the law is, what the law is! agree or not, ODNR is responsible to monitor the population of walleye in the lake and set limits accordingly. same as the deer seasons/zones. for the most part they do an excellent job. most fisherman could'nt tell a male from a female walleye if they're life depended on it. however, if the big females needed protection don't you think that they would establish a slot limit? by the way, i personally throw the big ones back, but that doesn't mean everyone else has to!