| Dave, a question or two below for you if you don't mind.
DAVE: The second method is much simpler. We simply analyze netting and creel survey data from lakes that are entirely dependent upon stocking, and if we see fish over 50" long, we know that potential exists. Lakes all over Wisconsin reflect this potential. These combined phenomena help to explain why Wisconsin biologists do not suspect broodstock genetics to be an important factor limiting the relative abundance of trophy-size muskellunge in this state today.
ERIC: What lakes are entirely dependent upon stocking in NW Wisc. that reflect this potential? I personally suspect that the large 50" fish that are ocasionally coming from lakes that were not created as new muskie lakes initially through stocking, that those 50" fish are not from our hatchery but are the result of a few remaining larger strain fish that were in these lakes all along that have somehow beaten all odds and by pure luck there are still a few that show up once in a while. I suspect that these fish over 50" ocasionally coming from these lakes are not stocked fish from our hatchery. I'm not talking mid-forty inch fish here, but legitimate fish over 50". Is this possible?
Thank you.
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