|
|
Posts: 162
Location: Chicago, IL | Hi Everyone,
Kevin Butts here from the Chicagoland Muskie Hunters. I am our club's Fisheries Chair and Chapter Rep. Thanks for all of the strong support expressed so far. I have a few updates that I'd like to share with you all. Please feel free to comment here or PM me with any questions.
1. We've raised nearly $10,000 to date and are now going to be stocking 550+ Leech Lake Strain muskies into Lake Geneva. The significant contributions have come from the Chicagoland Muskies Hunters ($6,500+), a Muskies Inc. affiliated family foundation ($2,000), the Blackhawk Musky Club (which is a WI-based organization - $1,000) and broad support from our public Go Fund Me page ($70). The GoFundMe page is active and seeking to expand the universe of those wishing to contribute, but for those who would like to do so via check or paypal, please PM me and I can provide you with the appropriate contact information.
2. The Chicagoland Muskie Hunters and our aforementioned partners are extremely excited to be leading the stocking effort of Leech Lake Strain muskies into this water body for the same reasons many have mentioned. Deep, clear, cisco and multi-forage based lake, etc. Also, we are of the view that the WI state DNR are doing an exceptional job of stocking the lake with WI strain fish which will present great action as well as size in the future. However, we are hopeful that the Leech Lake strain fish exhibit strong upper size class potential (50"+).
3. This will be a 5 year stocking program with both the state of WI DNR stocking WI (WI and Chippewa River strain fish) and the Chicagoland Muskie Hunters and its partners (such as the Blackhawk Musky Club) stocking Leech Lake strain fish. A comprehensive genetic study will be conducted in 2023. We are donating annually to the WI state DNR so that this genetic study may be conducted 5 years from now.
4. The Chicagoland Muskie Hunters are not bound by any geographic constraints. We are not an "Illinois only" muskie club. We have contributed and will continue to contribute significant funds to the IL state DNR in support of the IL musky ecosystem. Many of us spend a significant amount of time in WI each year and/or own property there. We were very thoughtful and deliberate in our decision to pursue a stocking program. We surveyed all of our members to solicit their desires (size vs. numbers, geographic proximity, existing muskie lake/new muskie lake, etc.). The overwhelming feedback from our membership was that we were indifferent to whether or not the lake we chose was based in IL or WI, it just had to be within a reasonable distance. Our membership also voiced that they wished to "create" a muskie fishery that could offer serious upper size class potential. We researched a number of different alternatives and consulted with biologists from both states before deciding upon and now bringing to reality, a 5-yr stocking program focused on Leech Lake strain muskies into Lake Geneva.
Thanks for reading this long response! We're really excited as you can tell and would welcome you to any of our upcoming Chapter meetings so you may get more involved in this effort. We meet the second Tue of every month at 7:30pm in Glenview IL (North Branch Pizza & Burger). Tue, 9/11 will feature Luke Roffler (Lake Geneva Fisheries Biologist) and on Tue, 10/9 we'll have a local Lake Geneva and SE WI guide Andy Schiera.
Tight lines,
Slobasaurus (Kevin Butts - Chicagoland Muskie Hunters) |
|
| |
|
Posts: 298
| Awesome!!! I’ll talk to my club about helping out.
Great job!
Larry Downes
Secretary Midwest Musky Club, Alsip IL |
|
| |
|
Posts: 457
| Will the initial Leach Lakers be stocked this Fall? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 162
Location: Chicago, IL | Yes- the initial Leech Lake strain fish will be stocked this fall (October 2018). Thanks. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | thanks Slobo. Just sent a donation. I wish the leechers had been put in 10 yrs ago... 10 yrs there will be some hawg bellies for sure. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3147
| Where are you guys getting the leech Lakers from??? Minnesota muskie farm
Also did you try for a grant from Hugh Becker fund this is the thing they love to give money for. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 162
Location: Chicago, IL | Yes, we are stocking Leech Lake strain muskies. 10-14" long. They are being sourced from a private fish farm in MN.
No, we have not yet applied for a grant from the Hugh Becker fund, but we will be doing so in November when the 2019 grant application period opens up. This is a 5-yr program. We are hopeful that all of our hard work and initiative in year-1 will show well in our application for funds. We believe it will and, therefore, we're optimistically planning on evenly distributing the grant monies received (prospectively) over each of the next four years to ensure consistent capital dedicated to this cause in addition to the Chicagoland Muskie Hunters' 5-yr commitment. I have already spoken to members of the grant committee and they're really excited about our project. Fingers crossed! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1636
| How did the stocking go, Kevin?
Thank you for the updates and all of your guys' time and efforts put into this project. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 556
| Just seen a Pic of a Tanker Caught out of Geneva.. Now While I wasn't there---the guy who caught it does fish out there all the time-- I have fished with him out there and he really Knows that Lake.. Anyway--- 49" -- super / super thick----- Not 100% sure if he will share here or not because of the Musky Police guys who always question everything..... BUT will try to get him to post--- No doubt on the Thickness Issue by the Pic. ANYWAY--- They are there and Growing LARGE---- 40 Pounder in my opinion. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | I seen the pic, it was a nice fish, it's nothing we didn't expect just waiting for it to get there. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | wasn`t the monster lee tauchen caught on mill lacs a wis strain fish,also the 2 50 pounders caught by tom gelb,I think the wis strain does get big but it takes time |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4
| Slamr - 8/29/2018 12:12 PM
Since I work here (for free MIND YOU!) I read all the responses and I guess my mind has been changed (to a degree). While I'd rather see that same money put towards other causes (research, habitat restoration), I get it that many of our goal is more muskies in more accessible places.
So let's get that funding going!!! Lots of "I'd help out" but when I first responded to this thread yesterday the total raised was $70 and as it stands now, still at $70 raised. Only $5,970 to go boys and girls.
I agree with you.  |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Did the stocking occur in 2018? Are WI fish getting stocked into Geneva also? If you could send along updates on the plan and whether Hugh Becker app was submitted for this year, our club can discuss funding assistance at our next banquet.
thank you,
Jason Schillinger
Consolidated Musky Club Inc. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 162
Location: Chicago, IL | Hi Reef Hog/Jason- yes the stocking occurred in 2018. Yes, we received funding from the Hugh Becker Foundation Grant this year for our stocking this coming October. We will be stocking 800+ LLS fish this year. The WI DNR is planting about 2,500 Chippewa River and WI River (WI strain) fish each of the next four years. They have been stocking the lake with WI strain fish in various quantities since about 2010. We’d greatly appreciate your support for our 2020 fundraising and stocking. Please PM me if you’d like to speak directly.
Sincerely,
Kevin Butts
Chicagoland Muskie Hunters |
|
| |
