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I hit Red Fleet again yesterday I just can't help it, it is my favorite water. Fish are still small but I kept a meal of yellow perch. I guess I can't expect much growth since the last time I went, just a week ago Lol!! I had not really targeted the Walleye yet, i have heard they were still pretty small, so I headed out to find out first hand about 5pm and stayed out till about 9pm. Caught about 8 Walleye biggest one was about 13 inches. They got was growing to do before I will get very interested but hopefully next year will bring bigger fish. Also caught a half dozen Wipers biggest was around 15 inches and boy they fight. I released everything except the yellow perch my son is addicted to eating them, there may be a better eating fish than them but I can't tell you what that would be.
Sorry for the lack of pictures I will start to do better, it is extremely hard for me be put down a pole and take pictures, they should have a pill for that ailment.
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Very shortly, it would be great to live close to Red Fleet. I just spent some time reviewing the stocking reports and even though the stocking report doesn't show it, they must have been able to follow through with their plan to get the perch planted in the spring of 2016. It is crazy to read the variety of fish that they have planted into one reservoir.
Wait until those wipers get to be around 20 inches and then you will experience the excitement of catching a nice wiper.
I need to plan a camping trip out there next year, or so, to experience Red Fleet in person.
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It would nice to have a fellow BFT er out my way. I have heard of 21 inch wipers being caught this year but I think that is a fish story because I have caught 20 wipers or so and have seen nothing over 15. I have also not seen a Walleye over the 12 inch range but I am having dreams about next year. The great thing about Red Fleet is it does not see the fishing pressure that Willard sees so my hope is that good quality along with quantity can be sustained. Only time will tell but it is looking real good so far.
One species that has all ready been introduced by a bucket biologist is Bluegill which the DNR did not want introduced. I really don't understand people sometimes, they need to give the DNR a chance to develop a fishery without interference. Hopefully the wipers and Walleye can keep them in check.
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I am also strongly opposed to the bucket biologists planting anything, but curious what harm bluegill will do? As far as fun to catch goes, I will take bluegill any day of the week over perch.
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You wouldn't think Bluegill would cause any harm. I asked the DWR why they just wouldn't put the Bluegill from Steineker into Red Fleet and they said they didn't want to introduce any more species. My thought they are all ready there what could it harm? I was thinking they could be another forege fish to feed our Wipers and Walleyes, and grow some chunks.
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They will also feed the bass.
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When we planned the species list to restock Red Fleet we left bluegill off the list because, although they did really well in there previously, they never really grew to a worthwhile size. In all the gazillion bluegill I've caught out of there, I rarely caught one worthy of a fillet knife. We wanted to try different species, perch, crappie, wiper, etc., to see if they would provide better sporting opportunities. One problem is forage. Red fleet isn't super productive in invertebrates that the panfish need. Hopefully all these fish can find enough forage so they can grow and make Red Fleet a worthwhile fishery again. One thing I can't figure out is with literally millions of perch and crappie fry in there, how come the walleye aren't growing? They should be fat and growing like crazy. A 12" walleye can easily eat a 4" perch.
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[quote fish_fanatic]
It would nice to have a fellow BFT er out my way.
[/quote]
fishnate is out there and there are a few others.
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Good to know maybe next year for the Catfish contest to could have a Team East lol.
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I really expected the Walleye to have grown at a much faster rate like the Wiper have but they haven't. I guess we will have to wait until next year for them. I caught a Bluegill on my last trip to Red Fleet that ran into a filet knife. It wasn't a monster but decent and fit right in with the yellow perch. The species in Red Fleet that I am most excited about are the Walleye, Wiper and the Yellow Perch the latter maybe being my favorite eating fish of them all. The Walleye is my overall favorite fish but with my recent intro to Wipers I may have to rethink that.
Overall I really like what they have done with Red Fleet maybe we can get together one of these days for a day of fishing.
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