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Muskie Fishing -> General Discussion -> South Dakota muskie minimum, please help!
 
Message Subject: South Dakota muskie minimum, please help!
Tranderson
Posted 1/26/2018 1:22 PM (#890612)
Subject: South Dakota muskie minimum, please help!




Posts: 3


Hello,

Taylor Anderson here, recently I have been asking for support in South Dakota regarding raising our muskie minimum from 40 inches to strictly catch and release. We have fish over 40 inches present in what few muskie waters we have, but due to our inadequate minimum length limit of 40 inches unfortunately many are being harvested.

http://www.capjournal.com/news/commission-might-make-muskies-a-true...

Letters supporting this can be sent to the SDGFP Commission: [email protected]

All letters sent to the GFP Commission must contain your full name, and City, State of residence. They must also be sent 72 hours before the March 1st meeting.

Talking points may include: how muskie fishing can increase our tourism, advancements in replica/reproduction mounts vs skin mounts, catch and release, etc etc.. South Dakota is a big walleye/panfish state so maybe talk about how muskies do not interfere with walleye/panfish populations. I have brought up how expensive it is for the GFP (our version of the DNR) to raise a muskie to get it to trophy size, and how expensive it is when that fish is harvested. Opponents to this are bringing up points such as that if we don't "harvest" muskies, that they will become "stunted" in the lakes that they are in. Other concerns are hooking mortality "what happens if someone deep hooks a 50 inch muskie and it dies and is just floating in the water?" Overall though, I would predict that a majority of the negative public input regarding this will come from the old school walleye, perch, crappie, bluegill crowd saying it will wreck their fishing (studies have shown that muskie populations DO NOT affect other fish populations). Another negative comment regarding this has been "now our state record will never be broke". Our state record was last broke in 1991. It is of my personal opinion that to set regulations regarding the size limits on muskies strictly on the off chance that someone might catch a state record is pretty far fetched. I would much rather see us be a catch and release state, and let everyone have the chance to catch multiple trophy fish over the course of their lifetime.

We are really close to getting this done. The first step is over by having the commission pass the initial proposal, now it's the public input process, and than will be voted on the finalization again March 1st. Thanks for your help!

Taylor Anderson
mwmoo9
Posted 1/29/2018 4:09 PM (#890813 - in reply to #890612)
Subject: Re: South Dakota muskie minimum, please help!




Posts: 4


Hey Taylor

This is the first I've heard of you trying to get this done. I just want to say thank you! I'll do my part by sharing this and hopefully something will get accomplished. If you need any other help let me know!

Thanks again!
Brad Sheridan
banditman
Posted 2/1/2018 7:41 AM (#890993 - in reply to #890612)
Subject: Re: South Dakota muskie minimum, please help!





Posts: 167


Location: Tomahawk, WI
I know my opinion is not going to be popular but here it is anyway.

In the past 30 years I've kept 2 muskies. Both died Because I didn't know (at the time) that hot water and releasing muskies was a bad idea. I know better now and I shut down my musky fishing when it gets warm. I kept those muskies, and ate them. I didn't feel bad about it at all. I was actually glad that I had the opportunity to be able to legally take the fish home with me. When I was younger, eating the muskies we caught was normal practice.. I dont do it much these days, but if I had another fish die on me, Id like to know I can take it home and not let it go to waste.
I've never been a big advocate of catch and release only regulations for any species. People seem to like to throw out the "Increased Tourism" as justification for the new rules, but I dont really buy into that. The muskie fishing community , while growing every year, is still small in the fishing world. Lets just leave "Increased Tourism" out when trying to justify these new regulations and stick to science when deciding whats best for the fish.
Again, I do not support total catch and release regulations for Muskies or any fish for that matter. Don't get me wrong, I believe very much in catch and release as a good practice for Musky anglers. I just believe that an all out ban on harvesting fish is very rarely the right thing to do. Push for the higher size limits but leave the total harvest bans off the table.
Top H2O
Posted 2/1/2018 4:38 PM (#891050 - in reply to #890993)
Subject: Re: South Dakota muskie minimum, please help!




Posts: 4080


Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion
I'm for protecting ANY fish species no matter the method .
If the DNR says that a certain fish species is in danger and needs to be protected in a certain way, like closed seasons, catch and release only, size limits, bag limits, ect, ect... than I am all for it.
There are a bunch of people that fish to keep everything. They are not Tourists.
Muskies need to be protected by rules and regulations, the main reason being that they are such a Fragile creature.
I'm all in for a catch and release ruling, especially in an area like South Dakota where there aren't very many Muskies to begin with and are reliant on Stocking only.
musky-skunk
Posted 2/2/2018 7:14 AM (#891076 - in reply to #890612)
Subject: RE: South Dakota muskie minimum, please help!





Posts: 785


Taylor, I wish you all luck out there on getting that passed. I've had my go arounds with this in Iowa meeting with DNR officials and it can be a very difficult thing to get done. You've gotten further then us already from the sound of it. Just curious though... if this fails to pass will there be an opportunity to come back with something like a 48" length limit or will this be it? I feel going from a 40" to a 48-50" minimum would be easier to get passed and would still allow fish to reach maturity before harvest. Sadly guys hauling out 48"+ fish is still tragic but could be a more realistic middle ground? Just thoughts
Sidejack
Posted 2/2/2018 7:24 AM (#891079 - in reply to #890612)
Subject: Re: South Dakota muskie minimum, please help!





Posts: 1077


Location: Anoka
X2 on the above.
There may be some relevant data balancing a longer length limit with local & tourism fishing interest.
Plus, the older they get the worse they taste.
Tranderson
Posted 2/3/2018 4:33 PM (#891218 - in reply to #890612)
Subject: Re: South Dakota muskie minimum, please help!




Posts: 3


Musky_skunk, yes the proposal that gets voted on March 1st can be amended slightly. If it is amended to much than it would be considered a whole new proposal, and would have to go through this process again. If it has to go through this process again no guarantees it would make it as far as it has already. The SDGFP commission in a sense was on board with my 50 inch minimum initially, but than was willing to go another step farther with statewide catch and release. This is essentially a 3 step process, and there is one step left (the way I see it, in my opinion). It’s a complicated process. Long story short the March 1st vote is a vote late in this process, this has had lots of work put into it prior already. Almost 100% of local anglers I have spoken to about this support it. (and I have spoken with a lot of them)
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