Minimum sklunge length in MN

[bucktail]

I was just wondering if anyone else thinks that the minimum length on muskies should be raised? I think that if it is raised to say 45", more muskies can reproduce and people will start catching bigger skies. Just want to hear some thoughts on this. It seems like an issue that should be addressed. let 'em all go!

[NoodleSalad]

I raised the issue of a 50" Min. last winter. I got attacked be the majority. "Minnesota has way too many laws! We don't need any more." I figure that most of the people out there that are keeping (Raping our lakes) muskies are people that are not targeting them. "Wow what a huge fish, you've got to keep that!" I've just seen too many people keeping too many Muskies over the years. People are uneducated and some just don't care. Yes it is a right to keep a legal fish, it just make me mad because I love this sport and put hunderds of hours in each season. -NS-

[David Swenson]

I am very strong supporter of CPR. I have only kept 2 fish (in my boat or fishing with others) in 24 years of fishing for them (both 36 inchers in the 1980's that had torn gills). I have no desire to keep one unless it is going to break the state or world record. I teach all I fish with proper CPR methods.

So, I will ask you guys the same questions others asked me when I asked about an increased min. size limit. Is there something wrong with the present muskie fishery? Isn't Minnesota muskie fishing better than it has ever been? Do you not have more lakes and more big fish being caught than ever before in Minnesota?

It is hard to argue with the DNR about increased size limits when muskie fishing in Minnesota is better than it has ever been. People who use to go to Canada are now staying in or coming to Minnesota to fish muskies.

If you want the size limit changed you are going to make an arguement that muskie fishing in Minnesota is in real trouble to the DNR. Right now that arguement does not exist. I hope it never does get to that point.

A better arguement may be to designate a few lakes as trophy lakes with a 50+ inch limit (i.e. Leech, Winnie, Vermilion, Mille Lacs, LOTW).

David Swenson
http://muskieguide.homestead.com/

[AWH]

I'm all in favor of higher size limits. David brings up some solid points that it would take an extremely good arguement to make any changes right now, being that musky fishing in the state is better than it's ever been.

There's the cliche that says, "if it's not broke, don't fix it." However, as good as things are, could we improve it even more? I personally feel that we could, and higher size limits are something that at least needs to be considered. Would higher size limits hurt a fishery? I really don't see that it could. Would higher size limits benefit a fishery? I feel that the answer is a definite yes here. But herhaps higher size limits need to be more lake specific and not statewide.

AWH

[Fisher Dave]

Please read this post closely, I'm not attacking anyone's thoughts or beliefs here. I am strictly a CPR fisherman when it comes to muskies. I have kept 1 fish for the wall, and have released more than most weekend warriors will hook in a lifetime. (No pun intended)

It wouldnt bother me the least bit if they raised the minimum size limit to 50" on all bodies of water. A 50" fish is a justifiable mount for a person who wants to keep one for the wall.

As bad as it sounds, there are still people out there who fish for the purpose of putting food on the table. 99.99% of the people who would keep a musky for food I would have to assume are not avid musky fishermen, and probably dont own the equipment it takes to bring these fish into the boat or shore on a regular basis. I in no way promote ever keeping a musky for eating.... In fact there have been several occasions at the city lakes where I have told people directly to let muskies go that were out of season, or undersize.

In the end the people that keep a musky on occasion are paying the same price for licenses we are. They're money is helping pay for the stocking, management, and enforcement programs for muskies on all of these bodies of water that are turning into great musky fisheries that we love to fish.....

In all fish management and stocking the DNR has to take into account harvest levels. The stocking program may not be perfect, but I think they are doing a great job with the musky fishery. Just about every lake in the state that has had muskies for a period of time is capable of putting out trophy class fish. Its not only the number of muskies in a lake that will determine the success ratio. Pressure has a huge impact. When the muskies get pressured they get educated in a hurry. For most of us it can take years on the water to catch a true trophy musky. Other will get lucky and catch one on their 3rd cast the 1st time out.

[TomWehler]

Trophy lakes would be fun.
CPR works, lets keep doing it and getting others to do the same.

Now get off the computer and go do some fish'en!

T.

www.muskytomsguideservice.com

[This message has been edited by TomWehler (edited 06-02-2003).]

[Walleye_GFA]

Eat them... I hear fish that big taste like chicken...

Wally

[David Swenson]

Wally,

I ate those 36" muskies I killed by accident. They tasted just like those 10 lb walleyes (full of eggs) I eat every spring!

David Swenson
http://muskieguide.homestead.com/

[Lunker]

I think thats a good idea. I promote cpr especially for big old muskies that could have a replica made of just as easily.

[bucktail]

good arguments fellas. Another idea I was thinking of is making it legal to possess muskies only if you have a stamp. Similar to a trout stamp. I guess it might not work as well being that people can say they are fishing pike if asked to see their stamp, but requiring for someone to have a muskie stamp to possess muskie could work. There is always gonna be people that aren't going to care about the law, but it may help. It would also generate revenue. I know I would pay a few extra bucks if it meant a better muskie fishery. Don't get me wrong I think that the muskie fishery is great in MN, but there is always room for improvement. What are your guys' thoughts on this?
Letemallgo!

[bucktail]

here is a very interesting article on the history of muskies in MN. We are very lucky to have the fishery we do today.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/marapr99/muskie.html

[Guest]

I'm all for raising size limits. How should we go about doing this?

MJB

[mouse56425]

Another legislative session goes by and who gives a sh!t about the outdoors. Many of these issues, min/max size - slots etc. get thrown by the wayside. Pawlenty did have a MN Fishing Opener but since then everthing pertaining to the outdoors gets dumped. Big promises at election time!! Call your elected officials, become involved in meetings, forums like this are good to get the word out. I see the fishing pressure that the brainerd Lakes get and it simply amazes me how there can be any fish left in the lake. How can they manage all these lakes when they will not give funding!
Puzzled in Brainerd!!!!

[Guest]

I was out on lake X some while (years) ago fishing for bass when I lucked out on a 40+ muskie. Man, that was good eating. Yeah, like someone said earlier, I was not an avid muskie hunter and that was why I took it. My exact thought was, "chee, this is huge, I must keep it." In response to another post: I was using a St. Croix Avid 7' MH baitcasting rod with a Diawa TDX reel and 10lb Stren Easy Cast, so I had the proper equipment to land the muskie and did.

I will trade a lunker walleye for a keeper muskie any day. There is nothing like a fillet of muskie on the grill. Yummmi!!!

The R in C&R does not contribute to anything other than wanton waste if one spends too much time on the C after the fish has been hooked. If I ever spend more than 5 minutes on the C with any hooked fish, it goes in the bucket, period.

[Fisher Dave]

bass hunter..

I wasnt throwing stones at anyone with the comment about people accidently catching them and keeping them for a food fish. For the purpose of eating, the regs should stay the way they are. Personally, I would be far less heartbroken seeing a 42" go under the knife than a 52".

The individuals I was referring to more than anything were people of any age frame often sitting on a 5 gallon bucket with their finely tuned Zebco 33 complete with the neglected blue-light special rod with a missing rod tip.

I have eaten plenty of northerns that many would have frowned over me keeping for food (10+ pounds) ... and they taste good too. Not to mention its much easier to get the Y bones out of larger fish.

[Scoot]

I'm with bucktail's original sentiment- let 'em go!!! The only sklunge I'd ever keep would have to be a record. There's too few of these beautiful critters around to not put them back for me or somebody else to catch again.
Scoot

[Guest]

My take is that it really does not matter.
Raise the limit, lower the limit, I don't think it will harm or improve muskie fishing too much.

A vast majority of us, those who hunt the muskie, wouldn't keep anything we catch in a given year anyway. Maybe a 50" ocassionally by a very few of us. in fact, the people I fish with don't take them out of the water anymore, we just clip the hooks.

I think it is the people who catch a muskie by accident that would keep a smaller muskie, I don't think that occurs too often.

I don't think I am wrong in saying that currently, muskie fishing in MN has become increasingly better through the years, while other fish species have declined for the most part, due to catch and release and not size limits.

We should thank and support groups like muskies inc. for educating us so that we as a group are improving muskie fishing. The muskie dedicated websites also play a part in the quality of muskie fishing we are experiencing.

When you think about it, you don't catch muskies all that often, so you would think we would keep a legal muskie. Yet we let them go.

I guess that makes us muskie hunters the anglers with the highest degree of intellect. At least when it comes to fishing.

[Guest]

I agree with you that most of the smaller muskies or any size muskies being kept are from those not intentionally catching this species. But, I think this happens a lot more then we think. We hear quite a bit from walleye guys getting the occasional ski. How many are caught (kept?) that you don't know about? The WV record was just caught by a non muskie guy. The monster in Iowa was caught on a snoopy pole by a young boy. Anyways, another issue that I think needs to be delt with is non muskie anglers being able to identify muskies and pike. I hear quite often of people mistaken muskies for pike (how?).

MJB

[muskymike]

Maybe we could have a DNR agent at all busier lakes checking live wells rather than checking for specks of weeds on trailers.

Those found with a musky in their livewell could be shot on sight, chopped up and musky fishermen could use them as chum while chucking baits.

What do you think?

Can't think of a reason to kill a musky. They can't taste that good. A big one probably has more mercury in it than a thermometer.

[muskymike]

MJB

I shot you an email about a possible space in my boat. Always looking to get out, stuck fishing by myself a lot. Head out with little notice quite a bit.

[Steve Foss]

I agree that the C&R ethos is particularly strong with musky anglers, who are there for the hunt, mostly, and want to release those fish so they can hunt them another day. I doubt that the incidental catch and keep of muskies by those targeting other species really has much impact.

And I favor a 24-36 slot statewide on pike.

We have a cabin on one of the lakes near Bemidji on which they just enacted the slot. It's a really good pike lake, 50 feet deep, strong thermocline, good amounts of structure, rock, good weedline, lots of forage, good sized pike.

Now it should get even better.

------------------
"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[TRZ]

personally i fish northerns more than musky. i would love to see a statewide slot to release all 24-36' pike like they are putting on some lakes. i think the lack of size on many of our pike waters is more of a problem. most people skilled enough to land more than 1 40'+ musky in a season would most likely throw it back.