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| The number of kept fish by musky anglers that know what they are doing? What kind of a statment is that? I would like to believe that an educated musky fisherman that knows what they are doing would first try and release a fish then get a replica made. Hopefully, he knows that a replica is just as good if not better than a skin mount of the fish. Isn't a skin mount just the artists rendition of the fish painted on a dead animal as opposed to fiberglass after looking at a photograph? Plus you get the satisfaction of letting it swim free and the possible chance at catching it again when it is even larger. I understand that it is the right of an angler to keep a legal fish. Does that mean it's OK to kill a big female just because you can? Sworrall I agree with you. Education is the key. As a lack of education is a serious problem that can harm fisheries! But what do I know? |
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| Rick
you still preachin to the choir
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| I know essoxaddict! I just get so frustrated when I hear of people trying to justify the harvesting of large fish. |
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Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Rick Mikel - 12/5/2006 3:41 PM
I know essoxaddict! I just get so frustrated when I hear of people trying to justify the harvesting of large fish.
Harvest is a necessity, Musky aren't the only species in lakes. I think we need to look past the almighty musky and at what's good for the overall ecosystem.
I've had deep fried Musky, it isn't that bad with tarter sauce or shrimp sauce. Would I keep one to eat? No. |
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Location: The desert | I dont support the harvest of large fish But I will give a reason why I think it could be feasable:
A fish of that size can out compete many of the smaller fish. Which can in turn slow the rate of growth of those fish as well as minimize the potential size of the smaller fish. The harvest of large fish ( 52+ inchers) I dont think would have a substantial effect on any natural reproduction if it exists in the lake. The fish would have had several years of mature spawning and after a too many years I dont think the eggs would even be viable. By removing that large fish from the system turns the system and responds by producing another large fish if there is a substantial musky poplulation.
The reason I do not support the harvest of large fish is purely out of respect and an ethic to the fish. That fish has survived and grown to a great lenght and an old age. How do I have the right to just take it right out of its home and end its long life. I believe that the fish should be able to die in its home. It is out of respect to the fish that I would release it. If I caught a fish it means that I have tricked it into thinking it was a prey forage and I enticed it to eat. I tricked the fish, how would you like it if someone tricked you into something, and then killed you for you lapse of judgement. Am I saying fish are on the mental level as humans.....nope, I am simply putting myself in the fishes' position and thinking about how I would feel. I get great satisfaction out of catching a musky, big or small. But I respect the fish and the life that it has lived, so I dont need to kill it.
Wow....If that doesnt make me out to be a tree hugger! Stupid Environmental Ethics class!!! Dont worry I'm no tree hugger, I'm not anti-hunting or anti killing or pro PETA or any of that jazz. I simply view the musky as a mysterious creature of the water and want to preserve the fishery for many generations.
Mike |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Some lakes actually are managed for harvest, in fact quite a few are. The DNRs of many states encourage some muskie harvest, and on waters where there is sometimes a predator/prey imbalance, harvest can be key to the health of the specie. Cave Run is an example.
No one HAS to 'justify' harvesting a true trophy. I'm not talking a 35# fish out of Green Bay, I mean a TRUE trophy, like a 50# plus behemoth from say....Lake George in Rhinelander. It's a personal decision to keep or CPR a monster, in most cases does zero harm to the fishery, and is none of anyone else's business, period. As far as I am aware, there are no Muskie Police, and I don't remember anyone nominating anyone to that position.
The entire idea of CPR is to let the fish GET to the upper confidence level of any one body of water, and then as I said, it becomes personal. Some waters can produce HUGE fish, and need to be protected, like many of the Ontario waters now are. Mille Lacs is obviously special, and it's probably only going to be protected to 48".
A world record potential water might need to be protected to 60", I don't know, but setting it at 54" or CPR only seems to be the real deal.
Balance. That's the key. Biology supports a balance that doesn't always match what our elitist core wants, and social norms at times force a 'balance' not acceptable to either. We can rail against the thunder, howl into the wind, and get all uppity, or we can accept what reality is, change what we can to make reality match our special version as much as possible, and use (not abuse) good science in the process. Social change is a process, not an event. It took over 30 years to get where we are now, and I submit that's a pretty good place.
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Location: Rhinelander. | I'm sorry but if its not going to make it its a kept fish. This does not happen often to me but I'll be darned if If I let one go that I'm fairly sure is just going to die. To me thats a waste. To say well if you keep them they have no chance is a crock. If your anything of a fishermen you can pretty much tell if a fish of any kind is going to make it. Why on earth would anyone let a musky go that they doubt would make it. This fish is found floating and then we get beat up for mishandling of fish. If its not going to make it keep it.
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| You can't keep 39 inch fish that are sure to die, when the lake has a 40 inch minimum length restriction. Fish are going to die even if we all quit fishing for them. Don't forget disease, or even high water temperatures. Fish die, period. I've never kept a Muskie, and I do all I can to preserve the resource now, and for a later time when my kids are going to be able to fish for Muskies. With that being said, I wouldn't lose a second's sleep over a Muskie dying. They all will eventually. |
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| The Indiana DNR doesn't overstock Webster. I don't think they can given the amount of shad in that lake. The biologist say anglers are causing the size decline by harvest and poor handling. |
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Posts: 147
Location: WI - Land of small muskies and big jawbones | AWH - 12/5/2006 10:37 AM
The above statistics indicate that 0.1% of muskies caught are released. I don’t think there are many people that believe that this is even close to accurate.
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0.1% released? I would say that is just a little bit off. You meant 0.1% kept maybe? |
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Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Good catch on my typo Lockjaw!
Aaron |
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Location: Rhinelander, WI | I have said this before but I am going to repeat it.
Why do we practice Catch and Release. Is it because we are fanatical animal rights activists who only care about protecting our favorite animal at all costs?
I THINK NOT! We are sportsmen who enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and our quest for bigger and better fishing has lead us down the road of CONSERVATION! Hunters and fishermen are the best conservationists on the planet. NOT the idiots at PETA or other groups like them. They really have no stake in the outcome, WE DO.
I am not going to kid myself I practice CPR for mostly selfish reasons. I want my kids, my friends and myself to have higher quality fishing opportunities. I fought for a 50” size limit on Pelican Lake for the same reasons. I have seen the potential for huge fish out there, as well as the potential for serious problems. I plan to spend a lot of time on that water in the near and long term future so I decided to try and do something to protect it. There was no higher calling, it was selfish, my parents have a house on the lake and some day it will belong to my sister and me. I want the musky fishing to be all it can be out there; it’s as simple as that. If someone catches a 50 pound fish from Pelican and decides to keep it, I am man enough to admit that the only reason it would up set me is because it wasn’t me who caught it. I would still be happy for the angler and it would prove that Pelican has the stuff to make fish like that. If it happens 10 years from now I would be even happier as it may be a result of the hard work we put in getting the 50” limit on the lake. To me that is something to be proud of not something to get upset about.
The same can be said about Tom Gelb’s fish all the anglers who practice C&R should be proud, for years everyone has been saying to get a 30 pound fish we need to release the 20 pounders, to get a 40 we need to release the 30s, to get a 50 we need to release the 40s and so on. Well guess what IT WORKS, every once and a while someone will make the decision to keep a fish, or the decision will be made for them by extenuating circumstances, it’s not the end of the world, the ideas still works.
Catch and Release is sporting philosophy to prevent over exploitation of a limited number of fish by an ever increasing population of fishermen. IT IS NOT A RELIGION! You can practice C&R 99% of the time and make the decision to keep a fish. You will not be struck down from above.
Some one on another board said blame the DNR, for kept fish, I say blame the masses. It took a strong get out the vote campaign, and a strong showing of musky fishermen to get the 50” limit passed on Pelican. It can be done again on other lakes, it’s forced C&R, at least to 50” but I feel it is sometimes needed in a State with what? 6 million fishermen and a tourist mentality.
There are many worried that some of the Mn lakes are being over exploited even with all the big releases, also many are saying the same about Green Bay. Well if that worry is there maybe something should be done. It doesn’t pay to go on the internet and rip on every fisherman for keeping a legal fish, or for not liking the way someone releases a fish. If you really want to do something start an effort to do what Canada did and create lakes that specifically are designed to grow world record class fish. Get a 54, 55 or even higher limit on those lakes and see what the potential is.
Sorry for the soap boxing but the cultist attitude, that has come out with the last couple of huge fish really makes us all look bad. HA, and this coming from a guy who lobbied hard for a 50” limit.
Nail A Pig!
Mike
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Posts: 8831
| Mike
I agree with everything except the selfish part. Is it selfish to want your kids or your friends to be able to catch a 50 pounder? Is it selfish to want a trophy fishery? I guess it is if you don't want anyone fishing there but you, but to me I see these big fish pictures, and sure there's a part of me that's a little jealous, especially if its somewhere I fish. But I'm happy for them, especially when it's someone I know. I want musky fishing to be the best it can be, just like you and everyone else who enjoys it. But it's not just for ME, it's for all of us, for our kids, for the guys who will be fishing out there when I can't anymore. That ain't selfish, that's just wanting to see a good thing get better so people can continue to enjoy it.
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Location: Madtown, WI | Great post Mike!
DIDO!!!
COry |
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| Exellent post Mike! I agree with you! It is pretty simple. If you want to catch more and bigger fish (yourself, your friends, future generations, etc.), let them go. Period! |
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| Selfish or not, keep up the good work. That kinda thing helps me out all the same and I don't even fish Pelican. I like to see musky nuts stick together and get things done. I love catching muskies and have to admit that I am a bit crazy about the fish. Seeing all the big fish caught lately says to me that catch and release, as well as stocking (in some waters) is doing wonders for the fishery, and though I'd like to catch one like those, its good just knowing fish that big swim where I'm fishing. Many are released as well which is even better. I (like many musky anglers) have never kept a musky (kudos to me) and have been fortunate not to of had to as so far all have been good releases. My day is probably comming and I am slow to dawg on beginners. The first three muskies I caught flopped out of my hands and landed in the boat, I didn't know the correct way to grab them, but I learned. I'd like to think those fish survived to get BIG. If a fish is dead then you can't release it, although I really haven't much reason to keep one as it would hurt me inside to eat one and I much prefer replicas over skin mounts, but its best to try and choke it down over wasting it I suppose. If a fish will swim off though I'll give it that much of a chance (considering its not obviously finished, rolling over and such). As education being the key, along with size limits and management, I feel it a responsibility of mine to show the correct way to land, handle, and release muskies in front of an adiance of other fisherman. If they see me, a musky fisherman, keeping fish or handling them poorly, then that seems like the way to do it to them. Trophy fish will always be the clincher though as few of us can wrong a guy for keeping a fish of a lifetime, but keep in mind while one persons trophy may be a 40 pounder, anothers may be a 40 incher. So speculations aside I think we need to stick with the system, manage lakes as individuals on size limits, and continue to practice catch and release of all fish. Most of all take a person musky fishing who hasn't been before, show them the correct way to it, and have a good time. This is the future and the more musky anglers we have, the more new lakes will be stocked, and information will spread, and political pressure can be applied to lakes that are in need of new regulations. Well I have to go off now and take a breath, and think of open water to soak my baits in. Good fishing  |
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Posts: 17
| The practice I try to apply - for ANY gamefish species - is to keep one trophy for a mount, and let everything else go. If I did catch a larger species of a particular fish I had already previously mounted, AND I really wanted the mount, then I'd go for fiberglass. But in general, I'm lukewarm on fiberglass reproductions. The more I read about them - the less I liked - there's only a handful of mounts - and you choose the closest size match. If I'm going to the trouble and expense of a mount, I want it to look as much as possible as the fish I caught.
Edited by Cleve 12/7/2006 2:49 PM
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| There aren't many fish kept in Eastern Ontario, but even a few is too many!
They just aren't reported to Muskies Inc I suppose... |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Rick,
To keep perspective and Mike's intent, he didn't say 'let them go, period.' What he did say was well said, indeed. |
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