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Posts: 58
Location: Edina, MN | I was drooling over some new baits at Thorne Bros. the other day and overheard a guy talking about catching muskies before the MN muskie opener under the guise of pike fishing. I know that when I chase pike, I am looking for big pike and use the same tackle as I use for muskie. Clearly it would be nearly impossible for the DNR to enforce preseason muskie chasing but since the muskies spawn later than northerns, they need the extra time to spawn. I was happy to hear the guys at Thorne as they let this guy know that what he was planning to do was wrong. My question is, should MN delay the pike opener on lakes with known natural reproduction of muskies to coincide w/ the muskie opener to eliminate this pratice and hopefully improve spawning success? To those who pretend to fish pike while actually chasing muskie, I would hope they would reconsider and look more toward the future. |
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Posts: 129
Location: Bemidji, MN- | That would be fine with me, but I don't think that it will happen due to the tourist dollar. While most people come to MN for the walleyes and the muskies, there are a substantial number who come here for the pike fishing, particularly early in the year when you can catch large ones shallow. |
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Posts: 3909
| Well, now you got me thinking, as I'm one of those preseason guys. At least for the week before musky season opens on one particular river around here. I assumed the muskies were done spawning, I sure don't go looking to take them off beds. Hmmm.......must reconsider..... |
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Posts: 3155
| Rangers a great guy so I exclude him from this description,,,,But People who fish for muskies before the season starts under the guise that they are pike fishing are the "slime of the earth"!!!,,,,They "ROB" the guy who gets up at 2am on the muskie openner and hurries down to the boat landing so he can be the first to show lures to the fish,,"were just pike fishing" yeah ahuh,,thats why your figure eighting after each cast,,I understand that in Minnesota for instance waters like Mile Lacs, leech, and Vermillion have huge pike and muskies too so I guess I can see it there especially if you have land,,But Id like to see it spread has kind of a unwritten law among muskie people to stay off muskie waters or fish walleyes before the season starts,,,,Muskmelon in Minnesota what we need is more "southern waters" stocked with muskies or at least a couple so we can have a "soutern openner" maybe a couple weeks early like wisc
Edited by happy hooker 4/24/2003 8:18 PM
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Posts: 1284
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | It all boils down to ethics. How far would you go if you knew you would't get caught? |
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| Got a similar problem here in Va., only w/ the rockfish spawn. the fish travel to an area called Cedar Keys and go through the spawning motions, and peeps load up in boats and pretend to troll spoons. Some actually do, but many use giant weighted trebles to snag fish. there have been over 100 boats in the area weaving in and out of each other, but now sections have been closed off, and the Inland Fish/Game Dept. has plain clothes peeps patrolling different areas checking it out, so it has gotten better. The peeps raising the most cane about regulations are the very ones who were snagging rocks; the ethical folks were glad to see something done. Years ago a dude tried to dynamite the back end of a cove...he lived, but by the looks of him, he'd been better off leaving here when all was said and done. Looked like he'd been hit w/ a Claymore at 3 meters. All one can do is stay clean and hope for the best! |
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Posts: 32917
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I pretty much stay away from my favorite muskie water until season opens. There are plenty of good pike and crappie lakes to keep me occupied until then. For the general fishing opener, I will fish Shish and Thunder for Crappies and Gills, and George for Walleyes. Got my Patriot 1690 Saltwater yesterday, and will rig it this weekend. Yes! |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Stever, please post some pics of that new rig when you have it presentable. thanks, m |
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Posts: 3909
| It's an easy decision - I will change my ways on the preseason stuff.
Steve, let's see that boat! |
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