Legal Size Muskies

[jim donlan]

Larry, How do you feel about if a musky is of legal size if someone chooses to eat it? You have deleted my last two post. I am serious about this question.

[dahlberg]

HI J
I feel an angler has the right to choose, as long as he obeys the laws and regulations, to do what ever he wishes with the fish he catches.
I also feel strongly that it's not healthy biologically or responsible to harvest species, or year classes that represent the top of the pyramid.
I.E.large pike, muskies, are the top of the overall food chain, targeting them flattens out the pyramid and can affect the whole system.
On the other end of the spectrum, In a system that has huge panfish, if the largest are targeted , it too soon goes to pot, as is evidenced by what happens on many of our northern lakes that get blasted by hundreds of icefishermen.
I think it's especially tragic in the case of muskies, especially in lakes that have been stocked or restored due to sweat and dollars from groups like muskies inc, who work in conjunction with various DNR's.
It's estimated it takes 1000 fingerlings to create one 30" muskie. It costs about $8 per fingerling to get them into the lake in the first place. Depending on latitude and available forage It takes as much as 18-20 years to grow a 50" musky.
It's easy for a small handful of irresponsible anglers to ruin it for everyone else.
What do you think?
best,
L

[MuskieJim]

I was trying to keep my mouth shut during the carp argument, but a few years of biology in college (not to mention I love to fish!) taught me several things.

1. The scale sample I took from a 51" musky here in Ohio was 14 years old. But remember, Ohio stocks a short living, fast growing fish that has a maximum life expectancy of 13-15 years. Natural fish ranging from 48"-50" in the Midwest are 15+ years no question about it.

2. Common carp are extremely efficent reproducers, as the average female drops 1,000,000+ eggs during a breeding season. They have been a nusiance in many waters here in Ohio, and it astonishes me that people consider a 25 pound carp a trophy. Chances are, that fat, nasy fish is only 9 or 10 years old. These fish are not NATIVE (Native: of or beloging to in origin). Carp = weedbeeds chalked = fishery decline. Simple logic really.

[dahlberg]

Hi MJ
Thanks for weighing in. Of course everyone who has any sense knows the pro-carp argument doesn't hold water.
It turns out someone posted my somewhat scathing remarks (which were made after 3 weeks straight of 20 hour days, as in 7 days a week and at the same time trying to keep up with legitimate questions on the forum), on a carp forum and invited them to harass me.
I've just banned the one who kept asking for musky recipes.
What's hilarious to me is that every carp fisherman who purchases a fishing license is helping to pay for their eradication!
We once aged a Mississippi River musky that made it to 49 1/2", 40 1/2 pounds in eleven years!
I can't imagine how big it would have been if allowed to live out it's natural lifespan.
Ironically, the eddy it was caught it was loaded with quillback carp suckers, which I'm pretty sure are native to that water.
best,
L

[steelneal]

Hey MJ,
see you are from NE ohio as am i. been fishing west branch?
All Hail Larry,
Steel Neal

[Outdoors4life]

[quote="dahlberg"
I can't imagine how big it would have been if allowed to live out it's natural lifespan.
Ironically, the eddy it was caught it was loaded with quillback carp suckers, which I'm pretty sure are native to that water.
[/quote]

Carpsuckers, redhorse, white suckers, shad, and cisco are all native fish that I fish for and release back they are natives and important to the fisheries. I often catch redhorse that have been chomped on by muskies or pike. They are what they eat to get so large! Finding the "odd" species help me find other targets such as the esoxs.

Aaron