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Mille Lacs Lake Fishing (Fishing Reports, Events, Tournament Information and more) -> Open Discussion -> The Missing Fish.
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Doug Ertl


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The Missing Fish.
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its a mystery to me. 

MTT 5/21

MTT 5/22

That !!! I would say is some good fishing.

 

 



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fishnpole


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Aren't those fish the ones that the DNR has been saying aren't there?

Here's my theory:

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been surveying the WRONG LAKE.



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Bobber


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over 4 lb avg. both days???????

 

my conversations with our customers say most are catching many different year class fish! small fish on up to 28 inches! biggrin



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Bob (Bobber) Carlson

 

 

 
MCallies


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fishnpole wrote:

Aren't those fish the ones that the DNR has been saying aren't there?

Here's my theory:

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been surveying the WRONG LAKE.

I quite agree Fishnpole. There is no cure for this DNR problem!

OMG, MM!  



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Jason_N


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We had a good day of fishing.  We'd catch a 26"-28" and 10 minutes later a 16" in the same area.  I'm actually hesitant to even talk about it.  The more we say we're catching, the sooner they will close it!



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Rickster


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Exactly Jason N.  !!!!!!



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Doug Ertl


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I think they will do what they usually do. The exact opposite of what makes sense. We should be ok.


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Wall-I Student


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Jason_N wrote:

We had a good day of fishing.  We'd catch a 26"-28" and 10 minutes later a 16" in the same area.  I'm actually hesitant to even talk about it.  The more we say we're catching, the sooner they will close it!

 Really just another strange twist in this whole theater...a "catch 22"?  The more we catch, the sooner the walleye season could be shut down.  But without reports of the outstanding bite, fewer and fewer will come and there's the death knell for the businesses.  Here's a quote by Steve Kulifaj  from Red Door that was in the Messenger paper:

"Kulifaj said his resort has been lucky and they have been busy. It is not the same at every resort. Based on information from the creel surveyor and what Kulifaj has witnessed, he is estimating the pressure to be down 90 percent from last year.

doh



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Jason_N


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I can say there is a LOT less boats on the water than this time last year.  I bet traffic is down at least 60%-75%. 



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MCallies


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Jason_N wrote:

I can say there is a LOT less boats on the water than this time last year.  I bet traffic is down at least 60%-75%. 

Yes Jason, Agreed; we have seen far fewer boats in Malmo Bay and the Eastside sand areas this year than ever in recent history.  The DNR has discouraged and jinxed the fishing very well so far as they usually do....

Malmo Mike MM



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Glen Ertl


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On sunday of opener weekend, we counted 4 other boats besides on the lake, near Hunters and Picard Point... historically on this sunday, I would be among about 100 boats+ in this area on sunday morning. Pretty sad.....

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sunnydea


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Sorry, can't resist "weighing" in on this but given the fact we all cannot control those that are "in charge" so to speak, why do we continue to think that fishing walleye in this lake is ok? Seriously, catch and release is the answer? I have a place on the east side. I purposely forget things from home so I can stop in Isle or Malmo to stock up,  and spend money. So regardless of the fishing, I still frequent the businesses. My point, leave the walleyes in Mille Lacs alone, regardless of your opinions of year class. I have seen at least 2 photo/ release tournaments on the East Side since opening. Does mortality rate apply, or happen during these tournaments? I realize these guys and gals are professionals and they know how to not to gut hook a walleye, and they are trained to release fish immediately after following their tournament rules without penalty, but I gotta believe that some fish do not survive the experience of being caught by hook, pulled quickly from they domain depth, measured, photographed, kissed, then released. Go ahead, prove me wrong with some scientific data to this point. You cannot, because neither can the DNR. My ultimate point is leave the ML walleyes alone and fish a different lake or species for now. Hopefully the lake will come back in our lifetimes, and we and the nets will not abuse them and the lake again. Go ahead, weigh in on whether you agree or not. For me, my boat hull kisses other lakes this summer but my bait and groceries come from the ML businesses.



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fishnpole


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Great outlook, there, sunnydea. There are a lot of lakes to fish in the surrounding area, for sure. I think that you are underestimating the amount of fish (in all year classes) that are in Mille Lacs right now.

So are the dnr, sunny................ hmm...........

Even the creel checkers agree that there are more fish than what the roller chair boys and their "scientific data" say we have.



-- Edited by fishnpole on Tuesday 7th of June 2016 01:27:52 PM

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Doug Ertl


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Good Points Sunnydea. My 2 cents  is that i do not believe the lake is in a make or break situation. So much negative press has gone into this that a person is to get looked down on if he or she fishes the lake? I want whats best for the lake, but its tough to get my time off work and not hit my favorite lake. 



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Jon Jordan


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The missing fish are the perch, in all sizes!   I'm leaning towards this good bite is due to little or no food out there.  Well, there are 10 million walleye fry the DNR stocked.  Should hold them over for a few more weeks....no

 

-J.



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sunnydea


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Thanks guys, I am too trying to understand the madness that is our regulatory Government. Heck, they can't even pass bills in the House let alone manage this fishery.

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sunnydea...I think all parties involved, anglers, DNR, Tribal interests all agree that there is enough walleyes in the lake right now to support walleye fishing albeit C&R for state licensed anglers.  Hooking mortality has been taken into account to set the "safe allowable harvest", so theoretically whether those fish are harvested or die from hooking mortality the lake should not be further harmed regarding sustainable spawning biomass.  At least until the safe allowable quota has been met according to MN DNR.

There is a lot at stake.  I can appreciate your "buying local" (I practice the same myself)  and not fishing the lake but there are many businesses that would not have any customers if some walleye fishing was not allowed.  Many are in survival mode now because as has been mentioned previous Mille Lacs anglers/visitors are down significantly.

Jon, I've been hearing reports of good minnow and perch hatches this spring so hopefully that is on the upswing. They are cyclical but perch numbers have been on the decline not only here but in many waters across the midwest.  hmm



-- Edited by Wall-I Student on Wednesday 8th of June 2016 12:03:39 PM

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Glen Ertl


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I heard an interesting theory yesterday.. not saying it's true, but...? Anybody can see (unless your blind) that the Mille Lacs Band is buying up land/business in the area as they become available. Most is vacant, bankrupt business', as was the latest acquisition that I know about in Isle. It is being bought at values that are diminished, because of the situation (or perceived situation) of the lake at this time. A couple questions that come to mind.. why would the Band want to buy land/business that has an uncertain future ? Lets face it, they are investing in the area, look what they have stuck into Eddy's... the theory is they, along with some in our government are purposely trying to create the demise of business in the area, in order to drive down land/business value, so they can acquire at a lower price. When you think about it.. if it is not planned, it sure is working that way though. Take a map of the area/lake and put a red dot on the lands the Band has acquired the last 20 years.... then make your own decision. People who are coming to the lake are catching lots of walleyes... the ones that are not there. I asked about the creel studies and poor DNR netting results the past few years, the response, the DNR knows when and where to set nets to catch walleye and they also know when/where to set nets, to not catch walleye... makes a guy go hmmmmmmmmm at the very least. At this point, nothing would surprise me.

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Yes, those theories, suspicions have been floated around for some time.  But the Mille Lacs band (Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures) has been buying up hotels in St. Paul and beyond as well as other properties and businesses well outside of the area.  They have the money to do so and believe it or not are shrewd and smart about what they are doing.  True, they are buying more properties around the Mille Lacs area but not surprising being that's where they are from.  I would highly doubt there is any kind of conspiracy between them, the MN DNR and the government regarding misrepresented walleye population in order to drive out businesses and keep visitors away.   It is in their own best interests to bring as many visitors to the area (Casino, Eddy's Resort, etc.)  Without out that, they would lose their big cash cow!  But then again, who knows....we've all been surprised before! 



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fishnpole


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This letter is from the Mille Lacs Band's chief Melanie Benjamin:

http://millelacsband.com/2015/03/melanies-march-letter-2/

On March 20, the Band will celebrate Treaty Day, when the Supreme Court affirmed the Band’s rights under our 1837 Treaty. It is with some irony that I need to report about a difficult issue we are now having with the State of Minnesota. For the past few years, state officials have on occasion taken the position that the reservation boundary of the Band no longer exists. On February 24, I plan to get a resolution through the Tribal Executive Committee of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. The resolution will address recent statements made by Solicitor General Alan Gilbert, of the State Attorney General, in writing to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which not only threaten the existence of the Mille Lacs Reservation, but could also be viewed as threatening the reservations of several of the Bands of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. Mr. Gilbert implied that the intention of the Nelson Act of 1889 was to have only two Chippewa reservations in Minnesota, Red Lake and White Earth. We are very concerned about this matter, and Speaker Beaulieu and I have talked with Governor Dayton directly about this. On February 24, the TEC will hopefully pass a resolution supporting the existence of all the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe reservations, and noting that case law has stated that the Nelson Act had no impact on the boundaries of Chippewa Reservations.  We also plan on getting a similar resolution through the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council in early March.

 

Go to page 18: http://www.macalester.edu/academics/geography/civicengagement/iltf.pdf

 Native American tribes may reacquire reservation lands that fell out of tribal ownership in the past or tribes may attempt to acquire new lands outside of reservation areas, possibly in more advantageous locations for development (e.g., urban areas). In either situation, tribes may apply to place these lands in trust with the federal government, which produces a range of political and economic consequences for both the tribes and for state and local governments

There is ALOT of stuff going on behind closed doors here on Mille Lacs. The Band wants their original pre-1855 reservation lands back. There is a government funded program that is trying to help them do just that.

Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations

 

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The Secretary of the Interior established the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) to implement the land consolidation provisions of the Cobell Settlement Agreement. The Settlement provided for a $1.9 billion Trust Land Consolidation Fund (Fund) to consolidate fractional land interests across Indian Country.

There are approximately 150 unique reservations that have fractional interests. The Buy-Back Program allows interested individual owners to receive payments for voluntarily selling their land. All interests sold are restored to tribes, which helps to keep Indian lands in trust for tribal communities. 

The Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (formerly called the Cobell Land Consolidation Program)  is part of the $3.4 billion Indian Trust Settlement resulting from the Cobell v. Salazarclass action lawsuit. As part of the Settlement, $1.9 billion is earmarked for the Buy-Back Program in an effort to address the growing problem of fractionated ownership through the consolidation of undivided interests in Indian trust land titles.

Latest News

Deadline Approaching for Land Buy-Back Program Open Solicitation Period (2/27/14)

Interior Announces First Purchase Offers to Facilitate Cobell Land Consolidation Efforts (12/18/13)

Interior, Oglala Sioux Tribe Announce First Cooperative Agreement to Facilitate Purchase of Fractionated Land under Cobell Settlement (12/9/13)

Interior Expands Land Buy-Back Process Across Indian Country (11/8/13)

Interior Releases Valuation Plan for Land Buy-Back Program (10/29/13)

Interior’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations Launches Comprehensive Web Resource for Landowners and Tribes (8/15/13)

Interior Announces Plans for Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (12/17/12)

Interior Secretarty Salazar Announces Final Steps on Cobell Litigation and Implementation of Settlement (11/27/12)

Controversial Liens Removed from Cobell Settlement (8/15/12)
Indian Country Today Media Network article featuring ILTF and Cris Stainbrook

Important Websites

Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations
This website contains up-to-date information about consultation meetings and other news related to the program.

 

The Buy-Back Program will mail offers to landowners based on tribal acquisition priorities and other criteria. 
It is possible that the value of the interests that landowners seek to sell may exceed the reservation’s available purchase ceiling. The Program developed an approach to address this possibility, based on tribal feedback and other considerations. This approach is a hybrid of the two approaches outlined in the Initial Implementation Plan. The Program may send up to three “waves” of offers to a reservation’s landowners. 
The value of the landowners’ interests included in each wave will comprise a certain percentage of the reservation’s total purchase ceiling. Offers included in each wave will be determined by tribal acquisition priorities, level of fractionation, and percentage of tribal ownership, among other criteria. 

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of President Obama’s commitment to help strengthen Indian communities, and following nation-to-nation consultations with tribal leaders, the Department of the Interior is expanding the implementation strategy for the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program).


The move to engage a significant amount of tribal governments expands on the Department’s initial plan to launch pilot efforts with less than a dozen tribes, allows for a greater amount of engagement across Indian Country, and provides more flexibility and transparency for tribal governments. The cooperative agreements would make funds available to tribal governments to implement key aspects of the Buy-Back Program, such as owner outreach and education. Tribes have the opportunity to actively participate in the process, including identifying acquisition priorities, which will improve the program’s effectiveness and efficiency while minimizing administrative costs.

“This is a major step forward toward strengthening tribal sovereignty by supporting consolidation of tribal homelands,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “We are moving quickly to establish individualized cooperative agreements, which address the specific needs of each tribe and provide resources for tribal communities to implement the program. Although the task ahead is challenging, we have been given a historic opportunity to work together with Indian Country to meet this challenge.” 

The Mille Lacs Band spells out its agenda.

On January 14, 1989 Art Gahbow, Chief Executive Officer of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, stated "As of right now we are on the offensive. We are on the attack. To state it simply, we will take it back.... The goal is to get back the original Mille Lacs, Sandy Lake and Rice Lake Reservations. The Lake Lena area will also be expanded.... One way or the other, we will take it back.... The State of Minnesota does not understand that we are a sovereign government.... Commissioner of Natural Resources Don Wedll, I want you to have our 1837 Treaty litigation underway in the next six months.... All work hours, all business transactions, all contract negotiations will be aimed at one goal: restoration of the reservation lands.... We will not back down. We are on the attack. There is no surrender."

 



-- Edited by fishnpole on Friday 10th of June 2016 11:53:52 AM

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huntinfishinmn


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There is a lot to digest there. One thing I think is certain, there is more going on here than we know and its more than just the fish population. It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out as the summer goes on and the bite stays on.

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huntinfishinmn wrote:

One thing I think is certain, there is more going on here than we know and its more than just the fish population. 

 That is why this pair has been spotted in numerous locations around Mille Lacs.

 



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