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| Not one biologist has said this is a good idea that I am aware of. Until I see biologist support for this, my opinion wont change.
-My question was more if biologists think that catching, photographing, and releasing fish is good for the fish. Your comment was that you didnt think that anyone could find a biologist that says that C&R before and during the spawn was good for the fishery, I guess my question is when is C&R actually good for the fishery?
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| I am referring to the process on how these things normally get done, part of it usually includes biologist support. In most cases, and especially one that I think should have applied here.
Instead some "tourism people" decided they knew what was best for the fish, decided they didnt need the usual biologist support to back their effort. They couldnt even pass it in their own county it smelled so bad. Apparently the majority of people up there got it.
When stuff like a season change gets done normally, there will be biologist input. There was none here. Ask the DNR how much input was requested from them on this early season, as far as I know outside the tourism dept. none that I have talked to.
Had this gone through the proper channels it would have had to had biologist support. We are dealing with a technicality in the Green Bay issue that was tossed out because our biologist moved and his position was vacant when this went through. Believe me I am familiar with biologist support. And the need to have one sign off on something like a size limit change.
So just because it got done the way it got done means I have to live with it, now I, and others are called out for not being there to educate people on how to deal with it.
I think Norm pretty much covered here
"Again, let me try to explain this. If I am handling an egg laden female there is no way I am helping the fishery in any way, shape or form. I am doing a far better service by not targeting these fish and not offering a guide service at this time."
Minnesota biologists decide whats best for naturally reproducing waters CLOSED season during the spawn.
Canada biologists decide whats best for naturally reproducing waters CLOSED season during the spawn.
Then I have to look at Wisconsin.
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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | Great responses, thanks. Looks like I was wrong with my assumption on the other thread as based on this poll of die hard musky fishermen there appears there will be almost a 15% increase in the number of people spending money north of Hwy 10 in this time frame.
Ben, I think I understand where you where coming from in your exchange with Norm. I will try and sum it up, as I see it. There will be a number of musky fishermen that currently DO NOT practice catch and release that as a result of this will want to fish musky in May. As a result they will be forced to practice C&R and just maybe that experience will spill over into the rest of the season, thus turning a catch and keep musky fisherman into a catch and release fisherman. Maybe once they see one of those bad boys swim away they will get the trill of it, maybe not.
Norm, I also understand your position, and it makes total sense.
Not having the benefit of being able to fish any time I want, I will base my decision on to fish or not to fish based on the conditions present each year. If the spawn is over I will most likely cast for musky when given the chance. But, now I have to play the roll of personal biologist to determine if the fish are done spawning, that doesn’t seem like a very good idea when you consider everyone now has to choose for themselves. Most will just fish and not worry about it, because that’s what we pay the biologists for, and since they changed the reg. it must be OK. RIGHT? 99% of fishermen will look at it that way, as most have no clue how the regulations are written.
Peter PotStirer, The way I believe you are looking at it, Catch and Release fishing is almost always better than the other option. Which is Catch and Kill fishing. The only time C&K is better is when keeping fish is encouraged because of overpopulation.
Nail A Pig!
Mike |
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| MR, I am not only speaking of the muskie fishermen...I speaking of your walleye guys and other fishermen. Now that there is a "special" season...your weekend fisherman can be educated on how to handle muskie because there is a special season now. Those guys who don't fish musky and may catch one now and then could for sure be educated on how to handle them with a promo release in conjunction with the new season. Muskie fishermen that are old school are becoming a thing of the past, but the weekend warrior still will keep one or just not know how to release them as we have all seen. This is a great opportunity to really educate the non muskie fishing community...very rare chance to hit the folks that have the largest impact on kept muskie in my opinion... |
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Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | Is there any data on any of the lakes north of hwy 10 on the muskie population befor the season was closed in may and up to last year. Would like to see if d.n.r. creel counts on those lakes improved with the season closed all those years. Did numbers increase,stay the same or go down. I have mixed felings on this but know that may was always a very good for me and I did not fish spawning areas. Its the time of the year where small live bait works really well and it has yielded so many multiple fish days for me. Usually occurs the last two weekends of may. I really can't recall that over that time we ever got even 1 musky that had eggs in it. We also never got any really big fish but had alot of fun, thats what fishing is about to me. We use lighter tackle and its a riot. The water is cool yet and all fish seemed returned in very good shape.
Now let me see some of you think we should give up sucker fishing.
Not fish much in july and august as its too hot and fish don't release well.
Don't fish in november because its too clod and fish harder to release in good
condition.
Now don't fish in May as fish are spawing.
Gee whats left?
I think as mentioned early if your going to fish in may stay out of the know spawning areas. We all know where they are on the lakes we fish so it should be easy to stay clear of them.
Pfeiff |
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Posts: 32800
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I will not be fishing Muskie mostly because I'll be on the road.
I'm one of the folks old enough to have fished quite a few years when Muskie opened the first Saturday in May. I can remember two years when the fish were spawning. Most years the fish are done.
Fishing for them pre-spawn will be a very rare occurrence. Facts are the season will be open, and we will all, like Mike said, have to make a decision based on if the fish are done spawning or not. Easier to just not mess with it unless I target lakes with no natural reproduction. I won't, but I hope a few folks who will fish an early and cold Spring make that choice.
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Posts: 54
| as stated before if it goes through and is put in the books on 2009, i will not be guiding north of hwy. 10 with the open season lake as an exception.
i sincerely hope it gets overturned.
if sound biology proves my gut feeling wrong then i would possibly change my mind.
i was and am VERY dissapointed in the people that got congressman meyer to push this through for their own selfish(money greedy) needs. seems to me all they are worried about is the almighty dollar.
i'll probly head south to chase em in the warmer water like i always have.
dannyboy
dannyboys guide service
musky crazy
laona,wi
715-674-2061
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Posts: 101
Location: mn | Why teach cpr on spawning fish, that sounds silly to me. Not all fish spawn at the same time. Even with cpr, alot of fish will die. Why take the chance of killing a spawner. The walleye fishing is great this time of year. I see alot of guys claiming there bass fishing but really catching muskies before opener in metro mn and it bugs the crap out of me. Tips will be on speed dial this year so watch out metro guys. WI resources are fragile enough as is. It makes no sence to me!! |
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Posts: 8721
| We're talking about a period of a few days where during some years the spawn might not be through on opening day.
I don't see people flocking to Northern Wisconsin in lrge numbers to chase muskies for the opener, and I would expect pressure during the week to be close to none. I would also hope the locals and any serious musky anglers would wait to fish these areas until the water warms up regardless of whether it is legal to fish during that time.
I think the way this new law came to be sucks, and I think the law itself is kind of pointless. But I still don't see it having much of a negative impact, especially since the people who are serious about muskie fishing will probably head South in search of more active fish and warmer water. |
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| Honest question: Is there any study-based evidence that fishing during the spawn hurts fish or populations? I understand the so-called "common sense" argument, but is there any real evidence out there? Thanks. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | I'm not for this whole new law, but I also dont think its as huge an issue as we're making it. There is place here on the WI river where I can go and see lots of big spawners before the southern season opens. I've seen lots of people toss jigs and little cranks at them....most are hardly interested in their offerings. I've seen several caught also, and released a few for people who didnt have a clue what to do with them and they've all gone off strong and I've watched them rejoin the packs. I think that if people who are die hard musky guys who know how to properly CPR a fish go and fish the new open season it wont be a big deal. I also dont envision every boat owning person in the state of WI flocking up north to turn the water to a froth tossing at spawning fish. To be honest, I bet there are some average Joe's who wont even know about this new regulation. That said I make no plans to fish it, better water south of HWY 10 anyways! |
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Posts: 154
Location: Appleton, WI | Article on a study on LMB. Fish were simulated to be tournament handled during spawning. To make a long story short, the fish that were subject to the simulated tournament catch there fry were later to show up and were smaller and lighter than non- stressed fish. Check it out in the Feb issue. Just some more food for thought.
Edited by Esox chaser 1/13/2008 5:09 PM
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Posts: 686
Location: Tomahawk, Wisconsin | As for me, I'm going fishing, north or south, release em all anyway, I remember fishing for muskies on opening day north of Hwy.10 way back when.................. the muskie nazis are among us!! |
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| 3-words for you at that time of year: Sturgeon Bay Smallies! |
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| Im from IL so for me why would I want to go north to fight with spawning fish when my fish are done. For me geting fish when ther spawning is very very tuff. I can pick off the males but the big females are allmost imposible to get to react. The only way I would go is if we have a warm spring and the fish are done spawning. |
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Posts: 1449
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | How many of you who will not fish the northern opener to avoid the spawn also deliberately do not fish the boundry waters for the same reason...I know it's two weeks later, but those waters are also alot further north than HWY 10. |
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Posts: 32800
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Consider:
The fish in most if not all the waters up here are done spawning on an average year by the fishing opener. Avoiding spawning fish that time of the year should be easy if it isn't a very cold spring. There are over a dozn lakes up here that are maintained totally by stocking, so those would also be a choice. |
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