if there was natural reproduction or the state wanted a limit, there would be a limit, untill they quit stocking 13million or so fry, there won't and isn't a problem. many people have no problem going out and catching larger eyes from mosquito. If people catch bigger fish at other lakes, then they should fish there. if there isn't a problem, why fix it? it has worked for well over 20 years now and seems to be going quite strong.what lakes and where were you catching these large limits? please post some pictures, give ME a reason to want change...

 

I'm sick and tired of seeing guys coming off the water showing off stringers of walleyes that are less than a foot long.

I know that there is no minimum size on the walleye in skeeter, but if you look at the areas that do have minimums, the size is 15 inches.

There is not a problem, If people dont keep them there will be a serouis problem and it will be overcome by walleye

And you know what? Its easier to catch larger fish at those places.

Really Where are these places??

Also, the limit is 6. I'm seeing pictures up on the internet and in bait stores of one guy holding 7 or 8!

Ever here of not fishing alone??

it seems like a better bet anymore to go out and get a mess of catfish at mosquito than to get some walleye.

Do it stop complaining

Some may say that they are catching legal fish, and you know what? You're right, you are. But wouldn't it be fun to catch bigger fish?

Some people fish for food ya no and not just for fun

Get your facts straight man, Mosquito has no problem....
Small wallleye are better then no walleye and there are some big ones in there.


Dont go P.E.T.A on us.....

 

Crum, I agree that their should be limits as long as it's researched correctly, but I don't feel the your values are better than mine or anybody else's because you keep a self-imposed 15" or larger on walleye.

I usually fish for lg.bass and am well acclimated to catch and release, but I have to agree w/ Johnboy's comment on state control and can't fault the persons because I can relate due to the following:

He or she goes out of their way (we all don't live at Mosquito) to get to a lake. Spends an obsurd amount of money for this great sport. Get's skunked more times than not, only to finally catch enough for a meal on a day. It's probably okay to forget that walleye is not a yellow perch and crappie is not bluegill for a day, however who really cares as long as it's legal? There are people littering the shoreline and poaching all the time and are a higher priority in my book. Just my 02.

 

it would be nice to see at least a 10 inch limit there.

liquidsoap
well put and funny all at the same time

 

I'm for a size limit on Mosquito eyes, if it will improve the average size.

 

about fish in a put and take lake?I've been fishing squito for over 20 years and some people still dont get the concept of put and take. I can remember when the limit was 10 and people would bring their 4 kids with them and take 50 eyes. You know what, they would just restock it with more fish. Never hurt the eye population then or now. 6 fish limit now and guys are still bringing their kids and taking limits home. No problem with the state, no problem for me.

 

Its obvious that the people taking offense to this thread are the ones that I am talking about. If it trips your trigger to catch and eat small fish, do it. Just get used to catching and eating small fish. If there were a size limit, those guys littering the shorelines would be getting limits of bigger fish, not cigars. You want a place with bigger fish? pymatuming. the mahoning river. erie. I know erie is hardly comparable, but the limits work there. As for the people fishing for food deal, I don't fish for anything that I wont eat, and imposing a size limit would give those people bigger fish. There is definately not a problem with overcrowding of eyes in skeeter, so don't even try that one. I don't expect everyone to not keep fish, but it doesn't hurt to throw the small ones back. If you have three eyes that are 17 inches, how much more meat are you going to get from a 9 incher? And yes, I have heard of fishing alone, do it all the time, but when the picture says "cletus caught these of the causeway" that leads me to believe that he was the only one.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f218/wish4fish/5.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>Look at those fish. Why keep those?

 

Crum,
While I agree that those that keep walleye under 15 or 16 inches are indeed apparently desperate and certainly pathetic-the more enlightened bureaus in Minnesota and Canada long ago adopted and strictly enforce strict size limits that have overwhelmingly succeeded in helping the fisheries-I do disagree with you on one point.
Pound-for-pound, nothing in freshwater fights a meeker "fight" than a walleye.Let's be honest.Therefore, I agree with many of those in Canada who have come to acknowledge and promote the walleye as "king of the panfish", as regards both their size and desire as a food fish.
Sounds a lot better than "lamest of the sportfish," which honest anglers will always have to concede as long as there are those that still comically maintain the walleye somehow qualifies as a sportfish.
Compared to what?

 

I believe i read that people are keeping small eyes there. Isn't there a size limit there? Why aren't MORE people here, posting and complaining about that illegal activity? Why are so many people getting away with keeping small eyes there? When i fish Pymy in the spring, there's always a game warden checking everybody at the ramps. Why not there? Don't they care? Do you guys catch bigger eyes at Berlin than Pymy? I hear the numbers are down at Pymy. Is that due to people keeping small fish. I know, lot of questions but i would like to hear some serious answers.... if possible.

 

No, there is no size limit on skeeter, and there should be. And like you said, they should check when there is a limit. Its funny that candians call walleye the king of panfish. I would like to see the size pan that a 28 inch walleye can fit into!

 

I believe i read that people are keeping small eyes there. Isn't there a size limit there? Why aren't MORE people here, posting and complaining about that illegal activity? Why are so many people getting away with keeping small eyes there? When i fish Pymy in the spring, there's always a game warden checking everybody at the ramps. Why not there? Don't they care? Do you guys catch bigger eyes at Berlin than Pymy? I hear the numbers are down at Pymy. Is that due to people keeping small fish. I know, lot of questions but i would like to hear some serious answers.... if possible.

There is no size limit there.....
Sorry crum, didnt mean to offend you in any way... I dont agree with keeping the real small ones either but alot of people eat the small ones almost exclusivley... When ice season was around we caught a few dinkies maybe 8" and we traded them to people for 14 or 15 inchers....

I have no problem with how it is now, do i think it is wrong keeping a 9" walleye yes.

But do I feel changing the regs will improve Mosquito's fisherie, absolutley not

My view still stays the same
More walleye=More population=Stunted fish.....

 

Crum...I don't think you read Chaunc' last post correctly. I do believe he was referring to checking the limits at the ramp at Berlin. Many eyes caught there are 14 and 1/2 or 3/4 inch. Anyhow, if you don't get rid of some smaller ones, you'll likely have an abundance of smaller ones!! I've kept 13 and 14 inchers before, but no, I've never kept any of those 9,10 inchers!!

 

I don't know if this has the same effect with walleye, But according to infisherman magazine, harvesting smaller fish within legal minimum size limit actually is better for the fishery. By keeping the smaller fish for eating, and releasing the larger, brood fish ie. Big female, the chances of catching larger fish improves. Too many small fish means more competition for food by upsetting the balance of predator/prey ratio. too much prey, and not enough predator fish is a good recipe for smaller sizes overall. Infisherman admitted that they had to rethink their original point of view after researching this. In southern waters, many anglers are being encouraged to keep more of the smaller bass, and other gamefishes they catch, to alleviate this problem. Perhaps the reason for the small sizes at mosquito is due to the thousands of walleye stocked in the lake every year, having to compete with ever increasing smaller fish for food. Or previous year walleye classes whose growth rates are slow because of all of the competition for food with smaller fish.

 

Well, the lakes that have had the biggest decline, as far as harvesting Walleyes, are the MOST regulated lakes, Berlin and Pymatuning. I have always believed that Ohio had great fishing, because of the LACK of regulations. Leave Mosquito alone, in my opinion. Just a few short years ago, the limit was 10, now it is 6. I donot think that change, helped at all.
I have fished Mosquito since 1960, it is fine, and if it is left alone, it will be fine in the future. It is a put and take lake, and as long as the state puts, fishers will take. OH, I CAUGHT A 22" Walleye trolling this morning, plus 5 other nice ones. :T

 

Happy to disagree,
The walleye is a meathunter's dinner. Legal size limits are what they are.

 

Lets see I am 58 and as long as I remember this debate has raged on and on. I enforce a personal 15 inch limit on myself. That is my choice and makes me no better or no worse than anyone else. Walleye are Ohios glamour fish and probably always will be. Let me cite a few examples.

Back in the seventies , buddy of mine brings in 5 LM bass and 1 SM bass all fish between 4-5 LB. This is in Ohios campground @ Pymatuning. Crowd of guys around buddy opine that they are real nice fish and really nice stringer. Little other interest is shown. I wander in with my two 16 " and two 18 " walleye and this mini-crowd is all over me. What you get them on, where at , how deep etc etc ? I take picture of his bass and he releases. We fry walleye up and eat them. I confessed to him his stringer was one of a hell lot more impressive to me anyway.

Tell anyone you caught X number of 13 inch , perch . crappie or any other fish and they will show little interest. Now tell same people you caught a limit of walleyes and boom you are the star. Hence that is why walleye are more readily sought for the impression factor. Usually size is not even mentioned the fact that they are walleye is impressive enough.

Oldest son almost got me in a fight with four drunks at state park launch at Mosquito when he was 14. These four guys were parading around the docks showing everyone they're limits ( 10 then ) of 11" to 13 " walleyes. I was busy getting my boat on trailer when these guys asked my son " How you all do out there ? " Son told him we did rather well on the crappie. Guy snorted and said to my son no real fish like these walleyes huh. Son replies yeah we got some walleye but what you got aren't walleyes they are cigars. Son then shows him a 22" walleye from our cooler. Then to rub it in son says if we kept that size we would have already been home. Ever since he was five he always heard me call small walleyes that and cuss them out for running me short on bait. Guy takes offense at my 14 year old opinion and wants to smack him. I explain to drunk how that would be a REAL bad idea and usher my son to truck. I then offer to take my sons place if he still desires to smack someone. Also tell him I hope he has excellent health care cause if he does smack me he is going to need it desperately. While he was sorting it out in his alcoholic fuzzy I got in truck and drove off. Also lectured son on keeping his opinions to himself.

Personally it does bother me to see people keeping walleye smaller than the crappies I am keeping. But I make no big issue of it. People keep or release fish as their personal taste or local laws permit. I eat the fish I keep but I would not call it fishing for food. Just what I spend on icefishing tackle each year would proabaly keep my freezer filled with prime beef.

 

to me different kinds of fish taste better to me that arnt huge if you know what i mean fish is fish if there going to good use and your eating them and not killing them for gigles then heck with it if they stay within the law then there should be no problem me i dont have to worry about the size becuase i never catch any walleye lol o well but good debate fellas

 

The state should just stop stocking walleye in skeeter! The lake will never be a really good walleye fishery, what the lake is and always will be a excellent crappie fishery. The lake is polluted with those darn cigars! I think the abundancy of crappie in that lake has something to do with the small average size of walleyes in mosquito. Lets face it, the two species compete for food. You could be out on skeeter trollin with large cranks and 8 inch rapalas and still put more 15in. slab crappie in the cooler than walleye. The lake is what it is, a great crappie lake. If I want walleye, I go to the big pond up north, so I have no problem with anyone takin those cigars. It will only lead to bigger crappie and consequently the walleye that are in the lake now will get bigger. :B

 

I did a net survey out there last year with the ODNR and let me tell you, there is no shortage of big fish out there.

 

amen fisherman, I have seen the nets in the spring

 

I wish they would take some of the 13 million fry and spread them around to other lakes myself. And I also think the state should consider slot limits.

 

Papaperch, Bravo to you and your son !

 

I'm just glad to live in america where people can arque weather a law is wrong or not and am only suprised that more bitch and do nothing when you can legally change it here. There seems to be so much passion and so little acting on either side. My self I like my walleye 18-22 inches but have no quarrel with you eating a 6 incher if the law says you can. Keep more than your allowed and break the law and i'll be the first to turn you in. Like it or not thats the way it is. But hey go ahead this does make good reading.

 

about fish in a put and take lake?I've been fishing squito for over 20 years and some people still dont get the concept of put and take. I can remember when the limit was 10 and people would bring their 4 kids with them and take 50 eyes. You know what, they would just restock it with more fish. Never hurt the eye population then or now. 6 fish limit now and guys are still bringing their kids and taking limits home. No problem with the state, no problem for me.

they restock it with smaller eyes

 

they restock it with smaller eyes

And the cycle continues. Put more in, take more out. What's your point?