Yesterday the Perch bite was fair.   There seems to be more and more nice sized Perch showing up, but not always hungry.  We will see how it goes the next couple weeks.  For those with wheelhouses that want to still get out, we have a lot of good roads to good Perch spots and it’s easy to get off of them.

Last evening was the Input Group Meeting for Mille Lacs regulations.   Overall it was more positive than negative at least.  I think the MN DNR has finally realized that Mille Lacs is it’s Premier Walleye in the state and should be managed as a such, especially being as close to as many anglers it is, and as much it is used.   There is going to be some changes in Smallmouth regs, Northern regs to help slow down predation of small Walleyes which is good.  Unfortunately too late for this summers harvest.   Walleye regs were talked about and some good and bad ideas were tossed around, but nothing is decided yet.

I think the DNR going around and talking to Input members last week kept a calmer meeting because most were a little more informed about results of nets, surveys, etc.  That is what has been lacking the last few years with the group and why a lot of us felt like we were a rubber stamp on their options.  I strongly believe we need more and frequent communication with them so they can understand the “angling” side of what is going on out there.  It sounded like there will be more of that.  There was also a lot of issues that were not talked about that sooner or later will need to be if Mille Lacs is going to remain a Walleye Lake.   Issues of gill netting of during the spawn, two different approaches of managing the same resource (State and Bands), amongst others were not talked about and will have to be for Mille Lacs and it’s Walleye’s to survive in my opinion.  Whether or not gill netting during  spawning affects or doesn’t affect reproduction, it will always be the biggest cause of negative publicity for Mille Lacs and until the MN DNR and the Bands realize this and try to change their methods of harvest, (a harvest that the greater majority of citizens in this State disagree with), it will continue to discourage anglers from coming to Mille Lacs Lake and will in turn negatively affect the whole fishery, it’s people and economy of this area.    Albert Einstein once quoted:  ” The definition of insanity is repetitively doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”   It’s time to change……..

Keep a tight Line!!     Eddy