I love LOTW (Kenora area),…

I love LOTW (Kenora area), and am a yearly visitor. The fishing is unbelievable right now and fishing alone 50 plus fish a day was the norm this summer. I never kept a fish, but I understand people wanting a fish meal. However, some people feel the need to take a limit daily and give them away to anyone and everyone. I hope LOTW never turns into a Mille Lacs MN situation and everyone does everything involved to ensure it does not happen. It has destroyed that lake, and the local business. It has created deep anger toward the indigenous fisherman, and is out of control.

People have to stop equating a great day of fishing with bringing in their limit. That is the easy part, but enjoy the real reason to love LOTW. I am all in favor of doing anything and everything to ensure LOTW remains as it is. I understand the resorts, indigenous people, and locals have a much deeper level of knowledge about the lake compared to myself, but everyone needs to understand how good LOTW fishing is right now and want to keep it that way.

If there is a way to financially compensate groups to not net it is a better option than creating the hard feelings that are everywhere regarding rights, etc. I always thought a tag system was a good option, buy a license and if you wish to keep more fish you pay more money that goes back into the fishery / compensating for not netting. Buy a license get 6 tags, every tag after that is $10? Slot limits are a PITA, but research based and proven to be a great management tool.

LOTW is awesome, and possibly to appreciate it you have to live somewhere in which you fish all day to catch 3 walleyes. As long as everyone listens to each other with an open mind I am sure all parties can work together to keep it a destination lake. I am truly amazed how good it is with the continued year round fishing pressure. I understand people make their living off the resource (which I have a hard time with), but I do think their voice is important and should be heard in terms of their business plan and how changes to the fishery will effect.