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Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | Behind the scenes the last few years some of our Politicians and Rich Lake Associations have been plotting the demise of Muskie Stockings not just in Ottertail County MN, Lakes that Include Pelican Lake and West Battle Lake( Longest Stocked Lake in MN 1963) but are maneuvering with paid off Politicians help to allow for Lake Associations to determine the future of Muskie Stockings Statewide, Well known lakes like Minnetonka, Vermillion, and newly Stocked Gull Lake will probably be lost if they get their way... Need every able bodied Muskie Angler to call these Politicians and post this info everywhere to put a stop to this ridiculous bill.
Things change fast down at the Capitol, especially in a short Legislative session such as this year.
The anti-muskie Legislation written by Senator Ingebrigtsen has been introduced in the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee, and the muskie haters are pushing hard.
It's time for us to let them know we oppose every single part of this backwards legislation.
Please inform everyone you know to contact them on behalf of our fishery.
The good news is that Carrie Ruud is the Chair of this committee. For as long as I've been aware, Carrie has always taken the sensible, logical, science based position on hunting/fishing/management issues that's come up.
We need to let her, and her committee, know how many of us are completely opposed to what Ingebrigtsen is pushing.
Let them know that Minnesota wants, needs, and supports positive muskie management and we're not willing to go backwards with our fisheries! Muskies do not harm our lakes, good muskie fisheries bring a lot of enjoyment to MN residents and tourists, and we demand that fisheries management stays in the hands of the qualified professionals at the MN DNR.
Please contact all of these committee members: Remember, these people did not author this bill. Be very respectful and thank them for their consideration. These legislators want the right thing.
The easiest way is to go to the link below. A few of them list their email address, the others have a box to click which will allow you to send them an email. Please email all of them and tell them you oppose every bit of Ingebrigtsens anti-muskie bill SF3319.
http://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.php…
Minnesota Senate Committees - Environment and Natural ...
www.senate.mn
Minnesota Senate Committees 2017-2018 Biennium Ninetieth Legislature Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee
After that, please contact all four authors of this bill and tell them we don't want it!
Ingebrigtsen
Gazelka
Westrom
Bakk
You will find them listed as authors on this link:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php…
Lastly, contact your own local Legislators and tell them if this bill moves forward that they should not vote for it!
Here is the district finder
https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF3319&ssn=0&y=...
Thank you!
MN Muskie and Pike Alliance
Edited by Dave Williamson 3/16/2018 1:07 PM
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Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | From the MMPA fb page
Well, we knew it was coming. Senator Ingebrigtsen has begun dumping his truck-full of garbage. His anti-muskie antics are reaching new lows.
Here it is:
Senators Ingebrigtsen, Gazelka, Westrom, and Bakk introduced--
S.F. No. 3319: A bill for an act relating to game and fish; prohibiting new muskellunge waters; authorizing counties to limit fish stocking within their jurisdiction; providing for taking muskellunge in nonmuskellunge waters; imposing moratorium on stocking muskellunge in Otter Tail County; requiring rulemaking; requiring a report; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 97C.371, subdivisions 1, 2, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 97C.
So here's the scoop.
He has 3 co-authors on the introduction of this bill.
He also has several other bills that separately carry the individual rules carried collectively in SF 3319.
He'll be looking to push these through the Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee. Because that avenue (the appropriate committee) is likely to be difficult, he will also be trying to push them through the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee which he is the Chairman of.
This bill calls for the following:
-No new muskie waters until at least August 2022. (statewide)
-County Boards would be given the power to dictate fish stocking decisions, even against existing DNR plans. They would have the power to reduce or ban muskie stocking within their county (any county, statewide). Keep in mind County Boards have no connection to fish management and do not have any natural resources training or expertise.
-Muskies would be legal to spear and muskie size limit would be 20 inches on what the authors define as "non-muskie waters"
Additionally, in Ottertail County:
-No muskie stocking on ANY LAKE in Ottertail County until at least August 2023. That includes all of the existing muskie lakes in Ottertail County.
-The DNR would be required to form a stakeholder group (meaning citizens) to "study" the impacts of muskie stocking.
-$50,000 would be designated for another study to be conducted without DNR involvement, to determine the effects of muskie stocking. -As we all know, muskies have been studied by countless methods everywhere they exist, including extensive studies throughout MN. Also, the method defined here would remove the key element (muskie stocking) from the equation before conducting the study. Not exactly scientifically sound!
Ingebrigtsen is the chief author on this. His district includes the Alexandria area.
Gazelka: co-author from the Brainerd area.
Westrom: co-author from Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes area.
Bakk: co-author from Lake Vermilion area.
You'll notice that much of this bill makes statewide rule changes, and the authors of this bill have districts covering a large portion of Minnesota's lake country.
As we've stated in the past, some of these anti-muskie attacks are focusing on Ottertail County, but that's only a starting point. The anti-muskie goals are statewide, including very popular, very important, well established muskie fisheries such as Lake Vermilion.
Currently, these bills have not moved forward past the introduction phase. It isn't necessarily time to "rally the troops" and start bombarding Legislators.
However, we want all muskie anglers to be aware of what's coming. If these bills gain traction, it's going to take all of us to shut them down! Share this info and keep your eyes open! |
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Posts: 444
| Thanks for posting. |
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Posts: 444
| I was just told this we be covered by the Star Tribune in Sundays paper.
Tony Kennedy has written the article.
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Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | Would also go to the Minnesota Muskie Pike Alliance ( MMPA) page on FB, they are our only lobbying power we have down at the capital for protection of our fisheries in Minnesota. |
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Posts: 43
Location: S. Wisconsin | "I live as I please, and to HELL with the law." - NorthWoods Proverb.
We know from American History that a black market in muskie fingerlings will soon arise.
Take this route, and expect MORE Muskie in MORE waters with moves like this, stocked privately under the cloak of darkness.
Everyone, not just Minnesotans, should contact MN representatives and tell them NO MORE TOURIST DOLLARS FOR YOU unless I can fish Muskie.
Politicians feel secure in screwing over their constituents because they are so far removed and untouchable. Maybe print Legislators Home Addresses so we can write letters to their HOMES so they can't be ignored...?
All politicians are human garbage. Show them no respect. Treat them as your own personal schlep monkeys, its their job, its what they signed up for, its what they deserve.
Addendum: There will be no way to accurately assess the balance of each fishery if illegal stocking occurs. High density populations grow smaller fish, no way to keep a balance if numbers are "unknown". It'll ruin things. Avoid this path.
Edited by IGotTheFeverBIG 3/16/2018 3:58 PM
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Posts: 43
Location: S. Wisconsin | Ingebrigtsen
Capitol Office
95 University Avenue W.
Minnesota Senate Bldg., Room 3207
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 297-8063
[email protected]
Legislative Assistant: Sean Murphy (651) 296-0101
http://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1120
________________
Gazelka
Capitol Office
95 University Avenue W.
Minnesota Senate Bldg., Room 3113
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-4875
Legislative Assistant: Scot Missling (651) 296-5774
http://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?leg_id=12263
___________________
Westrom
Capitol Office
95 University Avenue W.
Minnesota Senate Bldg., Room 3201
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-3826
[email protected]
Legislative Assistant: Alex Trunnell (651) 296-0556
http://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?leg_id=10709
(Good Luck getting Westrom to look ya straight in the eye. Politicians. Ugh.)
_________________________
Baak
Capitol Office
95 University Avenue W.
Minnesota Senate Bldg., Room 2221
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-8881
Legislative Assistant: Larissa Shea
http://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?leg_id=10027
_________________
Don't sit on this thinking someone else will take care of it. It took DECADES to get Muskellunge fisheries to where they are today.
Give them a call. Leave a professional but firm message. Often, if necessary. No rest for the wicked.
I'd post their home phone numbers and cell phone #s if I could find 'em... |
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Posts: 1000
| Thanks for sharing. I had a chat with a couple fisheries biologists and they're disgusted by this effort. It's a step towards making PUBLIC resources PRIVATE.
Send a 3 sentence email. Right now |
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Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | The funny thing in the Muskie world is when all the hot up and coming hot shots and the guys that spend thousands of dollars on lures every year, is that when it gets serious like it has never been before in the state of MN they won't even make a phone call or send 1 e-mail, step up people this is not good.
Edited by Dave Williamson 3/17/2018 6:57 AM
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Posts: 1636
| What I find odd is they want scientific evidence to support that the biologists do... yet, they want to allow people who have no clue to control stocking certain water-bodies.
Blows my mind.
Best of luck to you guys. |
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Posts: 300
| I find it funny that they call Muskie to not be stocked in non native waters...but they do the same thing with Walleye. Wasn’t the state record Walleye in MN caught in non native waters? |
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Location: The desert | It's not just one email that needs to be sent. Every person on that committee needs to be contacted. Inboxes need to be flooded.
I'd also offer that people start filling up the inbox of the Otter Tail County commissioners. I don't think they realize how big of a group we are and constant emails would make them aware that we aren't a small group and we can become the bane to their existence.
Email, call, make your voice heard. |
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Posts: 535
Location: deephaven mn | I don't think bashing the writers of this new bill is all that effective.
Taking time to contact the politicians who do not support this bill is the road we need to take.
This is not a political issue |
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Posts: 1209
| Well i tried to take a bass fishing series to pelical lake this year, we didnt but maybe next year, totally give them something else to complain about
Edited by Fishysam 3/17/2018 7:13 PM
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Posts: 859
Location: MN | Has there ever been a group of politicians this hell bent on destroying their community’s already fragile economy? I feel sorry for the businesses and families who depend on these tourist dollars. Hate to say it but people are taking a lot of trips out of state already given the current decline. The resorts and business have suffered enough. Ask the folks on Mille lac how those walleye dollars are doing... they would be full if they hadn’t cut stocking Muskie at solid levels years ago.
Edited by NathanH 3/19/2018 9:01 AM
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| NathanH - 3/19/2018 8:18 AM
Has there ever been a group of politicians this hell bent on destroying their community’s already fragile economy? I feel sorry for the businesses and families who depend on these tourist dollars. Hate to say it but people are taking a lot of trips out of state already given the current decline. The resorts and business have suffered enough. Ask the folks on Mille lac how those walleye dollars are doing... they be full if they hadn’t cut stocking Muskie at solid levels years ago.
Well said! Rather than taking several trips in MN that involve one or two vacation days being used I would rather save them up and take another trip to LOTW. I guess this is what they want. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | Should be able to copy and paste one of these into your email. Everyone should send them an email to show your support for continued stocking of muskies in ALL Counties in MN
For Outlook:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
for emails that seperate addresses with a coma:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Edited by BNelson 3/19/2018 9:48 AM
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Posts: 470
Location: Blaine, MN | How much time, and how many resources has Bill put into this Anti Musky rhetoric the last 5 years? It seems like this is what he lives for... he wants his legacy to be the destruction of MN muskies and that's it? |
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Posts: 22
| Sending emails and calling the numbers provided. Thanks for posting all this info! We can all take 5 minutes to do this. |
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Posts: 22
| A sample letter to send to legislators. Feel free to Copy and paste after changing around a few sentences...
Dear Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee,
Please OPPOSE bill S.F. No. 3319:
The MN Department of Natural Resources has competently managed game fish in our lakes and rivers for decades. The MN DNR already abides by strict guidelines for stocking Muskellunge, they have based stocking programs on SCIENTIFIC surveys and data analysis that include predator prey dynamics.
By limiting Muskellunge and other top predators within lakes, as Senators Ingebrigtsen, Gazelka, Westrom, and Bakk have proposed, the entire size structure and populations of all fish species will suffer. As a Fisheries Biologist and fisherman I can provide numerous studies that have shown this. Not only that, but countless tourism $$ will be lost if Muskie fisherman abandon lakes that were once stocked with healthy Muskie populations.
We need to continue to let the MN DNR do their job and NOT let people with limited knowledge of fish population dynamics decide stocking procedures.
Sincerely....
Edited by hans 3/19/2018 11:22 AM
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Posts: 323
Location: Elk River, MN | short STRIKE - 3/19/2018 9:58 AM
How much time, and how many resources has Bill put into this Anti Musky rhetoric the last 5 years? It seems like this is what he lives for... he wants his legacy to be the destruction of MN muskies and that's it?
Couldn't agree more. Sounds like he is just furthering his personal vendetta against the DNR for not bowing to his every command on "his lake"
Imagine how great our fisheries could be if they investing in our fisheries rather than fighting them? |
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Posts: 17
Location: Florida | I can say I probably won't travel from Florida to Vermilion if they ruin the Muskie fishery. Was there last Sept, and although I didn't catch a muskie (didn't spend much time fishing for them), I learned a lot and will be better prepared when I spend almost two weeks there at the end of September this year. I do plan to spend significant time chasing them this time. A lake has to have 3 fish for me to consider it. Smallies, pike and muskie. I think I am evidence MN will lose tourism dollars if they do this.. |
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Posts: 1080
Location: Aurora | We lobby & advocate on behalf of people with living with disabilities at the capital, during events, senate panels, etc.
Been doin it for years and the lobbyists, senators, and legislators that support us all say that phone calls are preferred.
While emails generate data and can be tracked, they can also be auto-generated in quantity and easily considered spam when the messaging is similar and from one target group.
We're consistently encouraged to call rather than email, especially when a senator is building a case for us. Phone calls are also tracked, are irrefutable, and given more consideration and weight due to their more personal nature and the motivation involved. Sending physical hand written letters is better than sending emails in their opinion but we're continually advised to call if only one approach is feasible.
Employing all 3 is of course the best for those that would like to cover all bases. |
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Posts: 1636
| Fish Community Responses to the Introduction of Muskellunge in Minnesota Lakes http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/fisheries/special_reports/166.pdf
Diets of Muskellunge in Northern Wisconsin Lakes http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries/species/mue/mue_diets.pdf
EVALUATION OF GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF DIFFERENT GENETIC STOCKS OF MUSKELLUNGE: IMPLICATIONS FOR STOCKING PROGRAMS IN ILLINOIS AND THE MIDWEST http://www.illinimuskiesalliance.org/projects/GreenGene/FinalSummary2002-2012.pdf |
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | I e-mailed Sen. Tom Bakk saying I was disappointed in him giving into lies and ignoring the science so completely. His response was: "I only wish the DNR would be honest with us walleye fisherman and admit that muskies like northern do eat walleyes. They say no. Everyone knows that is not true, they are a large predator and to say such is plain silly “big fish eat little fish “. DNR has totally mismanaged Millacs and my fear is more lakes are headed down themillacs path
The department of fisheries is obsessed with growing big fish, in all species actually" |
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Posts: 300
| dami0101 - 3/23/2018 11:31 AM
I e-mailed Sen. Tom Bakk saying I was disappointed in him giving into lies and ignoring the science so completely. His response was: "I only wish the DNR would be honest with us walleye fisherman and admit that muskies like northern do eat walleyes. They say no. Everyone knows that is not true, they are a large predator and to say such is plain silly “big fish eat little fish “. DNR has totally mismanaged Millacs and my fear is more lakes are headed down themillacs path
The department of fisheries is obsessed with growing big fish, in all species actually"
Nobody denies that they do eat the occasional walleye. The issue is walleye fisherman believing that it is northern and muskies decimating the population. Is he blaming this Mill Lacs fiasco on muskies or just saying the DNR does not know what they are doing?
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | I think he's saying the DNR doesn't know what it's doing but I could be wrong.
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Posts: 591
Location: Duluth | Bakk is the worst, cranky walleye fisherman are a close second. Every lake is changing and has changed since "the good old days". IDK maybe pick up an In-Fisherman to find some new tactics, eyes aren't hard to catch......Big fish eat little fish, yea. But big fat guys taking their limit of eyes every trip out doesn't make a dent in population? |
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Posts: 43
Location: S. Wisconsin | "But big fat guys taking their limit of eyes every trip out doesn't make a dent in population?"
These people are the problem.
Grampaw views the lake as his own personal supermarket, and when he "empties the shelves", he looks for someone ELSE to blame.
If they cant be educated, I guess we'll have to hope they die off...
Think positive! |
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Posts: 289
Location: Minneapolis | Walleye fishing has improved on Vermilion since muskies were stocked. I don't think the presence of muskies had much if anything to do with the improvement, but adding slot limits did. Reduce the harvest by fishermen, and the walleye population improves. Hmm. |
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