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| News Releases
DNR to seek public input on five muskie stocking proposals
(Released August 10, 2010)
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold seven input open house meetings on Sept. 2 for citizens to learn about and comment on agency muskellunge stocking proposals.
Public comments will also be accepted from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30 online at [email protected], and by mail to Muskie Stocking Proposals, Minnesota DNR, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744.
The DNR is considering stocking muskellunge in five new waters starting in the fall of 2011 due to growing interest in muskellunge fishing. Proposed for muskellunge management are Roosevelt Lake in Cass and Crow Wing counties, Upper South Long Lake and Lower South Long Lake in Crow Wing County, Tetonka Lake in LeSueur County, and the Sauk River Chain of Lakes in Stearns County.
“All of these waters meet or exceed the criteria for muskie management,” said Dirk Peterson, DNR fisheries chief. “People who want to learn more details about each proposal are encouraged to attend our open-house style meetings.”
The DNR is proposing five new muskellunge waters because interest in muskellunge fishing has risen substantially in recent years. The best science indicates stocking muskellunge in low densities in these lakes will not harm existing fish populations.
DNR staff will not make a formal presentation at the Sept. 2 meetings, but will be available the entire time to answer questions. This structure - a lengthy opportunity for interaction with staff but no formal presentation - is designed to accommodate people’s busy schedules.
The locations and times of the Sept. 2 meetings are:
Mankato - Gander Mountain, 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Owatonna - Cabela’s, 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Waterville - DNR fisheries office, 50317 Fish Hatchery Road, 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Brainerd - DNR office, 1601 Minnesota Drive, noon - 8 p.m.
St. Paul - DNR office, 500 Lafayette Road, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Montrose - DNR fisheries Office, 7372 State Highway 25 SW, 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Cold Spring - City offices, 27 Red River Ave. S., Cold Spring, 5 - 8 p.m.
Citizens unable to attend the Sept. 2 meetings can learn more about each proposal by visiting www.mndnr.gov/muskie, where the DNR has posted a summary of each proposal as well as answers to frequently asked questions.
All input - whether collected on forms at the public meetings or via online survey, e-mail or mail - will be considered equally.
The DNR will review public input during October and November. Decisions on each stocking proposal are expected in December. If the DNR decides to move forward, stocking would begin in 2011 or 2012. It would be 12 to 15 years after that before the fish reach 48-inches, the minimum size at which a muskellunge can be kept by anglers.
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| I urge all to attend these meetings and show your support. If you are unable to make it to one of them please email the DNR and voice your opinion.
This is something that Minnesota needs to support the increase in muskie fishermen that use the lakes.
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Steve, could you please pin this one?
Thanks,
Shawn |
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Posts: 374
Location: Bemidji | UPDATE:
The public input meetings on purposed new MUSKIE lakes are about to begin. Anyone who can attend these meetings, please do so. Your support on the NEW MUSKIE LAKES IS NEEDED. If you can't make the meetings you can still let your opinion be known by contacting Tim Goeman, Regional Fisheries Manager, at 219-999-7819 for information about the proposal and the different ways you can submit your input.
BRAINERD INFORMATION Upper & Lower South Long Lake and Roosevelt Lake
There will be a public information meeting hosted by the Minnesota Muskie Alliance to be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday August 30, 2010 at Central Lakes College Cafeteria. The purpose of this meeting is to provide you with an opportunity to acquire facts and information about muskies and the stocking proposals, discuss how it will affect the lake and the local community and meet folks from the local Muskie Club. There will be several short presentations and handouts. DNR Fisheries staff will be attending these meetings. This meeting is not intended to be a public input meeting, simply a place where you can go and get information and ask questions.
The DNR will be holding the official public input meeting on the muskie stocking proposal for both Upper and Lower South Long Lake, and Roosevelt Lake from noon to 4:30 p.m. September 2, 2010 at the DNR fisheries office in Brainerd, 1601 Minnesota Drive. Comments may be submitted in person, by letter, phone, fax or via e-mail at [email protected] Notices for the meetings will also be posted in the local paper and at other public places.
ST. CLOUD INFORMATION SAUK CHAIN
There will be a public information meeting hosted by the Minnesota Muskie Alliance to be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 30 at the American Legion Club, 17 2nd Ave. N. Waite Park. The purpose of this meeting is to provide you with an opportunity to acquire facts and information about muskies and the stocking proposals, discuss how it will affect the lake and the local community, and meet folks from the local Muskie Club. There will be several short presentations and handouts. DNR Fisheries staff will be attending these meetings. This meeting is not intended to be a public input meeting, simply a place where you can go and get information and ask questions.
The DNR will be holding the official public input meeting on the muskie stocking proposal for the Sauk Chain from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the DNR fisheries office in Montrose, 7372 State Highway 25 S., and from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the City of Cold Spring offices, 27 Red River Ave. S. Both meetings are on September 2, 2010. Comments may be submitted in person, by letter, phone, fax or via e-mail at [email protected] Notices for the meetings will also be posted in the local paper and at other public places.
MANKATO, OWATONNA and WATERVILLE LAKE TETONKA
There will be a public information meeting hosted by the Minnesota Muskie Alliance to be held at 7:00 p.m on Tuesday August 24 at Gander Mountain in Mankato. The purpose of this meeting is to provide you with an opportunity to acquire facts and information about muskies and the stocking proposals, discuss how it will affect the lake and the local community, and meet folks from the local Muskie Club. There will be several short presentations and handouts. DNR Fisheries staff will be attending these meetings. This meeting is not intended to be a public input meeting, simply a place where you can go and get information and ask questions.
The DNR will be holding the official public input meeting on the muskie stocking proposal for Lake Tetonka from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on September 2, 2010 at three different locations; Gander Mountain in Mankato, Cabela’s in Owatonna, and DNR Fisheries office in Waterville. Comments may be submitted in person, by letter, phone, fax or via e-mail at [email protected] Notices for the meetings will also be posted in the local paper and at other public places.
If you are interested in more information about the official muskie stocking proposals, please visit the DNR website at: http://www.mndnr.gov.muskie or type in “muskie stocking” in your web browser and you will be directed to the DNR site. Once on the website you will see references made to the individual lake plans, the muskie stocking proposals, and studies related to muskie diets and interactions with other fish species. You may also call Tim Goeman, Regional Fisheries Manager, at 219-999-7819 for information about the proposal and the different ways you can submit your input.
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Posts: 374
Location: Bemidji | We were made aware that Senators are being contacted by the Darkhouse to stop these stockings from taking place. They are building momentum to stop any future stocking plans. If you want more muskies in the state of Minnesota then I suggest letting the DNR know.
Thank you all for your support. |
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Posts: 374
Location: Bemidji | Thanks Steve for putting this at the top. All the exposure helps alot. |
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| kevin cochran - 8/20/2010 10:53 AM
If you can't make the meetings you can still let your opinion be known by contacting Tim Goeman, Regional Fisheries Manager, at 219-999-7819 for information about the proposal and the different ways you can submit your input.
Kevin, thanks for the info. Are you sure that is the correct number for Tim? I never heard of that area code. Guessing it should be "218" instead.
On a side note, the St Cloud Muskies Inc chapter held a meeting with Senator Fischbach to discuss stocking and from what I hear it was a positive meeting and everything you said about opposition getting "in their ear" is completely accurate.
A lot of horseplay going on, even people that are on the Lake Assoc who SUPPORT the idea, are not being invited to meetings where those opposed share concerns and falsehoods about the costs and impacts.
I hope this doesnt end like the Gull Lake proposal did. Its unfortunate, Gull would be GREAT musky water too, but too many high dollar people in the pockets of certain others made that one get squashed. |
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Posts: 374
Location: Bemidji | Captain,
You are right the area code is 218. Good eye.
Tim Goemen's contact number is (218) 999-7819 |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | The input meetings are over, but the input period is not. The DNR is still accepting public input through the end of September. It even made the lead story on the Twin Cities news tonight.
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/muskies-in-mn-waters-causin...
Please keep the input coming. Phone calls, letters, emails.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: Tim Goeman, Regional Fisheries Manager, at 218-999-7819
Letters: Muskie Stocking Proposals, Minnesota DNR, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Thank you to everyone for your support.
Aaron |
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Posts: 17
| Hey Guys
Aaron is right!! We need to round up your family, friends, neighbors and Co-workers as well. Send off an email to all your contacts. I did and its amazing the # of people that have emailed the DNR in support just from my little effort. I talked in length with the DNR at St. Paul's meeting last Thurs. They said it really could come down to a numbers game and that every email, call and letter has equal weight with those who attended the meetings!!!! So take ten minutes today and get the word out. Besides its blowing 40mph and raining to boot. Let's not let this opportunity pass us by
Thanks,
Dean Roll
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Here's what we're up against people. PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE send your input!!!
Attachments
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 darkhouse paid ad.JPG (142KB - 196 downloads)
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Posts: 619
| TREATS- wow,thats a tough advertisement...........what do you suggest to do? email DNR? |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | See the first post in this thread and make your voice heard. |
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Posts: 11
Location: Forest Lake MN | Filled out for all 5 lakes and sent. |
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| WTF?
35% of waters in MN stocked with muskies? Last I heard there are only like 70 musky lakes in MN.
And last I heard we were called the land of 10,000 lakes.
So the darkhouse math is extremely incorrect and upsetting! |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | 35% of the surface area does have muskies in it. That includes the middle of Leech, Winnie, and Mille Lac. At least they didn't count Superior... |
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Posts: 1220
| Forgive the ignorance of an out-of-stater but, I looked up "Darkhouse" to see what it was, found a site that described these guys sitting in a dark shanty wanting to spear pike swimming by under the ice (hey it's a free country) and I am wondering what the hell do they care about stocking musky and why would they be so against it? |
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| Sorry to tell you guys but the Darkhouse guys are a small part of the large mass of people against the stocking of Muskys. Your biggest concern should be the lake shore owners association and the average fisherman who would like to eat a few fish! |
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Posts: 32885
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Ignorance and comments like your last are the biggest concern no matter who we as muskie anglers debate on the subject. Anglers who want to 'eat a few fish' certainly will not have a problem doing so; I fish dozens of lakes that have excellent muskie populations, and amazingly ( not really), those are my best panfish and walleye destinations. Muskies do NOT harm panfish and walleye populations...fishermen overfishing them do.
Leech Lake is LOADED with big walleyes right now. Unreal fishing. Why? because there's a protected slot, and harvest is again under control. And that lake is the very source of Muskie angling in many MN lakes. |
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Posts: 89
Location: Breezy Point, MN | Well said Steve! I am amazed at the mentality of these anti-muskie people over here. They are blaming the DNR because the DNR shut down spearing on select musky lakes so this is their way of getting back at us. Here is the view point of one dark house spearer (who falsely claims below he is not against musky anglers!) that I had an email conversation with, and I quote:
"My beef is not with muskies or musky anglers . It is with the DNR. We have limited fisheries resources and the fisheries budget is supplemented by hunting lisc fees which aggravates many who deal with limited game and fish funds....esc those biased on the game side. We have 35% of our acerage waters now being stocked and managed for muskies yet approx 8% of anglers fished for muskies once or more in 2008. Lets spend our limited $ on walleye management where approx 75% of anglers focus. Lets do a good job managing the very good musky waters we now have. See DNR/Fulton 2009 study and LRP re percentages.
Finally we have never said muskies cannot coexist with other fish species. Generally they do but sometimes they have not fared well together. We often are told all our lakes are great examples as to how muskies and walleyes coexist so well when in fact there have been some significant walleye problems on some musky lakes including some you mention. I am not saying muskies are the reasons but it is not correct to say all musky waters are free from walleye problems."
Here is what I posted on the Brainerd Lakes Chapter of Muskies Inc's web site and my web site and what I sent to the MN DNR via several emails.
"I read with interest the advertisement in the Minnesota Outdoor News this evening attacking the Minnesota DNR and musky anglers in general. The ad was funded by Dark House anglers and some other anti-musky group. These people are against musky stocking as a whole and the ad is aimed at shutting down the five lake stocking proposal. I would like to put a positive spin on the Minnesota DNR and personally thank them for creating without a doubt, some of the finest musky and walleye waters in the United States. The ironic thing is that our famous lakes like Leech, Mille Lacs, Bemidji, Cass, Miltona and Vermilion are all phenomenal walleye fisheries with one common denominator. They are all phenomenal musky lakes. If indeed muskies were such a voracious predatory fish, do you really think that these lakes mentioned above would harbor the outstanding walleye populations they have today? Leech Lake is a great musky lake, yet the walleye population is absolutely fantastic. I was there for the walleye opener this year and not only did we catch a bunch of walleyes ourselves, but there were literally hundreds and hundreds of boats out there doing the same thing.
As a business Store Manager located in Baxter, I can assure you that increased angling opportunities for muskellunge would be extremely beneficial to not only my store, but to the local Mills Fleet Farm, Reeds Sporting Goods, etc. Quite frankly, it appears to me that these lake associations have their own private agenda basing their arguments with no true scientific data to support their claims. The verbal assault they are giving the Minnesota DNR is childish and weakens their arguments even further. One of their main arguments against stocking muskie is that they claim that musky anglers will be a leading cause of introducing invasive species to a lake. This is simply untrue and there are far more numbers of panfish anglers or recreational boaters going from lake to lake than musky anglers so there is no way they can factually make this claim.
In closing, from an out of state prospective, I want to personally thank the Minnesota DNR for creating the best muskellunge fishing opportunities to be found anywhere in the country. Please do not be swayed by lake associations with selfish agendas who use scare tactics to try to sway the general public or non-anglers. Muskies are great for a lake, period. They keep the lake healthy and keep fish populations in check to avoid stunting etc. Simply look at Mille Lacs, Bemidji, or Leech Lakes and I need to say no more. Those are great lakes for a number of fish species, not just muskies!!!! Thanks for listening!"
This whole deal sadly reminds me of eight to ten years ago when we were battling similiar mentalities in Vilas County in regards to state wide musky size limits, etc. Lake Associations carry too much weight, in my opinion. These are all public waters, last time I checked. Why should Lake Associations carry more weight than DNR Biologists? These presidents of the Lake Associations are fighting this to keep you and I off their lakes as musky anglers (very selfish, indeed) and they are saying that it is US who are transporting all of the invasive species here in Minnesota, even though far more panfish anglers and recreational boaters use the same launches every year. Keep fighting the good fight, Minnesota. The Gull Lake musky battle was lost somewhere in downtown St. Paul in a political buy out, which was a sad deal because the general public was actually for it, but heavy political pressure by a prominent pro-dark house individual swayed the ending decision at the government level. Once again, dollars and votes spoke louder than us as anglers. The MN DNR knows far more of what is good for a healthy lake balance than wealthy property owners/Lake Association Presidents with selfish or revenge driven intentions.
Edited by Tom Dietz 10/1/2010 7:52 PM
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| They are not against anything ever, till the ball drops then the true colors show through. I wish I could come up with a good reason not to stock these lakes just to give them some credible opposition. They have nothing but fear and half truths.
Many thanks to all of you that helped with the input and Steve for keeping this at the top, now we wait and see. There are several people that went over and above the call; putting their family time and even losing time at work to get the word out. Hats off to you guys and gals, Its greatly appreciated.
Even when it gets ugly we stand on a foundation built by far greater men and have our dignity, "Stay Positive and never stop fighting" are very difficult words to live by when the mud starts pelting you in the face.
D.F.D.B.
John |
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Posts: 189
Location: Barrington, Il | I have a question. When the DNR started stocking these lakes back inthe 80's did they need to get public opinion? I don't understand the need to vote on everything the DNR wants to do to improve fisheries. |
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