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Posts: 454
| I first wanted that thank everyone for the efforts put in on stocking all muskie lakes throughout the midwest. Without the countless hours of time and effort many people put in, our fisheries would just not be the same.
With the talk about the recent stocking in Lake Minnetonka, it got me to thinking........................Does the location of where the fish are stocked dictate where there will be heavier densities of fish within a lake or chain of lakes? Do the fish seem to relate to structure near where they enter the lake or does it not seem to matter at all? |
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Posts: 207
Location: Mpls, MN | I never thought when I joined Muskies Inc I would stock fish or have a hand in it. I really think it is remarkable how various groups of people can work together and help supplement what our local state agencies can do. To think you have this little fish that are maybe a 6 inches big when we get them (or bigger) and maybe in 5,10 or 15 years down the road someone could caught a 50 inch or maybe even bigger fish.
It's crazy how much people spend on lures, tackle and boats yet still have the time and ability to give even more back to something we all love to death through various fund raisers to stock lakes, do studies and what not.
Got to love it. And sure we all hate it(when he fish don't want to play) at times but its pretty rewarding to see it happen.
Edited by mm12463 10/31/2006 9:37 PM
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Posts: 459
Location: New Baden IL | Asteffes,
I wish I knew for sure if the stocking location helped determine where the fish will locate, boatramps would be hot!
I do know that they are studying just that at Kinkaid as we speak. They are stocking and sampling fish in locations all over the lake starting this season.
Only time will tell. But supporting our local level biologists will definately help. I'm glad that our local Muskies, Inc. chapter does as much as they do down here.
Rodney LaCaze |
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Posts: 518
Location: Cave Run Lake KY. | Muskies will travel the entire lake moving with food fish, following water tempeture, spawning in the spring. Muskies love currents, Muskies will stage off of ciscos spawing in the fall They will move into deep timber feeding on panfish, some of the largest muskies are caught jiging deep timber, spring shad spawn on gravel shore's where muskies feed on them, we call that the ratletrap bite on the cave. Muskies can be caught allmost any where on a lake at diferent times of the year. What im getting at here is it doesn't much matter where they plant them by the time their legel size they will be in a environment that they like. Kentucky stockes Cave Run Lake every fall on the first of Oct. They put 500 to 1000 , 14" muskies in at different boat launches all around the lake, I belief this gives the fish a chance to not get eatin by the larger bass that we have in the lake. Marv. |
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Posts: 2024
| If muskies are stocked in a poor environment they're gonna move to a more suitable one. Period. If they're stocked in a good location with plenty of food sources, cover, etc. then there's no need for those fish to move.
I don't think it matters. As someone else said they're fairly nomadic and will follow baitfish movements most of the time. My .02 cents. |
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Posts: 1168
| I don't believe that stocking location plays a big factor in future location unless they are released near a feeder stream or channel that connects to another basin/lake/river/etc. Then they could find their way into that other body of water and establish themselves there. Stocking location is very important to survival rates. You just don't want to go dumping 10 inch muskies in areas where there is an abundant number of pike.
Case in point about stocking location...there is a well known fish that had been stocked. (Can tell because of a fin clip.) This fish also has a very distinct scar on it's back from what appears to be a boat prop. That fish has been caught by different guys in different parts of the lake she is in. This year I know of this fish being caught at least twice and the locations where it was caught was about 4 miles apart. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Fish will swim all over the lake given enough time. Typically we like to spread the fish out a bit so they can more easily compete for food. One example of fish moving is in Green Bay where fish from Sturgeon Bay were found up in Gills Rock within a year! That's 60+ miles of shoreline to swim. Fish will go to where they find food plain and simple.
The big thing to consider when picking locations is 1. predators and 2. fishing pressure.
We try to stock fish in areas that don't have a ton of big bass and small pike when possible. Although small pike would be food for the fish we just stocked. We also try to stock away from the "beer and bobber" crowds. Stocked fish are used to eating things that go "squish" when they grab them and don't know anything about fishing pressure. The further away from the people that my eat them the better.
Edited by Muskie Treats 11/1/2006 7:52 AM
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Location of Stocked Fish