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Posts: 122
| I read an article today, and I'm sure a lot of you read it too, that said the MN musky heyday is behind us. While still a tremendous fishery, the author believes we won't see the numbers of big fish that were being caught when systems peaked, approximately 24 years after peak stocking years. I am wondering what thoughts and reactions others have after reading that. |
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Posts: 981
| what lead him to believe the "peak" is now gone? |
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Posts: 82
| Yep all done. Stay home. Lol |
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| I know from my own experience the heyday is definately over, although I think ultimate fish size may be peaking now. In the late 90's I could fish stocked lakes all over Minnesota and have great action, incredible numbers, and not observe other musky boats. I had numerous numerous multiple fish days up into the double digits. A big fish though was in the high 40s where as now I feel a big fish in Minnesota has to be 53" plus. Since the mid 2000's I have observed many more musky fishermen and total boat numbers on good days have dropped dramatically for me and my aquaintenances. I do think in terms of max size we are close to peak now. Maybe the proposed 56" minimum will prolong that? In terms of quality and quantity of fish caught I feel the peak was around 2006-2008 and I fish all over Minnesota. In terms of max size probably now.
One more example of my opinion....In the late 90s many number of fish days on Mille Lacs up to the low 20s had been reported. Now a good day on Mille lacs is one fish. Definately past peak for numbers, but not size. |
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Posts: 1416
Location: oconomowoc, wi | #*^@! missed it! |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | There are several conversations regarding this subject in the research board. I have heard several Muskie fishery managers refer to the first generations of any new stocking's 'best numbers and size structure' and the inevitable leveling of both due to angling pressure and other possible variables as 'New Reservoir syndrome'.
There's definitely going to be, and it appears from anecdotal evidence, there has been, a decline in numbers of truly big fish from the early year classes in the stocked waters due to normal attrition, harvest, and delayed mortality. The concept is the peak numbers and size will not be again achievable as a result of both. Stopping harvest completely may help, but still, due to factors discussed in the above mentioned research forum discussions, probably will never reach what was the 'best' again. |
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| I agree with what Steve posted. I think the heyday is over for that reason. I think it could be re-fired or improved with a 56" minimum and adding new waters along with spreading out the pressure and creating more opportunity. |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | Yep, no big fish in MN, guess everyone should travel to WI. No need fishing in MN anymore. Better leave the weak waters to those that live here, everyone else should just stay home, not worth trying anyway. 
But in all seriousness, there are ways that we can counter act this. I think the most important would be raising the size limit to 56" that will insure that more large fish are released back into the waters for another angler to catch (or myself again) at a later date. The next big thing (at least to me) is being out there teaching people who are unaware of the correct way to handle and release fish. A little education goes a long way in this sport, because even one wrong move can result in mortality of the fish, even if it were released. I'm not concerned, i'll be fishing for these fish for the rest of my life, or as long as I can cast. Eventually (if this is true) the big fish will again flourish. |
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| The fishery will stay great, just not the craziness that happens in the first stocking classes. Do you recall the vermillion fishing in the late 90's? Still a great fishery, but not the same. BR |
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Posts: 8781
| Makes sense. A fish stocked today has 20 year classes ahead of it all competing for the same forage and habitat. The best time to be a muskie is when you're the biggest one and none have come before you.
That doesn't mean it's over for MN. It won't ever be the same on lakes that have only had muskies in them for 20 years or so. But every time you stock a new body of water, you have that same opporortunity ahead of you 20 years down the road. Size limits and C&R certainly help. But the gold mines of tomorrow are the ones that don't have muskies in them today. |
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Location: Sawyer County, WI | FAT-SKI - 2/2/2013 10:57 AM
Yep, no big fish in MN, guess everyone should travel to WI. No need fishing in MN anymore. Better leave the weak waters to those that live here, everyone else should just stay home, not worth trying anyway. ;-)
I hear/see 50 inch fish caught all of the time in metro lakes. Why drive 3+ hours just to catch (if you can) mid 30 to mid 40 inch fish ? There are no large fish in Wisconsin - no need to waste your time fishing there. |
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Posts: 536
| funny that refering to mn muskie hay day is over by refering to stocked waters only! that really does show that for the most part the natural waters are really lacking and need help! |
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Posts: 2024
| I have also heard that the fishing on Vermilion simply sucks from July 6th to the 13th. Get the word out so people don't waste their time and money.
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Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | ARmuskyaddict - 2/2/2013 12:42 PM
I have also heard that the fishing on Vermilion simply sucks from July 6th to the 13th. Get the word out so people don't waste their time and money.
It sucks late August as well especially at night, don't waste your time... |
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Posts: 182
| I had more and bigger muskies than ever last year. And we shut down for about three weeks because of high water temps. I wish I would have started fishing for these crazy things earlier in life. Still pretty good folks. Is the glass half full or not? |
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Posts: 158
| Where can I find the article? Thanks |
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| BenR - 2/2/2013 11:01 AM
The fishery will stay great, just not the craziness that happens in the first stocking classes. Do you recall the vermillion fishing in the late 90's? Still a great fishery, but not the same. BR
x2 |
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| I will say right off the bat, I don't fish in Minnesota. But have one thought.
It wouldn't surprise me at all if the invasive species are having an effect on MN fishing. Between Rusty Crayfish, Zebra mussels and Spiney water fleas there has to be a correlation.
I have seen what the invasive species have down to my home water of LOTW and they are impacting the fishery.
Dan |
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | I think about this from time to time. Part of me wishes I had started fishing muskies just 2 years ago when the proverbial "hay day" had mostly passed and the biomass of initially stocked, physically unchallenged, but very mentally challenged fish had gone to muskie heaven. I have seen a few posts above that reflect the views of these anglers and I'm jealous. The fishery is indeed still great and now it's getting back to making us all better anglers instead of constantly dropping us muskie gifts from fish heaven. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Seems to me that the Hey Day attributed initial year stockings and newly established fisheries can be reproduced. There are plenty of big water systems remaining in Minnesota just waiting to become the next Mille Lacs or Vermilion.
What is preventing this from happening? Lack of $$$, political resistance, other??? |
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Posts: 833
| I wasn’t around for the heyday so I cannot comment on that. However, I’m fortunate to be able to know guys with a wide range of skill levels in this sport. There are guys who still stick 40+ fish a season in the metro, including some tanks, while fishing mostly evenings and weekends. That tells me two things: I still have a lot to learn and it is still possible to catch a lot of fish. Maybe the learning curve is steeper now? I’m the guy Hamm describes in that I’m going into my 4th season so I can’t really say what the hey day was like, but I do know it is still possible to have a great season in the Metro. We just have to adapt as things change. |
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| Fish deep and you shall find thy gold that thy seek. |
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Posts: 639
Location: Hudson, WI | The most difficult feat on some of the metro waters now is to catch a fish under 45". |
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| absolutely no doubt the heyday is over in MN. While I do think the upper size range is getting bigger on most lakes you are not going to catch or have action from nearly as many fish as years ago. Mille Lacs in the late 90s, early 2000s it wasn't uncommon to have action from 25+ fish in a day. Now? Good luck
Same with Vermilion. Yah 55" + fish are caught, but the hours per fish has dramatically increased all over MN.
Still one of the top destinations in the US/Canada for excellent fishing. |
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Posts: 82
| The fishing and amount of fish cought is about the same. The amount of water to fish them in is the same. The difference is the growing number muskie fishermen. If the pie stays the same size but you have to serve more people there's less to go around. Unless muskie fishermen start making more noise to the dnr about the need for more lakes we can expect this to continue.
Edited by DLC 2/5/2013 12:27 PM
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Posts: 2015
| DLC - 2/5/2013 12:25 PM
The fishing and amount of fish cought is about the same. The amount of water to fish them in is the same. The difference is the growing number muskie fishermen. If the pie stays the same size but you have to serve more people there's less to go around. Unless muskie fishermen start making more noise to the dnr about the need for more lakes we can expect this to continue.
I agree with this.. first time I fished V was 2001, you would see 5-6 other muskie boats on the east side mid-July....funny thing is I'll take V now, I like a good challenge AND average size fish is crazy big...I'm a lot better muskie fisherman than I was 12 years ago, i don't mind a boat average of around 7-8 hrs/fish (for my boat) when the average fish you stick is 46". |
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Posts: 1287
Location: WI | I don't fish waters with high fishing pressure, although it is increasing every year. That said, the last couple years have been tough. The heat in 2012, the late spring and lack of weed growth in 2011. I had a lot of action in 2009 when I didn't fish as much, we had an early spring and good weed growth that season.
Edited by JKahler 2/5/2013 1:05 PM
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| this thread is about "MN heyday"...yet it seems to be focused on Mille Lacs and Vermillion....there are alot better bodies of water in MN for both action and 50+ inchers. So I say, yes, on those 2 bodies of water the heyday is over...but statewide, far from it. |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | I think tonka is getting better every year! |
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| I have fished waters all over the state and was in on the stocked water heydays. My numbers for size ratios and numbers gradually increased from the late 90s and peaked around 06-08. I have been overly anal about numbers and ratios through the years keeping accurate logs and typically have 100 plus fish in the boat per year from all over the state. I am absolutely convinced that on "stocked" waters heyday is over. I still think on larger bodies of water "ie" Vermilion and Mille Lacs the overall size heyday is still about to peak. In my opinion despite the numbers heyday being over, our fishing in Minnesota is still great thanks to the hard work of MI, the DNR, and others and will continue to be great. (I do miss the high numbers of stupid easy fish days though in the late 90s and early 2000s and should have relished them more.)
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