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Posts: 489
| Does anyone have an estimate on cost of musky fingerling, and how many it would take per year to create a population in a medium sized river? |
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Posts: 2015
| There will be people on here more qualified than I to answer... but we did pose this question to our DNR 5-6 years ago, back then 6-7" fingerlings were about $8-$10 I believe.. price will be determined on size and number purchased but the second part of your question...if they cant reproduce it could take 100's of thousands of dollars annually....medium rivers flow into larger rivers.....put a muskie in a river who knows where it will end up.
Edited by IAJustin 1/22/2013 10:41 PM
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Posts: 44
Location: Stevens Point WI | It's going to depend on where the fish are being raised (private vs public hatchery), what strain you are looking at, and what time of year you are looking to stock ($ fry<$$ fingerlings<$$ fall fingerlings<$$$ yearlings, but you have increased size to go with better survival).
Around here (WI), fish purchased by clubs to stock are normally stocked as fingerlings or fall fingerlings. Cost and size of fish vary with hatcheries, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $8 to $12 per fish (average size 6-14"), roughly. Those would be WI strain fish. If a club were to want to stock LL strain, you are looking at more like $20 per fish. (Included in that cost is feed, health certificate, transportation, etc...)
Where are you located? You'll want to talk with your local biologist to see if stocking is even an option in that water body. And as stated above, in an open system like a river, those fish are free to roam where ever they please. Even if it is a flowage, you are going to have fish that move downstream.
Edited by 10in Jake 1/23/2013 12:46 PM
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | I've spent as low as $9 and as high as $15 depending on qty. That is for LL fish certified to be stocked in MN.
As far as stocking a "medium sized river", there's a lot more information that's needed to determine anything. Forage, acreage, openness of the system, depth/deep water retreat, etc. |
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Posts: 489
| How would somebody go about gettin support from the state for something like this. Does it help to have Muskie inc support? |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | LOL, well the response to that would be a 15 page dissertation on MN alone! What state are you talking about? Tons of variables to getting any water stocked that isn't on the list already.
You're going to have to go through your local DNR. Don't expect a resounding YES! There's a lot more to muskie stocking then just dumping in some fingerlings.
Edited by Muskie Treats 1/23/2013 7:09 PM
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Posts: 489
| I understand that it will be a tough process, I am talking Ohio |
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Posts: 489
| Any suggestions from muskie inc presidents? |
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| You will probably have to work with your local chapter, the further east you go the less likely national would provide support. BR |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | I would suggest that you find your local chapter and talk to them first. They may have some insight into your local DNR and possibly that body of water. From there you'd talk to the local branch of your DNR that covers that area.
In MN the DNR has to go through several different studies to be sure the muskie management criteria are met as well as pubic input meetings before they will even consider stocking a new body of water. This process takes several years and then at the end of the day may or may not result in DNR sanctioned muskie stocking.
Do some research on that body of water. If it had documented muskies in it at some point you may be able to fast track the project a little. People are all about "restoring natural range" of fish and birds. There is also matching grant money available through the Hugh C Becker Foundation to help you along.
Feel free to drop me a line if you like and I can get more in-depth.
Shawn |
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Posts: 2015
| What river are you talking about? Most of the ohio rivershed (tributaries) do or did have muskies....like Shawn mentioned it should be much easier to get the ball rolling if it is a "reintroduction"
Edited by IAJustin 1/24/2013 7:52 AM
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Posts: 489
| The maumee, after reading Larry ramsells books it seems they were once in there. |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI |
Chain Gang - 1/24/2013 8:54 AM The maumee, after reading Larry ramsells books it seems they were once in there. OK, now that I know the location I can chime in... The Maumee would require a strain that isn't readily available, the Great Lakes strain. Here in Michigan we've just completed our second year of rearing GL strain. Michigan is in the process of creating two broodstock lakes for the GL strain that will allow future expansion of stocking. As of now Michigan would be the only source of the correct strain for the Maumee (discounting WI due to limited genetics). However, any chance of supplying enough eggs to Ohio for rearing GL strain is likely 10+ years down the road. Ohio would have to be interested in rearing another strain at a hatchery because the Michigan hatchery is functioning at capacity. The first step would be to talk with the local biologist for the Maumee and see if there has ever been any consideration for a restoration on the Maumee. I would be surprised if there isn't a management plan in place for the Maumee and it may or may not include restoration plans for GL muskies if a source ever becomes available. If there is a plan in place and interest in a restoration the next step would be for the Ohio fisheries division to contact the Michigan fisheries division and get in line for possible GL strain eggs. |
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Posts: 489
| So the current strain being raised in Ohio would not be suitable for the maumee? Or is the problem that since it feeds Erie they need to be gl strain? |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | Chain Gang - 1/24/2013 9:34 AM So the current strain being raised in Ohio would not be suitable for the maumee? Or is the problem that since it feeds Erie they need to be gl strain? Yes to both questions. Consideration must be given to where the fish could possibly end up and given the propensity of muskellunge to travel downstream, even through and over dams the strain would have to be GL because of the access to Erie, DR, LSC, Huron, etc. If considered "restoration" the strain would have to be the historic strain which would be the GL strain. This would be true even if stocked into the furthest upstream reaches of the Maumee (Ft Wayne, IN). |
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Posts: 489
| Great information thank you. I will have to make some calls to see if there is a plan! |
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Posts: 256
Location: plant earth | They are still there I live in Toledo. I have caught and witness a few been caught. Close to Erie and all the way up on the other side of the dam in Grand Rapids. Most success coming in mid to late spring. Finding arms and little bays where the water is warmer than the main body of water. Summer time is a needle in a hay stack but I was going to try jigging the shipping channel at the mouth of the river out into the lake. Even if I don't catch any a bad fishing is better than a good day at work. |
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Posts: 489
| I live in grand rapids, get ahold of me and I will give it a try with you. |
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Posts: 341
Location: Passaic, NJ - Upper French River, ON | "How would somebody go about gettin support from the state for something like this. Does it help to have Muskie inc support?"
Contact your local Chapter of Muskies Inc. They can direct you through a grant process ( Hugh Becker Grant ) that may help you expand the current range of muskie waters. |
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Posts: 1247
Location: On the Niagara River in Buffalo, NY | Stocking Great Lakes strain muskies is not going to be an easy task to get done.VHS has made it nearly impossible to be able to use a hatchery that is VHS free to raise Great Lakes strain muskie fingerlings.When it comes to Great Lakes strain muskies they also do not like to cross genetics from one area to another,they like to keep the genetics same for that area through natural reproduction.Not saying stocking can't be done,but here in NY state they will not allow it because it would require its own hatchery,no money for it.Maybe there is a possability that you could get a program to trap net young of the year,if there are any numbers present and then pen rear them in the river until they are 10" + for better survival when released,but this would cost a lot of money as well.Habitat improvements in spawning areas could also help improve the fishery.
Capt. Larry D. Jones
NY M.I. Chapter 69 Reg. Rep. |
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Posts: 32
| Cost historically to bring fingerlings into IL was around $10 per fish but now it is $15 or more per fish because they have to be VHS certified. If your state does not require that and you buy a good number assume $12 per fish. Otherwise $15 to $20 per fish in low volumes. |
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Musky fingerling prices