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| Does anyone know where I could find some good info regarding the native range for muskies mainly for Pa and Wv or the Ohio river drainage. I quick online search did not come up with much. There is a stream in Wv that suffered a complete fish kill a few years ago and is recovering now. The DNR intends to restock muskie but a small group is oppossed stating they are not native. |
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| http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?SpeciesID=679
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Posts: 203
Location: Germantown, WI | According to a paper published in 2011 by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resouces, titled "Distribution and Management of Muskellunge in North America: An Overview" the native range of Muskellunge in West Virgina is limited to the Ohio River and its tributaries. I know that there are also muskies in the New River and the Potomac, but it sounds like those may have been introduced at some point. I was kind of surprised about those two rivers because I believe that they are both self sustaining fisheries, but I could be wrong. I pretty much suspected that all of the lake/reservoir musky populations were stocked so that is no surprise. You can read the entire paper at the following link:
http://www.ifishillinois.org/science/Muskellunge_in_North_America.p...
Edited by MUSKYLUND1 7/25/2011 12:42 PM
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Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Muskylund1, An interesting link, thanks! However, I think you have the geology of the New River a little off. Also look at table 1 and especially table 2 for indigeneous versus introduced distribution in your link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanawha_River
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_River_(Kanawha_River)
The New is a pretty river for sure.
Have fun.
Al |
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| Thanks guys... good stuff! I also need something that would include current studies (Preferably by a biologist) concerning muskies diet. To quiet the "muskies are eating all the bass" arguement.
Thanks |
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Location: WV | I have had that "eating all the bass" debate before. Ask them if they have ever caught a bass before. If their argument was true, there would be no bass for them to have caught. People don't seem to understand there is a need for that predator/prey relationship. An ecosystem with no predators is an unhealthy enviroment = overpopulated and stunted fish in an environment beyond its carrying capacity. |
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Location: Perryville, MO | I can appreciate your need for a biologist with facts and figures to chime in on the "eating all the bass" bit, near the Southern portion of the range I hear it frequently. Sadly, what I've learned is that results prove far more effective for these types than knowledge. We've now got that on the lake I fish 95% of time. Everytime I hear it, I simply ask "How's fishing been for you the last several years?" If they tell me anything short of excellent I tell them to check around, but it's been fantastic for most guys. Bigger, healthier, and more bass are being caught now since the reservior was an infant.
It's no coincidence. The predator/prey balance is getting back in check with the introduction of muskies. Sure other factors can be sighted as well, but even yet it hasn't hurt the bass fishing at all. You now consistently catch bass bigger than the darn gizzard shad that the muskies are really targeting.
Maybe the real gripe is occiasionly they lose a $20 lucky craft plug on a 'ski. Would like to feel aweful for them, but $20 is on the easy end of a tackle box outfitted for 'skis. So cry me a river. Just tie another one on and fish! Catch a 7 or 8 lber and thank the muskies for thinning the herd and making available enough resources for fish to grow large and healthy. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Actually, a biologist will tell you unless the muskies are stocked as 12" fish, the Bass are eating all the muskies. And they are really really touch on walleyes, for what that is worth.
Looks like a no size limit 5 bag on bass in some N WI waters next year, and it may already be too late to try to fix. |
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Location: Germantown, WI | EsoxManiac,
Thanks for posting the links about the New River. Clearly my West Virginia geography was way off. I always thought that the New River was a native musky fishery, but I also assumed that the New River was not in the Ohio drainage. I've driven over the New River Gorge and it sure is pretty down there.
Edited by MUSKYLUND1 7/25/2011 7:39 PM
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| Here's a good read concerning the bad rap muskies get for the myth that they wipe out other game fish populations.
http://www.tomdietz.com/pages/posts/muskies-aren-t-the-bad-guy2.php
I remember reading a magazine article several years ago written, I think, by Ohio fisheries biologist Elmer Heyob on the diet of muskellunge. The article covered a study conducted wherein the biologists rigged up a contraption out of a pump and a length of hose that they used to pump water into the stomachs of muskies to dislodge the contents and determine what they had been feeding on. They referred to this process as "barfing the muskies". Of course the muskies were released unharmed. Few game fish turned up.
I can't recall which magazine that was in. Musky Hunter? In-Fisherman?
Does anybody remember reading that one and where it can be found?
Also, I am all too familiar with a certain click of walleye anglers on Chautauqua who openly boast that they deliberately kill every muskie they catch because "they eat all the walleyes" and that they are "pesky lure stealers". They laughingly refer to their fond habit as "club and release". I would love to video tape them doing this so I can see them prosecuted for poaching. |
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Location: NW PA/Allegheny River | A short summary of the connection and interaction between the Muskellunge and Walleyes, Bass and other Game fish. These are the words taken verbatim from a popular study back in the mid-90's.
It appeared to be exactly what you were looking for regarding the misinformation surrounding the Esox.
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Introduction:
The Muskellunge is one of the most mysterious fish to ever swim in our lakes. There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings about them, and about what their regular diet consists of.
After reading the information contained in this brochure, youll have a better understanding of the Muskie, its diet, and the ways in which the presence of Muskie may actually benefit your lake, such as their controlling of undesirable fish populations.
People have been hesitant to have Muskies stocked into their lakes, as they feared they would consume a substantial amount of other game fish, such as Walleye, Northern Pike, and Bass.
In certain fishing circles youll even hear it said that Muskies Eat All The Walleye, even though studies have proven conclusively that this is just not the case.
It has been proven that NO changes in game fish populations have occurred due to the introduction of Muskies into the lake, and there has been NO negative impact shown toward other species of game fish.
In the study lakes mentioned in this brochure, there were NO instances in which Walleye were proven to make up the primary or even secondary food source choice for Muskies.
Muskie Behavior and Food Preferences:
Feeding studies have shown that other fish make up 95-98% of the Muskies diet, although at times they will also eat Insects, Crayfish, small mammals, and Waterfowl. They are a natural predator, and like all predators, are opportunists. Studies have shown that even when theyre abundant, other game fish actually made up a very small part of the Muskies diet.
Fishermen have reported Muskies attacking Bass and Walleye as they were being reeled in. This may have given the impression that Muskies are significant predators of other game fish, when in fact; the Muskie was simply reacting naturally to the struggling fish due to their predatory instincts.
Muskies generally take advantage of the most abundant prey species available that are of sufficient size for them to eat. Given the opportunity to choose, Muskies prefer soft rayed, high protein based fish such as Suckers, Tullibee, Ciscoes, Bullheads, Carp, and minnows. In fact, the food sources Muskies prefer most are usually fish species that most people would desire to not have in their lake.
The truth is that even though it has been proven that Muskies do have a preferred food source they are opportunistic predators, and occasionally consume other game fish. The amount of other game fish eaten by Muskies is extremely minimal compared to the amount of game fish such as Walleye that are annually harvested by anglers.
Facts, Studies, and Statistics:
A major study was undertaken from July of 1991 through October of 1994, and other documented studies were conducted as long ago as 1952. These studies, as well as others, came to the same conclusion. Game fish such as Walleye make up a very small part of a Muskies diet. In one particular study, the stomach contents from 1092 Muskies were evaluated. The results proved that a Muskies diet is quite diverse, and that in 74% of the sample fish, only one food item was present. Muskies are not voracious feeders consuming fish after fish, as some people would have you believe.
Walleye ranked extremely low in the Muskies diet. In the 1092 study fish, only 5 contained traces of Walleye. This study collected Muskies from 34 separate bodies of water, including lakes with large populations of Walleye. Despite their abundance in those lakes, Walleye proved to not be a very important food source for Muskies. In fact, during the study Muskies and Walleyes were observed in very close proximity to one another, as the Walleye is also a predator. Walleye made up 3.4% of the total stomach content volume found in the Muskies in that study. Bass species found accounted for 3.1%, even lower than that of Walleye. 63.5% of the total stomach content volume was made up of Yellow Perch and various minnow species.
Edited by PAmusky 7/26/2011 7:56 AM
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