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Posts: 167
Location: Girard Pa. | do muskies return to the same water to spawn every year or are theyan opportunistic spawner,IE wherever they find themselves and the conditions preasent themselves ARTIE |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Where ever they happen to be, but particular conditions need be there for survival of the young of the year. Muskies spawn over detrious vegetation, and broadcast the eggs instead of creating a 'nest'. Not much parental care. Negligent parents, for sure!
I have seen muskies spawning on open sand, rocks, and where they are supposed to. |
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Posts: 167
Location: Girard Pa. | Thanks Steve,what time of year do they set up on or near where they will spawn,or do they keep moving and feeding until the literaly, the bottom drops out..Have located a isolated spawning area ,on georgian bay that several Jumbino's are using (last year anyway) .one fish possibly wr class.looking to try to locate them in the late fall if possible any sugestions welcome ARTIE
Edited by FishMan 8/28/2004 9:46 AM
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| sworrall,
What's "detrious" and where would a spawning muskellunge find "detrious" vegetation?
You've left me doubtious.
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Posts: 7
| Steve is mistaken. Muskies show a very high degree of reproductive homing in a manner similar to anadromous salmon and trout. You asked this question in reference to a specific stock of Great Lakes muskellunge. A spawning site survey on Georgian Bay and the North Channel resulted in a very high recapture rate among mature spawners at the same spawning site in consecutive years. Similar homing behaviour has been observed in Wisconsin, southern Ontario and New York portion of the Thousand Islands. In the latter case, muskies migrated tens of kilometers past seemingly ideal spawning beds to reach their ultimate spawning sites. It is for this reason that critical spawning and nursery habitats should be identified and protected. Muskellunge of wild (not hatchery) origin will not spawn "where ever they happen to be" as Steve stated.
Assuming she survives the year, you can expect the big female you observed last spring to return to the same spawning area next April. This fall, her location will be determined by her need to meet the high energetic demands of her ripening ovaries, rather than proximity to the spawning beds. Look for shoals of forage, possibly coregonines (lake herring and whitefish), in the region - these may or may not be near the spawning site.
Good fishing to all.
Michael
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Related references
Crossman, E.J. 1990. Reproductive homing in muskellunge, Esox masquinongy. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 47:1803-1812.
LaPan, S. R., A. Schiavone, and R. G. Werner. 1996. Spawning and post-spawning movements of the St. Lawrence River muskellunge (Esox masquinongy). Pages 73-82 in S. J. Kerr and C. H. Olver, editors. Kemptville, Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
Margenau, T. L. 1994. Evidence of homing of a displaced muskellunge, Esox masquinongy. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 9:253-256.
Edited by Michael B 8/29/2004 9:58 PM
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Posts: 167
Location: Girard Pa. | Thanks for the info mike I'm certainly going to have some reading.Anything to cut the odds on the bay is greatly appreciated,it certainly gives me some Ideas on where to start ARTIE |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Nice post Michael!
Referances on BB posts, the way it should be...if only I payed more attention in school. |
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spawning muskies