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Posts: 285
Location: NE Wisconsin | Why is it so many anglers want higher size limits, because too many muskies are being kept, but virtually no one will keep any of the 55+ inchers reported caught???? |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Probably not too many being kept, but too few in the 1st place. Low spawning success and the continued habitat destruction keep the numbers low. Stocking no doubt will be curbed back due to lack of funding will also be in the future. So keeping the few fish we have will be the key to having success on the water. |
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| .......because you have to release 55 inchers to get 56 inchers. Oh. and dead muskies don't breed. Pretty simple. |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | Alot more muskies being kept than you realize. Just because a 55 was not kept does not mean one at the size limit for that lake was not by someone else and you did not hear about it. |
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Posts: 2361
| ToddM - 12/19/2011 9:25 AM
Alot more muskies being kept than you realize. Just because a 55 was not kept does not mean one at the size limit for that lake was not by someone else and you did not hear about it.
True, and some of the blooming fisheries in the last few years, have been hurt by harvest which could have been postponed with a real shot at a champion occurring, ie Green Bay, Mille Lacs, etc, and fisheries developing/discovered in the past have also been hurt by busy feet moving to the end of the rainbow and removing gold. The Goon, Lac Seoul.
Hard to believe, but regular board posters and Muskies Inc members, are only a small portion of musky fishers.
Assuming all musky fishers think like us ,is like assuming all males look as plain and unexciting as Todd M, (if so, the world population would be in a precipitous decline!). |
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Posts: 574
| I'd have to think more get kept from people not musky fishing.. Accidently catch what seems like a huge fish to them, so it goes on their wall.. I dont think most non musky fishermen realize that most places with muskies they are the least abundant fish in the system..
If they have to be bigger to keep, less will be kept.. |
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Posts: 8831
| Johnnie - 12/19/2011 8:57 AM
Why is it so many anglers want higher size limits, because too many muskies are being kept, but virtually no one will keep any of the 55+ inchers reported caught????
I don't think the folks pushing for higher size limits really exist in great numbers. They just all happen to be here. I also don't think there are as many people who would actually release a 55" fish as you might think. The ones who would just happen to be here. And since those folks who want higher size limits and would not keep a 55" fish are the same people, and they are here, preaching to the choir?
Paints a pretty different picture than what really goes on out in the real world. |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | FSF, I hit the local bars with the elephant man. He calls me his wingman.
There is a fishing show I watch that shows a bunch of fish pics towards the end of the show. Great show and love to watch it. More often than not the fish kept in that segment outnumber the fish released and they are for a contest that promoted release. I think it is a good barameter for where the fishing community as a whole is at. |
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Posts: 2361
| Jason Bomber - 12/19/2011 10:59 AM
I'd have to think more get kept from people not musky fishing.. Accidently catch what seems like a huge fish to them, so it goes on their wall.. .
And though this is somewhat valid, the accidental catch of a huge fish does a whole lot to PROMOTE musky fishing, musky stocking and musky respect, even though it costs a few fish, the return is probably pretty high on the investment. |
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Posts: 366
| firstsixfeet - 12/19/2011 1:40 PM
Jason Bomber - 12/19/2011 10:59 AM
I'd have to think more get kept from people not musky fishing.. Accidently catch what seems like a huge fish to them, so it goes on their wall.. .
And though this is somewhat valid, the accidental catch of a huge fish does a whole lot to PROMOTE musky fishing, musky stocking and musky respect, even though it costs a few fish, the return is probably pretty high on the investment.
fsf,
I agree with this, but add that the fish dying simply doesn't need to be part of the equation. The catch and the encounter followed by a replica or even a good photo would result in exactly the same return as a dead trophy. The accidental catches can be a very powerful promotional event for the sport of muskie fishing, but most times unfortunately the dead trophy is simply unavoidable with those whom are true accidental muskie anglers, as it is very hard to educate people about accidents.
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Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Don't assume what you see here as released is the norm. Sure, in the Muskie community those big fish are returned to the water, but in the general fishing community...not so much. |
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| On the other hand some very big accidental catches are released. I was working as a volunteer for clean water/clean boats on the chain where we have cottage a couple years ago, while a local tournament was going on on the chain. A retired gentleman who has a cabin on the lake and his buddy were putting his small 14' boat in, planning on going out for some crappies. They asked about all the boats and trailers and I told them about the tournament. The told me how about 10 years before, while both were still working they had been up fishing for crappies and one of them hooked into a big musky that took a crappie minnow. They said it took about ten minutes to get to the boat, but didn't so much fight as just dogged the bottom. When it got to the boat they got its head in the little net and one of them got his hand around the tail and in the boat it came. The little jig the minnow was on popped out while they were doing this. They looked at it for a few seconds and agreed neither thought they should keep it because it had to be very old, so they put it back. Didn't know how long exactly but said it was as long as the center seat on their 14' boat was wide, at least 48". I told them about replicas what was needed by a taxidermist. They laughed and said they now carried a camera and if lightning should strike twice they would release it again, but this time get a replica. I couldn't help but think, here was the biggest fish either of them had ever caught, by a wide margin, and yet after admiring for a few seconds, they put it back. |
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Posts: 335
Location: Minnesota | I think that the people who would release a 55" musky want everyone else to release all of the muskies under 55" so everyone would have a better chance at catching a 55" musky. It has to do with not letting other people kill fish that we all could catch next year when it is even bigger.
This year alone, I heard of 6 or 7 muskies over 51" that were killed on one of the lakes that I fish a lot. At least a couple of them were kept by musky anglers and the rest were all incidental catches. |
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | Not to re-direct the question asked by the author, but I think this is the root question:
What makes one person want to harvest a North American sport fish, while another person has never had the thought of it?
Who cares how long it is. Keeping a muskie is just counter-productive (unless you're starving), no matter where you're from. Fish that exist in low quantities and provide so much pleasure to the angler upon their capture don't deserve to die. I call you selfish for keeping one... you can call me selfish for wanting to catch more. Answer the question. |
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Posts: 321
| Hammskie - 12/29/2011 12:54 PM
Not to re-direct the question asked by the author, but I think this is the root question:
What makes one person want to harvest a North American sport fish, while another person has never had the thought of it?
Who cares how long it is. Keeping a muskie is just counter-productive (unless you're starving), no matter where you're from. Fish that exist in low quantities and provide so much pleasure to the angler upon their capture don't deserve to die. I call you selfish for keeping one... you can call me selfish for wanting to catch more. Answer the question.
If I am not mistaken you guide for muskie and if I recall and I could be wrong had a fish die and not release in the past. My question is why are you able to profit off a resource that exist in low quantities and perhaps even have an unsuccessful release, but it is wrong for sportsman to want to keep one? Seems to be some misplaced logic there. For the record I think what you do is fine and I think if someone keeps one it is fine. I just could not help but chuckle with your response as a person using the resource for money. H |
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | Chuckle all you want. Keeping a muskie intentionally is a knuckle head move. |
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| The day I catch a 50" it's getting clubbed! Unless it was some super skinny fish, then I may not see it as worth it. But with the time and money I've invested in this sport, someday I will keep one.
The majority of the mounts I see in bars and what not are 38-45" fish and it frustrates me. To me, a 50" is a trophy worth keeping. If I ever caught a larger one after that, I would get a replica if anything.
That's my opinion and I'm entitled, no matter what you all think. |
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Posts: 321
| Hammskie - 12/29/2011 1:20 PM
Chuckle all you want. Keeping a muskie intentionally is a knuckle head move.
Really keeping one inentionally is worse than getting paid to kill one? I will chuckle. H |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Guest - 12/29/2011 1:46 PM
The day I catch a 50" it's getting clubbed! Unless it was some super skinny fish, then I may not see it as worth it. But with the time and money I've invested in this sport, someday I will keep one.
The majority of the mounts I see in bars and what not are 38-45" fish and it frustrates me. To me, a 50" is a trophy worth keeping. If I ever caught a larger one after that, I would get a replica if anything.
That's my opinion and I'm entitled, no matter what you all think.
If you have invested so much time and money in this sport, as you say, wouldn't you want the sport to be in as good of shape as possible? Or is it more important to you to show off your manliness to your buddies rather then getting a replica done?
The people you guys criticize for going over the top with this stuff are from the same mold of people that called for change to ensure there are ample opportunities out there for people to catch big fish. If you don't see that or don't care then that's your choice. Just don't come on here crying about how the fishing on your lake sucks when everyone out there keeps their one fish because they are "entitled" to it
Edited by Musky Brian 12/29/2011 2:14 PM
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | When I first started muskie fishing I too wanted to keep the first 50 incher, but as time went on and I learned more about muskies, I upgraded to keep the first 55 incher, a few yrs ago I upgraded even more........................Soooooooo, the NEXT 62 inch Muskie that I boat will go on the wall in the Man Cave....... Eerrr,Ahhhh, never mind,... I'll wait for that 65 incher.
Funny how smart ya get as time goes by !
G-Rome
Edited by Top H2O 12/29/2011 2:28 PM
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Posts: 8831
| Gudes get paid to provide opportunities for quality muskie fishing. Is it difficult to understand why they'd be opposed to angler harvest? Every big fish that gets harvested is one less fish they will be able to guide their clients to. What would the fishing be like if we all decided that it was our right to keep a 50 just because it is legal and we paid for a license?
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | its hard to say why people do what they do i have not yet killed a musky but i do know of people that have kept them .what happens when a musky hits you buck tail so deep and the gil plate gets riped when fighting the fish. try to releas keepes turning belly up what do you do keep it or let the birds eat it. then you have the people who fish walleyes who belive the musky hurt the walleye fishing and kill them just because as for me i would like to see musky put on a list no keeping they must be released no matter how big it is CPR |
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Posts: 3157
| guest your entitled to keep a 50' your rght
but think too about getting your moneys worth a 50 mounted turns out to be more like 48 or less when its done, not to mention it starts deteriorating while a repo dosent |
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Posts: 313
Location: Bemidji, Lake Vermilion | Many many 50+ inch fish are dying in MN every season. Some do die via mortality from hooks/bad wounds etc. Many more are being killed willfully and intently with a "clubbing" due to the entitlement attitude. Watched it happen, argue that its not happening but it is. Amongst a local group of guys in Bemidji, we as a group are seeing it constantly.
Like many feel its their right to keep a fish, its my right to lobby against it and to promote increased length restrictions or maybe even catch and release. My family owns a resort, has a lot of first time as well as experienced muskie anglers come through it, in 14 years we've had 2 kept fish. People look at a replica we have there (a beautiful 54.5, very well done) and its over, no more keeping. The two that have been kept were 55 and one was a whisker under 55. One was caught by the fiance of a taxidermist (who did the mount) and the other was a botch job where the camera was left at the cabin, release tools were not appropriate etc so it got transported to the resort and died.
My point about it is there is no reason to keep a fish like this. Education/information is all thats needed. Where legal - go ahead and do it. Be entitled. Just don't expect everyone is going to like it or that you're doing the lake any favor. May your skin mount fade and peel and crack and look terrible for many years to come. |
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Posts: 213
Location: FIB land | I just want to say thank you to all you guys for your dedication to catch and release, as I feel that has been instrumental in my muskyhunting success and has resulted in my strong feeling towards CPR. What a thrill to land a big girl ! ..and then let her swim on..
Thanks guys,
Don |
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| Catch and release 100% of the time, period end of story.. Because you can get a replica... Pretty simple. |
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Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | I agree 100% no questions asked, if the fish can swim away it is getting released, but this season I was put in a situation where one of clients caught a 54 incher and during the fight one of its gills was split in half. The fish was bleeding pretty bad at first and we thought it wasnt going to make it. We cut the hooks and got it back in the water, the blood did clot up and the fish was able to swim away. I don't know if the fish made it or not, but my client and myself felt a hell of alot better about giving the fish at least a shot at survival. If the fish would have died though, my client was prepared to keep the fish. That would be the only reason I would ever keep a fish and I would feel bad about if it did happen. |
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Posts: 1
| I think we are doing a good job of promoting catch and release and should never let up // but to a c & r fishermen size limit means nothing it could be 108 in and not affect us //but this makes our call for large size limits supect because they only affect others // a back door way to use the law to make others agree with us // would we still want larger size limits if we could only use legal fish to win our tournments// |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | Skin Mounts look bad, next to a Replica mount, I would never kill a Musky, 100 % release for me. When I see that tail move and that fish swims away, I know 100% that is the right thing to do. |
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Posts: 3910
| The biggest threat to the welfare of a tanker muskie are skilled muskie anglers. |
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