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Posts: 574
Location: Elk Grove Village, IL & Phillips, WI | I saw on the MHM board that there is a Go Fund Me set up by the Chicagoland Muskie Hunters, Muskies Inc chapter to raise funds for stocking Leech Lake strain muskies in Lake Geneva. I think the lake is more suited for this strain than the Wisconsin strain. What are your thoughts?
https://www.gofundme.com/lake-geneva-muskie-stocking-2018
Edited by KenK 8/28/2018 12:49 PM
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Posts: 7039
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | My thought is why is a Chicago based muskie club stocking fish into:
-a lake in WI???!!!
-a lake that is too crowded to be on except super early in the season and late in the season.
-a lake in one of the most crowded areas in the state.
-and what MI members pay in dues and with the fundraising they do throughout the year, a Gofundme? Really?
But leech lake versus WI... a fish is a fish. Dependent on habitat, water quality, available food sources. |
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Posts: 574
Location: Elk Grove Village, IL & Phillips, WI | Your whys are legit! But as far as a fish is a fish, Leech Lake fish spawn in deeper habitat than Wisconsin muskies. I think Lake Geneva has the right stuff for them, but yes, the lake is a bigger zoo than the Fox Chain. |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | KenK - 8/28/2018 1:08 PM
Your whys are legit! But as far as a fish is a fish, Leech Lake fish spawn in deeper habitat than Wisconsin muskies. I think Lake Geneva has the right stuff for them, but yes, the lake is a bigger zoo than the Fox Chain.
Ok, I get that spawning habitat argument but....what lakes in S.WI or N.IL see much successful spawning anyways?
*truth be told, I couldnt care if they're Leech or WI fish but this exact same issue (throwing IL MI member's money into stocking WI lakes) is the reason I quit my club years ago. |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I doubt NR would occur to any sustainable degree there. It seems it hasn't on Vermilion and that lake should be textbook. Love to see spots anywhere I can fish them, but not there, way to urban for me.
Has the local fisheries manager signed off on it? |
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Location: Ashland WI | Slamr - 8/28/2018 1:13 PM
KenK - 8/28/2018 1:08 PM
Your whys are legit! But as far as a fish is a fish, Leech Lake fish spawn in deeper habitat than Wisconsin muskies. I think Lake Geneva has the right stuff for them, but yes, the lake is a bigger zoo than the Fox Chain.
Ok, I get that spawning habitat argument but....what lakes in S.WI or N.IL see much successful spawning anyways?
*truth be told, I couldnt care if they're Leech or WI fish but this exact same issue (throwing IL MI member's money into stocking WI lakes ) is the reason I quit my club years ago.
Maybe there should just be a "country" membership instead of individual state?
Seriously though, if the lakes being proposed to be stocked are border area lakes (lakes that you may potentially fish), why wouldn't you be for it? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | what other lake within a short distance of IL/Chicago has the size, forage, depth of Geneva for IL anglers to have the shot at big fish? More waters with a good population of muskies is a good thing for other waters like Madison which see our share of IL boats.. spread the pressure out, and it will grow huge fish. WI fish will get big, but Leechers will get bigger. but yah, I'm no biologist but it would seem we have enough real world proof for that to be the case... wish they had stocked it 15 yrs ago! |
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Location: The desert | Slamr - 8/28/2018 1:03 PM
My thought is why is a Chicago based muskie club stocking fish into:
-a lake in WI???!!!
-a lake that is too crowded to be on except super early in the season and late in the season.
-a lake in one of the most crowded areas in the state.
-and what MI members pay in dues and with the fundraising they do throughout the year, a Gofundme? Really?
But leech lake versus WI... a fish is a fish. Dependent on habitat, water quality, available food sources.
Where does half of Chicago head every summer weekend?
Wisconsin.
That's why.
Ok, a gofundme is kind of stupid as you are giving away a percentage of the dollars. Take that percentage and turn it into a raffle prize and you'll make the same amount of money, faster. |
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Posts: 8782
| Slamr - 8/28/2018 1:03 PM
My thought is why is a Chicago based muskie club stocking fish into:
-a lake in WI???!!!
-a lake that is too crowded to be on except super early in the season and late in the season.
-a lake in one of the most crowded areas in the state.
[...]
They way I understood it was if we put 200 fish in the Fox Chain, the DNR was cutting their stocking by 200 fish. So in the end the same number of fish were going in there no matter what. That aside, where else are they going to stock them? We have the Fox Chain. What other option is there? Evergreen? We have 7 Muskies Inc Chapters in Northern IL that are all closer to the S/WI lakes than they are to Evergreen.
I don't know for sure, but I'd be surprised if the IL muskie crowd fishes in IL even half as much as they do in WI. May as well put the fish where everyone fishes.
I'm not a huge fan of Geneva for the reasons you mentioned, but what have we got to work with here in IL, except an unusually high concentration of muskie anglers who for the most part have unusual amounts of wealth to throw at their hobby?
Edited by esoxaddict 8/28/2018 1:50 PM
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Posts: 688
Location: Already Gone | I'm all for it.
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Location: oswego, il | FRV stocks muskies in the chain every year and they are extra fish. It's not a gigantic number by comparison to what the state stocks. Fish used to comeout of the total as EA said. I do believe the effort FRV as well as the other illinois musky clubs have put forth through the illinois musky alliance has relaxed that rule.
FRV has been helping wisconsin with pit tags and supporting the effort since inception. I support what CMH is doing as well. This gives the area the biggest fish potential around. Just wait until a 50 or even a 55 is caught from this lake, a 50 is coming soon. |
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Location: Watertown, MN | Like steve said have the fisheries management signed off?
With only small numbers of fish, how many will have to be killed for study of VHS and crossing state lines to stock muskies?
Other then that could be a good thing if they sustain the stocky can always look for grants that are out there to support these kind of efforts. There is a group that is supporting these efforts.
Troyz
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Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | It’s going to be tough sledding to fish that lake for the vast majority of people, and most catches will continue to be incidental (as they are now) imo. |
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Posts: 40
| Missing the forest for the trees, here.
Who really cares if a lake is in Illinois, S. Wisconsin or XYZ state? With the way this sport's popularity is growing, the more big water areas with potential for big muskies in them, especially in or around heavily populated areas--the better. Just look at the most popular threads of late on this very site: 1. About how much tougher LOTW is getting 2. How Vermilion is well past it's prime. Both threads also talk non-stop about the significant increase in fishing pressure--and those lakes are in more remote areas... Now, think for a second... What if LSC and Green Bay weren't going off right now? Where would even a small percentage of those extra anglers be on top of the already pressured areas??? Clair has been a musky haven for a while now, but Green Bay is obviously much more recent in terms of the boom in big fish.
Also, I recall reading a lot of posts on here in regards to people from Illinois complaining about the fisheries available around the area. A little less pressure on Lake X, Lake Y or Lake Z wouldn't hurt anything IMO. Like someone else said, I'm sure Madisonites (not sure that's even a term) and G-Bay'onites (pretty sure that is a term) feel the same.
I, too, have heard Geneva is a tough nut to crack from a fish density and boat traffic standpoint--and when mapping it out, yeah, it doesn't look as simple as mapping out your typical 800 acre puddle w/ a maximum depth of 35 ft; but, no doubt, it could, and likely will churn out some big heavies in the late fall w/ much less traffic to combat than in the go-go summer months.
Again, as someone else posted, just wait until fully matured fish are showing up in pictures from Geneva. Have also heard they're not far off. Bring em on. It's all for the best.
Edited by BretRobert1 8/29/2018 12:47 AM
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| Do they still have a genos east pizza on the Geneva shore
Edited by happy hooker 8/29/2018 6:37 AM
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Location: MN | Muskie inc dues go to the National group club so the local club sees none of it. When I see folks complaining or taking issue with stocking fish outside their state it seems short sighted. Especially when folks from that state are habitual state line steppers, when it comes to fishing and hunting. I’m glade my MN club support the WI DNR to improve fishing. In the end it’s fine if one doesn’t agree with the process but don’t take a leak on someone’s campfire.
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Location: oswego, il | happy hooker - 8/29/2018 6:36 AM
Do they still have a genos east pizza on the Geneva shore
They have the Next Door Pub. Amazing pizza. I wish Lake Geneva Raceway was still operating, was a great place to see some racing. |
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Location: Already Gone | happy hooker - 8/29/2018 6:36 AM
Do they still have a genos east pizza on the Geneva shore
Yes. Like Todd mentioned, Lot's of good places around.
It's been a pretty good fishing spot for awhile now.... 
Perhaps I should ask for my money back from Northwoods Muskies Inc., since I'm a FIB.?
Let's build a wall.
Edited by Mark Hoerich 8/29/2018 8:04 AM
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Posts: 556
| I am all for it also-- I will Donate... I fish that lake from time to time and its a great fishery for Many species---including Musky which have been in there in low numbers for many years... OBVIOUSLY it is not the typical setting we would all like... But it is BIG, DEEP and has forage...….. Before Memorial Day and again starting in about Mid SEPT---it is very fishable.... |
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Location: 31 | A more fishable population of LLS in Lake Geneva would be awesome. I live in Illinois and can't remember the last time I had an Illinois fishing license. |
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Location: oswego, il | Mark Hoerich - 8/29/2018 7:11 AM
happy hooker - 8/29/2018 6:36 AM
Do they still have a genos east pizza on the Geneva shore
Yes. Like Todd mentioned, Lot's of good places around.
It's been a pretty good fishing spot for awhile now....
Perhaps I should ask for my money back from Northwoods Muskies Inc., since I'm a FIB.?
Let's build a wall.
I would say wisconsin wants us to pay for it but Sled already has the funding! |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Since I work here (for free MIND YOU!) I read all the responses and I guess my mind has been changed (to a degree). While I'd rather see that same money put towards other causes (research, habitat restoration), I get it that many of our goal is more muskies in more accessible places.
So let's get that funding going!!! Lots of "I'd help out" but when I first responded to this thread yesterday the total raised was $70 and as it stands now, still at $70 raised. Only $5,970 to go boys and girls. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | ToddM - 8/29/2018 11:15 AM
Mark Hoerich - 8/29/2018 7:11 AM
happy hooker - 8/29/2018 6:36 AM
Do they still have a genos east pizza on the Geneva shore
Yes. Like Todd mentioned, Lot's of good places around.
It's been a pretty good fishing spot for awhile now....
Perhaps I should ask for my money back from Northwoods Muskies Inc., since I'm a FIB.?
Let's build a wall.
I would say wisconsin wants us to pay for it but Sled already has the funding!
we are ready for them to go home ... on the cusp of the good time of year!!!
and Slamr ... you should be pleased to see $70.00. i would have guessed it would be half that! |
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Posts: 8782
| I'd love to see more lakes stocked in IL, but for the cost of the fish and the quality of the lakes, it seems like a lost cause to me. Pretty sure the bucket brigades would eat them all in a few years.
There is the possibility for some NR, but for some reason it never seems to work on stocked fisheries. |
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Posts: 688
Location: Already Gone | According to the attachment shown above, The Chicagoland Muskie Hunters have already raised over $5100 donated to this cause.
Edited by Mark Hoerich 8/29/2018 2:38 PM
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Posts: 3147
| Muskie fishery,Close to two states,,pizza, the old race track is available
Let's have a muskie expo here for a fundraiser!!
We could call it the Geneva convention
"Sorry had to do it" |
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Location: Contrarian Island | EA might have a better shot at a 50 on Lake Geneva than Eagle! |
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| That would be my luck to whack a 50 an hour from home after 10 trips to Eagle! |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | esoxaddict - 8/29/2018 7:16 PM
That would be my luck to whack a 50 an hour from home after 10 trips to Eagle!
The tough part about that would be that you'd actually have to take your boat out and get it wet with something other than the garden hose. |
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Posts: 93
| But leech lake versus WI... a fish is a fish. Dependent on habitat, water quality, available food sources.
In Lake Monona the stocking ratio of WI to LL strain fish is usually 3:1, some years more like 4:1, and yet this year the fish caught over 50" are 1:4. Early indications across year classes in Monona are that the LL strain only slightly outperform WI fish for annual growth, but do appear to continue growing on the upper end when the WI fish stop. Doesn't seem like a "fish is a fish" in terms of ultimate size. I'm all for keeping LL fish out of native WI waters, but in entirely created fisheries? Stock some that grow bigger and faster. Year class survival for both species is an important issue, and the fingerlings stocked at larger initial sizes survive better. Larger fingerlings like the ones headed to Lake Geneva cost more to buy.
Another Muskies Inc chapter working together with the WI-DNR on another lake in the high pressure Madison-Milwaukee-Chicago area with a side-by-side stocking study is a no-brainer. CCMI spends ~$8000 every year buying LL fish for Monona, multiplied by 12 years and the payoff is finally showing itself with those big muskies. If you live or fish in the area and want more opportunities to catch big muskies, please help out and donate to the CMH effort.
https://www.gofundme.com/lake-geneva-muskie-stocking-2018
Edited by undersized 8/30/2018 8:29 AM
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