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Posts: 221
| Very well out Doug.
Thinking about this more, it seems a better approach to this problem is to try to develop a better net that targets the intended species.
Would take some brains and probably an incredible amount of time and money, but I'm sure something better could be developed.
Heck, I'd buy the first hundred to give to the reserves if such a net existed. |
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Location: Nielsen's Fly-In Lodge, on Rowan Lake | Well said Doug |
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Location: Iowa | I've been going up to Leech for a long time. I don't see in my mind, any natives going to that much trouble trying to hide fish like that. Maybe but I doubt it.
Ten miles east of Leech is pretty vague, but for the most part anything that far east of leech is not reservation land until you get north of federal dam.
Not that I agree with the old square hook method or with some of the "rights" the natives are given on the reservation. I just wouldn't assume the obvious and point your finger at the natives right away.
Jeremy
Edited by jwelch 12/3/2011 10:51 PM
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Location: The desert | 50inchGrinch - 12/3/2011 8:07 PM
Very well out Doug.
Thinking about this more, it seems a better approach to this problem is to try to develop a better net that targets the intended species.
Would take some brains and probably an incredible amount of time and money, but I'm sure something better could be developed.
Heck, I'd buy the first hundred to give to the reserves if such a net existed.
These nets already exist. You can order gill nets in multiple different mesh sizes that are more selective for small, medium, and larger fish. You can't get species specific, but you can get them to target certain sized fish based on what mesh size you put out.
All the nets I order come from a company in Minnesota and they can make any order of mesh you want. |
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Location: SE, WI. | Very sad subject. Sometimes in the fall I'll watch them pull the fish from their nets. They tend to get real nervous when One watches. I've seen them pull dead muskie and Pike from the net, and yes, 20 lb class fish , and just drop them to the bottom of the lake for the rusty's to eat. Seems every year I get my lures or Lower unit tangled in these nets, which are very tough to view, or invisible. Seems like some are not submursed. literally on the surface for your lower unit. I try to stay away from them, but of course, they are set in the finest fishing areas...:( |
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Posts: 221
| PP, I think that's the problem... People who use these nets think the mesh size makes a difference in not catching muskies. ...I could be totally wrong but I believe these nets are exactly what the guy I'm referring to is using.
From what I've seen, they make no difference. ...again, could be totally wrong, maybe he is using a lower quality net??
I know you work in the field and probably have some experience with these nets so you definitely have more knowledge on them then me... Have you seen NO Muskies in nets set with smaller mesh sizes targeting smaller fish?
If even a couple Muskies get caught up these nets, then they're not good enough. I would like to see a net that NEVER kills fish bigger then a large whitefish. I'm sure juvenile Muskies will still be caught in such a net too tho. |
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Typically larger muskies, pike and even walleyes will die in small mesh nets because they try to eat the smaller fish caught in the net.
They get their teeth entangled in the mesh. and then wrap themselves up in it trying to get out.
Sometimes these fish can be untangled and let go if you take the time to do it.
I remember letting a 20+ lb pike to in Kabekona bay one summer working for the DNR. Just depends on how long they have been in the net.
JS |
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Location: The desert | 50inchGrinch - 12/4/2011 8:11 AM
PP, I think that's the problem... People who use these nets think the mesh size makes a difference in not catching muskies. ...I could be totally wrong but I believe these nets are exactly what the guy I'm referring to is using.
From what I've seen, they make no difference. ...again, could be totally wrong, maybe he is using a lower quality net??
I know you work in the field and probably have some experience with these nets so you definitely have more knowledge on them then me... Have you seen NO Muskies in nets set with smaller mesh sizes targeting smaller fish?
If even a couple Muskies get caught up these nets, then they're not good enough. I would like to see a net that NEVER kills fish bigger then a large whitefish. I'm sure juvenile Muskies will still be caught in such a net too tho.
The mesh sizes will be selective to a point, but they never will be able to completely stop musky or pike from being caught. As JS says the bigger fish can get stuck in the small mesh when they attempt to eat the smaller fish. I don't think you can develop a gill net that will be selective by species. A smaller mesh size would,likely reduce the number of muskies caught, but eliminating them completely is next to impossible with a gill net. A trap or fyke net would allow for fish not wanted to be released. |
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| Speechless, glad to see a news station stepped up and covered the topic. WCCO did a good job on the story.
Siniliar to a story that was posted on here this spring about spearing on Bone Lake. Authorities followed up on the giant speared muskies that were found in a nearby ditch, but I believe no charges wherever brought. I'll see if my friend still has the pictures, he posted them but the post was pulled down, not a pretty sight to see the natural resource wasted like this.
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The Bone lake spearing thread is in the recycle Bin. There was supposed to be pictures posted, but there are none there and none were deleted according to what I can see there.. |
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| It is disgusting and will have to be resolved by changing existing laws. Seems that will be a tough road, very tough, considering the sorts of things folks are focused on these days.
And don't forget the Native Americans were here first and the rest of us came later. Our imposition started a couple hundred years ago, now. "Your lands are now our lands and here's the strict rules that we'll change when it is profitable for us." Ha ha, what a can of worms, that one. |
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Location: Hudson, WI | GLIFWC and the DNR are conducting a two year study on Bone that will be completed in the spring of 2012 to determine the impact of winter spearing on the lake. Until then, it's really all speculation. |
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Location: The desert | Moltisanti - 12/7/2011 9:19 PM
GLIFWC and the DNR are conducting a two year study on Bone that will be completed in the spring of 2012 to determine the impact of winter spearing on the lake. Until then, it's really all speculation.
Do you know if they have any sort of progress report out with preliminary findings? |
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Location: Hudson, WI | Pointerpride102 - 12/8/2011 9:12 AM
Do you know if they have any sort of progress report out with preliminary findings?
Not that I could find, Mike. The last concrete numbers available are from Heath Benike's "Status of the Bone Lake Musky Fishery 2005/2006." It's a very good read and easily Googled. At that time the numbers were down 50% from the previous survey, but that was largely due to the decrease in stocking. My honest opinion is that it was the best thing that ever happened to that fishery. There were WAY too many fish in that system, and you could see it in the size and condition of the fish.
I'm not very optimistic about this survey, but I'm happy with the way the Lake Association, the DNR and GLIFWC were able to come together on it.
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