Even in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, walleyes are starting to feel the squeeze, according to InFisherman. Minnesota is considering cutting its daily walleye limit from six fish to four, pointing to warmer waters, invasive species, and fish-finding tech that makes hiding about impossible. Most anglers surveyed say easing up now makes sense, and the state is taking public input before anything is finalized.
Which naturally raises a question closer to home…as pressure on fisheries grows and technology keeps getting better, is Montana headed for a similar conversation–or are Big Sky walleyes still flying under the radar?
After all, fish-finding technology didn’t just show up yesterday. Anglers have been using sonar since the 1950s, starting with simple flashers that showed what was directly below the boat. Over time, that evolved into detailed 2D sonar, side imaging that scans hundreds of feet outward, and now live sonar that shows fish moving in real time—sometimes in nearly three dimensions. Today’s setups let anglers watch fish react to lures, target specific sizes or species, and even stream what they’re seeing to screens, glasses, or tournament broadcasts. Research suggests the tech doesn’t automatically make everyone a better angler, but it can give highly skilled or well-equipped users a real edge—raising new questions about catch rates, fairness, and how much pressure modern fisheries can handle. (Read more on that here.)
What do you think?
