Bit of tinkering might enhance anglers' opinions about slot limits

The benefit of slot limits to walleye populations seems beyond debate. Not many years ago, the notion of protecting fish of a certain size, measured by length, by requiring their release, was suspect, and its positive effect on a given lake's walleye numbers debatable -- if not doubted.

But all across Minnesota, from Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods to the far north, to Winnibigoshish in the north and Mille Lacs in the central part of the state, slot limits seem to benefit walleyes, and therefore anglers.

But perhaps slot limits aren't the only way to manage walleyes so they sustain themselves, and even grow, in the face of heavy angling pressure.

In fact, maybe the cost of slot limits in terms of what is commonly called release mortality (fish that die after being released) suggests another course might be worth a try.

Two cases in point: Red Lake and Mille Lacs.

Red Lake again offered world-class walleye fishing this spring, with some boats reporting catches of 100 or more fish a day, or sometimes in just a few hours. But most of these fell into the protected slot of 17 to 26 inches, and had to be released.

Example: Two friends of mine over Memorial Day weekend caught and released 81 walleyes but managed to boat only four that were less than 17 inches (one over 26 inches is also allowed).

How many of the other 77 walleyes died after being freed, despite the anglers' best efforts to safely release them? No one knows. But the answer isn't zero.

Consider Mille Lacs. Walleye fishing wasn't spectacular on the big lake this summer. But it was fair to good. Yet on Millle Lacs, as on Red Lake, catching walleyes that could be kept proved challenging. Result: Many fish were caught and released. And many died.

How significant is release mortality? No one knows. But fisheries managers say the amount, whatever it is, is outweighed by the overall benefit to a lake's walleye population of slot limits.

I'm beginning to wonder. The sad fact is that on Mille Lacs again this summer, a lot of dead walleyes floated to the surface -- the result, in most cases, of being caught and released.

Red Lake reveals yet another problem with slot limits: Because the lake is more than five hours from the Twin Cities, many anglers won't travel there if they think they might not be able to catch fish they can keep. So anglers suffer, as does the Red Lake tourism economy.

The DNR might consider as an experiment allowing anglers on some lakes to keep two walleyes of any size. Some anglers would keep fishing after catching two, continuing the likelihood of some release mortality.

But others would stop fishing once they had their two keepers, or soon thereafter -- increasing angler satisfaction, without, perhaps, adversely affecting a lake's walleye population.

Dennis Anderson • danderson@startribune.com