An example report

[dubob]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Here is the type of research I’m talking about. I sat at my computer for about an hour looking at different reports concerning the impact of walleye fishing during the walleye spawn. I liked this article because it covered different aspects to include closures during the spawn, snagging concerns, and probable impacts based on data collection analysis. Now Nebraska isn’t Utah; I understand that. But there are enough similarities to assume the results would be valid here.[/#800000][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I did find some reports that also had differing opinions but I’ll leave those to you to find and report about should you care to do so. Overall, I still have no opinion, one way or the other, as to whether or not the input channel should, or should not, be closed. However, I do have an opinion about those low-lives’s that willfully SNAG and KEEP any game fish. Unfortunately, BFT doesn’t allow the use of language strong enough to describe my true feelings in this regard.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Any who, here is the 2007 report from the Nebraska:[/#800000][/font]

First of all, the walleye spawn in Nebraska waters is around the first of April. I believe that photoperiod or the day length is one of the primary cues that prompts walleye spawning in our reservoirs. Therefore the spawn occurs near the same time every year. Sure there will be some variation from one water body to another, from one year to another depending on weather and water conditions, but a real good bet is that the walleyes will be spawning or very near spawning near April 1 in most Nebraska waters. McConaughy, probably because it is our largest reservoir, tends to be a little later than that, but that would be the only water body that I would consider to be much of an exception to the April 1 "rule of thumb".

We have not closed the season for walleye fishing during the walleye spawn because biologically there is no reason to do so. We have never seen any evidence that fishing during this period has any negative impact on walleye populations. Let me bore you with some data to back up what I have just said. In 1992 we collected walleye eggs for our hatchery production from Harlan County Reservoir. In that year we also had an angler survey on the reservoir (which included surveying anglers during the night during the walleye spawn) and we estimated the actual numbers of walleyes in Harlan. Using all of this data I calculated that the walleye population in Harlan produced 1 billion eggs that spring. Now if every female that anglers harvested during the spawn was full of eggs, I estimated that anglers removed 2% of the total egg production. In our egg collections that spring, we removed 4% of the total egg production. So 94% of the 1 billion eggs produced by the walleye population in Harlan County Reservoir in 1992 were spawned. That was more than enough eggs to maintain that population, and as a matter of fact, Harlan is probably fished as hard as any reservoir in the state during the walleye spawn and the walleye population there is maintained by natural reproduction.

Since fish produce such a large number of eggs, an 8-pound female walleye would produce around 200,000, it takes only a handful of adults to maintain a population. In fact in walleye populations the maximum production of young walleyes usually occurs when there are low to intermediate densities of adults. At high adult densities walleye recruitment is usually reduced. This occurs because of competition between adult and young walleye or because of cannibalism (i.e. adult walleyes eating young walleyes). Therefore, you do not need to protect the maximum number of adults in order to have good recruitment.

If we needed to protect female walleyes in any reservoir, we could protect more fish by closing the season during May and June than we would protect by closing the season during the spawn. Angler surveys on reservoirs across the state have consistently shown that more walleyes, including more large, female walleyes are caught during the months of May and June than during the
March-April spawn period. I have always said we could protect more females by closing the walleye fishing season during Memorial Day weekend than we could protect by closing the season during the month of April. I am sure nobody would go along with a Memorial Day closure. May I also point out that a female walleye removed in July or October will not produce any more young walleyes than a female removed in April. If you want to protect large, female walleyes, those fish should be released year-round not just during the spawn period.

We have dam closures in effect on two reservoirs in the state--Sherman and Minatare. Neither one of these closures were enacted because they were necessary to protect the walleye populations in those two reservoirs. Both closures were enacted because of illegal activity--snagging and dip-netting--that was
occurring after dark while guys were fishing for spawning walleyes. Since snagging and dip-netting are already illegal activities, I would much prefer that we enforce those laws before taking the extreme stance of closing the dam to all fishing. Nobody is talking about closing the interstate just because a few people are speeding. Many anglers like yourself like to fish for walleyes during the spawn period, and as long as fishing is not harming the population, we would like anglers to have as many opportunities to fish as possible.

I hope you can understand these reasons why we have chosen not to close the dams on more reservoirs during the walleye spawn. If you have more questions or comments, I would be glad to discuss them with you.

Daryl Bauer
Lakes and Reservoirs Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission

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