Iowa to 50" ??

[Esox_Magnum]

There is a proposal to raise the length limit on muskies from 40 inches to 50 inches. The proposal goes to conservation commision for approval on May 13.

Whats anyones thoughts about increasing the 40" min muskie length to 50".

[delmuts]

I'm all for it, even if it is a big jump! They started stocking muskies as a trophy fish, so why not regulate them that way?

I'm sorry, but there are still many people here in iowa that if a fish is legal they will take it home and eat it.

This attitude is changing, but slowly.

[Selmer]

delmuts, are you talking about muskie specifically or just fish in general? I love to eat fish, and if you're referring to fish in general, I take a slight offense at your comment, not that my opinion really matters.

Peace,

selmer

[Esox_Magnum]

I think del refers to all, I see it happen all to often. We used to have a 14" min on walleyes, they dropped that now guys keep their limits of 12-13" fish. Only a select group keep eater sized eyes, as far as muskies to a bass or panfisherman a 40" fish is huge but in reality to the species it is not, but many of those 40-45" fish get kept each year, the same fish we rely on for brood stock for the future.

I know not all keep everything but more do than don't, you should see the guys brag about getting their limits of perch in the winter but the fish in their buckets are 7-8" fish at best. I still won't keep a walleye under 14" unless it's a fatty 13.5. Bet we threw a couple dozen back that size the other night and came home with 2 when we easily could have limited.

[LOTWSvirgin]

I am not a muskie fisherman at all. But I dont see a problem with the 50in. Iowa has a lot of good fishing. But there are a few missing links to make into a great fishing place.

[jeffreyd]

are there a lot of lakes that they have stocked with muskie? I never would have figured that they would survive that well, but i guess pike and eyes do so why not muskie too. Just wondering

[delmuts]

Selmer. Ya in a way i'm refering to all. BUT! I also love to eat fish.( when i can catch enough for a meal of pannys, or walleye)I have no problems with people taking leagal fish home to eat. Understand, up until two years ago we had no limit on gils or crappies other than on a few certain waters. Years ago i was guilty of taking pails of panfish home . Then i saw how with everyone doing that same thing, suddenly we didn't have good fishing for years til another good year class came along! I could not get it through to people that you may not destroy the population( you sure could hurt it though!) , but you could almost wipe out a size class of fish. People would brag how many hundreds to over a thousand fish they had caught that year. Then in the next breath whine about how they were catching nice fish earlier, but now it was just dinks! And this guy had just bragged how he had taken over 1300 crappies that year out of that little lake.( his three buddies did the same thing) OMG people!

If it is a legal fish, i will not say a word to anyone for keeping it. I do cringe when i see people take a 10 in. walleye home( yes it is legal on our interior waters) a big pike, bass, or muskie to EAT ! A trophy to be mounted, i still cringe, but it's ok. Our DNR is way behind when it comes to managing all the different types of fish, but it's a start. I would love to see a slot for bass,walleye,and northern. Maybe some day.

[Esox_Magnum]

are there a lot of lakes that they have stocked with muskie? I never would have figured that they would survive that well, but i guess pike and eyes do so why not muskie too. Just wondering

I think we have 7 lakes stocked, a couple have been stocked since the late 60's and can and do produce some dandy fish, the one in my avatar being one. In our first year of the Iowa Muskie Trail 2 50's were caught, and buy the same guy no less on 2 different lakes. Not hard to carry a 40" or better average either. One of my partners was at a 45"+ avg for awhile last season 8 fish in 3 days between 45-50. I think his numbers for that weekend were 39,45,45,46, 47.5,49.5,50. We also caught,39,39,44,43 that weekend.

Little sample of an Iowa fish and why we want this new limit.....2 I didn't catch but got to net....

[jeffreyd]

That is just fantastic, i grew up in sioux falls and then moved to eastern neb and really only knew about fishing crappies and pike in northern sd on lake poinsett. I would love to fish iowa sometime, would be an easy trip but knowing the okobji is a wild and wolly lake, not sure i want to venture out during the summer months. Are there places on the iowa lakes that rent fishing boats? Those are great fish, i would be proud to have a picture taken with one like those. Good luck

Jeff

[Esox_Magnum]

Pick your weekends you'r fine on West, I fish it almost every weekend. If it gets to much for you theres always Spirit just a few miles away. As far as rentals, I know alot rent pleasure boats and pontoons around here not sure about a fishing boat. A mag dawg in a bright color seems to deter most if they tend to get to close

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Hey if the IDNR is all for it then so am I. After all if someone would want to keep a legally caught 50 for the wall or the table I see no problem with that at all.

[Turkeynate1]

So how did the vote go?

[Esox_Magnum]

It wasn't a vote it was a commision to decide weather or not there was a valid reason for asking for the change. So far it's still in the system.

[jackfishr]

The only people this is going to benefit is the Muskies Inc people. if you wanna protect "your" fish, why don't you cut all the hooks off your baits, that way you don't stress the fish out and kill it that way.

[slarson]

[Note From Admin: Please read forum policy before posting again. Thank you.]

[delmuts]

Esox! Have you heard anything more discussions on this?

[Esox_Magnum]

Has been tabled for now, hopefully we'll be working more on it over the winter. Not going to be a quick simple process but we'll keep at it. Way to many fish were taken off our waters this year I personaly know about 10 were kept so guessing there were more we didnt hear about. Sizes ranged from 42 to 50, majority under 45. The DNR wants the IGL's at least to be a trophy fisherie and has said to us 48" is considerd trophy but with low to mid 40's being kept it will be tough to reach or even maintain this goal. We did notice alot fewer follows this year and many days in a row without a fish or follow and thats odd, might have just been timing but we don't think so. Big fish in the net were also way down 3 best this year were a 49.5, 48.5 and a 47,last year 3 best were 52.25, 51.5 and 50 plus 3 more at 50 and several 48-49. Lots of 30-39's caught to this year way above average. I know many of the local guys boat numbers were also way down also this year.

[jackfishr]

Its up in the air about who whines more about their quarry's population. Muskie fisherman or Pheasant Hunters. They are both pretty bad thats all I know.

[Esox_Magnum]

Not whining just stating my observations. Granted we had stellar days but also had more off days than normal, 1 day 2 guys see 3 fish total next day 1 guy see's 12 gets 1 has a good shot at 2 others, thats fishing but when you do it almost every day and have on the same waters for a few years you start to notice little things.

As far as pheasants ours are near record lows, I don't hunt them anymore but can remember the days of limiting out standing in 1 spot, now you may hunt a few days to get that. But we are talking to totaly different species 1-2 good weather years the birds will bounce back, to replace the 10+ fish lost out of a system managed at low density already may take 10+ years to recoup.

[BigSling]

Just checking to see if there's been any news regarding this proposal in the past couple months.

[Esox_Magnum]

Nothing new, nothing to do untill the panel meets again.

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Hey Esox, could you post a time and location for the next meeting I would like to come on up listen in and maybe say a few words.

[Esox_Magnum]

It's the DNR meetings, they are held at different times and locations a few times a year, basicly a panel set up to reveiw changes asked for.

[JPenny]

I don't belong to Muskie Inc, but I feel like I'd benefit from a rule change such as this. And a lot of others will too.

Thank you for your efforts on this Esox Magnum and good luck in the future.

[Esox_Magnum]

Jack, maybe a good base for a futre artical. With the growth in the sport more and more anglers are on the water hunting muskies and it is hard trying to promote and educate new folks who aren't members of any local clubs....