# Dinks on the ice



## mousejam515 (Jun 3, 2004)

In the last few weeks i have ran into several individuals who seemed upset about how people throw their dinks on the ice and leave them for the birds/raccoons and what not. I was wondering what other peoples opinions are on this. My two cents on the situation is that there are plenty of bluegills in the lakes since they reproduce so quickly that when people throw small ones on the ice it just makes it better for the big ones to get bigger for later. i recently read an article about pond management for pan fish and it talked about how that there needs to be some amount of fish being removed to allow the other fish to grow bigger. the portage lakes are rather large and i do not feel that if everyone threw the smaller fish out that it would be bad for the fishing. especially because winter time is pretty much the only time of year you can eliminate dinks because i dont see anyone throwing their dinks onto the grass in the summer time. and i think i would rather catch a few fish big enough to keep than a bunch of ones that are too small to keep.


James


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## bobberbucket (Mar 30, 2008)

dont forget that the birds love fresh fish in the winter too


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## ParmaBass (Apr 11, 2004)

Yeah, I don't get it. This has been going on at OSP for the past 5 years, at least (I've only been ice fishing 5 years). I'm gonna guess it's been going on for quite some time before that though and there are still ALOT of dinks that are caught there. I don't think their theory is working. If you are fishing at OSP to try to catch dinner be prepared to catch 20 dinks to 1 keeper.


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## bttmline (Apr 7, 2004)

I have mixed feelings on this. I do agree that alot of our lakes could really use a good thinning and I also know alot of pond management people will say it's good. But I believe if you are pulling some some good gills and the mix is like close i wouldn't. Here is what I hate is when there are 6 inch and larger laying on the ice. This fish can be filleted or even skin and fried the old fashion way my parent did it. When it is edible fish laying on the ice it really bothers me.


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## riverbottoms (May 4, 2004)

Hey Bttmline!
I'm really enjoying my retirement and Dinks and I are enjoying our new home on the Mississippi river. Out here along the Mississippi I throw my dink and trash fish out for the Eagles.
We have well over 1000 Eagles overwintering in my area, and the river is darn near frozen solid. BTW, I've been out hardwater fishing for about month now. Went out today and got a few nice eyes on #5 raps firetiger. I'm drilling thru approx. 12-15" and finding my eyes in 15'-17' of water.


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## falbinki (Dec 20, 2008)

here is how i was raised "IF YOU KILL IT YOUR GONNA EAT IT" i just don't see killing anything for no purpose.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I agree with the don't kill it unless you're gonna eat it philosophy. The dinks are still food for the large bass, catfish, and muskie. A 6" fish will be a 7 or 8" keeper by next fall.


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## bobberbucket (Mar 30, 2008)

i say feed the birds ! its really up to the guy who catches the fish and i really don't think its hurting anything i usually put my dinks in mousejams bucket lol


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## thistubesforu (Mar 30, 2009)

i agree to pull them out, but take them home with u. u never know whos watchin its actually illegal to leave fish and remains on the ice like that. and a six incher this ice season doesnt necessarily mean a seven to eight next fall.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

not a big fan of killing for no reason. cant say i throw em on the ice


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## icefisherman4life (Aug 5, 2007)

i throw mine all back. but it dont matter to me if you throw em on the ice or not.


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## ParmaBass (Apr 11, 2004)

johnboy111711 said:


> not a big fan of killing for no reason. cant say i throw em on the ice


You don't waste anything! You still make snow cones out of the ice shavings your auger makes?


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

i do, always take cherry flavoring with me. why dont you go drill some more holes ina foot of water


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

Fish Biologists say for every pound of predator species taken from a lake (Bass, Walleye, Pike), you should take 10 lbs of panfish.

Therefore I never throw them back and take them home also. I put the small ones into my compost & garden.


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## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

ParmaBass.......Was raised like mama said; "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"..... I Guess that this very well must apply to ice shavings from my auger "EVEN IF YOU DISGUISE THE COLOR". say such as cherry. Actually my favorite in the shaven ice catagory is PINNA COLATTA.......which with a slight twist of lemon....might bring us back to something more of a yellowish tone. Oh well, guess thats why I still tote "COKE AND COFFEE along which I guess brings us back to how the "ICE GOT YELLOW"!!!!!!!!!!! SORRY MJ515. Didn't mean to keep this detour from your thread, going........but sometimes it's just too good to pass up. TOSSING DINKS ON THE ICE IS A PERSONAL CHIOCE. AND WON'T AFFECT THE OUT COME ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ON A "NUMBERS BASIS'....


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

Public lake management is a little different than private pond management. Bluegill grow fast and one tossed on the ice isn't getting any bigger. Ohio's fertile lakes rarely have a food shortages for bluegill. Bluegills smaller than keeper size have plenty of predators in the water that can benefit from them. Better to grow more bass and catfish than seagulls and racoons IMO. I have fishing buddies that toss the dinks on the ice and I don't really mind but it's not the best practice.

BTW, it takes 10lbs of predators to grow 1lb of bass and just because you take out 1 pound of bass doesn't mean you need to take out 10lbs of forage unless there is in fact an overpopulation of forage...which, in ponds, is a much rarer occurance than overpopulation of bass. When there is an overpopulation of bluegills, it often starts with an overpopulation of a certain size class such as 5"-7" fish. They are a bit larger than a majority of the bass can utilize and a little smaller than a lot of fisherman want. Food best suited for this size class becomes scarce and they have a hard time pushing past the 7" mark. You can tell when there is a problem in a certain size class because a majority will be skinny.


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## Lightman (Jul 22, 2008)

I throw all dinks back to be caught another day or consumed by bigger fish...don't really care what other people do.


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## FatRap007 (Jul 23, 2009)

I trade alot of my small gills and trash fish to the gas staiton by my house the indian guy will buy my smokes lol ..... works out pretty good ....and i atl least get to catch somthing ...... i dont see a problem with it some lakes there is way to many ....


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