Stocking Leech strain

[Cooter]

Question for the MN guys - has a lake stocked with a reasonable number of Leech strain failed to result in a fishable population of say 40" fish? In general our DNR is not in favor of using this stain, you probably remember the efforts of the WMRP. The WI DNR has allowed our club to stock Leech strain into Wissota the past few years. They had planned on doing a comparison study on 4 different lakes until VHS put a damper on hatchery fish.

Only a few reports of guys catching any of those fish we put in Wissota, we are hoping they start showing up this year or the next when they should be in the upper 30 to low 40 inch range.

I don't think there is a prettier fish than one out of Holcome, Wissota, or the Chippewa system in general but a 36" average can get to be disappointing. I know our 34" min doesn't help and thats probably another topic for discussion - or frustration. Even with the increase in C&R we haven't seen a corresponding increase in size average.

I'm no biologist but realize there are lots of factors involved. Sure it, and most WI lakes, are not big cisco based monsters like Mille Lacs or the Big V but MN sure kicks out some dandies from smaller lakes as well.

Looking for some input and a good discussion. Hopefully I'll have a few reports of some nice Leechers coming out of Wissota this year.

[goblueM]

leech lake is the primary stocking strain for all of minnesota, so yes - they grow big

[jkahler]

I think the stocking in WI has hurt the fish genetically over the years. The size limit has got to go up, it's rediculous that it's still 34".

I didn't know they were in Wissota, but I'm sure you'll catch a few of them, they're a lot more aggressive strain. How many per acre were stocked?

[Shawn Kellett]

I can't think of a lake where LL fish haven't reached a decent size. Heck even sewers like Eagle and Rebecca kick out 50" fish.

The short story with the WI strain is that they had such a high quota to fill that they took the fish that were "easy" to catch, not the ones that were necessarily the ones that had the best genetics. That combined with different stocking densities and a fairly decent amount of natural reproduction has really turned some lakes over there into a mess.

One thing to note, WI fish tend to carry more weight per inch (broad statement I know) then LL fish. Using my bar stool biology degree myself and a couple people with real degrees feel that's because of the environments they evolved in. Flowage vs. big lakes where 50+ in fish regularly hunt in dense reed beds.

[brmuskie]

There are some non-cisco lakes in MN that are stocked with leech lake fish and those fish get big too. I have seen 50 inchers caught on one of the lakes I am thinking of. My biggest out there is 47 and most of the fish I have caught there are between 34 and 42 inches.

[CaptainMusky]

I have not seen a failure with stocking the Leech Strain in any MN water regarding getting decent sized fish in a short period of time. One of the other benefits, and the main reason the MNDNR chose this strain in the first place was because of how this strain of fish adapted their spawning characteristics. They have evolved over time and actually spawn in much deeper locations than ever thought before. This is one reason why you see lakes kicking out huge muskies AND pike. Typically the YOY pike feed ferociously on the tiny YOY muskies since they spawn later, but the LL strain actually use different locations so predation is less. There was an extensive writeup on it on the MNDNR site a while ago. Pretty interesting read.

Many lakes that dont even have ciscoes have 50" fish. One of the lakes I fish the most doesnt have them or in very low numbers and I have caught a 49" out of there, countless 40"+ fish and have seen 50+ caught.

There has been an interesting debate going back and forth about Mille Lacs since they used the Wi Strain at first then switched to LL Strain. So many comments about the huge fish that have been coming out of there the last 5 years and many (mostly those from WI) were claiming those were the WI Strain.

[Nick Kuhn]

There's a number of factors at play here. I think the current #1 contributor to the small fish is that desirable size fish would be a little over 10 years old now, which happens to be when the stocking facilities were under renovation. There simply aren't many stocked fish from those years. It's also likely that survival of subsequent years was a little higher. Any comparison really isn't on level ground right now.

Maybe we should just use Great Lakes Spotted fish, those seem to outgrow the LL fish.

[Cooter]

Good comment on the spawning habits of the Leech strain - we are hoping they can successfully spawn on Wissota. The WI strain, whatever that is, has not shown any reproduction according to the DNR. Interesting to note the strain used in stocking was always unspecified until the WMRP got on their case, now its the 'Upper Chippewa River' strain. Yep, we have a healthy pop of pike there.

We've been putting in 1000/year. Beleive its been the past 4 or 5 years plus a stocking by the DNR. Wissota is right around 6000 acres. We'd be tickled with a 40" min. and 45 would be much better. Maybe one of these decades.

[goblueM]

another factor is that WI stocks at a much higher density than MN

MN manages lakes for fewer numbers but larger individuals

[john skarie]

MN has had different approaches in regards to stocking densities, and had success with both the fish/acre method as well as fish/littoral acre.

I can think of a few lakes where the fish didn't do real well. Little Wolf had some pretty skinny fish in it. Rarely anything over 48".

A couple in the Park Rapids area as well didn't do much and were abandoned.

Basically lakes that just weren't productive enough.

Newer stockings have done real well, as many anglers can attest to.

JS

[CaptainMusky]

MN has had different approaches in regards to stocking densities, and had success with both the fish/acre method as well as fish/littoral acre.

I can think of a few lakes where the fish didn't do real well. Little Wolf had some pretty skinny fish in it. Rarely anything over 48".

A couple in the Park Rapids area as well didn't do much and were abandoned.

Basically lakes that just weren't productive enough.

Newer stockings have done real well, as many anglers can attest to.

JS

Interesting you mention Little Wolf. I wonder if being a brood stock lake has anything to do with it. I KNOW there are some giants in there and in one Fall there were 3 that were 54+ bonked. That doesnt help matters either. But you are right, most of the fish there tend to be smaller, but we're talking about a lake that is only a few hundred acres compared to most that are at least 1000.

[10,000 Casts]

help me out here... If the lake can't grow leech fish, how will it ever grow a solid population of any other strain?

[CaptainMusky]

help me out here... If the lake can't grow leech fish, how will it ever grow a solid population of any other strain?

If you are referring to this quote from his post: Newer stockings have done real well, as many anglers can attest to."

I think he meant that lakes in the last 15 years that have been stocked by the MNDNR have done real well, not necessarily referring to the lakes that they abandoned because they didnt do well.

[john skarie]

When we netted fish on Little Wolf for the stocking program we never saw a fish over 48". I've heard of 50"ers caught there but I'd have to either hear it from a very trusted 1st hand source or see some good pics to believe there was ever even one 54"er caught there.

Forage was perched based and lake was shallow. Fish just didn't do what we want muskies to do, get big and fat.

MN basically adopted policies to only stock lakes where muskies would do well, not just be there.

JS

[BEEFEATER]

Its all about stocking the tigers. 10 years from now they will no longer exist. Mark my words. The DNR will eventually faze them out all together.

[goblueM]

i know they are phasing them out of several metro lakes. i'm kind of sad, they are beautiful fish!

then again, even bigger pure strains could replace them, so hard to complain

[CaptainMusky]

When we netted fish on Little Wolf for the stocking program we never saw a fish over 48".

JS

Even "Mother Theresa"? LOL.

I saw photos of a fish that was caught on Little Wolf and killed hanging on the wall in Leroy's bait and later that same year a buddy of mine told me about 2 others caught out there.

Surprised me too since it is such a small lake, but I really doubt as well that there are many fish over 48 in there based on what I have seen personally.

I would love to hear some stories of netting some of those lakes!

[Muskiefool]

Let em go and give them 14-17 years.