The Outdoor News

[Muskiefool]

I'm a bit disappointed in their willingness to promote Anti-Muskie propaganda and fuel the fire.

Please attend the meeting in Waterville this Thursday night at 7:00 if possible, I hope this meeting will help those of us with doubts and questions.

Here was my letter to The Outdoor News:

In regards to the letter concerning Rob Kimm’s article on The Long Range Muskie and Large Pike Plan:

As they say if you have the proof you use it and if you don’t you pound on the table, I hear allot of pounding from the Anti-Muskie Guys.

I was fortunate to be involved in every meeting and in two round tables as well during the formulation and growth of the Long Range Muskie and Large Northern Pike Plan, the entire plan was the work of "All" members of the Esocide Workshops, the members included two Non affiliated Muskie and Northern Pike anglers, Minnesota Darkhouse Angling Assn, Northerns Inc, Muskies Inc, The Minnesota Muskie Alliance, a Outdoor writer, Sportsmen For Responsible Muskie Management, a Central MN Guide, and DNR Biologists, Managers and the Chief of Fisheries.

At no time has the DNR been bullied by Muskie fisherman or Muskies Inc, that has never happened, we have accepted all the biological data and information no matter the outcome, we committed to that before the research and work began on this plan, Muskies Inc, MMA and the unaffiliated Muskie fishermen involved have stated time and again that we will not support any stocking that will damage Minnesota’s waters, we want a healthy diverse fishery for “ALL” anglers.

SFRMM presented their issues and put them on paper, The DNR worked to answer all the questions of which they did in June of last year, giving two presentations on the new research, SFRMM’s only rebuttal was we have more questions they just didn’t have those questions available at the time and I never saw any further questions presented.

For one presentation delivered that day they showed how they looked for stocked lakes that had negative impacts due to Muskie stocking, in these 41 lakes their results showed Muskies showed actually no effect on any of the lakes after stocking good or bad, but Muskies did help create a diverse fishery with no adverse effects to the health of the lakes in question from Southern to Northern MN.

This plan sites 70+ publications and scientific reports used in its compilation, so to claim MN DNR doesn’t know the science or the effects on the fish and ecosystem after stocking is wrong or a misrepresentation of the facts.

I have several of the studies used to create this plan including the research (as does every member that attended these meetings) I stated if anyone wants to look at the plans draft or this information to make a educated decision drop me a email at [email protected] and I will send you the PDF Files and help you find the facts in this matter.

John Underhill

Vice President Muskies Inc Chapter 54 Southern MN

Co-Chair MMA

Rochester MN

[Musky_Madness]

Thanks for sticking up! You have a lot of support behind you!

[Write-Outdoor]

Good letter....just remember, it's not the Outdoor News you are directing this at but rather the readers and the writer (Rob Kimm). It was not an article but a column meaning it's the writer's opinion and not the newspapers. It says "Dear Editor..." because he's the one who published the column, it doesn't mean he endorses it.

If that was too basic of a journalism lesson I apologize...not trying to insult anybody's intelligence! If anybody's intelligence is insulting, it's mine!

[Muskiefool]

It's the responses to Robs article and the echoing retorts since Nov 2006 Commentary that are doing damage to not only the sport but to the resource, the only letters to the editor that get published or commentary are those that are intended to disrupt and hinder, if I had wrote a letter bashing Spearing or The Plan it would have got printed, but I offered insight, the facts and an open door to those with question so its bagged, the only reason I buy it is to see articles from 1-2 guys and when I get phone calls from friends saying your not gonna believe what they are printing this week, Ive talked to Dreislen about these issues in person and got only ambiguous antonymous answers, including the pics of undersized fish illegally harvested from MN Lakes.

There's a point when Journalistic Flamboyancy's and Controversy start to hurt the fish and least important the sportsmen, thats you need to reconsider your direction and your loss of integrity, just to sell a mag or create a filler.

[fishermusk]

I have to dissagree with you John, I see letters to the editor that are in favor of muskie stocking and letters that defend the myth that muskies eat all of the walleyes. I have been a reader / subscriber of the Outdoor news for about fifteen years. I don't beleave you can make these comments like these unless you read it every week. I hope Gary Clancy is one of the writers you buy the paper to read as he is there very best. By the way I am all for more muskie stocking and am a member of Muskies Inc, North Metro.

Good Luck,

Dave

[Muskiefool]

Gary is a great writer I do enjoy his articles, I wish Scott Nielson was still writing I really like Scott, I did get it every week till Nov 2006, I never missed a week for 8-10 years, Ive been getting it for the past 5-6 weeks just because I have to know, maybe I am totally wrong, maybe it is a very fair unbiased, if so its a pretty messed up state of affairs, especially when its happening every week or 2 around anything mentioning the LRP.

I get rather upset when I hear false accusations against Muskie anglers such as yourself and I, None of the muskie interests has ever forced the DNR into anything or ever threatened or pressured them in any way shape or form, all of this is about one lake, these guys dont care about any other lakes, its just one, even though some of them may think Gull is the real issue, it's not,I appreciate your comments Dave.

[Muskiefool]

I do have to extend a apology to Outdoor News, I dug back into the paper and found a common sense letter from a guy in Wilmar a week after the one that turned me inside out, I just missed it, my apologies for the recent issues with the exception of the Pics of illegal fish.

[eyehead]

I wrote that letter to the editor Muskiefool..... Im with you, getting tired of hearing that muskies are to blame for the declining number of eyes in some bodies of water. Walleye fisherman crash walleye populations. Not musky's.....

[Muskiefool]

Thanks eyehead, that was a very well written and comprehensive letter, Thank You, I also want to clairify it was not anything Rob wrote, Rob is a good friend and a great friend to Muskies and Pike, he works very hard and is one of the guys that will take time away from his wife and kids to spend a night or a weekend defending your rights, the fish and our lakes, with intelligence, complete understanding and care for what makes MN a great place to fish.