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Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | Been years since I've been down. Never fished either one for Muskies what can you say about the seasons & the fishing on these two bodies? |
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Location: Des Moines IA | Memorial day through Labor day they are heavily pressured with recreational boats. The fish are there and still eat though. Season opens late May, so it's least crowded after Labor Day. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Season opens May 21 till Dec 1, Spirit don't get the pleasure boat traffic West does but is prone to the wind. I pretty much fish West almost daily during season with a trip or so a week to Spirit but most my sucess comes off West. Spirit when on can put out numbers and size, we have had 12 fish weekends with fish ranging from 39-50, most over 45 but thats not the norm. West may yeild 20 follows on a good day and none in the net or 1-2 in the net and thats all you see.
If you get down this way let me know, be happy to show you around a little. |
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Posts: 1224
Location: Okoboji | shaley,,,,so i will be down the first weekend of opener?!! |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Opens on a Saturday, I'll be out celebrating my wedding anniversary in my boat hunting skies...... not sure what the wifes plans are  We;ll talk at the Expo, not sure who all will be here yet and who's fishing with who yet... |
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| Or you can fish West, East, Spirit and every other freaking body of water in this God for saken state and not catch a single fish all year. Lots of days and tons of hours and the big skunk-o-reeno. Do your self a favor and go to Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, New Mexico or any other place for that matter before the season opens in Minnesota and Wisconsin. What ever you do..... don't fish muskies in Iowa. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Matt you need to tag along with me again... I normaly know where 1 or 2 are hiding.... |
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| I saw plenty of fish last year. Couldn't get any of the #($*%*##@s to eat!!!! Actually I got some to eat as well and couldn't keep them pinned. Stupid fish. Ran to MN and saved the season with a 49.5" the last day I was out in late November. Love me some MN fish..... |
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Posts: 114
Location: Eagle Grove, Iowa | I fished 5 lakes in Iowa last year and caught fish in everyone of them. I think musky fishing in Iowa is not that bad anymore compared to years past. I will agree minnesota is better especially for fish over 50" but for time restraints and gas prices im happy with what we have. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | are there still remnant WI fish from the Big Mckenzie project from back in the day, or is that body gotten heavy stockings from elsewhere. Some definate nice chunks in there, no doubt.
Edited by Reef Hawg 3/6/2011 1:03 PM
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | We recruit fish from the waters for restocking, Spirit and West/East O are the current brood stock we trade/sell fish to other areas now instead if bringing them in. From the talk we got from guys in MI that have our fish they are impressed. |
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Posts: 75
| The fishing is just horrible after the first three weeks Honestly it is muskie fishing on a lake with a decent amount of pressure. When the fish are going there is a good chance of finding a very solid fish above 45 inches. When they aren't on, just like any other lake, you may cast for what seems like forever to no avail.... I enjoy fishing west and I cannot complain about the quality of fish. |
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Posts: 785
| I fish Clear as I live in Mason City and it has some piggys but is one of the woste structure lakes ever. When it shuts down it shuts down hard.
Anyone out there know much about Lake Macbride and Sugema? Fished them for other things but just curious how the muskies are coming along. Can't remember when they started stocking both so they may just be little tikes yet. |
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Posts: 1188
Location: Iowa | I don;t get to fish a lot every year but I did manage to get 13 muskies out of Iowa last year. Like Tracy said, with gas prices the way they are and the time constraints, I am perfectly happy with what Iowa has to offer for the time being. Would I love to live in Minnesota, you bet ya, but the better half doesn't see eye to eye with me on that one. With what Iowa has to offer, I am prefectly content. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | I see Clear has 1 less 49 in it now, to bad it wasn't released. The artical left alot to be desired to.
We have over 200 in the tanks at the hatchery at the moment a few over 40 pounds and a couple teasing the 50" mark. Lots of fat healthy fish in there this year.
Edited by shaley 4/18/2011 6:53 PM
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Location: Green Bay, WI | We toured this hatchery while down there for an MI Board meeting, a couple years ago. Very impressive. Those lakes are gorgeous. From what we were shown, the State of Iowa has done an incredible job with that fishery. The have a very nice little hatchery operation there, and if you can find the time and they'll allow it, I *highly* recommend you visit the hatchery. It was very worthwhile and enjoyable, and to a person those folks were very hospitable and spent much time with us answering every question we had. And I had a lot of questions, LOL.
They are definitely a credit to their state, without a doubt...
TB |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Thanks Tom will forward that to the guys up there. I normaly help but timing was off this year and I wasn't able to get out in the boats. We have a good crew at the local DNR level and a good bunch of conservation minded guys fishing the lakes to help protect that resourse. |
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Location: Green Bay, WI | Cool, thanks...
While you're at it, please do me a favor. While we were there, I asked the supervisor for a copy of the growth model equation for their fish. He didn't have it, but said the actual biologist in charge would have it but he wasn't there that day. I forgot to call back, and then had it just slipped my mind...then I had surgery...then came Summer...then...( You get my point.)
So maybe either just ask them for a contact number of someone I can call, or just ask them for the von Bertalanffy growth model equation for their fish. It's probably published someplace, but my guess is that it is updated more frequently than it's published, so maybe I can get the newest version. It certainly isn't "top secret" data, but I'll bet they don't get too many requests for it. So I'll bet they might just give it to me. I wish I hadn't forgotten to follow-up after our meeting, LOL!
Anyway, you can simply e-mail me at the address in my signature with contact information if you would prefer, and I can make the call. I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks!
TB |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | I will find out for you Tom.. |
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Okaboji & Spirit Lake