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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Hard work and dedication pays. We may just have a 50" limit on Pelican very soon as DIRECT result of your hard work, protecting a low density population with lower than needed NR until the current management plan is up almost a decade from now. Gentlemen, my hat is off. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Very well done guys! That lake needed help and you guys stepped in and did your part! Thanks again for all your hard work to protect Pelican Lake. Like I said in one of my other posts, sometime when I come up this summer, beers on me.
Mike |
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Posts: 103
Location: Land O' Lakes WI | Steve, you are correct sir!
These guys, yourself, and too many to name put in months of effort to get direction, education, and ultimately momentum behind the project! Efforts like this will help make trophy fisheries available for generations!
Thanks to all of the guys that made the effort important!
Mark
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Posts: 686
Location: Tomahawk, Wisconsin | Congrats Guys, BRAVO!!!!!!!! Told you so Norm, when will I get to see the expectant father paceing again?? lol
Edited by Muskydr 4/11/2006 8:17 PM
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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | I am going to sound like a broken record, but again thank you everyone for your support. Lots of people helped out with this.
After the Pelican Lake Property Association meeting in July when 89 members voted overwhelmingly in favor of doing something to protect the Pelican Lake musky and then chose the 50” size limit as the best route to accomplish that goal I felt like I did when I caught my first 50” fish. It was a great feeling, knowing there was that kind of support.
I am still in shock after last nights meeting. It is a great feeling to see the work be so appreciated, and to have so many people show up in support. We tried to get as much information out there as possible and find the answer to as many question as we could, and I think it really helped with this vote. It was all the people that we pestered with question after question and the answers and information they gave us that formed the original proposal, proposal questions and the supporting FAQ document.
Also without the help of John Kubisiak, Oneida County Fisheries Biologist this would not have happened so fast and so efficiently. He is the guy who, after seeing the support of the Lake Association wrote the question and presented to the NRB for initial review and got it on the ballot this year. Thank you John. These DNR fisheries biologist are over worked and under paid and the musky fishery is just a small part of their daily worries. Working with them for common goals can go a long way in actually getting things done. Though there are two steps left, the biggest hurdles should be behind us.
Again thank you for your support and votes!
Nail A Pig!
Mike
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| I want to fish with either of you guys this season. Your Muskie Mojo must be thru the roof. Great job. |
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| Thanks for helping advance the Wisconsin musky fishery
All of us that have lived there, live there, or fish it thank you 
Steve |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i remember talking to you guys at the muskybar last year after league and just hearing your strategy and your dedication was exciting for someone who believes in improving the trophy waters of our area. now seeing the results of your hard work half year later is fantastic. i know you guys are proud of your hard work and you now leave a legacy that is going to be enjoyed by generations to come in the wake of your efforts ....
i'm not sure everyone knows about your lake association presentation strategy using Steve Worrel and his talent to connect to a broad audience and achieve it's support. imagine going in front of a bunch of people who love to perch fish, musky fish, walley fish, boat, ski and jetski and just live on a general use lake and convince them to drive for a 50" size limit for muskies?
i'm proud to be friends with the 3 of you and applaud your efforts and results!
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Posts: 2361
| Good work.
Can you guys explain the current situation for those of us not familiar. I think I have read blurbs about them not stocking it anymore, is that by request or a DNR strategy to isolate reproductive stocks? Are they trying to find out if the original strain is still in the lake, or just identify whether they are reproducing naturally? |
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| Last night I had phone conversations with both Norm and Mike and personally congratulated them. They were both VERY excited as they should have been.
I want to THANK Mike, Norm and Steve for the hard work you guys did on this, I appreciate it. I remember when this was just an idea, now it is almost a reality.
Norm, I hope you converted...This is the one and only time the conversion rule will ever be modified!
Thanks again guys! |
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Posts: 734
Location: Watertown, MN | Great Job Mike, Norm and Steve, a definite positive step forward for the Pelican lake fishery. The "Dead Sea" should be full and quality fish that will no longer be harvested before the reach their full potential, and allow the natural reproduction of the existing fish to maintain the fishery.
Troyz |
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Posts: 199
| Congrats guys you did a great job hopefully this is only the beginning of the lakes that change over to a more modern management system. |
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Posts: 1294
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Good job gentlemen, and thanks for all your time and hard work put into this project. |
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Posts: 2
| Great job Mike, Norm, and Steve:
I think Pelican Lake is about to become famous once again! Thanks to its caretakers.
Andrew Krueger |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | FSF,
As a result of a request by the pelican lake property owners, stocking was halted in 1998. This step also dovetailed with a new management plan the DNR has implemented state wide, ceasing stocking on many lakes with NR to begin a management plan that will, in it's first stages, last a decade. Pelican will not be stocked again for at least that long and perhaps longer. When that timeframe is over, a ful assessment of the Muskie population in those waters will be done, and a determination as to what should next be done will be made at that point.
Pelican has always had low to moderate NR, but fishing pressure there is high. In the early 90's, as many as 140 fish were creeled as harvested off this 3600 acre lake in one year; more than 3 times the safe TAC. Although less now due to CPR, harvest on Pelican is still higher than most waters in Oneida. This water has always had the capacity to kick out big fish, and continues to do so, with fish in my records caught to 55" and mid 40# class. Garner Ball AKA Gabby of Elcho, WI, now long gone, once showed me pictures of illegally speared muskies from the early 50's in that class, so the big fish have been there a very long time.
I believe that a small portion of a population of muskies in Pelican in low density and HOPEFULLY sustained by NR shoud continue to reach that upper confidence limit, and was a bit put out when Pelican was not on the original list for trophy management a few years back. This step, once completed, will protect that low density population through to trophy potential, and IMHO will not decrease the fishing pressure a bit. On the contrary, if we are successful with the last stpes making the 50" limit a reality, as folks read of the increasing population of big girls there, pressure will increase, and tourism increase as a result. The water has a good population of mid 40" fish now as a result of earlier stocking, so we are not starting from scratch here.
It's also very important to thank the Pelican Lake Property Owners Association and the local businesses for their support, this wouldn't have made it out of the idea stage without it.
I'm sure Mike can add more, this is just my rambling take on things from a breakfast table in Arkanasa while I wait for a fuel pump to ship here so I can get back on the water. |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Congrats to everyone involved, we now have a solid future to look forward to! But again, my hat is off to Mr.Worrall, Norm, and Mike for all there hard work. |
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Location: Middleton, WI | An excellent example of "working to make things better than you found it".(near term and for future generations) Many thanks to those who put in the hours & hours of volunteer time & effort to get this on the ballot, plus all those conservationists and Sportswomen/Sportsmen who supported it with their vote. Job well done! |
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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | FirstSixFeet, Steve did a good job answering your question here is a little more, the following info is from the Background Memo written by the Oneida County Fisheries biologist:
“Pelican Lake receives high fishing effort and high effort is directed at muskellunge. During a 1990-91 creel survey, fishing effort on Pelican Lake was estimated at 62.3 hours per acre, well above the Oneida County average of 33.7. Angler effort directed at muskellunge was an estimated 40,736 hours, over 18% of total effort. The survey estimated that 1,261 muskellunge were caught and 146 were harvested.
Natural recruitment is present, but appears to be sporadic and may be insufficient to sustain current levels of harvest. Muskellunge stocking was discontinued after 1998, because spawning habitat appears to be adequate for natural reproduction. Annual fall surveys found few young-of-year until 2004, when 13 age-0 muskellunge were collected (0.78 per mile of shoreline). Three muskellunge netted during a June, 2005 panfish survey were aged at 2, 3 and 7 years, again indicating at least some recruitment after muskellunge were last stocked in 1998.
Tournament data may be biased towards larger fish, and the percent of adult fish over 40 is misleading because fish from 30 to 34 inches are excluded. However tournament data provide insight into the potential for producing quality-size fish in Pelican Lake. During 2002 through 2004, two Pelican Lake muskellunge tournaments per year reported lengths of all muskellunge registered. Lengths of 69 muskellunge were reported, with 18 of those fish (26%) 40 inches or longer but only 3 fish (4%) 45 inches or longer. The largest tournament-caught fish was 50.0 inches in 2003. The Hodag Muskellunge tournament reported muskellunge lengths from the top ten teams during 1988 through 2004. During that 17-year period, an average field of 321 anglers fished one of eight lake-groups for one day each September. Pelican Lake muskellunge accounted for the largest fish in nine of the 17 years, averaging 44.5 inches. The largest muskellunge registered in the Hodag Tournament (49.5 inches) was a Pelican Lake fish caught in 2003.
c) Quantitative management objectives
Pelican Lake is managed with walleye as the dominant gamefish. Walleye reproduce naturally, with moderate densities and near-average growth rates. Walleye management recently changed from consumptive opportunity (no minimum length limit but only one fish may be over 14 inches) to the statewide 15-inch minimum length limit. Muskellunge are naturally reproducing and low to moderate in density and are under the statewide 34-inch minimum length limit. Muskellunge were historically stocked, but stocking was discontinued after 1998. The habitat appears to be excellent for natural reproduction, but no evidence of natural reproduction was observed during annual fall surveys until 2004, when 0.78 yoy muskellunge were captured per mile of shoreline. Three small muskellunge were also captured during a panfish netting survey in June, 2005. These fish were aged at 2, 3 and 7 years. Bass (both species but primarily smallmouth) exhibit good natural reproduction and recruitment. Bass densities appear to be moderate, but size structure is excellent. Bass are managed to provide a predator on rusty crayfish and a quality fishery, and are currently under a “Memorable Opportunity” 18-inch minimum length limit.
My goal is to manage muskellunge as a low-density population supported by natural reproduction. Specific objectives for muskellunge are to maintain a low-density population of 1 or fewer adult muskellunge (> 30 inches in length) per 4 acres (0.25 per acre). Population size structure should be high quality, with RSD-40 > 25% (i.e. at least 25% of the adult population 40 inches or longer), and RSD-45 > 10%.”
There is much more but I hope this gives you some insight, let me know if you have more questions.
The WDNR is trying to identify lakes with documented natural reproduction and are suspending stocking on some of these lakes. These waters will be monitored and stocking will resume if continued natural reproduction is not documented. Well on Pelican the stocking was halted in 1998, and it is not scheduled for a musky population estimate until 2011, with the limit young-of-year fish showing up, we felt something needed to be done immediately, to protect the existing fish in the system, hence this movement was started.
Personally I think all the lakes where they are doing this no stock evaluation should be protected, at least while they determine if sufficient natural reproduction is occurring. If they are not going to monitor the systems yearly, why take the risk.
Nail A Pig!
Mike
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | I want to thank all those that got out and voted in support of this.
I also would like to thank Mike Roberts for the incredible amount of work he put into this, John Kubisiak for all of his efforts, support and knowledge. It is awesome what can happen when you work together with the DNR toward a common goal.
I also want to thank Mr. Worrall and Muskiefirst. The original idea for this was born in the M1st chatroom during our management chats last winter. Both Steve and Muskiefirst did a fantastic job of supporting and promoting this whether it be to a room full of Lake Association members or through the use of the best musky forum anywhere.
I CAN"T BELIEVE IT!!!! I think I am still in shock. I also owe some thanks to some of my fishing contacts who wish to go unnamed. You know who you are, and believe me, I will never forget what you did! There are some awesome people in this industry doing some awesome stuff that goes totally unnoticed.
I feel like I am giving a Oscar speech here. I guess I am still pretty pumped up. 50" mimimum on Pelican Lake. YYYYAAAAAHOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Edited by nwild 4/12/2006 11:03 AM
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Congrats Fellas on alot of hard work. Washington Co passed it almost 2:1. I have a question. Now that the vote passed the CC hearings, what's the next step in it becoming a regulation? I know alot of resolutions pass, but alot never become a reg. |
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Posts: 5874
| WTG Norm and Mike. I know you put in a lot of hard work. Now, if the politico's don't screw it up!
I think there is a pattern developing here. One lake at a time will work. I think the Oneida/Vilas proposal of many lakes was just too many to deal with. I would urge those same guys up there to pick the lakes they have the best shot at, and get to work. You can do it, but not all in the same year. |
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Posts: 323
| Great job guys!!!!! Who are the local businesses that supported this and what it the address of the Pelican Lake Property Owners Association so I can send "thank you" letters to them. I hope this is the start of something special for WI. I don't think all lakes should have a 50" limit, but many lakes could and Pelican is definitely one of them. Thanks again for a job well done and let's hope this is contagious with other waters to follow. Awesome job!!!! |
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Posts: 427
Location: Wausau | Thank you for helping make sure my grandchildren will have the opportunity to enjoy such a wonderful resource like Pelican Lake.
Looks like you'll be drinking free all summer. Count one from me during league. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Rock on Brothers. This is a thanks to all who have worked on the size limits for this year(Pelican Lake crew, as well as the C&R club, Gene Allen, and Kevin Kapucinski over on the Winnebego chain), and words of inspiration to those who would like to get something started on their 'home' trophy waters!! Lets keep it going! |
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