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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | Musky Hunters UNIT! This was brought up a few weeks ago but we need to keep it in the front of our minds. It is something we can ACTUALY have a SAY IN!
Earlier this week I received this info from our Local Fisheries Biologist, and was given permission to pass it on:
“I was just told that the Conservation Congress - Warmwater Study Committee meeting was flooded with people opposed to the Pelican Lake 50. Against the counsel of DNR Fisheries Chief Mike Staggs, the Committee decided to advance a question to the 2010 hearings to return Pelican to a 34-inch minimum length limit for muskellunge . Ironically, there were two questions for new 50-inch minimum length limits (Whitefish Lake, Sawyer Co and Redstone Lake, Sauk Co), which the Congress also advanced. The Conservation Congress portion of the hearing is advisory to DNR, so if this question passes at the spring hearings it will be bumped to DNR for consideration as a question in the 2011 DNR portion of the hearing.
If you have an opinion on the subject, the hearings are held at 7 pm in every county in the state on April 12, 2010; the Oneida County hearing is at the James Williams Middle School. Anyone (no age or residency restrictions) may vote on the rule proposals.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/spring_hearings/index.html”
John Kubisiak
Fisheries Biologist - Oneida County
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Additionally, Muskies Inc. specifically Kevin Richards, Editor of MUSKIE Magazine put together a great press release that was published in the latest edition of MUSKIE. I will post it here with Kevin’s permission:
MUSKIE News: Pelican Lake, WI (Oneida County)
After much discussion during 2005 a proposal to raise the minimum length limit for muskellunge to 50 inches was brought to the annual spring hearings (which are held in every county in Wisconsin) in April 2006.
The proposal was approved in 52 counties and rejected in 15 counties. In Oneida County it passed by a nearly 3:1 margin (83 "yes" and 29 "no" votes).
The 50-inch minimum length limit took effect at the start of the 2007 muskie season.
In July 2007 officials from the Town of Enterprise started an effort to repeal the new regulation, just 4 months after it was initiated. In April 2009 a resolution to repeal the 50-inch minimum length limit from Pelican Lake was presented at the spring Oneida County Fish and Wildlife hearing, and it passed with 33 "yes" and 15 "no" votes.
The Conservation Congress Warmwater Study Committee was given this resolution for their fall 2009 meeting, along with the WI DNR position that there was already a statewide public hearing on this rule in 2006 and the DNR did not support further action on the resolution. One option for the Warm Water Study Committee is to advance an advisory question to the spring 2010 hearings.
MUSKIE Magazine contacted WI DNR Fisheries Biologist John Kubisiak. John replied as follows.
“My counsel is that there are strong opinions for and against 50-inch minimum length limits for muskellunge. The Pelican “50” is not unique in this (regard). In the case of Pelican Lake, the 50-inch minimum should be given an adequate opportunity to perform before calling it a failure.”
That sounds like wise advice! If you have an interest in how this story will end you should attend the April 2010 hearings and let your voice be heard.”
WAY TO GO Muskie Inc. and thank you for your support.
Thanks
Nail A Pig!
Mike
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | So whats the argument for lowering it? Forgive me if im missing something, but what is the benefit?? |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | So they can keep them. Yes, its that simple. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | And I might add, it's some of the local and Fox Valley 'serious' muskie anglers who have yelled the loudest. I think each resort should be emailed so they know the effect of this to them if passed....it wouldn't help them book cabins. I'll see if I can get a list together. |
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Location: SE Wisconsin | Norm, it's a simple answer - but difficult to conceptualize. . . You know what I mean.
Edited by Sam Ubl 1/29/2010 4:08 PM
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | Thats rediculous. |
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Posts: 540
| I never understood why someone would want to keep a 34" muskie or one around that size anyway, what are they gonna do with it eat it, if they want to eat one why not just catch a northern and eat it! |
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Posts: 512
Location: Appleton | So what steps do we as Musky guys need to take to best fight this? I know if need be I will go to Oneida County for the CC meetings if that helps. |
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Posts: 576
Location: WI | 34"? I can't even believe the state's size limit is that low. Talk about a giant step backwards. |
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Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | sworrall - 1/29/2010 1:44 PM
And I might add, it's some of the local and Fox Valley 'serious' muskie anglers who have yelled the loudest. I think each resort should be emailed so they know the effect of this to them if passed....it wouldn't help them book cabins. I'll see if I can get a list together.
Give us a list of resorts and email/websites and we'll fill their inboxes until they get it.
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Location: Wishin I Was Fishin' | sworrall - 1/29/2010 3:44 PM
And I might add, it's some of the local and Fox Valley 'serious' muskie anglers who have yelled the loudest. I think each resort should be emailed so they know the effect of this to them if passed....it wouldn't help them book cabins. I'll see if I can get a list together.
We have "yelled" (I perfer to call it "worked very hard") to get higher size limits on Pelican and many other waters. We will also continue to do so.
Edited by Jomusky 1/30/2010 6:01 PM
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Location: N.FIB | leech lake strain - 1/29/2010 8:22 PM
thats a big fish to people who don`t fish much and used to catching catfish or gills in the city
I never understood why someone would want to keep a 34" muskie or one around that size anyway, what are they gonna do with it eat it, if they want to eat one why not just catch a northern and eat it! |
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Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | I wonder if we could get help on this from some of the Canadian guides/lodges that have seen their size limits increase all the way up to 54". I'm talking about guys like Doug Johnson, Dick Pearson and Steve Herbeck. If they could also e-mail the resorts with how fishing has improved and business is not adversely effected by the high size limits it might help with the resorts/chamber of commerce people. Anyone have contacts with these guys or others that might be willing? |
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| tyler k - 1/31/2010 10:30 AM
I wonder if we could get help on this from some of the Canadian guides/lodges that have seen their size limits increase all the way up to 54". I'm talking about guys like Doug Johnson, Dick Pearson and Steve Herbeck. If they could also e-mail the resorts with how fishing has improved and business is not adversely effected by the high size limits it might help with the resorts/chamber of commerce people. Anyone have contacts with these guys or others that might be willing?
Not a bad idea, but with the current exchange rate, what does a 54 inch Canadian muskie equate to in US inches? |
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| BenR - 1/31/2010 11:11 AM
Not a bad idea, but with the current exchange rate, what does a 54 inch Canadian muskie equate to in US inches?
Around $800 US per fish, and that's in inches.  |
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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | Below is the actual wording of the question as it will appear in the booklet:
46. WW#6: Removal of trophy muskie designation for Pelican Lake, Oneida County
From Citizen Resolution 440309
Local anglers and property owners around Pelican Lake, in Oneida County, consider the lake more of an “action” muskie fishery than a “trophy” muskie fishery. However, currently, there is a 50” size limit on the lake. The local lake association and town boards would like to see the lake returned to a 34” size limit for muskies. They believe that a trophy muskie is in the eyes of the beholder, and feel that anglers should be allowed to keep muskies over 34”. Therefore the local residents wish to restore the 34” size limit on Pelican Lake.
• Would you support changing the 50” size limit for muskies on Pelican Lake in Oneida County to a 34” muskie size limit?
So there you have it right in the body of the question “…feel that anglers should be allowed to keep muskies over 34.”
Now I have a number of MAJOR issues with the question. According to my dad who attends all the Lake Association meeting there was never a vote to support returning to a 34” limit by the Association. There was a vote the year after the original Association vote to just remain neutral on the issue, but never to support going backwards.
I know the Town Board of Enterprise, who initiated this, did vote to over turn the 50” size limit. My guess is that board is made up of 4 to 6 individuals. I don’t know if any of the other Townships that boarder the lake also did. The question makes it appear like they all did, but considering the misinformation about the Association I doubt it.
We need to show up and express our disappointment in the warm water committee for even letting this get to a question. I would like to see the facts presented to them, don’t they have an obligation to get info from both sides.
Anyway this is the mentality we are fighting, if we want to be able to compete with our neighboring States and Canada.
Nail A Pig!
Mike
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Guys, would someone put the contact information here so people can call/email?!?!?!? When the Cass Lake spearing ban came up here a few weeks ago there was around 300+ people who contacted them because the info was available here. Make it easy for people to contribute and they will. |
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Posts: 189
Location: Barrington, Il | Why is the CC allowing this to happen? It was voted on and passed. Should be a done deal. It seems that the powers that be in Wisconsin don't want any kind of progressive musky management in the state. Look at how the 40" limit was shot down without a vote. |
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Location: Tomahawk, Wisconsin | Please get out and spread the word about this travesty in fish management, one step forward and two steps back......... |
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Location: Lebanon,Mo | leech lake strain - 1/29/2010 8:22 PM
I never understood why someone would want to keep a 34" muskie or one around that size anyway, what are they gonna do with it eat it, if they want to eat one why not just catch a northern and eat it!
This has nothing to do with your 50" size limit in jeopardy,but here in Missouri our length limit is just 36" and I can tell you most anglers that are not musky fisherman will keep these fish or kill them one,and we dont have the pike down here for people to choose from.People here are out to eat whatever they catch and until that limit is brought up,we will never have trophy fish on a regualr basis.Good luck to you all...
Edited by missourimuskyhunter 2/2/2010 8:29 PM
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