5/2/2007

Walleye Season Opens May 5 at East Okoboji, West Okoboji and Big Spirit

SPIRIT LAKE - Walleye anglers heading to Dickinson County for the 2007 walleye opener at the Iowa Great Lakes will have a lot of work to do to match the tremendous harvest from 2006. The 2006 walleye harvest was the highest since 1984.

The majority of the 2006 walleye harvest was from the 2001 year class that finally grew to the 14-inch minimum length limit. That huge class with a lot of mouths to feed took nearly six years to reach the minimum length to harvest a fish.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Mike Hawkins said these huge year classes happen when a number of factors come together. "Mother Nature does that to us on these [Iowa] Great Lakes when the food, water and environmental factors all come together. It is not just these lakes, but it happens in the region," Hawkins said.

In years when year classes are smaller, fisheries management takes steps to fill in the gaps with stocking. In 2007, walleye anglers will see a new tool meant to improve fishing; a change in the walleye slot limit. The new regulation makes all walleyes from 17 to 22 inches protected from harvest, and removes the 14-inch minimum length limit. Anglers are still allowed three fish for a daily bag limit and six fish in possession. One walleye over 22 inches may be kept. The new slot is also in place at Storm Lake in Buena Vista County.

The reason behind the new protected slot is to improve the walleye catch rate, increase the number of broodstock size fish in the lakes, and to increase the harvest of smaller fish. "Shifting harvest to smaller fish reduces numbers and increases growth," Hawkins said. Assuming anglers can have enough pressure on the fish population to have the desired effect.

"During times when we have huge year classes, anglers harvesting small slow growing walleyes will help to improve growth rates and improve the size structure of the population," he said.

The new slot limit was designed using models that use growth rates, population numbers, harvest data and other factors from these lakes to simulate fish populations under different regulation scenarios. The 17-to 22-inch limit showed the best results for the Iowa Great Lakes.

"It's not at all guess work. There is a lot of science that goes into new regulations. With all models though, there are assumptions and we will be monitoring the regulation to make sure it is having the desired outcome. If we see any adverse impacts we can adjust the regulation as needed," Hawkins said.

How have the anglers responded? "By far we have had great feedback on the new slot from anglers. There is some concern about the harvest of too many small fish and we will watch that closely, but overall it has been very positive," he said.

Walleye Season Opens May 5
Walleye season opens at 12 a.m., May 5 at East Okoboji, West Okoboji and Big Spirit Lakes It appears anglers will need more sunscreen and raingear than sweatshirts and snowsuits with the early forecast calling for temperatures in the 70s with a chance of thunderstorms.

How will the walleye fishing be?
"It's tough to predict," said Mike Hawkins, fisheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at Spirit Lake. The 2001 year class of walleyes is moving close to the 17-to 22-inch protect slot. "There should be some good angling out there, whether or not a lot walleyes outside the new slot will be caught, we'll have to wait and see."

For more information, contact Hawkins at 712-336-1840.