This is a call to action recently issued by Pat Barnes Missouri River Trout Unlimited. We are expanding this call to action to all of you who enjoy trout fishing on the Missouri River. Please take a minute to read and more importantly we urge everyone to click on the link below and submit your comments to FWP.
CALL TO ACTION – Every Member Needed!
Good Afternoon,
As some of you may have heard, Montana’s Statewide Management Program & Guide Draft is out for public comment until February 4th. The Statewide Management Program & Guide is the guiding document for how FWP manages fisheries statewide. As you may have also heard, Walleyes Unlimited is pressuring FWP to consider walleye a native species east of the Continental Divide, which could potentially alter the current management of walleye downstream of Holter Dam. This would threaten the Missouri River trout fishery we have all come to love.
PLEASE, visit the link below and comment on the plan to back the Department’s science-based management as a non-native species in Montana. Particularly, not to alter the current management status of walleye in the Missouri below Holter Dam as anything other than “suppression”. If nothing else, please copy and paste the language below into the “Comments” section at the link below and click “Submit Comments”.
“The Statewide Management Plan & Guide should uphold the current status of walleye as a non-native species in Montana’s waterways. I support the peer-reviewed science that guide’s the Department’s classification of this illegally-introduced species as non-native to Montana. Additionally, I support the full suppression of walleye management in the Missouri River below Holter Dam. People cross continents to fish for wild trout in the Missouri River, and altering the management of walleye from anything other than full suppression places unnecessary risk on this world class fishery that draws millions of dollars to our local economy. Thank you.”
http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/fishing/pn_0091.html
Right now, the Missouri River needs your help. PLEASE take 3 minutes and leave a comment. The effort by Walleye Unlimited to have the Missouri managed as a walleye fishery is organized and energized. The Missouri River’s trout need your comment.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
PBTU Board Members
Please no Walleyes below Holter Dam!
How do we keep them from washing over the damn during spawning season?????
Please support the peer-reviewed science that supports keeping Walleye above Holter dam! Keep the wonderful Trout habitat safe from this predator!!
Lol. The trout you love to catch are non native as well. But that’s different right? Oh the hypocrisy!!
Please support the peer-reviewed science that supports keeping illegally-introduced non-native Walleye above Holter Dam! Keep the incredible natural Trout habitat entact!
It’s very important to keep this trout fishery the way it is. Keep the walleye upstream. We need good trout fishing too. Thank you.
Walleye are a non native species and needs to be treated as such. The Missouri River below Holter Dam is a famous trout fishery and should be maintained as such! The economy of Montana gets a substantial boost as people travel to Montana to specifically fish for trout on the magnificent River.
No Walleye!!
Amazing how we believe what a few fanatics want us to believe. Isnt that the business plan for Islamic extremists?
The “natural” trout are actually the non native species but time heals all apparently.
Since the trout were “introduced” generations ago its OK to forget right?
The walleye are native to the Missouri river system and are officially recognized as native to Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and North Dakota ….there was no toll booths or gate keeper at the North Dakota line or on the Milk river……mmmmm think about that….
Get over it they were here before you and me and the trout, long before.
The good news is we can have our cake and eat it too. Trout are cool, so are walleye. It doesn’t have to be either or no matter what the 5 year “local” from back east working in the fly shop says. They have both been in the Missouri river getting along just fine below Holter for at least 50+ years probably a lot longer.
Suppression of walleye makes as much sense as rifle hunters trying to outlaw bowhunting or bow hunters fighting rifle hunters. Should we kill all the elk cause they compete for food with the deer? Were on the same team folks, were Montana anglers.
Enjoy and respect them all.
Its too bad that you folks dont know or understand that trout are a planted species from europe and that by FWP,s own 3 year study showed they had to impact on the trout fishery below Holter Dam. Those walleye below that dam have been there long before any of you even new they were there. So because you think that the way you fish is more important than the way I fish or what I want , will one day be what does away with that mentality..
The scientific study that was done by Adam Strainer of the FWP showed there was no reason to remove the limit on walleye bellow Holter Dam, and that the walleye and trout (both non-native) were coexisting with no harm to the trout population. The suppression of walleye bellow Holter is a purely political one. Get the facts before you comment. The river should be managed with science not politics.
“The Statewide Management Plan & Guide should uphold the current status of walleye as a non-native species in Montana’s waterways. I support the peer-reviewed science that guide’s the Department’s classification of this illegally-introduced species as non-native to Montana. Additionally, I support the full suppression of walleye management in the Missouri River below Holter Dam. People cross continents to fish for wild trout in the Missouri River, and altering the management of walleye from anything other than full suppression places unnecessary risk on this world class fishery that draws millions of dollars to our local economy. Thank you.”
Take out the dams, restore the river! Sauger, smallmouth buffalo, and goldeneye unlimited! Fighting over a novel ecosystem is ill-advised.
Racism at its finest. Walleye are fish too. The only trout that should be in the river are rookies and cutthroats. Your rainbows and browns are introduced non native also.
Yes, some trout are obviously nonnative and nobody is denying that so it’s a mute point for yet another walleye supporter to dredge up. This is about preserving the resource as it is CURRENTLY. Once being introduced there’s no turning back from having walleye downstream. The dam is there to stay so to bring that up as a point of argument is also mute. Keep the lakes for the walleye and not introduce another invasive species please.
The Statewide Management Plan & Guide should uphold the current status of walleye as a non-native species in Montana’s waterways. I support the peer-reviewed science that guide’s the Department’s classification of this illegally-introduced species as non-native to Montana. Additionally, I support the full suppression of walleye management in the Missouri River below Holter Dam. People cross continents to fish for wild trout in the Missouri River, and altering the management of walleye from anything other than full suppression places unnecessary risk on this world class fishery that draws millions of dollars to our local economy. Thank you
Thanks for your comment SpennyB. Please go here http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/fishing/pn_0091.html and leave the same comment on the FWP web site in the comments section if you would. Best!
You want walleyes come to Wisconsin.Leave The trout alone .