how much can these lakes take

[b1gf1sh1]

Quote:

Think about it this way, if they have to hire another person to cover this project (remember

maybe it could be explained that by more easily tracking the harvest less man hours would be needed to check the few lakes that have muskie. and other areas of the fishery benifit from that time not doing a census/netting. maybe even more lakes can be stocked and opened with all that man hours saved opening up more time for more waters. maybe not. just throwing that out there. have to be implemented and studied... the gov't. as you said. some wise man once said ''if it don't make sense it's gotta be the government''. also, there will be those who take advantyage or just don't care thats true. the invention ''margin for error'' proves it. personally i like to believe theres more good muskie fisherpeople than bad, and that we will win in the end. it's just a matter of time and education.

[DHanson]

Looking back at some previous threads, I thought this was one of the most interesting. We all know the increase of people starting to fish for muskies. I have seen an increase in pressure from anglers targeting muskies every year. There are some lakes that I used to fish and we would be the only muskie boat on the lake, and these were big lakes. Now, I go to these lakes and the boat landing is full of almost all Rangers. Although, there has been an increase in pressure every year like I already mentioned, I have never seen the pressure like I have this late into the fall. Last Friday there were 12 muskie boats on a lake that there is maybe 1-4 on, and this was during a cold day in which it rained all day. Saturday was the same story. Another cold, windy, miserable day and the boat landing was full. These guys don't quit even if there are no fish biting or even seeing anything. There are more die hards every year.

It was unbelievable how spoiled the muskie fishermen were only 4 years ago. Having lakes to themselves with literally no pressure. You bet fishing was better too because these fish would rarely see a lure. Every year I get excited to fish the fall because most people hang it up for the year and pursue hunting. Do people even hunt any more? It seems that hunting is on a downward swing or is it just me? There are people who are still just pounding the water like I have never seen before. I think a lot of this increase in pressure on specific lakes is because of Muskies Inc. logging all of the fish with specific details of where and when these fish were caught. These are the die hards that show up, many from out of state. Don't get me wrong, I support Muskies Inc. and they are the reason why we have a few good muskie lakes in the first place.

I can tell you that I don't let this bother me too much because I still go out and catch fish. It's just that I don't like the direction this sport is heading. More guides every year just pounding the lakes day in and day out makes it tougher for the guys working full-time jobs to go out and enjoy a day on the water with high hopes of catching a fish. With Pokegema being added as another muskie lake it is a step in the right direction.

[Shawn Kellett]

I think it's the internet and the increasing number of muskie fishermen that are using it that are making the difference. All it takes is one person beating their chest on the internet to spread the word to everyone from around the world. Some people have always used the he MI Lunge Log as it has been around for years and years. That's one reason why I don't register my fish anymore.

[Jay Hanson]

i know guys and guides that look at the lunge log and schedule trips based on the lunge log, makes sense and easy to find a pattern.....takes alot of the guessing out of picking a lake...i wouldnt recommend posting catches on the lunge log, but if people do i would be happy to pick up on a pattern!!

[50inchpig]

lunge log is always a good topic. i track the contest for our club, i register most of my fish, i look at the log sometimes when i'm planning trips, and i think it's fun to know what people are catching.

i don't think you can just look at a database or recent catches and figure out a pattern and i don't think we can blame the lunge log in any great part for increased pressure. most entries lack complete information and are less than specific. any anglers concerned with their entries bringing more people to the lake should just wait 3 weeks to register.

we can't promote our sport, take new people fishing, talk online, and then wonder why there's so much more traffic on the lakes. we gotta decide if we want more anglers and more lakes or less anglers and just keep the lakes we already have.

i'm not an MI apologist either, it's all about my local chapter for me and it's obviously on the local level that things get done. i'll say it again, thank God for the MMA and the work that they do in MN

[propster]

50inch, your 3rd paragraph is well stated. I think some of the previous posters could take something from that. Reminds me that if we are to have a voice that's loud enough to be heard and can get things done, at the grass roots level or the legislative level or wherever, there's actually strength in numbers. If we number only a few, and we are exclusionary, guess what, we don't matter all that much to those that make the decisions that affect what we love to do. Can't have it both ways.

[DHanson]

I agree that 50inch's 3rd paragraph is very well stated. One thing that irritates me a little is that the DNR sometimes picks small lakes to stock with muskies. I mean I'll take any extra lake that we can get, but why wouldn't they stock some bigger lakes. For example, they stocked Sugar when Clearwater right next door would've been perfect. Bigger lakes to spread the pressure around. They pick Shamineau over Fish Trap when Fish Trap is connected to Alexander? There are a few roamers in Fish Trap, but not a fishable population unfortunately.

I realize we don't live in a perfect world. Sorry if I complain too much.

[Nick Kuhn]

We just need to hope for some good breeding populations to be stocked, then more attention can be payed to the other lakes. According to my dad there was once an effort to get muskies stocked in our 230 acre puddle (over in Wi land), which really didn't make much sense. I think over there though they seek a variety of different lakes types, big and small. Of course I wouldn't have complained had they gone forward with it, our lakes has the characteristics of the good Wi muskie lakes, minus the muskies of course.

[MuskieJunkie]

.... but why wouldn't they stock some bigger lakes.

It's all about public voice. The DNR works for us so they'll do what we ask them too (I'm very much over simplifing that). The big lakes have big lake associations. Look at it from the DNR’s point of view, if they are deciding weather or not to stock Lake X and they have an association of 200 members saying NO, compared to the 20 muskie fisherman that showed up at the meeting to say YES, what can they do.

That is where joining groups like Muskies Inc can help make your voice heard.

By the way, this is a recipe for all political action, not just fish stocking programs.