Outdoor News, Vol. 51, No. 08 -- Page 12By Joe Fellegy February 23, 2018Mille Lacs is setting records. No, not those released "state-record muskies." Rather, we're seeing the biggest ongoing PR disaster in the histories of Minnesota fishing, fisheries management, fishing-related economics, and our sportfishing culture. While citizen-stakeholders get labeled "anti-science" if they question [...]
Tribes ask Governor to disband MLFAC Joe Fellegy, in his Friday, November 4 Outdoor News commentary called state-tribal co-management of Mille Lacs a "destructive gale." It was a storm that "rips at the sport fishing community, with no end in sight." He stated that it is "no surprise that angler numbers and hours fell [...]
Secretly negotiated proposed settlement with Mille Lacs was strongly opposed before PERM was createdAfter reading former MN DNR Commissioner Rod Sando's editorial on Saturday July 15, Why the DNR is not Mille Lacs protesters' enemy, I am surprised that he gives PERM credit for defeating his secretly negotiated proposed settlement with the Mille Lacs [...]
Fond du Lac Band has tough year for walleye in 1854 Treaty lakes. Makes up for it in 1837 Treaty lakes, especially Mille Lacs. A story in Outdoor News today, May 12, 2017, shows that Mother Nature often creates tough odds for survival. The Fond du Lac Band was reminded of this again this [...]
Given the DNR's new Mille Lacs walleye regulations--and shutdown--for 2017, it might be time to ask the President for an Executive Order to address the situation at Mille Lacs.The new regulations came out right after my last email, where I first suggested asking for an Executive Order. As I wrote then, "Will this fix [...]
While thinking of soliciting some help with a new effort to restore Mille Lacs as Minnesota’s greatest angling destination, I thought, “Who better than working with the friends of Mille Lacs Lake?” Together we have tried to work with the State of Minnesota and tribal co-managers. We even sued the State of Minnesota. It [...]
Politics at work: Mille Lacs walleye shutdown By Steve Johnson, Johnsons Portside 8/23/2016
Joe Fellegy, in his June 3 Outdoor News commentary, challenges the importance of “hooking mortality” in the DNR’s “co-management” of Mille Lacs. He agrees that hooking mortality plays a role in walleye sport fisheries. Modern angling trends encourage more release and more interest in mortality and survival of released fish. Fellegy covered a lot [...]
Misinformation on Mille Lacs ChallengedApril 11, 2016The amount of MISINFORMATION out there about Mille lacs is AMAZING. I will start some educational posts, some that will include my opinion (of course) and some clear facts as well.Here is #1 - Mille lacs is NOT void of walleyes. Best guesstimates (DNR) would put the total [...]
The Half Truth You HearMarch 22, 2016When the media or the DNR talks about a "low" population of walleyes in Mille lacs, they do not include the estimated 900,000 walleyes of the 2013 year class, weighing in at over 600,000 lbs.Why you ask? Because they don't get applied to the BIOMASS TOTAL until they [...]