Musky_Slayer - 10/12/2006 6:41 PM

MS: Thanks to Dave N. for the replys on this board and this info. Very considerate and cool too. I have a few questions about things I'm unsure of.

DAVE: You're welcome.

DAVE IN FIRST POST: "1982-1987: MDNR stocks Wisconsin-source fish in many waters, including almost 14,000 fish in Mille Lacs from 1984 through 1987, as Leech Lake fish grow and mature in broodstock lakes. Most Wisconsin fish were purchased at Kalepp’s Fish Farm, where the broodstock were taken from DNR’s Woodruff Hatchery, the Lac du Flambeau Hatchery, and several individual lakes in north central Wisconsin where 105 years of stock mixing (from LCO and other sources) is alleged by some to have created a hatchery strain of muskellunge that is no longer capable of attaining trophy size or reproducing in the presence of northern pike."

MS: Can anyone track down the actualy size and age of the fish used during spawning which created these fingerlings planted? Probably wouldn't be able to get age but size may be intersting.

DAVE: Lloyd Kalepp (Kalepp's Fish Farm) might be able to tell you the general size of brood fish he used during those years if he kept such records. But we (WDNR) don't have those data. The thing is, it probably does not matter. Small broodfish can produce offspring that grow fast, and large broodfish can produce offspring that grow slowly, all depending upon how the presumably several growth-regulating genes from each parent combine and interact. It probably would require several generations of selective breeding to begin producing offspring that grow faster than average in a predictable way; and that's a bad idea because those fish could very well develop deficiencies in other aspects of performance (for example, poor reproductive ability or lower disease resistance) as an unintended consequence of the selective breeding.

DAVE IN FIRST POST: "All 13 fish over 50 inches long were Wisconsin-source fish. The biggest was a female 54.9 inches long and 16 years of age. Also, 73% of fish 45-49 inches long (when caught or found dead) were stocked during 1984-1987"

MS: I'm just a laymen here who likes to discuss these things and likes to learn new things about our great fish. My first assumption from the readings is that muskies are not native to mille lacs and were introduced in 1984. I don't claim to be an expert by any means but I would think that if the WI fish were originally stocked from 84-87 and measured from 2000-2005 putting them at a minumum of age 13-16 all these fish should be over 50" especially in Mille Lacs.

DAVE: Regarding your first assumption, the Minnesota DNR had stocked Shoepac strain muskies into Mille Lacs for many years before Wisconsin-source fish were introduced in 1984. Slow growth rate and small ultimate size of Shoepac strain fish is what prompted Minnesota musky anglers to pressure their DNR to stop stocking Shoepac fish in 1982. Regarding your second assumption, male muskellunge almost never attain a length of 50 inches regardless of strain. So if the sex ratio of stocked fish was 50:50 (unknown), we would expect that half of them would never reach 50 inches, even in Mille Lacs.

MS: Do you think the latest slob caught posted here on MF is most likely from the original stocking between 84-87? If not the fish would have to be a first generation which would put it at atleast 13-16 years of age give or take (assuming the original females from 84-87 matured at 5-6yrs of age). Or is the fish from the original stocking putting it at 19-22 yrs old? I guess this is hypothetical but maybe someone has a good idea which is interesting. I'm not supporting one side or the other I just want to get all the facts for myself. Great fish!!!