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Posts: 397
Location: Wisconsin | Just wondering if anyone has an accurate idea of growth rates for oneida and vilas county lakes? I understand this varies from lake to lake, but in general, how old could we expect at 35inch, 40inch, 45inch, 50inch, etc; fish to be? Just curious! |
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Posts: 859
Location: MN | Wi studies have shown as a state wife average a 34 inch fish is 7 years old, 40 inch is 9, 45 inch is 12 and by 17 years of age reach 50. As you states lake size has an impact on the growth rate |
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Posts: 8716
| I think that's largely dependent on the lake. Some of the more fertile lakes with a substantial forage base would probably have growth rates far above the typical perch/stunted panfish lakes. It also depends on the strain of fish from what I understand. |
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Location: Green Bay, WI | WiscoMusky - 4/21/2015 11:06 PM
Just wondering if anyone has an accurate idea of growth rates for oneida and vilas county lakes? I understand this varies from lake to lake, but in general, how old could we expect at 35inch, 40inch, 45inch, 50inch, etc; fish to be? Just curious!
Call the local biologist(s) and ask for a copy of the von Bertalanffy growth model for the body of water you're interested in. If it's available, you're in business. That will show the size (length) as a function of age. Then, for the rate of growth, just apply some calculus. Take the first derivative of the von Bertalanffy curve, and plot it against time. There's your growth rate.
If you search through the archives of the biology section under the threads I've authored, you should find an example where I did this for the Green Bay fishery. It's quite straightforward--and I show the calculus. It's easier than it sounds, and I can help you if you are really interested in this information.
I'll nose around in the archives, and maybe I can find a link to my old thread for you.
TB
EDIT: Here you go.
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=50...
Edited by tcbetka 4/28/2015 10:06 PM
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Posts: 13
| On July 3 my son caught a 41" on the Manitowish Chain. It was tagged and had a transmitter wire also. I contacted WDNR fisheries biologist Jordan Weeks who did a walleye/musky study in 2004/2005. He shared the following info with me.
The fish was tagged and a transmitter installed in May 2004. It is a female and was 37" and 13# at that time. It is the first reported contact he has received since that day. We were both surprised at how little the fish had grown in 11 years. I guess it just goes to show us that not all muskies are destined to be monsters. The fish had a healthy build and appeared to be eating just fine.
She followed up a bucktail in 22-24 fow and hit on a figure 8. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Very interesting. I'll equate it to my hunting. 4-6 year old deer are not easy to kill, no matter their rack size. Look at it as tackling that 17 year old Musky being a much greater feat than netting an 11 year old 51"er on Green Bay.  |
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