Hey, good morning. Welcome to midday eye Minnesota Public Radio for Thursday May 7th. 1998. Gary acting is way. I'm. Fanelli. Thanks for joining us today will shortly after midnight on Saturday Minnesota's Inland fishing season opens and runs through mid February of next year in that time countless numbers of people will spend countless hours baiting hooks casting lines and really didn't walleyes northern pike another fish at least they hope to catching the big one or any size for most Anglers is what it's all about. So today, we're going to open up the phone lines and offer you the chance to get some last-minute advice from what a Minnesota's most Avid fishing Enthusiast check Meijer Meijer is a professor of humanities and Natural Sciences at Metro State University in St. Paul. He is the author of two fishing Booksy wrote them with L Lindner another a well-known fishing Enthusiast and I am told that she s going to be teaching a summer course this summer this summer in August at Metro State University on fishing, so he's well qualified.Seth Meyers, thanks for coming by today. Nice to be here. Thanks. The phone numbers you need to know for any fishing related questions or comments up tips are welcome. Of course, we'd like to hear from you 2276 thousand in the Twin Cities to 276 thousand outside the metro area. The toll-free number is 1 800-242-2828. 1 800-242-2828. No question is what we accept them all I'm a I'm a novice fisherman and I'll be interested in hearing just about anything that you have to ask and any comments and chat will certainly get you squared away. If you have any questions, so feel free to call him with anything on your mind today regarding fishing to 276 thousand in the Twin Cities one 802-422-8281 note before we get started every year the states the governor goes to a lake on opening day Gunner Carlson has one more chance to break his string of bad luck with fishing openers. Carlson hasn't caught a fish in his seventh Rises governor on opening day.He makes his final attempt in Red Wing on Saturday. So check the governor where to give you a call in and ask you I haven't caught a fish in 7 tried. What should I do? What would you tell him? He's going to read some people are snake bit. I can't necessarily anything he's doing it's just ready to matter. Let's just say that we were talking kind of the novice hear you're you're on a boat your beauty may be an unfamiliar lake or at least an unfamiliar area of a lake your kind of an odd what kinds of things should you should you do? First of all the credit increase your chances of catching a fish if you're in that situation specifics, so if you're just going fishing for fish, you're probably not going to do too well bass live in different parts of the lake the northern pike do than walleyes generally than bluegills are crappies. They are active.Different times of the year, they spawn a different times usually in a spring but most people that are going fishing for fish are going to do all cuz they haven't targeted to fish when when you see a man hunting or a woman hunting in the fall. You don't ask them and ask them. What are they hunting for? They don't say whatever is moving, but if you see people fishing you say, what are you fishing for? And they say whatever is biting. It's a pretty good tip that they're not going to do too well happen. So you do get Target of species. You target a bass you target walleye Target Northerns and you learn something about that particular Critter and then you go after them. How do you go about that Jimmy? Do you have to do a lot of heavy research or is there other books available or there's there's all kinds of good books are good magazines. The fishing industries is huge mega bucks, but nothing replaces time on the water. You just need to get out on the water. I would say the best thing to do is to go fishing with a person who knows who knows what they're doing and learn from them. Nothing succeeds like success and if you watch other people yourYou're much more likely to do. Well then then just going out and flailing away on your own. How about the time of day? It seems like people say you have to do it early morning or late at night. It doesn't that mean is it doesn't make a difference what time of the day that you fish or can you really fish anytime and and take your chances? Most people don't have the luxury of that. Most people fish when they can fish. Yes early morning is very good. And and most people don't get out early enough when you're talking about early morning particularly in Clearwater Lakes when the fish are shallow to generally live shower because they've been active at night many species are active at night. You want to get out before sunrise and most people think of early is it getting out of 7 rated? Well, the sun's been up for a couple hours by then. So you really do need to get out early for that type of fishing and the same is true at night some fish do feed throughout the night are walleyes are very active at night again fish that live in veryClear water lakes are tend to be more active at night. Then they do during the day. He likes on the other hand. I live by Lake of the Isles. And now you can go fishing on Lake of the Isles all night long and you wouldn't catch anything in the summer because it's so murky that the fist you're just you're not acting you could go over to Lake Calhoun, which is Juno connected to a tile to catch fish at night probably so a lot depends on the particular like that. You're for sure but I mean how about the middle of the day regardless where you are kind of kind of off-limits if you really broadcast? No, not at all. There is such a thing as a Solunar tables, which Anglers are aware of which predict activity levels based on the patterns of the moon in the location of the Moon and they do have some veracity. There's some truth to them. It's not just old wives tales as it were so you can you can find good fishing today might be an excellent day to be if it was open because it's overcast a little overcast a little rain a little wind trap and you could have good fishing right in the middle of the day. So time of day time it isAn early important but you go fishing when you can go fishing if you're going fishing in the middle of the afternoon, and it's Crystal Clear Lake and it's very sunny and it's flat, You probably not going to do well to follow up on the end of the whole weather thing and it seems like no matter what subject for talking about. We have to mention El Nino and the affected its head when it's when it's something weather-related. It's pretty well-known fact that an early spring this year has been a Warren spring in general overall the the effect of El Nino this year in the fishing is it has had a significant impact. I think it's we're probably going to have a better opener than we've had in a number of years because the ice went out of the very very early date on most lakes in the state. I just called the DNR in in Aiken up by Mille Lacs just yesterday and they had a very very early Iced Out the walleyes respondingOr on the 10th of April that's pretty early. Usually when the season opens the wall. I said just finished morning and after fishing spawn, they're not very active. They need two or three weeks to recuperate the bishop had a couple weeks to recuperate. So I expect at the fish will be more active. I was warmer water temperatures in with a spawning done particularly for Northerns and for walleyes. I expected it could be a good opener. People are not going to find fish where they traditionally found them. They will be in different location because fish to move around and with the El Nino going back a few months did it did it has affected to the mild winter does it does have an effect on with the situation don't know. I can't really answer that. I don't imagine the mild winter due to probably the effect of the mild winter would be that there would not be that many likes Ritter was winner killed but those are small percentage of shallow lakes in Minnesota. I think the most important thing is that we had an early spring that's been a warm spring and that the water temperature is much warmer than it usually is when anger Squad opening day.We are talking about the fishing today with the fishing opener or shortly after midnight on Saturday. If you have any questions or comments for Chet Myers our resident fishing enthusiasts and author of some books on fishing in and like I said a fishing Enthusiast give us a call to 276 dollars in the Twin Cities to 276 thousand or toll-free 1-800 +242-282-812-4228 to wait any question or comment welcome or you're probably have some good stories and is always give us a call. Let me fill good morning. Thank you, but I'm concerned about the stories. I hear it at their difficult on your tackle and their lack of stretch. Thank you, and I'll listen on the radio.Well, you cheer The Tackle manufacturers are going to find something new to sell people in the past. It's been lures with scent and a sound color detectors oxygen detectors like meters and all that. And now I want the new thing is these know these lines that do not stretch much the advantage of that obviously is a juror in much closer contact with the fish when it strikes. I I've only fished them myself once or twice. So I'm not an expert on this my experience with him. Is that your it's a very very sensitive lines have your fishing a jig with with these new spider wires or some of the new non scratch lines as soon as the fish touches that you were to contact with it and that's that's exciting. You connect to quickly hit something you can snatch it away from I have heard stories from people who use it about problems with not strength, but I really haven't had that much personal experience with the lines other than to say I would I think for casting baitcasting tackleWhere they don't or you're making long cast and when you set the hook, you're really going to be in contact with a fish. That's the great Advantage. If you take a piece of monofilament and stretch it out the length of the casting and what it down and have somebody walk with it how you will you can walk about three or four feet from the other person before that person actually feel the pool. I mean it because there is like a rubber band with these new lines you pull on it and boy, it's it's right there. So the great advantages that you're in better contact with a bottom you better contact with a bottom you can sense if it's a gravel bottom of its ass and bottom in the mud bottom. You can really sense the nature of the bottom. And as soon as the fish strikes you you can set the hook in and you know, you got, you know, you're in contact. I was out with a guy one day. It was teaching me how to fish this new line and he had 10 bite us that day on Northern Pike now, I don't know if that's just bad luck with that particular day or what but I would say give it a try.Technology new technology. Do you think what we think about that is it that we seen a lot of the new stuff the stuff that really, you know will help Fisher people and is in the kiss underwater can that we've heard so much about some of it just kind of really overwhelming and in like a big marketing thing or an end. They're out to sell stuff as I said nothing replaces time on the water and nothing replaces the experience that the born out of studying the creature and understanding how creature X you can have a bass boat equipped with Soup To Nuts for five $10,000 and I can catch more fish with a cane pole because I know where the fish are and what they're doing. If you don't know what you're doing all that equipment doesn't mean anything. If you do know what you're doing. The equipment can make a big difference. What was this underwater cam basic and I know it didn't pass was not even in effect, but we've for people for a lot about underwater camera fishing Electronics another step four.In the fifties depth finders analysis of 50s. The depth finder was introduced and it was a was a flasher unit which is a sonar unit which indicated the bottom depth and you could also see weeds trees and sometimes see Fish indicator on but all you saw was a little blip. That was replaced about 10 years ago or more buy a graphing unit and the graphing unit much more clearly visualize the bottom content the weeds and actually showed the fish fish showed up as a little hooker flip one on the screen. So you that's another step further that the fishing cameras just taking it that much closer to me putting it down in you're actually seeing the fish. Now that the product I'm not that worried about the fishing camera what it's going to do. I don't think it's going to destroy fishing because when fish are active I'll do just a mere nothing makes any difference. I think it'd be fun to look at fish and people who had a fishing camera probably wouldn't fishes much I would imagine I would I be doing this be watching the test and see what they're doing. You also have to realize it water Clarity varies quite a bit in a lot of Minnesota lakes in the summer get quite murky and you know your water camera or so, but it's not going to see your long-distance in a crystal clear like it it might be very helpful to see fish, but I'm not worried about it as it is a thing that's going to destroy fishing or increase the Passing rate of fishermen. I think a lot of people will spend more time watching the fishing just enjoying and that'll be fun. That's what I'd like to do with it. We're talking about fishing today with Chet Myers author of a couple of books on fishing. And if you have any questions or comments for check give us a call to 276 dollars in the Twin Cities the metro area number 227-6002 toll free number is one. 800-242-2828 Mary from White Bear Lake. Go ahead in general. The equality of there is a book Put on Mary by the Minnesota Department of Health, which you can get free of charge. I'll give you the phone number. It's 215-0950 and I can't go through the books quite extensive about all the different bodies of water are usually in the st. Croix in the Mississippi the fish. Are not as good to eat as they are in some of our Lakes because of all the chemicals but it depends on how far Downstream Merced have to know exactly where you're talking about fish above Brainerd on the Mississippi River pretty good to eat a pretty healthy to eat fish down below Saint Anthony Falls are not that that good to eat. And again, it's a question of pcbs and mercury and a surprising you would think that the Boundary Waters would be Crystal me another wonderful life. They have a lot of mercury problems up there. So what I would suggest to be getting a copy of the book and looking at it, there is an advisory for a number of meals. You should eat per week per month or not at all and is in the advisory is is a little more sensitive to two women were pregnant pregnancy. It was at working as the bwca is at the acid rain nor do we do it in all the work we still don't really understand what's happening with there's a theory that that's gaining a lot of credibility than Mercury is Airborne. Father that are born from incinerators of coal-burning plants because there is some precipitation of work you got from that process. It might be and I've heard this Venture forth by some natural scientist that the acid rain is is the increasing acidity is having an effect on Mercury that is bound up in rock compound is releasing the Mercury from that but I don't know that there's been any studies on that best guess right now is it it's airborne and that's why coal-burning and garbage burning plants are so I can be so detrimental to make a the New Bern. Let's take it to a couple minutes to talk about maybe some possible new rules regulations, especially for people who have been fishing a long time at any notable changes that people should be aware of this year. I know there's been some changes to Lake Milacs that particular which of course is kind of known as the premier walleye lake in the state. Maybe we can talk a little bit about some notable changes. I believe it starts at 1 in the morning No, not tonight. I think it starts at 12:01 Saturday morning until lately lately Friday night. Okay, but there is the opener for trout was April 18th. That's already gone. The walleye and Northern Pike opener is May 9th. The bass opener except in Northern stretches of the state is May 23rd. And then there's a muskie of. So you see we really have for openers panfish are open all year round that the changes on Milacs and there's been quite a debate in the DNR did involve some Roundtable discussions with Anglers & Resort owners up there and they've decided that the way they want to handle it is to have a 15in minimum on walleye which means that any walleyes less than 15 inches would have to be released. Now you can still keep 6. The other option was to reduce the bag limit from 6 to 3 or 6 to 4, but you can still keep 6 walleyes with a minimum of 15 in but only one. Over 20 in so you're really sort of talking about us what they call a slot limit between 15 and 20 in is what you can keep with one fish over 20 in also the night fishing for walleyes are very very vulnerable tonight fishing early in the season because they're shallow. There will be night fishing. I understand the first this weekend May 9th and 10th, but from May 11th through June 8th, there will be no night fishing on Mille Lacs and the other change which is fix one species Statewide is smallmouth bass. And now there will be only catch and release fishing for Smallmouth bass after September 14th. So after September 14th, if you're fishing small want to go let him go and grab I wanted to ask it was reading that there's some suggestion that there it is possible. They could have to close Lake Milacs this year if if the fishing go so well that they they take the limit is that I've heard about that and you do you get the sense that we've reached. I don't think that's going to happen. I wouldn't worry about it. And I'm not that worried about I mean the the Agreement has been reached with a tribe is it seems to me to be fair? The DNR managed is it the black stripe has their own conservation officers? They're very much in touch with that. So I'm not worried about that the health of Malak cycle. I wish we gone. I mean just politically spy wish we'd gone with the original deal which was back in 1992. The Mille Lacs band had agreed to settle for 4.5% of the lake and people didn't like that and they fought it and they ended up getting 50% like so I think if we had struck the original deal back in 1992, it would have been much we will even the limit it isn't suppose. You don't think we'll reach that if if if is all predictions are as he's like, the fishing was very good this year. Well water temperature gauge class and what we're hoping it's going to happen this year cuz I just as I said, I just talked to Rick brusewitz who's at the Aiken office. They're expecting there to be a really good hatchimal eyes because he we've had this nice spring Affair at Optimum conditions for Warming and for the baby while ice to hatch and we haven't had any snow storms come through or any wind storms running cold blue northers as we used to call him. And so that means a lot of baby walleyes are going to be hatching this year. If everything we've got our fingers crossed that if everything goes well, we could have a bumper crop of walleyes hatching this year. And that means that for years from now cuz it takes about four years to produce a 15 inch walleye. So saying gosh that early 2000s men's 2002. We could have some really good good walleye fishing on Mille Lacs. Meyers Our Guest today. We're talking about fishing the number the Twin Cities with your questions or comments to 276 thousand to 276 thousand the toll-free number one. 800-242-2828 Terry from snellman. Go ahead. I'm calling from that the beautiful Smoky Hill State Forest up in Becker County. And I find this is a great opportunity to call some somebody that's an expert on fishing and I'm not much of a fisherman, but I've Always wondered about how barometric pressure affects how fish bite when air pressure cannot in my opinion have an effect on the water pressure below the surface. Can you explain that? I'm not a physicist so I can explain it. I can explain correlations and tell you that in my fishing experience and experience of people that like really respect barometric pressure has a heck of a big effect on fish at can't there's some way in which fish sense that they do have a lateral line, which is very very very sensitive to pressure changes. And I know that in comparison when you think about dropping down in the water column note the pressure increases so much more dramatically than it ever could in air pressure. There is some way that fish sense that fishing can be very very good when a storm is approaching particularly if you've had Oh a protracted period of of Cam weather and you get a rain storm coming in and the barometer really stops to starts to drop very quickly course. You don't want to be fishing at that time if it's electrical storm. I don't want anybody's life on my hand, but I have been fishing in just a rain when I just been raining when the rain comes through and cut fish as fast as I could get my line in the water bass in particular northern pike. I remember fishing with my dad wants years ago. I couldn't even see my dad in the bow of the boat is pouring so hard. We were catching a northern every cast no acute it and then after that after the storm goes through and the and the clear skies the bluebird clear skies in the low barometer the next day which we call a cold front of anybody whose fish long enough and doesn't know how to use a cold front has an excuse is missing a bed here cuz cold fronts are the can really be the death of fishing. I mean it can really you would think of somebody porcine I done Lake and that there's just nothing living there. And that usually takes a couple of days for fish to recuperate. I particularly and Clear Lake's from from from cold front, but somehow the Fisher sensing the barometer, they do sense that and then as the barometer starts to rise 2 or 3 days after storm the fishing starts and improving it but I can't explain in terms of physics cuz I don't understand it. But I know through practice and threw a logotype kept for about 30 years that barometer does affect fishing before we take some more calls. I want to ask you about the licensing. Can you can you still get you can get licenses up to anytime you want to go? Oh, yeah sure wouldn't you where you get those at? Well, I'll tackle stores. I think some holiday stores in northern Minnesota where you go you can you can get a license there is one free day and and they did it very politically soundly this weekend cuz it's Mom's weekend. Okay, so moms can fish with a kid without a license all day 9th and 10th. Sulphur okay in South normal for an individual to be like at fifteen dollars is $15 for an individual and 2054 a combination for husband and wife and you do need to be licensed. If you're 16 age of 16 years or older jet Myers is our guest today. We are talking about fishing as we approach the well is fishing opener. I guess we just called the fish know better because he is two seven six thousand of the number of the Twin Cities if you'd like to comment or ask it a question to 276 thousand a toll-free number is one 800-242-2828 will take some more questions in just a moment. If you are the victim of analysis paralysis when it comes to your money get some help on some money this week. Hi, this is Bob Potter Chris Farrell and Erica whittling. It will be here to help you sort through all the conflicting claims and confusing choices bus Edith, like will tell us how the new tax law treats the sale of vacation homes somebody Saturday morning at 10 again Sunday afternoon at 5 on Minnesota Public Radio, Canada W FM 91.1 in the Twin Cities. Programming on Minnesota Public Radio is supported by Dayton's oriental rug departments in downtown Minneapolis Saint Paul and at the Southdale Brookdale and Rosedale homestars. Today's programme is made possible in part by The Advocates of Minnesota Public Radio contributors include 3M worldwide supplier of healthcare products and the Honeywell Foundation providing the benefits of control worldwide and we want to remind you that coming up at noon today after our chat with Chet and that pretty good to chat with you at Meijer at noon today. We conclude conclude our four-part series of documentaries on the history of disability in this country. The series is called Beyond Affliction, perhaps you've heard the previous hours this week and our final installment today is titled tomorrow's children did explorers to historical moments when medical professionals and parents wrestle with decisions and prognosis about disabled children. You want to say to him for that coming up at noon today as part of our mid-day broadcast. And I checking the all-important forecast for the upcoming weekend. First of all today some showers developing in Southeastern Minnesota. Just a chance for showers in Western sections and a thunderstorm possible in the South this afternoon, mostly sunny in the arrowhead and cooler Statewide today than yesterday ice today. Only the upper 50th near Thief River Falls and the upper 60s across parts of southern Minnesota much cooler along Lake Superior. And then tonight occasional rain across the South Korea partly cloudy in the North Lois tonight upper 30s in the north lower 50 in the South tomorrow should be sunny in the north cloudy in the South a chance of light rain in the morning eyes mainly in the sixties the extended forecast to Saturday through Monday calling for dry conditions. No mention of any rain all across the states where ever you are headed looks like it should be drive high temperature is lower 60s to lower 70s for the Twin Cities today cloudy and cooler showers likely this afternoon possible thunderstorm a high of 67 occasional. Tonight a little red around 50 chance of light rain tomorrow, otherwise cloudy and I am 65 and it should be dried for the weekend with high temperatures in the 60s and 70s. So there's the forecast short-term and for the upcoming weekend. So if you're thinking about doing some fishing this weekend, there you go. It is 27 minutes before 12 noon. This is midday on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm. Finelli in today for Gary eichten. We are talking about fishing in anticipation of the fishing opener on at 12:01 on Saturday. 12:01 Saturday morning late Friday night. However, you want to work at lots of callers on the line. Now if you want to jump in those room for you to 276 thousand in the Twin Cities, the toll free number is one 800-242-2828. By the way, I guessed is Chad Myers is here today and dice professor of humanities and Natural Sciences at Metro State University in St. Paul and he is teaching his summer course on fishing will final bit more about that at the end of the program. So let's Next caller Mike from Rochester. Go ahead. I think you answered my question. I had a question similar to the last caller about the low front some experience in that I follow a friend who swears by Lo France and then last summer we had the best day ever when we went out with a thunderstorm on the horizon and hail and everything Blue Sky overhead, but we everything we threw in the water. We got a bath on we had sluggos Spinners and I even got a to ponder on a fly rod with a popper. So I will back that up that. I don't know why it is but I can tell you that the best largemouth bass in particular. Yes, definitely hit one of the low front end in particular if you see a storm on the horizon the chest seems to make them go wild and if it can you even possibly why this is it some effect on their pray that they get more active or what that could be. You know what we can point to a lot and fishing and the Natural Sciences are correlations. We really Don't understand causes that much there's so much. We don't know about the history. They're not a simple of creature is we would imagine they're quite complicated. We do know that that again fish do sense changes in the barometer and we sense or believe that it's through their their lateral line. I don't know. I mean I could hypothesize I can give you a hypothesis that if I'm a critter and I know a storm's coming through and I know that after that storm other life-forms are going to be less active as they usually are after Coltrane. I'm going to want to eat and it could be just evolutionary memory and it could be that through millions and millions of years of evolution fish understand that that one when the barometer changes it's time to eat that they need to get active and because when they when the storm is done Fisher, not other other life-forms are not going to be there an active. I'll tell you once when I first moved here from Pennsylvania, I was fishing on Forest Lake once and I heard a siren go off and I I do not I didn't grow up and Kansas, so I didn't know anything about tornadoes. How to get off the lake and I I thought maybe was a local in a place where people worked in these are all Factory workers and I had to get back to work so I'm fishing away and I look up and I see this little strange Dark Cloud going through the sky and it's like a tube in a sort of my sight it never touched down and I'm stuck on catching a bass on a date with my limit of bass and the man met me at the dock with a string of curse words. I said you're never fishing here again, you like blank blank don't you know if you just do a tornado warning and I said gosh I really was innocent. I really didn't know that but again when tornadoes come through the the piranhas really Falls, but I forgot shakes, you know, don't go fishing when you hear that. I do the tornado sirens go off because that was very very foolish opinion and very ignorant, but it's another example that the fish did since the if they really fast dropping brommer. Call it was right that the more rapidly the barometer is dropping the better. And again if it is not an electrical storm if it is not an electrical storm, then it's okay to to fish through that in. Some of my best days are just been an overcast really days. Okay, Julie from Maple Grove your question or comment? Have a bowl. I'm sure. Well, I got a book I can refer you to and it it's a no, I don't get a kickback from his friend of mine. Civil Smith wrote a book called the Twin Cities fishing guide in it. It lists not just for the Twin Cities, but for the 7 County area all the fishing docks that the DNR his place that there are lots of docks or Piers that the DNR establishes in lakes and they're not just put about random. I mean, they put them in places that are close to good fishing. So one thing would be to to go to one of those lakes that has a fishing dock. Another is to think about waiting or fishing the st. Croix River or the Mississippi River up from the Twin Cities. Can you have to be careful because those rocks can be slippery. I'd be nice to have boots that have felt soles on them. So they do not sleep as much but you can have some wonderful fishing from the shore in Riverside particularly in the spring in the fall actually almost any time of the year. And if you wanted to you can rent a canoe you can rent a canoe on the st. Croix just about anywhere and the st. Croix is a great River for White bass right now walleyes and and SWAT season will be open soon in some very can be a very good Smallmouth River so you don't have to have a boat to to get into good fishing Oki gym from Hopkins at your question or comment that the DNR and the Mille Lacs band is very much in touch with the fish tank from wax. Reportedly. There was a state record Walleye recently Spirit out of that Lake neither the DNR nordon wedell or anybody that I've talked to will confirm this. Do you have any information on a note a dumbwaiter is the tribal the Mille Lacs band natural resources commissioner? No, I haven't heard about that. I really don't know about that. It is a is a very emotional topic with a lot of people it's it is a but it's a tribal right? And this is a Sovereign Nation and it's a deal that was struck with a D. Are so I guess we live with that. I think I just let it go with that church another controversial lakes with walleye for sure. I think it's even been discussed in the gubernatorial race, but shows you where it where that's at. Do you have an opinion on whether stocking is a good idea and I mean stock stocking sure. I have an opinion. I am not as knowledgeable as dick Sternberg who's the man who's introduced to stick used to work for the DNR respect him greatly. Then. I also understand the dnr's point of view. I think one of the common misapprehension is about stalking is it you can you can just make a fish fishing lake better if you put fish in it, and that's just not true. One of the things I noticed when I moved to Minnesota in 1968 was that there were standard regulations for almost all Waters in the state. I'm looking now at my regulations book and there must be close to sixty lakes that have different regulations on them and what we've discovered is it The lakes are different surprisingly Lakes are different a different personality some Lakes Produce big walleye some like produce smaller walleye sounds like a wise and people think that you can just throw walleyes into a lake or throw fish into liking increase to make the fishing better that is not true a lake has a carrying capacity. That means it can only support so much biomass so much food and that food will take the form of a fish crayfish vegetation or whatever and I think often people's they get on the dnr's case because they say wasp in a stalker like many likes will not support flies. Naturally. They will not be able to spawn there because there isn't any spawning habitat Sophia stock the walleyes. It's a put intake situation. Don't put the man in the three or four years or two years. You'll catch him if they soon as they stop stocking them. You will not catch them anymore. The debate that I've been following is is going on is not so much that it's it's focused on lakes where walleyes are natural producing and I think both sides make make good cases. I think I think we need a little more study on that before. We we can have any definite conclusions about it though. I guess today is fishing Enthusiast Chet Myers said he is here taking your questions and comments to 276 thousand in the Twin Cities one 800-242-2828 Jasper Minneapolis. You're next. Hi there. I'm a flirt with her and I was wondering I heard some people don't like to go on the streams before season opening and it didn't catch and release because they're worried about disturbing the breeding habitat of the trout. And what's your take on that? I wish I was going to be here with me is here because he's a He's a fly fishing you would have had the answer and I don't I don't really have the answer that is a concern when fish are spawning the walking around or walking around and it's going to get into but just called the Reds Reds Reds is where the spawning areas that the trout and salmon salmon species sort of thin outer wash out when they went before they spawn so that is a concern and I I understand the sensitivity and I respect your decision not to do that there again the streams that are managed for that in the Southeastern part of the state Catch and Release only in and fishing year-round. I trust the DNR a lot of people don't I do I have work with those people that talk to them? I think most of them I think they get a bad rap from people and I think they know when the stream would be hurt or not hurt by buy that kind of fishing activity and they're just a few streams for that possible. How about the hell out the overall success of the catch and release program and maybe a comment on that and then what's the best way to do it mean for somebody who seems thinking about you know, that's what that's what I want to do. What's the best works and it's been very successful been extremely successful in bass tournaments. Although the one that we just had this huge pest turn up the we hadn't Minnetonka couple years ago or last year was I think a fiasco that they hold the bass all the way to the Mall of America the way the men which was more of a carnival than anything. I think very disrespectful to the fish and I think we need to respect fish as well as Anglers. So catch-and-release does work. That's the thing about catching releases to handle the fish as little as possible get them in quickly. Don't play with them as my mother used to say to play with your food. If you if you know, you're going to be catch and release fishing then I would use a heavier line so that you can get the fish in quickly. Try to keep it in the water as much as you can wet your hands before you grasp the fish and you'll have to grasp the fish to to get the hook out or if you can if you can just take a pair of pliers a pair of long nose pliers and reach down and push to hook up now that would be good use artificial bait. If you use live bait, you're going to hook him in the stomach really gut and that will make it more difficult to release them handle them very very well. Don't bring them into the boat. Let them flop around the bottom fish have a slime on the outside which protects them against infection and also actually lubricate some has to go through the water. So if you if you pick him up and put them in a towel or let him bounced around bottom aluminum boat or a bass boat that's carpeted. That's slime is going to come off in the fish with although it will look fine when you throw put it back in the water. It may get sick and die later. Their thing is don't throw it back in the water release it and hold it over the side. If it if the fish isn't looks like it's it's not in really good shape. You can grab it by the tail and move it back and forth actually do artificial respiration and get some water going through its gills and then let go and if the fish swims away, okay, if it doesn't then probably just keep it go. Okay, there's lots of different things you can do for catching Rides Again fishing in the spring and the fall when the water temperatures cooler is better because fish are much less vulnerable to that kind of infection and disease from their there's slime being removed at that time of year worst time to be catch and release fishing to be in the the height of the summer in a really warm shallow Lake because you will Tire the fish out and it may swim away, but did maybe it may have trouble competing or getting along after that. So it does work we've lots of proof. There's and did a lot of Studies have been done on bass tournaments in particular Muskie Angler. That I mean most of us can others are catch-and-release anchors a lot of trout fisherman or no trout Fisher men and women are catch-and-release. So I think it I think it works and with regards to the eating the mercury in the pcbs. The bigger fish are the fish that have those chemicals in them. So we want to eat the smaller fish. So if you want to eat fish catch crappies and bluegills, I mean the limits, you know got a bigger. I think it's 30 on them and you can you know, they're good to eat. They eat real good in the legality as far as I know. I like to bobber fish was wondering if I Minnesota is it legal to fish with a treble hook? Very good question know it is illegal, but I can tell you how it is legal if it's a lure it's legal. Now. I fish ice fishing and I I fish in fact, I love ice fish as does my wife because I think it gets us away from the telephone more than everything. But when you're fishing with a treble hook if you have a little bead on it and a little blade so that it's like a spinner it becomes Allure and it's illegal and I have talked to the DNR about this so I make sure that my conscience is clear. So just fishing with a straight treble hook and live bait is illegal. But if you put a couple little plastic beads on it and a little spinner blade it becomes a lawyer and actually if you're fishing probably with a minnow a sucker or something like that or a Shiner when the fish when The Minnow swims that the blade turns and it actually isn't attractive and I've done quite well using that as a as a rig for for northern pike and walleye season in the winter. Question, thanks for thanks for your question about 5 minutes left a mark for Minneapolis. Go ahead if the weather cooperates, is it worth fishing for walleyes at all? If you don't have live bait would any Plastics or crankbaits be worthwhile this point and how should I use them? That's a good question. I don't know the Southwest part of the state that while then the the better walleye likes her or obviously for the farther north than a lot of the Southwest Lakes are stocked or not. Natural Wye. Like I would think this year I've given that the water temperature is probably going to be in the sixties is that actually artificials would work well on a crank mates might be okay usually in a normal opener when the water is very very cold a crankbait moose kind of fast and that you can pull it away from fish but I would say jigs grubs would be would be a good possibility because of the water temperature. Nothing beats like they do. I mean you try your lures and you try your Jigs and you try to crank baits and Spinners and if they'd fail I've always got my crawlers. I mean nothing if he places a Nightcrawler in Lord knows why I mean, they're not there at night crawlers in Lake City. Naturally. If it's something about nightcrawlers fish just love to eat them up. Dave from Otter Tail County go ahead for walleye fishing. I would you use a Lindy rig off the bottom with a free swimming then or have bleach on it really Revolution ice fishing when the lenders brought that I think was Bill benkelman actually that the created the Lindy rig years ago before the lenders got a hold of it and a Lindy rig is simply a piece of lead with a hole in its a slip Sinker and you have a snail or length between the Sinker and hook of a bat usually people have it about 1 or 2 ft. And then you've dragged that along the bottom when you feel a walleye or Bass inhaler you feel a Pap you just open your bail or left your we will go on free spool and the fish walks away with the minnow and doesn't feel too heavy Sinker which is still on the bottom of the one tip. I would give on that because the some professional to fish at Milacs do this is to use a longer length between you're hooking your Sinker I am Usually use about one or two or three feet but some of the better walleye fisherman her using 8 9 feet that gives them in a lot more freedom to to swim around. It also reduces your sensitivity little bit cuz you're not as sure when the wall light hits it. But if you find that the that the walleyes are spooky that isn't there spitting the grabbing the Bane and spitting it out go to What's called a longer snout another Rich increase the length between your hook and your Sinker and don't hesitate to go up to eight or nine feet at seems incredible life. But that seems to work real. Well, it's bringing up Bob for Minnetonka. Go ahead Bob checked. I had a question. I don't know if you can answer not what criteria does legislature use in determining when the walleye opener is going to be I'd like to see it moved away from Mother's Day and maybe make it how do you make it a week later though if the week right before Memorial? Is really it's chosen on the basis of historical evidence about when walleye spawn and they what they want to do is have the opener after while I serve spawn which is means the most of the Lakes all the lakes in the state are ice free. Now that doesn't always happen but when walleyes are spawning they spawn at night. They're shallow. They're very very vulnerable to being to being caught and so what they do with the DNR tries to do is figure out when the walleye spawn will be done. Now, they're always some lakes that that's not that doesn't happen and every year you will know. I just noticed in the paper last week There's a few lakes in the northern part of the state where walleye fishing will be not open despite the fact that there's enough for these areas will be closed at this time of year. So that's done to protect the wall eyes when they're in their spawning because they're concentrated there in a very very small area and I'm much more vulnerable to fishing. Where is you take that same school efficient spread them out over 10,000 acres Lake and you know, you got a much more difficult. I'm catching it. So the DNR Turn dial though. I'll probably take some flak for that. What they're concerned about is when when is the average best date that they know that this pain will be done at usually it's about the second week in May. This is one of the earlier opener so we can usually the openers about the 15th or 16th. So this is an earlier opener this year than we normally I do we have time for one more call a hairy in International Falls. Go ahead State Armory fishing wars between Minnesota and Canada are State Department seems a Palestinian problems, but they can't solve a Canadian Minnesota problem. I was just wondering whether he talks going on or what? What's what's the situation? I think it's a separate debate going on for years about users fees about him. Is going over to Canada catching fish and then going back in the United States. And so there's been a kind of a collar characterized it as a war between the two countries in terms of what cost should we bare As Americans if we're just going to walk to Canada catch what I haven't heard any updates, so I really can't answer that. I don't I assume that there's some talks going on, but I don't know exactly what's going on right now and never look at you at the we are out of time of real quick. I did mention it takes the summer course. How does somebody get signed up for that? It's Metro State. And what's the what's the course about it's it's a course in Natural Science called Minnesota fishes and it's an ecology biology limnology meteorology course and we talked about fishing obviously, but that it's it's focusing on understanding the fish in its natural environment. It says we going to semesters this year for the first time. I trust they will be converting semesters. It starts. I believe the week of August 17th. And then we just have to call Metropolitan State University. It's a 15 week course it needs for about 3 hours and it's a I think it's a Good luck. Thanks for coming in. Chat. Thank you very much. Chet Myers fishing enthusiasts the author and teacher Metro State University. Thanks again for joining us and thanks for all the calls today. Playwright Kevin claims as many people assume they know all about it when they see his plastic arm brace and one short arm. There's a lot of power in someone thinking they know you because you have what's considered a handicap and because of that you ultimately have the power over then join Kevin Kling and other performers with disabilities Sunday, May 10th 7 p.m. At the Fitzgerald theater the closing event of Beyond Affliction call to 901-2214 tickets time now is 6 minutes before 12 noon. Let's hear from Garrison Keillor.