Well I did not have the chance to get up much this winter however the times I did get up I caught probably 20 fish with only 2 being keepers. This is not just a hard water issue as this summer I spent a lot more hours on the water than I did this winter. I caught probably over 100 fish this summer with only 3 keepers!!!
fishing SW corner out of Macs Twin Bay, 58 Walleye at this time, one 4", 2@ 12" and 1@ 14", next 2 small ones were 18.25". Eight northerns from 22"-42" only the 22 and 42 were outside the throw back slot. Not as many Walleyes as some, but better than others I guess.
This weekend I found a very good balance of fish sizes using a small very un-pressured flat. Not many would bite though. We caught 2 under 13", two between 13" and 17" (eaters), and two over 17" with the biggest at 26.5"...
We are averaging about 1 keeper in 8 fish caught and 1 in 6 if we counted fish under 14 inches. We have released all but a couple this year. I've been getting plenty of Bluegills to eat instead this winter.
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Humana Insurance Representative-Brainerd and Mille Lacs Area
Did not keep track officially but averaged about 6-7 walleyes each trip out. Went out 6 weekends in a row so 60-70 conservatively and had 1 box fish! Wife got really hungry and had to take day trips for crappies. This was in Garrison Bay. Most fish averaged 22-26" with 1 @ 28" (released not a box fish in my opinion)
We are averaging about 1 keeper in 8 fish caught and 1 in 6 if we counted fish under 14 inches. We have released all but a couple this year. I've been getting plenty of Bluegills to eat instead this winter.
Darn right! I fish crappies all winter in my wheel house with my slippers on! We can go after eye's all spring, summer and fall! hahahaha
This past weekend we caught 12 eyes. We brought home 5 keepers. 6 were to big and 1 at 11.5 inches. Missed numerous fish during the overnight hours on rattle reels, so we figured we had a 2 to 1 ratio for the weekend.
My neighbor reports 67 walleyes landed and 7 keepers. (3 the first day of the winter)
One thing not many realize? The "walleyes caught" is one thing. But informal tagging and the like have shown we are catching the SAME walleye numbers of time. So the over all number of fish caught is not reality.
An example or two from the past few months: One guy called me on his first ice fishing trip ever and said--how do you land these things? I broke my line off 3 times in the past half hour!" I told him how to fight the fish on his 6lb. mono/rattle reel outfit and he called back 10 minutes later to report--"I got one--and it had ALL THREE of my hooks in it"! Last fall, we tagged one and caught it three times in an hour. The first two times was 15 minutes apart. Then--400 yards away--45 minutes later--we got it again! In our "viewing houses" this winter ( big 8 ft. hole in 9 ft. of water) it was easy to see fish released and turn right around and bite again--and again! Then there is the guy who caught a keeper and found "11 minnow heads in it's gut". It is a mess...and going to be a very hard and a long process to fix--no doubt.
What shame...to eat ONE walleye at the crown jewel of Minnesota walleye water--you almost have to be an outlaw!
-- Edited by Steve Fellegy on Friday 22nd of February 2013 02:32:24 PM
-- Edited by Steve Fellegy on Friday 22nd of February 2013 02:33:59 PM
Up on the north end (Barnacles/Rock pile) 2 shacks, Shack #1- 100 fish (walleyes) caught, 4 keepers, Shack #2- 17 (walleyes) caught, 1 keeper. Was one of the first houses out and house #1 is still out there.. Love catching them but sure would like to be able to eat a few........
Well put Steve. I had that very same thing happen with multiple walleyes and pouts. We use set lines most of the time and with the large fish its easy to break it off when hand lining, but many times I got each and every hook back.
