Posts: 309
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | Very interesting to listen to Matt Seifert discuss some of this stuff on Backlash Podcast (ep 149). Matt tells it pretty unfiltered here in regards to this technology and his worry about it. Up to now the folks that were fishing the open and deeper water bite were of the hardcore variety and already well versed and dedicated as to fish first over personal glory - challenging themselves and searching for that edge and separate themselves from spot fisherman or trolling on sort of an unfished fontier. That frontier is now front and centre. As he says, this technology is now taking all the guesswork out of finding these open water and deep basin fish - and now just working fish until they bite and being comparatively successful at it. His point about "young/new guys" being able to do this I think is probably making the point of seeking glory/personal affirmation at the expense of perhaps preserving fish by not pushing physiological boundaries to the limit - the result being the next day floaters and/or heavily pressured fish with nowhere to hide. Brad from Musky Mayhem comes in at the end and makes the point that musky folks (young or old) tend to be like Matt and really will show the same care and concern about the fishery. We all hope that is true.
In speaking to a lodge owner about this he is scared stiff about what this technology is going to do to the muskies in their area (which are of course naturally reproducing in NW Ontario and every lost fish of any size is a good spawning year lottery and decade+ to replace). Besides the temperature and oxygen situation above, keep in mind that areas with sustained current mean little to no stratification which equals potential for muskies in very deep water at all times of year. They are vulnerable to being caught and stress from barotrauma being caught at depth does affect them; even though their gut is connected to their air bladder this system is not the same as that as in the less evolved trout/char that can expel air more easily. In other words with this technology and misuse there is the possibility of serious irreparable harm (and to pike too).
I encourage folks to listen to Matt. I relate in many ways as far as musky fishing being something a bit more difficult and challenging than hunting (which comes pretty easy now). Unlike hunting where animals can't hide and the gotta eat (meaning very vulnerable if you do your homework), musky fishing had that element of randomness that was out of one's control and they had the ability to disappear and could choose not to bite. That ability to disappear is gone. We need the education to start now and some of the well know youtube guys using this tech need to get on that.
A few episodes earlier it was also interesting hearing Wegner (ep 144) talking about how if it wasn't good for business he would be showing anybody anything, he would just fish.
Edited by Angling Oracle 1/31/2022 3:30 PM
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