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Posts: 49
| Here's my deal.....I have been metro fishing for about the past 8 years. I am beginning to realize how much of a gong show musky fishing has become over the last couple years. (each year is getting worse). Opener was ridiculous! On a small metro lake there had to been 30 " Muskie fisherman" with 4 guys to a 16ft boat. Here is where I have a problem guys are fishing out of pontoons with not the right tools, no net and are casting topwaters. I even found a broken off topwater that had a leader connected with about 10lb mono on it. If a musky were to break that off it could potential kill it. I knew that opener would be like that so I was optimistic about having a lot of these "amateur" musky fisherman give it up after a week or two of not seeing fish. NOT THE CASE. I have been out about 5 times even during the week and still the same results.
Bottom line is that I see a major problem in the near future with musky fishing and the amount of lakes we have in a small area. The reason why it is so good right now is that during the late 80's early 90's the DNR stocked some of these lakes. That was a time when musky fishing wasn't popular but that has completely changed. I know there are major issues with home owners throwing a fit about having musky stocked in there lake stating that musky's will eat all the walleye. That couldn't be further from the truth. My response to them would be look at the best walleye lakes in MN- Mille lacs, Leech, Vermillion, Cass, Bemidji. Guess what they all have musky's. Its just unbelievable. I really wish a lot of these guys would just give it up that don't know how to handle these awesome fish.
Your thoughts. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | everyone should be required to wear a fishing jersey … ez pz |
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Location: Northern Illinois | Yeah I hear ya there. Everytime I go out I see handfuls of people targeting muskies. Ive never used to see so many people muskie fishing. The past 5 years the sport has exploded. |
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Posts: 431
| Give credit where credit is due, Face Book, Go pro, and the net. |
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Location: oswego, il | Yep and its not for us to say who can and who can't muskie fish. |
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Posts: 56
| Good luck. There are too many people with a vested interest in the expansion of the sport. Magazines, TV Shows & Personalities, Guides, Resorts, Lure Makers, Retailers, Rod builders, etc., all depend on--and promote--the growing popularity of musky fishing. And it probably isn't going backwards, unless everyone gets fed up with the crowded circumstances and increasingly challenging fishing. (Even then, people keep looking for the "next musky frontier" and exploiting it and promoting it until that water too becomes overfished. See: Lake St. Clair.) Lots of people made this bed, and now we lie in it. It is harder and harder to find relatively unpressured water, unless you are willing and able to drive to destinations in Canada.
Probably only 2 real options for places closer to home: continued education so people learn how to fish better/smarter; and find new lakes to stock and expand the fishable area. Otherwise, this is probably the direction for the foreseeable future.
(I also find it curious that people complain about the "new" people who musky fish. "New" generally seems to mean "anyone who started after me.")
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Location: Chisholm, MN | ToddM - 6/18/2014 2:54 PM
Yep and its not for us to say who can and who can't muskie fish.
Yup, and adapt our management and education to keep the fishery going. Fully agree, fishing pressure is getting out of hand. |
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Posts: 1038
| Kind of ironic that someone took to the net to complain about the "boom" in novice musky fishermen. |
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | People looking to complain about dwindling Walleye populations need to look at themselves before complaining about muskies or other factors. Unless the DNR comes out with scientific data that says XYZ is why the fish population is dwindling, it’s all just hearsay and speculation. The DNR needs to start stocking more lakes and have the guts to stand up to the homeowner associations and the politicians. I know it’s not easy, but it’s what needs to be done. If they made Harriet and the Calhoun chain more accessible, that might also help with the pressure as these are really underutilized lakes. |
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Posts: 267
| Truth be known, it is probably a vicious cycle. Stock more lakes, you expose more people to muskies and recruit more muskie fishermen. I think one of the main reasons to start the muskie stocking program in the first place was to take some pressure off the natural waters. What happened was interest expanded to more anglers. |
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Posts: 49
| I think it would be a good idea to have a separate musky license (similar to duck license) and pay extra to have that money go towards stocking new lakes. Seriously even if they charged me 50 dollars a year to stock new musky lakes I would be all for it. |
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Posts: 294
| Not to take away from your Metro debacle, but you should have seen the Fox River here in Green Bay a few weeks ago. I was driving to a spot on a Sunday afternoon and when I rounded one of the bridges I kid you not there was at least 30 boats, 3-4 per boat fishing the same 300 yards of shoreline. We also saw a dude fishing from an elevated bridge roughly 15' about the water surface. There he is just tossing bucktails. And to top it all off you can watch some of these buttholes purposely snagging the spawning fish! I guess it's been nice to be able to fish the river around opener due to the springs we have had, but with all of this crap going on I hope for all the years to come these fish are way gone before opener. |
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Location: MN | You may want to get out of the metro to fish so you can have a more enjoyable experience. I see very few musky fisherman on the waters I fish and those that do target them are doing it right. When I lived in the metro years back I quickly realized hunting and fishing close to the cities was more frustration than it was enjoyment.
If you see these folks at the accesses try to talk to them nicely about release tools, proper equipment, etc. Give them some other tips on how to catch fish, ask how they were doing, etc. so it doesn't sound like a lecture. If you talk down to them you will get no where fast. Most musky fisherman new to the sport like talking with other musky guys and are usually open to suggestions. They are likely oblivious to the fact that they are fishing in a way that dangers the fish.
If you want to help our stocking programs join muskies inc and organize other interest groups. Look at the 54 inch rule recently passed. Organization + determination = results. |
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Posts: 619
| This year has really been a difference with crowding. Fish are going to be caught and handled that much more every year which some fish are gonna swallow baits and their gone. I think catch rates will get very very low and people will start dropping soon after. Last year there was some very horrible stretches of fishing and some of those lakes didnt get much pressure at all during those times. On the other hand, if you got on a decent bite last year so was about 10 other boats so the bites didnt last long.
Edited by Slow Rollin 6/18/2014 3:56 PM
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Posts: 1220
| There is a pretty good word to describe the kind of thing that's getting you down. And, all the vendors, guides, authors, and bait makers prayed for it from day 1. That word would be SUCCESS! Now, having said that, I can promise you that there have been several times I've chatted a guy up on water or ramp, and in a (Nice, Respectful) way let him know there was a better way to consider to benefit the resource he was enjoying. If the guy's an A-hole you just walk away to protect your personal peace, but if he's open to learning from someone a bit further down the path...you'll both be part of the solution. |
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Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | I really hope this post doesn't get pulled.... but it might
instead of complaining about what you think people should/should not do. When you see this stuff happening i.e. people with no tools or no net (btw, forgetting a net is one of the best good luck charms out there for this sport) take the time and try to teach them about what they should be doing instead of just looking down your nose at them. Every time a walleye guy says to me that the muskies took all their fish away, I laugh and try to explain to them that it is far from the truth. If I see a young guy tossing big baits with incorrect gear, I try to talk to them about it and see what (if anything) can be done to get them into this the correct way. You better hope that these newbies NEVER give up this sport. They are the future of the sport. Saying you hope they stop fishing muskies is like saying "kids are annoying, I hope people stop having them". Just doesn't make logical sense. Without new musky guys, eventually the ones we do have will die. Then no one will be fishing muskies, and no one will get to know how great of a sport this can be.
On the flip side, I agree that there are people out there that just aren't going to listen to what we think, even if we are right. Those people can't be helped. However, most can. It just takes a special person to step aside with said person and try to show them the safest way to fish. Not only for them, but for the fish as well. If you don't like what is going on, do what you can to change it. And if you see that there is a problem, but refuse to try and help the ones that are uninformed. IMHO I don't think you have any right to complain
For the record I have been in this sport for only a few years I think 6 or 7 now
Edited by FAT-SKI 6/18/2014 4:09 PM
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Posts: 158
| Maybe it's not worth the frustration this is causing you. Might be time to find a different hobby. If I follow, you've been fishing muskies for eight years and are upset about the "newbies" on the lake. Yeah, small metro lakes can get crowded real quick. I would look at fishing some of the bigger lakes and getting a bit out of town. I fished the metro on op'ner in the rain and saw about ten boats in ten hours. #lovenowakeontonka
TB |
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Posts: 49
| I fish all throughout the state including the angle. But those are special trips. I'm not able to make those trips every weekend like some do. I'm not trying to complain, I just worry about the sport/ethics I have people constantly cutting me off. I'm not a confrontational person. It just reaches a point where you couldn't make up some of the stuff you see on the water with some guys. I saw 4 fish out of one particular lake that people kept that were 49-52 inches. And they were musky fishing as well, not accidental catches. In all reality there is not that many fish over 50 inches in most lakes and when you take 4 out of a smaller body of water that's not good for the whole fishery in general. |
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Posts: 132
| I agree, the increase in Muskie boats over the past two years has been incredible. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a bad thing. But when those who take on the sport are not educated, that's when it isn't good either.
The education thing has been beat over the head a million times. Some are willing to listen and some never will. Hopefully those that don't listen give it up or just simply never catch fish. I still think the #1 item of importance is Management of the fishery, and it's not even close. This sport is booming to say the least, we need more lakes. We need to fill the regional gaps in the State where lakes are lacking. The DNR has been great for the fishery over the last 20+ years, and the recent 54" increase is awesome. But they need to be willing to accept rattling a few cages by introducing Muskies to some new waters. The fisherman/lake ratio is starting to take a bad turn and it will continue if changes aren't made. |
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Posts: 411
Location: Waconia,MN | I'm new to musky fishing, this will be my third year fishing for them. I have learned so much since I started and I can thank this web site and all of its member's. Maybe we need to start advertising muskie first more. I've only had opportunity to fish the same lake and I don't see many other people targeting muskies. Usually most people I see trying to fish bass or panfish sometimes I'll see a few but there usually in a different spot.
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Location: The desert | I wonder when musky fisherman will quit fishing for them in order to better the sport. It wouldn't shock me. |
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Posts: 162
Location: Metro, MN | bbradley1 - 6/18/2014 3:41 PM
I think it would be a good idea to have a separate musky license (similar to duck license) and pay extra to have that money go towards stocking new lakes. Seriously even if they charged me 50 dollars a year to stock new musky lakes I would be all for it.
I love this idea as well |
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| Perhaps everyone who has 10 yrs or less should quit fishing, they seem to be the problem....
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=96... |
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Location: oswego, il | How about a lottery. You pick rocks. White rocks you get to musky fish, pick a black rock you get stoned to death. |
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| People wait a lifetime to draw certain tags to hunt, we could make musky fishing draw only and depending on points and such manage it that way. It is hard to see NR draw when residents don't though.... |
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Posts: 791
Location: WI | Funny I just was talking to a guy who has two years in and just for his first fish. He seems to have the bug and you can see the excitement and drive in the questions he asked. But he asked me about how many fish I've kept. Once again I was explaining replicas and there benifits.
This is not a shot at him but rather an idea of the amount of work still to be done with informing people about catch and release an the options they have for there Trophys. |
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Location: Oswego, IL | Everyone should feel lucky, I would almost best muskie fisherman are about 5% of the overall fishing population. Were actually a very very small group. Its seems crowded because there a fewer "good" spots to fish. Were also the group that has patience, most people was immediate results, hence bass and walleye and everything in between. Just my opinion.. |
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | BenR - 6/18/2014 7:09 PM
People wait a lifetime to draw certain tags to hunt, we could make musky fishing draw only and depending on points and such manage it that way. It is hard to see NR draw when residents don't though....
Pretty easy to circumvent that one... I'm just a trophy pike fisherman.. Go ahead prove I'm not. |
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| Tim Schmitz - 6/18/2014 10:35 PM
BenR - 6/18/2014 7:09 PM
People wait a lifetime to draw certain tags to hunt, we could make musky fishing draw only and depending on points and such manage it that way. It is hard to see NR draw when residents don't though....
Pretty easy to circumvent that one... I'm just a trophy pike fisherman.. Go ahead prove I'm not.
It was in jest:-) |
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Posts: 38
| You can't control the pressure, so the best bet is education on fish handling and Catch/Photo/Release. I've given away spare pliers and spreaders to some young guys without them. When I left them they were talking about getting heavier equipment and splitting on a big net and some heavy hook cutters. Plant the seed and hope for the best. |
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | BenR - 6/18/2014 10:47 PM
Tim Schmitz - 6/18/2014 10:35 PM
BenR - 6/18/2014 7:09 PM
People wait a lifetime to draw certain tags to hunt, we could make musky fishing draw only and depending on points and such manage it that way. It is hard to see NR draw when residents don't though....
Pretty easy to circumvent that one... I'm just a trophy pike fisherman.. Go ahead prove I'm not.
It was in jest:- )
No #%!? |
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Posts: 109
| Where are you from? The lakes that I fish I rarely see 5 boats targeting muskie, if I go during the week I'm usually the only boat on the lake. |
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Posts: 167
Location: Tomahawk, WI | FAT-SKI, You said it best . |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | I've seen the sport explode over the last 30 years, some come and go some learn and stay. I know one young guy who's father was of the kill every muskie you catch there eating all the walleye bent, who in two years has developed into a very good muskie angler. His father told me they caught 6 preseason muskie while walleye fishing and his son wouldn't let him take them from the water and carefully released them. Our sport needs more young guys like this and if he takes his friends out fishing he can show them the proper way. In the past 30 years I started many people muskie fishing. I showed them how to catch fish, how to handle fish, to respect the resourse. I don't regret it. Guys long dead pointed me in the right direction and I enjoy passing it on. I get ALMOST as much out of getting a newcomer their first big fish as getting it myself. At 71 my remaining years in this sport are limited after casting jerkbaits last evening I was whipped after 4 hours I used to do it for 14.
MAYBE IF THERE WERE FEWER REALITY SHOWS ON TV MORE PEOPLE WOULD STAY HOME! |
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Posts: 51
| The beginners just cruise shorelines
Edited by longcastinlefty 6/19/2014 8:21 AM
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Posts: 51
| And for education... The education is out there. Even before I would fish for Musky I knew proper musky handling techniques. Truth is people do what they want as long as it's not breaking the law. How many times were we harped on by parents and teachers who preached safe sex? How many of you actually listened? |
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Posts: 639
Location: Hudson, WI | The metro boom is over. Sucks, but it's true. Almost all of the earlier stocked fish are dead, pressure has increased...it's just something we all have to deal with. It's real musky fishing now.
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | TomSS20 - 6/19/2014 8:55 AM
"Go ahead prove I'm not." I would look at your digital camera pictures.
Incidental catches. |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | Moltisanti - 6/19/2014 10:29 AM
The metro boom is over. Sucks, but it's true. Almost all of the earlier stocked fish are dead, pressure has increased...it's just something we all have to deal with. It's real musky fishing now.
At the metro musky tournament on saturday they mentioned that when the tournament first started people would come in saying they had seen 20 fish that day, now most people see 1 or 2 if any at all. |
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| Everyone has the right to fish. Best to just inform the ones using light tackle and no tools that they might be having too much fun. Or maybe they have the right to fish how they want?
Edited by Anonymous 6/19/2014 10:44 AM
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Posts: 159
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Growing up in Northern WI in the 70/80s there were lots of guys Musky fishing the good lakes that consistently held fish-----but it didn't seem to be such a production as it is now---guys just wind drifting spots/casting in aluminum boats----a 25 hp was a big motor---few had bow mount trolling motors......
Now its seems everyone has a newer Ranger with a 200 hp ---screaming around---fighting for good spots----just way more pretentious/competitive now in my opinion....
In my opinion Im hoping we are seeing the peek of the sport right now related to pressure
-----Im guessing a lot of younger guys who are just getting into it will not stick because the degree of difficulty in catching a fish casting has gone up exponentially at least in my boat the last 15 years or so....
Hoping that lots of guys start to get frustrated and burn out---leaving the lakes with more spots uninhabited by guys constantly pounding them.....
Or I could be wrong and it continues to get worse----We could all go back to Walleye /Pan fishing like our fathers..lol...at least like my father......
I do agree with the premise of the original post.........
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Posts: 267
| The guy who mentioned the muskie tag or stamp had an interesting idea. It would pretty much take care of incidental harvest as most anglers that chase other stuff probably wouldn't buy a muskie stamp. |
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Posts: 639
Location: Hudson, WI | dami0101 - 6/19/2014 10:41 AM
Moltisanti - 6/19/2014 10:29 AM
The metro boom is over. Sucks, but it's true. Almost all of the earlier stocked fish are dead, pressure has increased...it's just something we all have to deal with. It's real musky fishing now.
At the metro musky tournament on saturday they mentioned that when the tournament first started people would come in saying they had seen 20 fish that day, now most people see 1 or 2 if any at all.
The good thing about it is when you get bit, it's big. It is a little worrisome though...I hardly ever hear of anyone catching a 35 incher anymore. They have to pass 35 to get to 50! |
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Posts: 49
| http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_25914335/minnesota-muskies-grow...
To validate my point... |
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Posts: 566
Location: Elgin, IL | Like the Disco Era, I believe that it's all sicklical...wait a few years and you'll have your Musky spots to yourself again.
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Posts: 182
| Sounds like a lot of whining. How did all of you become proficient at muskie fishing. For the most part if you have been doing this for more than 10 years we all learned as we went. All the people putting out this endless supply of info on muskie fishing, they should also be putting as much work into proper release and fish handling information. |
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Posts: 620
Location: Seymour, WI | Nice to see so many people complaining about how bad the musky fishing is in MN ...instead of how easy it is to catch 50 inchers all day long like they did a few yrs ago. Welcome to the real world. |
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Posts: 345
Location: Poynette WI. | I've really gotten into musky fishing in the last 6 years and when I look back at how I used to fish them and what I knew about the sport, I've come a long ways. A lot of that is due to sites like muskiefirst, seminars, classes, experienced anglers and last but not least myself. Once i realized all the efforts and responsibilites involved i made it a point to research the sports and fundamentals that go along with it. This is a large part of being a sportsman also. I now take it upon myself to go out of my way to help others become aware of some of the best practices and responsibilites when targeting muskies or any other game for that matter and also where to find this information at. With all the technology and access to information these days, there is no reason that a lot of these unfavorable practices couldnt be avoided sooner than ever.
Edited by FISHFINDER101 6/19/2014 3:09 PM
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Posts: 31
Location: Illinois | Maybe the DNR could support this by posting signs, (with basic CPR instructions), at boat ramps on muskie waters and providing information via brochures and seminars. Also, post the fines and penalties for being caught mishandling fish. Any way you slice it, idiots are gonna kill fish. Most of the time, it is not muskie fisherman, it is people who are not fishing for them and catch them by accident. I have seen forty plus inch fish laying in the grass next to the boat ramp. All we can do as people who fish for them is try to provide as much information to beginners and non muskie fisherman as we can and be happy to be out there and fishing. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Post pictures of big fish on the net or facebook and you will have lots of company. A friend of mine that did has had over 20 PM's asking Where, How, and will you take me fishing.
His answer is buy a $500 dollar rod and reel, $1000 dollars worth of baits, a years salary on a boat, then spend 1000 hours a year on big fish water.
If you caught them every time it would be bass fishing
Edited by horsehunter 6/19/2014 3:33 PM
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| benckdb - 6/19/2014 3:15 PM
Maybe the DNR could support this by posting signs, (with basic CPR instructions), at boat ramps on muskie waters and providing information via brochures and seminars. Also, post the fines and penalties for being caught mishandling fish. Any way you slice it, idiots are gonna kill fish. Most of the time, it is not muskie fisherman, it is people who are not fishing for them and catch them by accident. I have seen forty plus inch fish laying in the grass next to the boat ramp. All we can do as people who fish for them is try to provide as much information to beginners and non muskie fisherman as we can and be happy to be out there and fishing. Actually the sign idea would be a good thing for Muskies, Inc. to do. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Muskies Canada puts up signs to point out the differences between Pike & Muskies they are stolen as fast as erected. Need ugly signs. |
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Location: MN | I'll add a couple more points for food for thought.
Musky fishing is one of the few outdoor sports/hobbies that is seeing participation increase instead of decrease. Many of the other outdoor sports enthusiasts would be envious. Growing popularity gives us a voice to be heard and it gives our sport a future.
Many other sports have a large amount of participants with terrible ethics with very little education out there to improve it. Just go out on a duck swamp in MN or WI in October and you will see what I am talking about. The musky community has come a long way in the last several years to protect our sport for the future-CPR, proper equipment, muskie clubs, new laws, etc. and there are tons of resources out there educating people about it. The same thing cannot be said for many other outdoor sports.
Growing popularity should be considered a good thing. We just need to do our best to educate those interested in our sport. Outdoor enthusiasts have always been the number one advocate and supporter to protect the habitat and wildlife. Same goes for musky fisherman and muskies.
Is your glass half full or half empty? |
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | Smell_Esox - 6/19/2014 3:37 PM
benckdb - 6/19/2014 3:15 PM
Maybe the DNR could support this by posting signs, (with basic CPR instructions), at boat ramps on muskie waters and providing information via brochures and seminars. Also, post the fines and penalties for being caught mishandling fish. Any way you slice it, idiots are gonna kill fish. Most of the time, it is not muskie fisherman, it is people who are not fishing for them and catch them by accident. I have seen forty plus inch fish laying in the grass next to the boat ramp. All we can do as people who fish for them is try to provide as much information to beginners and non muskie fisherman as we can and be happy to be out there and fishing. Actually the sign idea would be a good thing for Muskies, Inc. to do.
The DNR already has signs at all the boat launches at the lakes I fish that point out that it is a musky lake, says the minimum length to keep, and has pictures of a musky and a pike, and Tiger if applicable. The problem though is that they are usually off to the side and there's nothing really calling your attention to it. So unless you actually go gee, I wonder what that sign over there is about, and then go look at it, people probably aren't going to see it. I don't know if this applies to lakes with multiple launches as I only fish lakes with single launch locations. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | a jersey, a stamp, a special license and approval from muskies inc. and i think you've got it covered ... |
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Location: Smith Creek | jonnysled - 6/19/2014 4:39 PM
a jersey, a stamp, a special license and approval from muskies inc. and i think you've got it covered ...
Don't forget the GoPro. All details of the outing must be recorded and peer reviewed to ensure no unethical activity took place. |
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Posts: 410
Location: one foot over the line | I can see it now... airing on A&E tonight: "The Muskie Dynasty" or "The Muskie Commander"... |
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| Everyone has the same right to fish.. Just because someone is new to the sport doesn't mean you should wish they quit it.. If you see someone without the proper gear or improperly handling a fish, talk to them. Educate them, invite them to a muskies inc group. I've been fishing my whole life and just started seriously chasing muskies in the last couple of years..I've learned A LOT during that time. I had no idea how much different musky fishing is from anything else or the tools and handling techniques needed. I finally have all the right gear and feel like I know what I am doing. I've also gotten myself and 3 others to join Muskies inc and have been regularly attending meetings.... At the chapter banquet, raffles, and other fundraisers, between us and our girlfriends, we've easily spent over 1000 dollars to help our chapter, sport, and fisheries over the last six months. We 'amateurs' are the future of this sport and the future of these fisheries. The key is not getting mad at people new to sport.. Instead, encourage them to become more involved and teach them about it. I would bet that most people you see using 10lb mono or holding fish wrong have no idea that they are doing something wrong.. Talk to them, ask them how they are doing, how long they've been fishing, etc.. Give them a few pointers, and invite them to club meeting. I was fortunate to have a good friend who grew up fishing ski's teach me a lot and even more fortunate to have been invited into muskies inc, where I can't thank everyone enough for the wealth of information I've learned there. The young guys are the future of the sport.. and its too #*^@ exciting to just 'give it up' so we're not going anywhere!! The new guys are paying the same fee for their license and ramp permit as you are- they've got the same rights to fish as you do. If your attitude is really that you wish new fishermen would just quit, then you are the real problem- not the new guys. You're probably the same guy that later complains that kids nowadays don't play outside, all they do is play on their phones... Not trying to get personal, just playing devil's advocate here. Looking forward to a musky tournament this weekend, will see you on the water!
Edited by FishFinder87 6/19/2014 9:36 PM
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Posts: 173
| Flambeauski - 6/19/2014 5:54 PM
jonnysled - 6/19/2014 4:39 PM
a jersey, a stamp, a special license and approval from muskies inc. and i think you've got it covered ...
Don't forget the GoPro. All details of the outing must be recorded and peer reviewed to ensure no unethical activity took place.
This pretty much nails it !  Likely need a Muskies Canada card too --some of the youngsters might get to LOTW or Eagle .
Edited by larryc 6/19/2014 9:22 PM
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Posts: 143
Location: La Crosse, WI | 40 years ago almost every legal musky that was caught was kept, it just was the tradition at the time. In the 80's and 90's, catch and release began to catch hold and from the research I've done it started mainly from musky fisherman. Now the sport has exploded with the advanced of equipment, knowledge, and stocking which in my opinion is a good thing. I started muskie fishing about 7 years ago when I decided that I wanted to catch the biggest, meanest, and hardest fish to catch in the lake. I had very little knowledge about muskie fishing. I started with a 7ft medium heavy rod and a 6500 Abu and basically just casted small bucktails and topwaters. After I had a little bit of experience under my belt, I started to research muskie fishing more and more. I've read Muskie's on the Shield, the new book by Tom Gelb, and also Jim Saric's book. I look back on the tools I had, the equipment I used, and the way I handled fish and cringe a little bit. I don't know whether a fish in my boat has died yet, none of them floated, but in the early years they definitely weren't handled properly.
Now I have all the tools, educate the people who fish with me about properly handling fish, and get fish back into the water as fast as I can. This website is without a doubt the best source of information about muskie fishing that I have found. Yet, you see posts here about people complaining about "their spots" being taken, too many people getting into the sport, and inexperienced people not knowing what they are doing. To me it just sounds like people being selfish about "their" fish, resources, and spots being used instead of attempting to educate people about the things they are doing wrong. Now if someone doesn't want to take the advice you are trying to share with them, that is their problem.
Bass, walleye, panfish, and your weekend warriors are going to kill muskies by accident or on purpose if they catch one. That will probably never change. The people reading this website, muskyhunter, and the other books aren't the ones we have to be concerned about. It has to start with the experienced musky fisherman to inform people about the proper way to go about fishing muskies. This whole entitled attitude about beginners not knowing the proper way to fish/handle muskies isn't going to help, and will probably hinder, the future of this sport. Its about education
Edited by Chuckin Baits 6/19/2014 10:26 PM
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| Chuckin Baits - 6/19/2014 10:23 PM
40 years ago almost every legal musky that was caught was kept, it just was the tradition at the time. In the 80's and 90's, catch and release began to catch hold and from the research I've done it started mainly from musky fisherman. Now the sport has exploded with the advanced of equipment, knowledge, and stocking which in my opinion is a good thing. I started muskie fishing about 7 years ago when I decided that I wanted to catch the biggest, meanest, and hardest fish to catch in the lake. I had very little knowledge about muskie fishing. I started with a 7ft medium heavy rod and a 6500 Abu and basically just casted small bucktails and topwaters. After I had a little bit of experience under my belt, I started to research muskie fishing more and more. I've read Muskie's on the Shield, the new book by Tom Gelb, and also Jim Saric's book. I look back on the tools I had, the equipment I used, and the way I handled fish and cringe a little bit. I don't know whether a fish in my boat has died yet, none of them floated, but in the early years they definitely weren't handled properly.
Now I have all the tools, educate the people who fish with me about properly handling fish, and get fish back into the water as fast as I can. This website is without a doubt the best source of information about muskie fishing that I have found. Yet, you see posts here about people complaining about "their spots" being taken, too many people getting into the sport, and inexperienced people not knowing what they are doing. To me it just sounds like people being selfish about "their" fish, resources, and spots being used instead of attempting to educate people about the things they are doing wrong. Now if someone doesn't want to take the advice you are trying to share with them, that is their problem.
Bass, walleye, panfish, and your weekend warriors are going to kill muskies by accident or on purpose if they catch one. That will probably never change. The people reading this website, muskyhunter, and the other books aren't the ones we have to be concerned about. It has to start with the experienced musky fisherman to inform people about the proper way to go about fishing muskies. This whole entitled attitude about beginners not knowing the proper way to fish/handle muskies isn't going to help, and will probably hinder, the future of this sport. Its about education
I agree on all points.
Edited by FishFinder87 6/19/2014 10:53 PM
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Posts: 410
Location: one foot over the line | FishFinder87 - 6/19/2014 10:51 PM
Chuckin Baits - 6/19/2014 10:23 PM
40 years ago almost every legal musky that was caught was kept, it just was the tradition at the time. In the 80's and 90's, catch and release began to catch hold and from the research I've done it started mainly from musky fisherman. Now the sport has exploded with the advanced of equipment, knowledge, and stocking which in my opinion is a good thing. I started muskie fishing about 7 years ago when I decided that I wanted to catch the biggest, meanest, and hardest fish to catch in the lake. I had very little knowledge about muskie fishing. I started with a 7ft medium heavy rod and a 6500 Abu and basically just casted small bucktails and topwaters. After I had a little bit of experience under my belt, I started to research muskie fishing more and more. I've read Muskie's on the Shield, the new book by Tom Gelb, and also Jim Saric's book. I look back on the tools I had, the equipment I used, and the way I handled fish and cringe a little bit. I don't know whether a fish in my boat has died yet, none of them floated, but in the early years they definitely weren't handled properly.
Now I have all the tools, educate the people who fish with me about properly handling fish, and get fish back into the water as fast as I can. This website is without a doubt the best source of information about muskie fishing that I have found. Yet, you see posts here about people complaining about "their spots" being taken, too many people getting into the sport, and inexperienced people not knowing what they are doing. To me it just sounds like people being selfish about "their" fish, resources, and spots being used instead of attempting to educate people about the things they are doing wrong. Now if someone doesn't want to take the advice you are trying to share with them, that is their problem.
Bass, walleye, panfish, and your weekend warriors are going to kill muskies by accident or on purpose if they catch one. That will probably never change. The people reading this website, muskyhunter, and the other books aren't the ones we have to be concerned about. It has to start with the experienced musky fisherman to inform people about the proper way to go about fishing muskies. This whole entitled attitude about beginners not knowing the proper way to fish/handle muskies isn't going to help, and will probably hinder, the future of this sport. Its about education
I agree on all points.
It's not that i necessarily disagree with you guys, and it is a good possibility that i am getting more cynical in my older age, HOWEVER, there was a dude who posted on this site not too long ago about missin some muskies because he didn't have a net. Not that he forgot his at home, simply didn't have one. Now, i'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but i would think that having a net (or something similar) would be a little bit of a no-brainer. I'm all up for trying to educate the newcomers, but i need a little something to work with. |
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| beerforthemuskygods - 6/20/2014 12:51 AM
FishFinder87 - 6/19/2014 10:51 PM
Chuckin Baits - 6/19/2014 10:23 PM
40 years ago almost every legal musky that was caught was kept, it just was the tradition at the time. In the 80's and 90's, catch and release began to catch hold and from the research I've done it started mainly from musky fisherman. Now the sport has exploded with the advanced of equipment, knowledge, and stocking which in my opinion is a good thing. I started muskie fishing about 7 years ago when I decided that I wanted to catch the biggest, meanest, and hardest fish to catch in the lake. I had very little knowledge about muskie fishing. I started with a 7ft medium heavy rod and a 6500 Abu and basically just casted small bucktails and topwaters. After I had a little bit of experience under my belt, I started to research muskie fishing more and more. I've read Muskie's on the Shield, the new book by Tom Gelb, and also Jim Saric's book. I look back on the tools I had, the equipment I used, and the way I handled fish and cringe a little bit. I don't know whether a fish in my boat has died yet, none of them floated, but in the early years they definitely weren't handled properly.
Now I have all the tools, educate the people who fish with me about properly handling fish, and get fish back into the water as fast as I can. This website is without a doubt the best source of information about muskie fishing that I have found. Yet, you see posts here about people complaining about "their spots" being taken, too many people getting into the sport, and inexperienced people not knowing what they are doing. To me it just sounds like people being selfish about "their" fish, resources, and spots being used instead of attempting to educate people about the things they are doing wrong. Now if someone doesn't want to take the advice you are trying to share with them, that is their problem.
Bass, walleye, panfish, and your weekend warriors are going to kill muskies by accident or on purpose if they catch one. That will probably never change. The people reading this website, muskyhunter, and the other books aren't the ones we have to be concerned about. It has to start with the experienced musky fisherman to inform people about the proper way to go about fishing muskies. This whole entitled attitude about beginners not knowing the proper way to fish/handle muskies isn't going to help, and will probably hinder, the future of this sport. Its about education
I agree on all points.
It's not that i necessarily disagree with you guys, and it is a good possibility that i am getting more cynical in my older age, HOWEVER, there was a dude who posted on this site not too long ago about missin some muskies because he didn't have a net. Not that he forgot his at home, simply didn't have one. Now, i'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but i would think that having a net (or something similar ) would be a little bit of a no-brainer. I'm all up for trying to educate the newcomers, but i need a little something to work with.
Point taken, and I cannot deny that some people do not have a lot of common sense. Without knowing the rest of that story, I really can't comment more on it- though do we know for sure he was targeting muskies to begin with? I know a lot of people catch them on walleye and bass lures even and I would not expect them all to have a properly sized net. If he indeed was targeting muskies..some people just don't know any better. Rather then get mad at them and wish for them to give up the sport, talk to them and educate them as to why they should consider getting a bigger net. Hell, he came to this forum, so clearly he is looking for some guidance. What else can you ask?
On the flip side, I've met a fair share of old timers that still keep any musky they catch. Should I get mad at them and wish they all give up fishing altogether? No. I should politely explain the efforts that are going into the fisheries, tell him why I practice C&R myself, invite him to a muskies inc meeting, and encourage him to consider C&R. Between the two scenarios, I bet those rookies would be far more likely to listen to you then an old timer would be to listen to some young guy.
Edited by FishFinder87 6/20/2014 1:10 AM
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Posts: 34
| Pointerpride102 - 6/18/2014 3:24 PM
I wonder when musky fisherman will quit fishing for them in order to better the sport. It wouldn't shock me.
I'm already on that. Because I know if I go out I'm going to strike out...or I'm going to go nuts and spend way too much money. In the end it's a win for the fish. God bless the internet. |
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Posts: 122
| beerforthemuskygods - 6/19/2014 6:56 PM
I can see it now... airing on A&E tonight: "The Muskie Dynasty" or "The Muskie Commander"...
Hey now don't be stealing my idea... my husband has made some awesome plastic handmade jerk baits, hard body lures, etc.... hoping to strike millions and start a TV show..... course... ya know that could be good because they would sure enough make it "reality" by having one idiot make every muskie mistake possible then have the teacher correct... I can see the show content now! Lol
Serious now: Come on peeps it is the natural progression and called learning. We started fishing around seven years ago and sold! Will do ten thousand casts not a problem... just like toying with these wonderful hard to catch beauties. I am a researcher and still learning. Started with ugly sticks, cheap abu Garcia reels, decent net....... tried to following what we read. Main parts we missed and learned.... jaw openers rarely had to use but ready to go and lean way close to water with head pointed at water (dropped one fish... she was fine but I had a heart attack.... I THOUGHT I was close enough to water..... nope. IT IS called learning and everyone should be able to try it. We have some MaMa she bears out here who Muskie fish and protect them like crazy. Yikes! Muskie fishing is for everyone, enjoy it, share it, take the time to teach people the right techniques. |
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Posts: 3907
| Hard to feel bad for you as you are newer than me and so yer taking up my space.
Kidding. Sorta. The best stick usually gets the fish no matter what. |
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Posts: 32922
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Muskie angling has been at or near the top for well over a decade in growth in the freshwater fishing category.
Any muskie angler new or experienced who decides education is someone else's responsibility or predetermines who is qualified for help has no place complaining about the influx of new Muskie anglers. Remember, you were a newbie once too. Like Ranger said...
Be part of the solution or you are part of the 'problem'.
And consider this:
The more anglers fishing for muskies, the more attention those waters and populations will receive from fisheries and politicians.
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| You can be an advocate and concerned without being a moron, but that that skill or tact is as elusive as the 60 incher.... |
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Anyone else have this feeling..............