| Cory:
I don't think I ever said that there was any problem with natural reproduction in the island (Ontario) part of the LOTWs. However, there are very few to almost no muskies in the Minnesota part of the lake with the exception of the island part of the lake (near the NW angle). I was talking to one of the Minnesota Biologists about a month ago when they where in the process of doing their annual lake survey (test netting). Since 1977 they have netted a total of 4 muskies on the Minnesota side of the lake. Two of them were near Knight's island which is right across the border from Big Island, and really part of the Ontario islands, another was at Pine Island at the mouth of the Rainy which could have come from up-stream (the Little Fork, a tributary of the Rainy and has a good population), and the forth was in Zipple Bay, not sure about this one, is was a small fish (25" or so), but I doubt that it was hatched in this area. The Minnesota side doesn't seem to have many muskies.
However, I feel that the muskies are doing very well on the Ontario side. There seems to be a very good population of fish with all year classes represented. It looks like there is an excellent year class of four year old fish (26"-30") fish, one of the best I've seen in 35 years of fishing the lake. The muskie population is in very good shape. There is a very good population of adult spawning fish, and thanks to catch and release this population seems to be growing.
Fall fishing is going pretty good, averaging 2 plus fish a day, client caught a 53"er yesterday, very nice big healthy fish. Weather is very cold for this time of year, and if it doesn't change soon the season will end before long, broke ice to get out yesterday.
Doug Johnson
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