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| Message Subject: wisconsin tiger muskie genetics | |||
lambeau |
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| hello all, i've got a couple of questions about tiger muskies in wisconsin related to some of the broad genetics discussions that have been going on... a) where does the DNR get it's tiger muskies for stocking? are they "making" their own by crossing northern pike with Wisconsin strain muskies from their brood lakes? b) have lakes such as Lac Vieux Desert or Kentuck been stocked with tiger muskies or are they the result of natural hybridization by fish already in the lake? the DNR site lists only unspecified strain muskellunge for LVD and doesn't seem to have data for Kentuck. c) if the tigers in those lakes are the result of natural hybridization, what is the source of the muskies that are parenting them? d) am i right in my assumption that hybrid tiger muskies have a smaller ultimate growth potential than their true muskie parent? e) what is helping lakes such as these produce trophy-class tigers ( 45"-50" )? muskies inc. data from recent years shows a number of huge hybrids from each of these lakes. thanks for you thoughts! Edited by lambeau 5/2/2005 9:26 AM | |||
| Shane Mason |
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Location: WI | I am pretty sure that Wisconsin stopped stocking Tigers a couple years ago could be wrong though. As far as Kentuck they would be stocked fish from quite a few years ago they would be all stocked since there are no northern in that lake. Get them while you can there will only be another year or two left and most will be dead since they dont have a very long life span compared to a true muskie. As far as LVD I cant tell you if they stock it but I would assume many are natural. Since the lake is so shallow and heats up pretty quick the muskie and northern spawn around the same time and you end up with alot of cross breeding. I have seen the same happen in another lake I fish quite a bit which they dont stock at all and it has tons of monster tigers in it, and thats another shallow lake where it warms so quick they both spawn pretty close to each other. They do have a smaller overall growth potential than that of true muskie, there have been a few 50's that I know of, the biggest I know of was a 51" caught a few years back on a private lake, I think thats mainly due the short life span. The reason they get so big in these lakes in my opinion is forage base, both Kentuck and LVD are loaded with food for them. Go to either lake and you wont find skinny fish of any species from the perch to the walleye on these 2 lakes they are all fat pigs. I am guessing the reason you are seeing so many registered recently was probably a good year class. Since they only have about a 10 year life span, go back 10-12 years and see if it it we had a few warm springs that would cause them especially on LVD to have bred at the same time. But like I said before especailly for the Kentuck fish, enjoy them now because you wont see them in another couple years. The lake I fish for them has a good natural tiger population, is not pressured at all so you see many each year of all sizes and quite a few in the 45"-48" range. I am still waiting to get a 50" from that water but I know theres a couple in there. Its lakes like that and lakes like LVD that will continue to pump out the impressive tigers since its a natural occuring thing. If a big tiger is what your after I would do some research on spring temps and then assocciate it to year classes, then find a lake with some beefy natural muskies and a good population of water goats (northern) but it would have to be a shallow lake to make sure you had decent crossbreeding. Plug away and dont tell anyone where you caught them. I have seen Kentuck completly overrun in the last few years because of one certain person catching a few then doing seminars and naming the lake. Now there is sometimes a 45 minute wait to launch on a weekday, and thats only a 900 acre lake, which wont be able to sustain the pressure. I know of many fish that have been clubbed from there in the last couple years as a result. So be careful who you talk to, would be my main advice. | ||
| EJohnson |
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| a) ? b) According to the DNR stocking records there has been no stocking at all for Kentuck going back to 1972. Prior to that who knows. c) ? d) more than likely e) As far as Kentuck goes, my guess would be because it has not been stocked, according to DNR records, with any of the current hatchery raised fish we have. LVD - ? | |||
| sworrall |
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Posts: 32914 Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I'm also curious, as the lake isn't listed as having any Pike. Also, this lake is right on the edge of the listed original natural range, so it would appear that the muskies there were at some time originally introduced. If not, Forest County has no waters listed as natural range, but Vilas of course does, so the classification might have been placed under Vilas. The hybrids got in there somehow, I'll check with the DNR in Madison Monday. | ||
| Shane Mason |
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Location: WI | There wont be a stocking record if it was stocked by the lake association which is a possibility. I have spent hundreds of days on Kentuck and have never caught a northern. Nor has anyone else I have ever asked, so they would have had to been stocked. I did check the data base and didnt see Kentuck listed for either Forest or Vilas counties, but I know it has been stocked with walleye by the DNR at some point. A few years back now when they were doing a survey out there they had the boom shocker turned up way too high and ended up nuking a ton of walleye and then restocked it shortly after that. It was just starting to come back as far as the walleye goes and then the natives decided to put it back on their spearing list, so that will definatly set it back a bit. http://www.vilascountynewsreview.com/default.html?-database=eagleri... 987 out of a small lake like Kentuck will definatly have an impact. Thats just the spring totals, they dont have to turn in numbers for speared fish during the winter. One thing you may want to do is check with the lake association there. I work with a few lake associations in my area as it is a good way to gain this information. There are a few in my area that have been stocking muskie, some for quite awhile, and these lakes have some great muskie fishing, they are not usually listed as a species in the lake by the DNR, since it wasnt stocked by the DNR. And gone several years without being surveyed, so most of these lakes dont have the intense pressure on the muskies and in turn are some great lakes because of it. A few of my better big fish lakes dont list muskie as a species and you will often find some of the best fishing for them on these waters. Because if the tourists dont know they are in there, there is less of a chance they will get clubbed. One in particular that produced 3 fish that I know of from 50"-53". On a 200 acre body of water. And may 48"+ fish. And another lake altough a private one that produced a dozen 50-55" fish including a 51" tiger, and that lake is also under 300 acres. These must all be freak occurences since there are no big fish in Wisconsin. Unless of course you can find a few off the beaten path not too many people know about. And the ones that do dont open up very easily, my advice would be to make friends with some of the local muskie guys and get them really drunk. Edited by Shane Mason 5/8/2005 1:41 PM | ||
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