue the DNR and for what???

It's good to see the club has mad changes for the better IMHO! Maybe in a few years I will join again. My 2 cents Vote Yes!

[TEAM ICE HOLE]

i can't believe that you guys are arguing over walleyes and trout, and salmon. i watched a show last night on the man channel, they were shooting asian silver carp. they were shooting them with bows from the boat while moving. if you have seen how this fish has affected our waters, the kids in the boat had to have helmets on to protect themselves. i think we need to address rough fish, before they take over our lakes and streams. gamefish- stock what alot of fishmerman fish for. fight against the asian carp, that would be our biggest issue right now!!! just my 2 cents.