Muskies proposed for Gull Lake

[cjac]

Just saw this on the Brainerd page....

I have often wondered why there aren't any muskies in the Brainerd area. Not sure if Gull would be my #1 choice, but it does have all the elements to become a muskie fishery. It gets awfully busy all summer, and weekends are a zoo......sounds just like 'tonka, and that lake seems to do just fine with the 'skis!

Curious what people's thoughts are on this........

Gull may be stocked with muskies

By VINCE MEYER

Outdoors Editor

The king of freshwater game fish might be coming to Gull Lake.

Muskellunge, which can grow to 50 pounds and are revered by anglers for their fighting ability, could be stocked in Gull Lake in the fall of 2007 if a DNR plan is approved.

Gull has the makings of a good muskie lake, said Tim Brastrup, DNR area fisheries manager in Brainerd. It's big, has clear water, varied habitat and large numbers of ciscoes and white suckers, the muskie's preferred prey.

The stocked fish would number 2,500 and measure 12-14 inches. They would come from Leech Lake or another lake with the Leech Lake strain of muskie. Brastrup said he doesn't expect the survival rate to be high and that northern pike will always be far more abundant in Gull Lake.

"What it would provide is another trophy fishery," Brastrup said. "Muskies get big, live a long time and get recycled a lot."

Presently, the Mississippi River is the only body of water in Crow Wing County with a sustainable population of muskies. Rice Lake was scheduled to be stocked last fall, but the ponds with fingerlings froze too early and the plan was put on hold until this spring. Gull would be the second lake in the county to get muskies and Brastrup sees the lake as a good fit.

"There's a lot of fishing pressure on other lakes that are managed for muskies," Brastrup said. "Having a big lake with muskies in the middle of the Brainerd area would be good for everybody."

Not everybody embraces the idea, however. Marv Koep, founder of the Nisswa Guides League, said he enjoys muskie fishing but he doesn't see the need for muskies in Gull.

"The DNR's done a great job on Gull as a walleye fishery," Koep said. "Why change anything? If I want muskies I can drive 30 minutes in any direction. I'm not anti-muskie, but Gull is such a good lake right now why mess with it?"

Len Hodgson, a fishing guide since 1974 and an avid muskie fisherman, also doesn't see the need for muskies in Gull.

"Stock them in Gull and they could get into Round, Margaret, Roy, Spider and potentially the Cullen chain," Hodgson said. "Gull is well known as a walleye lake. It's not like we're starved for good muskie lakes."

Bill Rickmeyer, president of the Gull Chain of Lakes Association, had no comment on the plan and said it hasn't been discussed formally at an association meeting.

Muskie stocking has run into opposition around Minnesota in the past. A group called No More Muskies lobbied for the end of muskie stocking in Lake Carlos in Douglas County. Property owners on Lake Alexander have voiced their opposition to muskie stocking in that Morrison County lake.

Most opposition is based on the belief that muskies are such voracious predators that they reduce other game fish populations. Jim Lilienthal, DNR area fisheries manager in Little Falls, said there's no evidence to support those claims.

"The effects of stocking muskies in Lake Alexander has not been very pronounced, other than producing a very good muskie fishery," Lilienthal said. "We were concerned at first that they would impact other species. But all the surveys we've done - and there have been a lot - have not indicated that we have a problem with walleyes or crappies."

Added Brastrup: "Some of the best walleye lakes in Minnesota - Mille Lacs, Winnie, Lake of the Woods - have muskies."

Gull already has a few muskies. During a Northerns Inc. tournament last summer four muskies were landed by tournament fishermen, including two that measured 46 inches and 42 inches. Brastrup said the fish probably were among walleye fingerlings that were stocked in the lake. He added that Gull might have suitable habitat to sustain natural reproduction of muskies.

For now, however, Brastrup said he would be happy to see the stocking plan follow an orderly process.

"I want to be honest with people about doing this," he said. "Nothing will be done below board. I hope we have cooperative, respectful meetings where anybody who has anything to say will say it."

The first public meeting to discuss the stocking plan will take place this summer, Brastrup said.

[Silver Scale]

The DNR has done alot of leg work on this one and if they think it is a good fit I'm 100% for it. The stuff about ruining walleye or other gamefish is not based on the facts and more than likely purely emotion. Surprised it came from a couple of muskie anglers.

[Random guy]

I always respond to this debate with the same answer;

What do Leech, Cass, Winni, Mille Lacs, Lake Of The Woods, Vermillion, Pike Bay, Tonka, Waconia, Bemidji, and other Minnesota Musky lakes all have in common? A healthy Walleye population right along side a healthy Musky population. Seems to be working so far.

[Lals]

Gull would be one outstanding Musky Lake!

[RK]

Hiya,

I followed the post on the Brainerd board about this. Was pretty blown away by the amount of support for it. Sign perhaps that attitudes toward muskie stocking is finally changing a little, at least in places. Gull will be a very neat muskie lake in a few years. A friend of mine that works at In-Fish lives across the road from Gull, and he's an avid muskie angler. Bet he hasn't slept a wink since this news came out

Cheers,

RK

[big musk411]

I have never fished gull, but fish the whitefish chain as my woman has a cabin on it. I would be great to have a muskie lake nearby, or better yet stock muskie in whitefish. Look at lake Minnetonka, almost identical in size and structure as Whitefish/Cross chain whith both an excellent walleye and muskie population. In my opinion whitefish would be an good choice of water to stock, diverse forage base, endless structure, and excellent water quality. Just think how big those Tonka muskie could grow with tullibee and whitefish added to thier diet.

Why not have a muskie stamp to generate more revenues for muskie stocking? 10-15$, the price of one of the lures in your box?

Musk

[AWH]

Whitefish would be exceptional, just as I think Gull has the potential to be. I was talking to one of the Brainerd fisheries guys on Sunday and he said that Whitefish would have been his first choice. But you have to start somewhere. And from what I've heard, there used to be a few muskies in Whitefish. So maybe someday we can have two musky fisheries like Gull and Whitefish in the Brainerd area. At least we can dream!

Aaron