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Posts: 1636
| Link: https://fishaz.azgfd.com/alerts/alert-tiger-muskies-stocked-into-horsethief-basin-lake-with-stocking-video/ BY NICK WALTER · MAY 21, 2019
"Arizona anglers can take the ‘lunge.
We stocked 450 tiger muskies — a.k.a. Tiger Muskellunge — into Horsethief Basin Lake, located near Crown King in central Arizona, to provide a featured species opportunity for recreational fishing. This will establish a catch-and-release only designation on tiger muskie at Horsethief Basin Lake for the calendar year 2019-20!
Other things to note about this stocking:
- This lake is the only place we’ll be stocking muskies for now.
- Muskies will likely feed on the lake’s stunted largemouth bass population.
- This is a closed system so we don’t anticipate muskies escaping to other waters.
- The muskies are sterile (do not reproduce).
- We’ll evaluate this population annually and determine if it’s wise to stock more.
- The muskies were donated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Welcome back to AZ, muskies!"
(ARIZONA TIGER MUSKIE.png)
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 ARIZONA TIGER MUSKIE.png (238KB - 1387 downloads)
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Posts: 20178
Location: oswego, il | I am just curious, they stocked fingerlings that size in a lake overloaded with stunted bass? I applaud the effort and all the hard work. Illinois sees 0 recruitment from any excess fry and fingerling stocking of which there are many every year. They are bass food. They once studied bass in lake where they stocked tiger fingerlings and 100% of those bass ate them when their stomachs were pumped. I sure hope I am wrong.
Edited by ToddM 5/22/2019 7:18 AM
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Posts: 1636
| I believe the Bass need a chance to get accustomed to sharing such a space with another, soon to be - large predator fish.
Stock larger Muskies... and all of the Bass may not have a chance to learn how to adapt and co-exist. Or... better yet - defend themselves.
As of right now... the only realistic threat are other Bass and Humans.
They had no clue what a Muskie was. Now they do. What you are saying has truth to it, Todd. Especially true when it comes to some bodies of water.
The Arizona Game & Fish has an opportunity to learn these things... in their own way.
It's amazing.
:)
Edited by Reelwise 5/22/2019 7:50 AM
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| Why go thru the expense of stocking sterile fish? Seems like a waste of money. If the fish thrives wouldn't you want it reproducing? |
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Location: NorthCentral WI | Brian Hoffies - 5/22/2019 8:08 AM
Why go thru the expense of stocking sterile fish? Seems like a waste of money. If the fish thrives wouldn't you want it reproducing?
Sure, that would be nice. But there is a reason WI stocks many of the musky lakes every other year. That is, little to no natural reproduction is actually happening. Your comment would apply to that situation all across the musky range and is not a valid argument. In order to maintain a fishable population regular stocking is required in the majority of lakes.
Edited by MartinTD 5/22/2019 8:29 AM
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Location: Athens, Ohio | It's my under-educated understanding that the Tiger cross-species is more hearty and temperature tolerant than the true muskellunge, thus the 'why' they would stock it, even if it can't reproduce. I would think that at least the first seeding of a lake should be done with advanced fingerlings m |
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Posts: 273
Location: US | The wife and i were visiting her grandparents in Phoenix this winter. We visited Canyon Lake and i couldn't help but think it would be a beautiful place for a few muskies. If these take off maybe ill have a place to muskie fish down there when we visit! Looks like this would be relatively close to where they're at in Sun City. Hopefully they aren't all bass food! |
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Posts: 64
| Brian Hoffies - 5/22/2019 8:08 AM
Why go thru the expense of stocking sterile fish? Seems like a waste of money. If the fish thrives wouldn't you want it reproducing?
They also do this as you can control the population in case they decide at some point they don't want muskies in there anymore. I believe they did this in a few places out west in trout lakes where rough fish were overwhelming the trout. They put in some tigers, and then at some point if they don't want them anymore they just don't stock and they eventually die off. |
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Location: oswego, il | James nailed it precise control. I really hope things take off in Arizona. I hope there is enough cover for them to survive. It doesn't happen in Illinois and the bass never understand what they are other than food. They stock fry and fingerlings into two shallow weed choked lakes and it makes no difference. |
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| That's the problem with LMB. If another fish can fit in that bucket of a mouth, that's where it's going to wind up. Maybe they're trying to help the stunted bass population by giving them something else to eat? |
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| I am very happy you guys have found interest in this!
Just to be clear... the Game & Fish agency stocked the Tiger Muskies to provide a featured, fishing opportunity. With that idea in mind... I believe this is only the beginning 
While there may be no intent to "control" any fish populations... the "pond" they chose is almost perfect as far as observing and documenting any changes when it comes to the existing fish community.
Pretty awesome.
Only about an hour away from my house, too. |
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| ENJOY!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJzsmD1hxWE |
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Location: KY | Seems like a great opportunity to test the waters so to speak. The lake in question is only two acres. Maybe 1% of the 450 fingerlings will grow to yearling size and not get eaten by the bass. I doubt it, especially if it is teaming with stunted bass that have nothing else to eat. We've all read reports comparing survival rates of fingerling vs yearling fish stocked. Its my understanding that most DNRs only stock yearling fish for reasons of viability. Next year when they don't find any musky in there they can start over and put in a half dozen yearling fish.
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Location: Madison, WI | For someone who might be moving to AZ after living in Wisco his entire life.....sofa......king happy! Keep the updates coming please. |
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Posts: 1636
| BruceKY - 5/23/2019 10:59 AM The lake in question is only two acres. Maybe 1% of the 450 fingerlings will grow to yearling size and not get eaten by the bass. I doubt it, especially if it is teaming with stunted bass that have nothing else to eat. We've all read reports comparing survival rates of fingerling vs yearling fish stocked. Its my understanding that most DNRs only stock yearling fish for reasons of viability. Next year when they don't find any musky in there they can start over and put in a half dozen yearling fish.
The lake is over 2.75 acres and is full of small sunfish. Loaded. Many of the lakes out west show much better results as far as survival rates go - for Tiger Muskies.
Since the Bass have not depleted the Sunfish population... and the fact that there are many Bass, also - I can't see the Tiger Muskies being wiped out.
I hear ya, though!
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Posts: 343
| Unfortunately the tigers will be easier to catch(they are fearless and hang by the surface) and swallow by the bass so they will soon become the preferred prey. They will be lucky if enough tigers survive to be counted on one hand and more likely on one or two fingers. I really hope I'm wrong. |
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