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Posts: 1828
| I am not well-versed in taxonomy and have only studied biology minimally, so I probably need some schooling,
but,
Can someone list the generally-acknowledged strains of muskies?
As I understand it (starting with what's most familiar, MN)
- Leech Lake: basically anything native to waters connected to the Mississippi?
- Shoepack: tiny muskies originating from Shoepack lake by Kab
- Wisconsin: basically anything native to Wisconsin waters? What's the history with these?
- Great Lakes Strain?
now questions:
What's in Lake of the Woods? are they very genetically similar to what's in Rainy? and moving out, are they the same as what's in all the big shield lakes?
what's in those small lakes that have tons of small muskies in Ontario?
What's in the Kawartha's chain?
Basically it all boils down to one question: is "Strain A" just a population of muskies originating in interconnected waters, "System A", that differs by some prescribed degree from another population of muskies in another system of interconnected waters, "system B", that is disjointed from "System A"?
And by that definition, is it accurate to say there are actually dozens (hundreds?) of strains?
Anyone competent and willing to engage in this conversation, I'd appreciate it!
Edited by jaultman 6/28/2017 11:00 AM
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Lots more than what was listed, WI breaks them down to 3 main groups:
Upper WI River, Upper Chippewa River (which includes the Flambeau) and great lakes. I think the clear lakes in Hayward have their own strain too, as do a few others that have been isolated long enough.
I think MN has Moose, Leech, and shoepek, not sure if there are others, i doubt it. Not sure about CA, but i think LOTW is it's own strain.
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Posts: 1828
| Thanks man. I had heard Moose had its own fish too.
Maybe my definition is pretty close then. Lots and lots of "strains". |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | I don't discriminate, they are all welcome to eat eat my bait. |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | Breaking it down into strains can only be applied loosely. For example, five fish from five separate waters that are considered "Great Lakes Strain" will be different genetically. Surprisingly genetics, on waters never stocked, have appeared to be very different when only been separated by a dam for a 100 years. This gets problematic when trying to restore an ultra low density population through stocking. Common practice states that you never mix genetics into a native population, if you can't take eggs from said population then in theory it shouldn't be stocked from a genetically different source.
It gets really crazy when you start looking at stocked waters that have taken fish from multiple sources, like Iowa. The genetics are from so many sources, (MN-Leech, MN-Mississippi, WI, MI, NY, OH, etc.) that I've heard it said genetically some of them are closer to a Tiger than a pure strain muskellunge. However, in a fishery maintained solely by stocking this is probably the best scenario as they seem to thrive in any environment and growth rates are exceptional. |
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Posts: 1291
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | Jaultman: Yep, lots of "strains". Perhaps the most important thing to know is that there are basically two different animals; Sympatric muskies and Allopatric muskies.
While both are "muskies" they have different reproductive strategies and different maximum growth potential.
Sympatric muskies are those that have Historically co-existed with Pike (esox lucius). They spawn twice and usually in deeper water and different locations than pike. They are capable of growing many more eggs and their maximum growth potential is upwards of 60-pounds.
Allopatric muskies were isolated in "usually" pothole lakes, after the glacier melted and the water receded, trapping them in separate lakes or small lake systems. There "originally" were NO pike present. Their growth potential is "usually" not much over 40-pounds and they spawn once in shallow water like pike.
Some want to say they are two separate "species" and some/most don't, but they are definitely different and have far different growth potential.
In NW Ontario, there are several Allopatric lakes near Sympatric lakes, but they have no connection. Mostly "little green" muskies are caught in the allopatric waters, whereas lakes like Eagle contain only sympatric muskies with huge growth potential.
Lake of the Woods, which is basically a reservoir, I believe, contains both. Hard to know what existed before man started damming most northwoods waters during the logging era.
Interesting subject for discussion and one many disagree on. If you are looking for "giants" and the lake record where you are fishing is 33 pounds, guess what...you will never catch a WR there (unless it is stocked with sympatric strain muskies)! |
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Posts: 1828
| Larry, very interesting and helpful. I hadn't heard that of that classification before, but that makes sense. |
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Posts: 119
| Larry, that is a wonderful post but does that apply to the southern river fish as well ? |
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Posts: 267
| In MN, muskies in the Big Fork River system must be different from Leech Lake strain. They are probably similar to LOTW or Rainy since they are in that watershed. |
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Posts: 1291
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | River: There are no native pike in the south but the southern muskies (native) are
"Riverine" spotted muskies. Don't get quite as big as those up north as they don't live as long in the south due to longer growing seasons.
Smell: Correct. |
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | Very interesting.... |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Here's a question, since stocked vs natural was mentioned in the other thread. I don't know if some inland lakes are stocked with Great Lakes strain or not but, but would a stocked Great Lakes strain have less a chance of getting big than a natural? |
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Posts: 1291
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | Mo16: Wisconsin has a few lakes with Great Lakes strain in them and they grow just fine! |
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Posts: 1291
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | PS: As do the Mississippi River (Leech Lake) strain in northern waters!! |
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All the muskie strains