Minimum size increase for musky

[Brian Jones]

Come and support the increased size limit for musky on the Cass Lake Chain. The proposal would increase the minimum from 40 inches to 48 inches. Meeting starts at 7:00pm on Thursday, September 21st at the Northwest Tech College in Bemidji.

Keep in mind the people against this will show up and cast their votes so if you are for the increased size limit be there!

[PikeBayCommanche]

Brian,

Are they talking about the size limit for Pike Bay also. Wondering because I have seen the sign at the launch.

[High Velocity]

I think there are better things that could be done! I don't like the thought of a fish that is gill hooked bad or just won't go has to be turned back wastefully. Granted you would have to do that now with fish under 40" if it's boosted to 48 you just increase the % of fish that would be affected. I personally would rather see a tag issued with the license for 1 and that info on harvest needs to go to the state. Might get a better look at what's pulled out where. Perhaps one could buy a second tag for $$$?? and that money goes directly toward stocking. Just thinking out loud.

[AWH]

Quote:

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I think there are better things that could be done! I don't like the thought of a fish that is gill hooked bad or just won't go has to be turned back wastefully. Granted you would have to do that now with fish under 40" if it's boosted to 48 you just increase the % of fish that would be affected.

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You also increase the number of fish that are released successfully. This means more fish in the system to help sustain natural reproduction. And bigger fish in the long run because they're allowed to grow. Bigger fish is what every musky hunter looks for.

You can also equate this to those that are 100% catch and release when it comes to muskies, which is the majority of musky fishermen. The more fish you release, the greater the chances are that a few might die. But a kept fish has no chance of survival. An increase in the size limit will help reduce the number of dead fish that the system sees each year.

110% in favor of the increased size limit on Cass!

Aaron

[Otter]

Well said, AWH.

[High Velocity]

So you would release a floater even if it was legal, or one you suspect may not make it??

[AWH]

Quote:

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So you would release a floater even if it was legal, or one you suspect may not make it??

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Absolutely, for several reasons. I released a 46" fish a few years ago that I suspect did not make it. Did I ever consider keeping it because it was legal to do so? Not for a second. If there's a chance that it will survive upon release that's a better chance than if it's in the bottom of my boat. If I keep it, what am I going to do with it? I'm not going to eat it. I can't imagine a fish that big would taste good. And it certainly wouldn't be very healthy to eat a fish that old. Mount it? No, I wouldn't do that either. I'm not going to spend several hundred dollars to put a fish on the wall that really isn't that big in terms of how big muskies get. To me that would be a "waste" in terms of it being a waste of money.

Some people will keep a fish that is struggling to release because it's a "legal" fish. Their frame of mind is that "it's struggling, may as well keep it." Should one do this or should they take the time to release it the best that they can? I had a fish last fall where if I would have left the fish alone after 5 minutes with it by the side of the boat, it would have been a dead fish. But after being elbow deep in 35 degree water for 15 minutes and staying with this fish for another 45 minutes, I'm very confident that this fish made it. It made me a lot happier to have this end result than it would have been to harvest the fish.

The percentage of stocked fish or naturally reproduced fish that make it to legal size is very small. With the small numbers of muskies that are in any system, we owe it to the resource to take care of it the best that we can.

So is it a waste to release a fish that won't make it? If we did what we could to release it successfully, it's not a waste. It's a shame that such a fish didn't make it, but not a waste. Fish die every day from natural causes. Mother Nature and the environment take care of these things. A turtle, seagull or whatever might take care of a dead fish has more use for it than I do.

Aaron

[muskiegurl]

I agree 100% with you AWH!!

Hope to see many supporters at the meeting!!

[Otter]

I have put walleyes and perch (never a musky) in my livewell that I thought wouldn't make it, only to have them swimming around vigorously a while later. If you release a fish there is a chance it will recover, even it it doesn't look great initially. Regarding muskies, it is rare that a dedicted musky angler will keep a fish under 48" because they aren't a trophy to them. Most such fish are kept by those angling for other species, because a musky like that IS the fish of a lifetime to them.

[Brian Jones]

High Velocity,

If you have a fish that dies you should not let it go to waste. Call the DNR in Bemidji and the head of musky research will take it for examination. There are a lot of things left for the DNR to learn about these fish. If I find one floating and it is in good enough shape for dissection it will be put to use no matter who or what killed it.

[caddie05]

I wish I lived closer so I could come help support this. Let us know how the meeting goes in a couple months...

[Brian Jones]

Here is an e-mail from Bemidji Area Fisheries Supervisor.

Brian,

Thanks for encouraging folks to turn out at the public input meeting. Please encourage those who can not make the meeting

to at least call, mail comments, or send an email. Any of those methods

qualify as official input, but the prefered method of course is to show up

to show some support.

You can provide my email address

[email protected]

for those who would like to comment that way. Best to send comments now in

case they do not make the meeting. Then if they can make the meeting so

much the better.

thanks

Gary Barnard

Bemidji Area Fisheries Supervisor

[Otter]

Thanks Brian, I fired off an email this morning.

[caddie05]

I just sent an email to Gary as well. Let us know if there's anything else we can do to help!