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| I'm gathering information about the diet of Muskies, and would appreciate any facts and figures I can get.
I'd like to produce a brochure to give out to all the people who say "Muskies eat all of our Walleyes". I've read up on this quite a bit, and from the research I've seen, Walleyes were only present in the Muskie's stomache contents 0.9-2.0% of the time. If anyone has some other figures and sources of information, I'd sure appreciate seeing it. Thanks.
To contact me with the information:
[email protected], or e-mail me to get my address.
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Brad,
Here's a bunch of sources for you....
http://www.lakevermilion.com/muskies/htmls/diets.html
http://www.muskiesinc.org/ss/site/content/MINC%20Pages/Members/Rese...
http://www.uwsp.edu/water/mhansen/2005_Fayram_et_al_2.pdf
http://www.ecopath.org/modules/Publications/ViewPublications/public...
http://www.uwsp.edu/water/mhansen/2003_Nate_et_al.pdf
That should be enough reading material to keep you busy for awhile.
Aaron |
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| Thanks. Lots of good stuff in there. I appreciate it. |
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Posts: 128
Location: ontario canada - Well Anderson Indiana now | Great links AWH thanks alot. |
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Posts: 32945
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | A group of taxidermists in Wisconsin compiled a large amount of stomach content information a number of years ago. If I remember correctly, there were VERY few walleyes, with the main diet being small perch and bullheads, some suckers, and several different types of baitfish. |
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| I took an hour this morning writing out a bunch of stuff that I wanted to include in this brochure, but had questions about some of the details.
Do I need to list the sources of my information?
This is something that would be handed out free of charge to lake property owners and such, so I didn't think I needed permission or anything from my sources of info.
I also was hoping to have something on the bottom of the page like "If you'd like more information, go to www.?????????.com, or call your local Department of Natural Resources Office". Is that stupid, or a good idea? What website out there would I or could I mention?
At noon today I went to lunch at a Chinese restaurant, and was talking to a guy I know about the fishing on his lake. I asked him how it was, and he said he'd caught a bunch of 32 inch Northerns, but not many Walleyes. You guessed it, he then said the cliche phrase, "The Muskies must be eating them all". I mentioned to him that I had been working on a paper on this subject, and how that this was a common misconception about Muskies. He was somewhat surprised, but asked to get some copies when I'm all finished, for him and his fellow lake property neighbors to read.
There is a need for this information to get into the right hands, in my opinion, and I hope to get more support to get this finished shortly. Thanks for the responses everyone. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Brad,
I would love to get my hands on your final product. My chapter "35" is always looking to promoto positive muskie feedback to the lake users and lake property owners.
Any thing I can do to help?
Now we just have to deal with the Bass guys........ |
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| Here is what I'd like to do.
1. Produce a high quality, fact based information pamphlet, which as of right now would be a tri-fold brochure.
2. Obtain some funding to print out quite a few copies.
3. Get them in the hands of every local lake property owner, we're talking just the Muskie lakes, and everyone else who would like them. Get them in bait shops, resorts, Sporting goods stores, etc.
I'll walk all the way around the local Muskie lakes going door to door to get this information available. It has become that important to me. I guess I'm just tired of having the same conversations with these people about "The Muskies eating the Walleyes", that I'd rather just give them some facts and be done with it. Nobody takes your word for anything anymore, as we live in a day and age of political correctness and accountability. People want proof, and that's all I'm trying to give them.
Maybe a brochure isn't the way to go? Maybe some information on a business card sized thing would be better? I thought I'd get a little more feedback, but I guess this situation isn't as important to others as it is to me. I'm still gathering information and facts, and want this as professional looking as possible. It may take me two weeks, a month, two months, or longer, but I'm doing it regardless. This has now risen to the "Quest" stage for me, and I'll stop when it's finished. Thanks for showing interest, and I'll make sure you get some when they're available. |
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Posts: 1168
| The brochures are a great idea. I can see this being incredibly helpful for groups looking to change size limits or just to educate the masses more about what they do and do not eat. I would guess that talking to a number of different clubs would find the funding to print stuff like that up as they would be very beneficial. Already we as muskie fishermen get a bad rap because "our fish" are eating all of "their fish" so having this knowledge handy and quickly referred to as something we have seen could help in those sometimes testy conversations at boat landings, taverns, etc.
Another resource to contact would be the fisheries department at UW-Stevens Point. Alot of stuff published through there and it would potentially give a professor's backing or credibility to it instead of just something that could be perceived as dreamed up by barroom biology to those ignorant folks.
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Brad,
I think what you're doing is a great idea and I think it can be very beneficial. You asked about naming sources...As you said, people don't just take someone's word for something. So if you're giving credit to your sources, this is going to give more credibility to the facts that you present, as well as make it look even more professional.
Thanks for your efforts!
Aaron |
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| So do I need to get permission from those sources, or can I just name them? In this day and age of people suing over their coffee being too hot, I'd hate to get involved in a lawsuit while trying to disseminate Muskie information.
By the way, it's coming along beautifully. I'm impressing myself. Thanks. |
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| Anyone here have any info on the permission deal? |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Brad,
As long as you give credit to your sources, you'll be fine. No need to ask for permission.
Aaron |
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Posts: 793
Location: Ames, Iowa | Brad - You do not need permission as the studies you are siting are found in a journal, or other public record, as well as available at any university library for public use or online. When one writes a thesis for graduate studies, no permission is required- this information exists for the good of those who wish to use it. Besides, we all want our work sited in someone else's. A copyright statement would accompany the material if the creator stakes copyright to it. I suggest you include a bibliography siting 3-4 of your best sources including title. Authors last names, initial of first names. ; between each name. title of publication or website, publication date. all pages that the article covers. Type in the keywod bibliography on a search and you will find a proper format. What about that muskie video that was in post production that everyone was talking about showing to lake association members?
Good Luck,
Don |
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Posts: 194
| I think this is a great idea. I would definately include the Bibliography for the credibility factor. I found it interesting that in your earlier post the guy was catching 32" Pike, but still blamed Muskies on his lack of success with Walleyes. Don't Pike eat Walleyes too? Has there ever been any studies done on stomach contents of other predator species (Pike, Bass, Walleyes)? Would it be possible to include this information in an effort to explain what really IS eating the Walleyes? I would think a bar cart showing the stomach contents of all predator species and their stmach contents by a percentage basis might be useful to open some eyes to the truth. Keep up the good work. |
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Muskie Diet Studies.