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Posts: 63
| Is the Internet bad for Muskie fishing? - asked on the Internet.
I'm grateful to every forum, vlogger, blogger and youtuber who ever posted with a muskie. Especially in February when it seems like I can't sharpen enough hooks. But, without the help of a few amazing guides and the Internet, my learning curve would have been much, much longer. Do you get props if everything you've learned is on the water? Sure. Enjoy the props.
The discussion got down to the heart of the matter - money. Money seems to ruin many of the good things that came from nature, but if we want to share our passions with others, usually the greenback gets into the middle of it. We (people) originally threatened to kill off the sport by harvesting every Muskie we caught. Now we're over-pressuring the fish and making it harder to catch them. Frankly, I'd rather have more pressure and more fish than less fish. |
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Posts: 167
Location: Tomahawk, WI | Id say that Youtube and the internet are good for those making money in the business. However, most of the vidoes ive watched are full of bad ideas about what equipment is best and how you should fish. Way to many guys out their that still dont understand how gear ratios work. Too many guys telling you that one brand is better and another is complete junk. I like to refer to these guys asd the "Musky Snobs.". You know the ones. Theyt started five years ago and they know everything there is to know about musky fishing becasue they stumbled into a 50 on their first time out. And their ways and ideas are the only right ones. Similar to our Woke community these days.
I think a lot of the presure we have seen in the last year for sure is just folks who would normally be traveling to canada to fish and now they have no choice but to fish localy. I know plenty of guys in my area that swore off fising in Wiscosnin beacause they were so spoiled by the fishing in canada. Last summer I saw all those guys fishing around here. As for the guys that feel they need to film all their fishing and show it to the world, just know that people will use your video and find your spot. My grandfather always told told people he caught his muskies and a different lake than the ones he acctully fished. That was in the 70s and 80s before musky fishing boomed. He knew then that people would take advantage. By showing people the exact spots on video, you know the "lazy" anglers will use that to find a spot to fish instead of doing their own homework.
I like the idea of educating people on the sport, but dont show people your spots. Try to keep some things secret or at least hard to find. |
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Posts: 17
| Well that's weird. I am bought all the big newer boats and gear was all purchased just last year and not part of the long term trend of people spending more ( not 14ft bench seat boats and zebco 33s) while resource offices keep bleeding staff and being less and less likely to take on new projects, restorations.
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| Gottagofast - 5/26/2021 8:49 AM
Well that's weird. I am bought all the big newer boats and gear was all purchased just last year and not part of the long term trend of people spending more ( not 14ft bench seat boats and zebco 33s) while resource offices keep bleeding staff and being less and less likely to take on new projects, restorations.
I can only speak to WI, but the staffing cuts here had nothing to do with excise tax but rather a deliberate act by the Walker administration to weaken the DNR. Budgets were cut, enforcement powers were curtailed by legislation. Nothing to do with excise tax levels. |
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Posts: 452
| I don't think its a bad thing. It could be bad if your pet lake gets shown, but we need more numbers not less. More fisherman hopefully means more stocking and more lakes. Nothing you can really do about it anyway. |
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| chasintails - 5/26/2021 9:31 AM
I don't think its a bad thing. It could be bad if your pet lake gets shown, but we need more numbers not less. More fisherman hopefully means more stocking and more lakes. Nothing you can really do about it anyway.
It is important that the new fishermen are active in contacting elected representatives, supporting groups that lobby for the outdoors. An email from a constituent will mean much more than statistics from the DNR about number of fishermen. If you stay at a resort, let them know you are there for musky and ask if they owners are encouraging their legislators to support the sport. Money and votes are the only things legislators care about. |
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Posts: 512
| fishdawg - 5/26/2021 7:07
That said, there are many who are willfully burning spots to get more views and more likes. If you going to post something, please go to some effort to protect the location. Am I asking too much?
this is all i was asking from this post basically. film away, just dont show the obvious landmarks in the background please! |
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Posts: 512
| all great points too, this is what a forum is about..
and i love the watching most of the videos as well, especially in the winter. except the novice ones where they have the fish out of the water for like 2-3 minutes, that always drives me nuts! |
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Posts: 20179
Location: oswego, il | North of 8 - 5/26/2021 9:20 AM
Gottagofast - 5/26/2021 8:49 AM
Well that's weird. I am bought all the big newer boats and gear was all purchased just last year and not part of the long term trend of people spending more ( not 14ft bench seat boats and zebco 33s) while resource offices keep bleeding staff and being less and less likely to take on new projects, restorations.
I can only speak to WI, but the staffing cuts here had nothing to do with excise tax but rather a deliberate act by the Walker administration to weaken the DNR. Budgets were cut, enforcement powers were curtailed by legislation. Nothing to do with excise tax levels.
The walleye initiative has also taken a big bite out of musky stocking. |
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| ToddM - 5/26/2021 11:14 AM
North of 8 - 5/26/2021 9:20 AM
Gottagofast - 5/26/2021 8:49 AM
Well that's weird. I am bought all the big newer boats and gear was all purchased just last year and not part of the long term trend of people spending more ( not 14ft bench seat boats and zebco 33s) while resource offices keep bleeding staff and being less and less likely to take on new projects, restorations.
I can only speak to WI, but the staffing cuts here had nothing to do with excise tax but rather a deliberate act by the Walker administration to weaken the DNR. Budgets were cut, enforcement powers were curtailed by legislation. Nothing to do with excise tax levels.
The walleye initiative has also taken a big bite out of musky stocking.
True and that is a case of money and influence. The resort, tourist industry in northern WI pressured Walker and the legislature to stock walleyes because that is seen as the preferred fish of so many visitors. However, just heard a news story this morning that the great experiment on the Lake Minocqua Chain is not working well. It received a lot of stocking and has been catch and release for walleye for five years. Now, based on the surveys done by DNR, they are finding almost no natural reproduction of walleye in the chain and an odd balance of at least 3 female walleye for every male. They are proposing another 5 years of catch and release only. Speculation is that with the warming water temps, bass are out producing walleye and that this is a long term issue. Again, speculation, not enough data to know for sure.
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Posts: 731
| Is the internent good or bad for musky fishing? I believe it could be a little of both. Reading through the posts, there are many good points being made. Steve W. posted that's it's more for educating and I agree. I personally don't care about added pressure to any of the lakes I fish because I think the days of secret lakes are over. For the most part type in any lake you want and you will have the information you want. The key now is doing something different from all the masses the leads to success now. If the guys are throwing tens over the weeds, I'll throw a topwater at night. One more thing. I remember when I was a kid in the 70's and my parents would take my brother and sister and I to the Sports and Outdoor show at the old Chicago Amphitheater, where all the resorts from across the country would advertise come to our resort or lake region. Pictures of big fish would be shown, and the lakes would be named. Move forward into the 80's and you have In-fisherman magazine, Fishing Facts, Bassmaster, and others. Then the fishing show boom of the 90's. I remember hot locations were given out back then as well. Today, its the internet. The information is just a little easier to get now. Kdawg |
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Posts: 32786
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | North of 8 - 5/26/2021 9:20 AM
Gottagofast - 5/26/2021 8:49 AM
Well that's weird. I am bought all the big newer boats and gear was all purchased just last year and not part of the long term trend of people spending more ( not 14ft bench seat boats and zebco 33s) while resource offices keep bleeding staff and being less and less likely to take on new projects, restorations.
I can only speak to WI, but the staffing cuts here had nothing to do with excise tax but rather a deliberate act by the Walker administration to weaken the DNR. Budgets were cut, enforcement powers were curtailed by legislation. Nothing to do with excise tax levels.
My son was working at the Woodruff DNR when that happened. Everyone there called it getting "Walkerized". Definite politics, and was the reason I was able to hire him away. |
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| sworrall - 5/26/2021 3:47 PM
North of 8 - 5/26/2021 9:20 AM
Gottagofast - 5/26/2021 8:49 AM
Well that's weird. I am bought all the big newer boats and gear was all purchased just last year and not part of the long term trend of people spending more ( not 14ft bench seat boats and zebco 33s) while resource offices keep bleeding staff and being less and less likely to take on new projects, restorations.
I can only speak to WI, but the staffing cuts here had nothing to do with excise tax but rather a deliberate act by the Walker administration to weaken the DNR. Budgets were cut, enforcement powers were curtailed by legislation. Nothing to do with excise tax levels.
My son was working at the Woodruff DNR when that happened. Everyone there called it getting "Walkerized". Definite politics, and was the reason I was able to hire him away.
Met a guy at the YMCA who had just retired during Walker's second term, had spent almost 40 years as a forester for the state. He said Walker and his DNR secretary made it crystal clear that the DNR's actions were not to be about science but rather whatever Walker and the legislature said it was to be. He was very glad he was old enough to retire. Younger scientists were looking for work in other states. |
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Posts: 32786
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | North of 8 - 5/26/2021 11:21 AM
ToddM - 5/26/2021 11:14 AM
North of 8 - 5/26/2021 9:20 AM
Gottagofast - 5/26/2021 8:49 AM
Well that's weird. I am bought all the big newer boats and gear was all purchased just last year and not part of the long term trend of people spending more ( not 14ft bench seat boats and zebco 33s) while resource offices keep bleeding staff and being less and less likely to take on new projects, restorations.
I can only speak to WI, but the staffing cuts here had nothing to do with excise tax but rather a deliberate act by the Walker administration to weaken the DNR. Budgets were cut, enforcement powers were curtailed by legislation. Nothing to do with excise tax levels.
The walleye initiative has also taken a big bite out of musky stocking.
True and that is a case of money and influence. The resort, tourist industry in northern WI pressured Walker and the legislature to stock walleyes because that is seen as the preferred fish of so many visitors. However, just heard a news story this morning that the great experiment on the Lake Minocqua Chain is not working well. It received a lot of stocking and has been catch and release for walleye for five years. Now, based on the surveys done by DNR, they are finding almost no natural reproduction of walleye in the chain and an odd balance of at least 3 female walleye for every male. They are proposing another 5 years of catch and release only. Speculation is that with the warming water temps, bass are out producing walleye and that this is a long term issue. Again, speculation, not enough data to know for sure.
I can comment on that speculation. We fish that water for hundreds of hours each Winter with as many as 3 Aqua-Vu cameras deployed per man. The number of largemouth has literally exploded over the last decade to the point of being ridiculous, despite a no-size-limit rule on bass. A warden stopped by one evening and was watching my 10" Aqua-Vu on a tip-up minnow and a jig; we saw over a dozen different bass and two walleyes. I caught two of the bass. This was in less than a half-hour. Check out the videos on the Aqua-Vu Facebook page. I fear any return to a NR population of walleyes in many Wisconsin waters is a pipe dream. |
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| May be a dumb question, but are largemouth bass any good to eat? I have always released them but maybe they should be going in the frying pan? |
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Posts: 24
| I enjoy largemouth if they are caught when the water is in the low 70's or colder. Nice thick flakey white meat that just falls apart. Warmer water seems to make the meat mushier. I'm sure the smaller fish are better too. The lake I fish is 1 bass at least 18" limit. This is in southern Wisconsin. |
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| JZ2386 - 5/26/2021 4:27 PM
I enjoy largemouth if they are caught when the water is in the low 70's or colder. Nice thick flakey white meat that just falls apart. Warmer water seems to make the meat mushier. I'm sure the smaller fish are better too. The lake I fish is 1 bass at least 18" limit. This is in southern Wisconsin.
Thanks. Have not eaten bass in many decades but I remember as a kid in the 1960s my aunt cooked up a couple we caught in July or August and that was what I remembered, kind of mushy texture. But, she tended to over cook everything so I wasn't sure. |
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Posts: 32786
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | We eat a lot of largemouth and we really like them. I prefer the smaller fish, and prepare them the same as panfish: rice flour with seasoned salt and spices to taste, roll the moist fillets in that mixture, and fry until crisp on both sides. No eggs, beer, or other stuff and definitely not regular flour. I found many batters keep most of the moisture in the fillet, which makes them mushy especially if the fillet spent the night in a bowl of water.
One tip, take all the silver belly meat off the fillet. Tiny amount of loss, and a large part of where not liking LMB fillets comes from.
There, see? The internet isn't all bad, this recipe makes fish taste really good! |
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Posts: 3774
| Anybody good guying about Youtube on this site is an idiot. Youtube and internet fishing sites are different sides of the same coin. They are both intended to share information and the more useful they are the more people pay attention. The more useful they are the more profitable they are. (Please forgive my grammatical errors.) Money is bad? This site now has advertisements imbedded here and there in our conversations. Many long time members advertise their baits and services in their signatures.
Is it all bad for fishing? No, it's great, more people on the water. Is it bad for the fish? You bet. Those poor critters are just trying to get a meal but increasingly they get a hook in the face and jerked to the surface by a member of a different species who thinks that's a fun thing to do. Think hard about that. What do you think about people casting onto lawns to catch cats and dogs? Get those pets to grab a toy with hooks then drag them out into the street. Catch and release, of course.
I wonder if the problem isn't more information. The problem is what we're doing with it.
Ok, enough, my ribeye is warmed to room temperature. Gotta go fire up the grill.
Yes, bass is a great fish to eat.
Edited by Ranger 5/26/2021 5:20 PM
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Posts: 1184
| I haven't tried very many different ways of cooking bass, and never really found them nearly as good as many other fish, but I do like little ones. About 8 or 9 inchers is all. I just use Shore Lunch, but as Steve said, crisp them up nicely, and they are quite good. Kind of like thicker pan fish.
As far as social media and the internet, I really have no clue. This is the ONLY social media I do. The only You Tubes I see, are some of the ones Josh puts in his Insider newsletter, or others that get posted here (like the guy casting a chicken). I'm on a computer most of the day at work, and other than visiting here, which I enjoy, I don't want to spend any more time on a computer. While pressure was increasing for the last few years prior to the pandemic, it seemed like a steady increase. The pandemic made things go nuts. I guess I don't mind the extra fisherpeople on the lakes so much. I try to talk to more people than I used to. At the boat launch, out on the lake, etc. Just trying to find out what their thing is. I feel like a lot of the "new" people are very amenable and appreciate a few tips (boat launch tips, lure choices, and what to look for in picking a spot for their type of fish). Most seem nice-eager-but nice. I do not appreciate the increase in pleasure boating. That is a big pain in the arse. The biggest gripe for me, is the lack of places to park the rig. It's one thing to share the lake with a bunch of other fisherman, I feel like I can find someplace to try some technique, even if it's busy, but when there is no place to park, and you are a solo, that is maddening. Pretty much limits you to early in the morning, late in the evening, or weekdays only. |
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| sworrall - 5/26/2021 5:03 PM
We eat a lot of largemouth and we really like them. I prefer the smaller fish, and prepare them the same as panfish: rice flour with seasoned salt and spices to taste, roll the moist fillets in that mixture, and fry until crisp on both sides. No eggs, beer, or other stuff and definitely not regular flour. I found many batters keep most of the moisture in the fillet, which makes them mushy especially if the fillet spent the night in a bowl of water.
One tip, take all the silver belly meat off the fillet. Tiny amount of loss, and a large part of where not liking LMB fillets comes from.
There, see? The internet isn't all bad, this recipe makes fish taste really good!
Ha! Thanks, when I get frustrated not catching musky, will try throwing some small top waters where I have seen smaller bass in the shallows, like next to my dock this morning, and try this recipe. |
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Posts: 8717
| I've eaten some bass, mostly back in the 70's when you ate whatever you caught without questioning whether it was the right thing to do or not... I found them to be very tasty if you like the taste of fish to begin with. Other that that I've been a catch and release guy for most of my life. That said, I remember when a large mouth bass was a rarity in the Northwoods, and what I've seen the last 10 years or so aligns with what Steve mentioned above. There are so many of them it's stupid! Didn't think of it my last few trips up, as we were busy chasing muskies and doing our part by ridding the lakes of small pike. Why people don't eat pike I'll never understand. But from now on, any large mouth we catch are going on the table with the pike. |
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Posts: 177
| Largemouth (and smallmouth) are considered sunfish and are actually in the same family as panfish so they should taste similar. Ive had smallmouth and it was great fried. If i ever caught more largemouth in vilas county id think about keeping some but i fish rocky lakes where the smallies seem to dominate. |
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Posts: 485
Location: On my favorite lake! | I think Muskie fishing sites YouTube are good overall. Just the amount of information alone is great. Some channels and anglers of course are not so good especially the ones that don't care of the fish. You got to kind of weed through it. Subscribe to the guys giving good info and respect the fish. It will help with more future anglers getting involved. Boat traffic is up heavily in my area but it always stinks in Northern Illinois. Most DNR's are being cut I think Anglers groups in general need to work together for a louder voice. Bass Anglers , Walleye, Panfish, Catfish , Trout Anglers all want the same thing. More waters to fish, stocking and the money to the DNR to stay in the DNR. |
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Posts: 32786
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Some of those who began fishing before you blamed someone for you showing up, and that is ageless. They should have thanked them because they will be gone someday and you will remain to pass the torch to those who will keep things going after you are gone.
Anyone who's angry because the fishing companies make money forget how they got the gear they have, and what country in which we live.
There's a large number of folks who want fishing (some specifically muskie fishing) (and hunting) stopped, which Ranger referred to in his way. Zach, Andrew, and I are here to do battle with them and we have many times, to recruit new anglers and young anglers, provide a place to exchange ideas, and encourage conservation. I accepted the position of VP Communications/Marketing with Muskies Inc about a year ago, and the above is a large part of my volunteer job. I really am enjoying it.
Join Muskies Inc. |
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| Something else to consider is that the proliferation of TV shows magazines etc., about musky fishing contributed greatly to the CPR ethic of most who fish muskies today. Social media has also been critical in building support for increasing size limits, increasing awareness of replicas, rather than skin mounts.
Every year on this site there are good posts for new musky fishermen on having proper release tools. Think how many fish just that kind of shared knowledge has saved.
I started fishing musky seriously in the early 70s and the biggest discussion point was how to dispatch legal sized musky. Club, tire iron, oversized file used to trim horses hooves? |
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Posts: 20179
Location: oswego, il | North of 8 - 5/28/2021 5:57 PM
Something else to consider is that the proliferation of TV shows magazines etc., about musky fishing contributed greatly to the CPR ethic of most who fish muskies today. Social media has also been critical in building support for increasing size limits, increasing awareness of replicas, rather than skin mounts.
Every year on this site there are good posts for new musky fishermen on having proper release tools. Think how many fish just that kind of shared knowledge has saved.
I started fishing musky seriously in the early 70s and the biggest discussion point was how to dispatch legal sized musky. Club, tire iron, oversized file used to trim horses hooves?
I think there is a regression. Before YouTube and the internet we had shows that preached CPR and selective harvest. I am not seeing much of that on FB and when brought up it's a bash fest and not well received. I see a backlash. Lot's of YouTube videos that are only Bout the person being filmed. Not all but alot. I personally am not seeing the message like I used to. Yeah it's out there if you seek it.but it's not everywhere. A record number of new people fishing. I am seeing fish laying on the ground, rocks and mishandling on a daily basis. Now would have been the time for positive messages everywhere. Seeing lots of bigger crappies over 13 kept too. The meet hogs are mainstream.
Edited by ToddM 5/28/2021 8:17 PM
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Posts: 32786
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I have my timeline reflecting what I want to see, so I'm not seeing much of that on the Book of Faces. What I do see is a good amount of folks preaching conservation, so there is, as usual, a balance of sorts. All the self-appointed YouTuber fishing-stars lined up in a row would not come close to our daily unique user base here, so I think we are OK, but as always, there's work to do.. |
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Posts: 1126
Location: Minnesota. | I do a lot of fly fishing and not just for trout. But generally it's the trout streams and that general forum(s) that this applies to.
"NEVER,NEVER, EVER post stream names" is an understood rule for the reasons mentioned above. And you'd be surprised how many nimrods do just that and then there are those that outright just post asking for the location...
It's just something you don't ever do, period.
When I take pics of my fish now - any fish- all you'll see is the water up close to the boat. This I've learned to do after a couple failures that were all too obvious and by accident.
With streams, it's even more important than with lakes as there are far fewer, the ability to access them due to the private lands they are on and the "best spots" are really specific and a myriad of other reasons makes the point all the more important.
You just need to keep "mum" as much as possible. Comes down to basic common sense...
Point being, I quite agree with the orig. poster! |
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Location: oswego, il | sworrall - 5/28/2021 8:48 PM
I have my timeline reflecting what I want to see, so I'm not seeing much of that on the Book of Faces. What I do see is a good amount of folks preaching conservation, so there is, as usual, a balance of sorts. All the self-appointed YouTuber fishing-stars lined up in a row would not come close to our daily unique user base here, so I think we are OK, but as always, there's work to do..
I am literally getting ripped as I type this for posting the regs for snagging in Fibland for someone posting an illegally snagged fish on his snagging rod. |
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