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Posts: 2893
Location: Yahara River Chain | I could not find the thread that was here the other day. But Troy Schoonover mentioned that the dam had a garage door to allow passage for muskies into Lake Wingra. Here is a email from the WDNR on that.
"When the City of Madison rebuilt the dam (it is THEIR dam) we directed them that fish (muskies) passage was NOT a design requirement - we do not need muskies coming into Wingra under the preface of spawning because these are stocked populations with no known natural reproduction.....the bottle necking that occurred - and will occur there- is a relic of a barrier. These fish are cueing on lengthening days (more light), some increase in flow, and warming temps...these are the signals to go seek out a spawning location and to pair up and spawn. They pile up at this impediment to migration, this phenomenon that has developed in the last 15 years since muskies were introduced was just a pleasant but unintended consequence . We do however want a condition that if they do jump, they do not strand or injure themselves...hence the same height and the rounded top. There is no magic gate under the platform...what is there is a water control structure that allows stopping logs to be added or removed to regulate the water level in Wingra. The dam was designed to discourage or at least make any carp movement more challenging. "
Kurt Welke
WDNR Dane County Fisheries Manager
I stopped in today and saw no muskies. Neither did a member that was there 20 minutes. Stay tuned.
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Location: Sun Prairie, WI | Good post, Gerard. Thanks! |
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| I stopped in yesterday for about 10 minutes at noon and didn't see any ski's either. I would think some would show up w/ the warm weather the next couple days.
The dam is quite a structure. Kudos to the DNR for their work on the new dam.
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Location: The Yahara Chain | Gerard thanks for getting the real answer.
As stated in my original post, I was just saying what I had been told....it was second hand info. Which turned out to be incorrect.
I stopped on my lunch today and still not much for fish activity, other than a lot of bait fish.
It will be interesting to see if the fish can jump the new dam. I would think the smaller males will have a chance to make it. I wouldn't bet on too many big girls making it over. |
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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | i was at the dam yesterday and saw 5 or 6 fish. i went around to the other side to see them. no monsters yet but with this warm wearther and the rain we are going to get i think it will get them moving to the dam. |
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Posts: 256
Location: MadCity Wisconsin | We thought the fish would move up today (Saturday) after the rain last night but the rain didnt help much. Murphy Creek is extremely low from Monona to Wingra. The edge of the creek is dry creek bottom where the water level should be. In one section of Murphy's near Franklin Park the water is only 2 inches deep for a length of 200 yards, not enough for the big girls to move up to the dam.
I saw one ski, around 44" and bulging with eggs, below the Franklin Park foot bridge. 3 kids nearby reported seeing 3 muskies and said they were all "big ones".
We need a good downpour or the fish will not move up to the dam. Some muskies live in the creek and lagoons year round and come up to the dam each spring but the Monona fish might not make it up. |
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Posts: 2893
Location: Yahara River Chain | I just came back from the dam this morning (1130am) and did not see anything. Real quite there. A few people walking up looking and leaving. Forecasts is for a good rain on Tuesday, maybe that will help? It looks like they will not be able to leap the dam, unless they mate with a salmon.  |
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Posts: 2893
Location: Yahara River Chain | I heard that the muskies are moving at the dam with the rain we had overnight. |
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Posts: 413
Location: Madison WI | I was there from about 5:15 to almost 7 today, I saw at least 60+ different fish some big and some small, lots tried jumping none made it that I saw. Saw Steve down there and he said the water at franklin park was at about 6 inches now so with the rain we are forecasted for tonight they should be running good for the next couple of weeks hopefully.
Edited by muskyhunter24 4/6/2010 7:42 PM
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Posts: 280
Location: McFarland | Went down at lunch today and what a difference a day makes. Saw probably 30 different fish and they were jumping all over the place. Lip ripper was down with his camera so probably have some photos up soon. Going to bring mine down tomorrow and see if I can get some more mid air shots. |
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Posts: 444
| THe pics from last year were awesome, looking forward to this years pics... |
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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | i love the rain.
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Posts: 283
| Is that a tiger in the 3rd pic? It almost looks like it. Has anyone seen a muskie actually make the jump yet? I'm gonna make it down there this weekend and check it out. |
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Posts: 2893
Location: Yahara River Chain | jkslayer135 - 4/8/2010 9:03 AM
Has anyone seen a muskie actually make the jump yet?
I was going to ask this as well. I'm sure one way or another I will try to get there for a visit. |
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| I saw 3 little ones make it over in about an hour of watching yesterday. The bigger ones seemed to struggle. |
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Location: SE Wisconsin | Not a tiger, just a well defined barred ski. |
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Posts: 547
Location: Oshkosh | Pretty sure that ShaneW told me yesterday that he saw one make the jump. Going to be in Madison Sunday visiting my sister and hope to get a chance to run down and see this!
Peter |
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Location: Northern Wisconsin | WOW that's too cool. |
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| As a resident of Dane county I changed my name. I will also probably have to swing by the dam at Wingra and check out the action that I have followed on the internet for the last 10 years.
John Stellflue |
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Posts: 413
Location: Madison WI | Here is one of the 2 big tigers I saw down at the dam yesterday, might be the same one that was hanging around lakeside for a month last year.
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Posts: 619
Location: Verona, WI | I stopped by the dam yesterday evening. Stopped counting at 30 muskies and saw a dozen try to jump with one 40" fish make it across. It jumped up, landed on the lip, and kicked it into another gear and made it in. Also saw one swim back from Wingra into Murphy Creek which was a first for me. Another good spot to see them is just downstream from the dam near the two fishing piers. The seem to stage there as well - not sure why,
Shane |
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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | i have seen atleast 8-9 fish make it some big some small. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | here are some pics from today..i stopped for about 10 minutes and saw 3 try to jump but none made it...for reference the big one at the surface in pic 2 is chunky 43-44" fish....saw a few in the 4 foot range lurking....
Edited by BNelson 4/9/2010 12:01 PM
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Location: SE Wisconsin | Brad, excellent shots!! Looks like some tanks hanging under that 43-44" in that 2nd to last image.. Won't be long before I decide to pay a visit to Madison - a change of scenery here in Lake Country wouldn't be all that bad.
Edited by Sam Ubl 4/9/2010 12:06 PM
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Keep up the pics guys. These help me get motivated to finish my reel repairs & boat prep. |
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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | some more porn.
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Location: Contrarian Island | it's fun to listen to all the "experts" on muskies that come out of the woodwork at the dam this time of year...first their size estimates are off by an avg of 4" (guys saying they are 50s when they have never caught a 45" in their life) and they seem to know a lot about the muskies biology and mating rituals, why they are there, where they came from, where they go when they leave and how easy it is to catch them! funny stuff ...
Edited by BNelson 4/9/2010 1:52 PM
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Location: SE Wisconsin | That's when your toungue starts to bleed from biting it so hard. |
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| Cool pics!! Those fish are lucky they aren't swimming up a crick or channel around Mille Lacs this time of year! |
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Location: The Yahara Chain | Nice pictures Brad. I just got back from the dam. I have never scene so many fish there before.....must be 25-30 fish there. Five or six were 48 plus....several more mid 40's.
Several fish tried to jump but nobody made it.
Great day to check out how healthy our fishery is. The Yahara Chain rocks. |
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