Chain Muskies

[Horseshoe_Don]

I have not seen a muskie or caught one in almost a year. Has anyone seen any or are they not doing well in the chain?

[Rick G]

That is a good question, Don. Last year I heard about quite a few of them being caught, this year I haven't heard a thing.

[JBMasterAngler]

The catfish's voracious appetite for walleye has apparently switched over to muskie

[noska]

I HATE THE CATFISH IN THE CHAIN

[Horseshoe_Don]

Maybe the Musky experiment is failing like I thought it would due to the low reproduction rate of pike in the chain?

Don

[CaptainMusky]

Why would the low reproduction rate of pike have anything to do with the success or failure of muskies?

[pushbutton]

Who knows at this point. Maybe they are not doing well, maybe they are too full to even think about chasing a lure.

[Horseshoe_Don]

similar fish? similar spawning? don't really know enough. Just know that they have not been around like they were the fist 2 years.

Don

[CaptainMusky]

The muskies stocked were leech lake strain and they have evolved to spawn in areas completely different than pike. This is a main reason they were chosen nearly 20 years ago as the preference for stocking because they would be more successful.

[JBMasterAngler]

I don't think the intent of the stocking was to establish a naturally sustaining population...just a limited trophy fishery. If any muskies successfully spawn in the chain, that'll just be a bonus. It's very likely some of these muskies may have fallen victim to "barstool biologists", just like a lot of the catfish do.

[CaptainMusky]

JB I would suspect the same.

[JoeMX1825]

Take a late tough spring ice out and add record high waters for pretty much all of June and of course you're not going to hear about many fish being caught...Muskies on the chain will do just fine as long as misinformed vigilates don't kill them...but it takes skill to catch them so i'm not too worried about that...The chain will be a trophy Musky fishery in 6-8 years..

[Horseshoe_Don]

All I am saying is I have not seen any the last year while pan fishing, bass fishing, or on the shore line. I did not see any on the camera last winter.

Last spring and the summer before I used to see a lot of them and accidently catch a few, now nothing. They may be fine, but it does not appear to be that they are.

I am not arguing for or against, has nothing to do with this thread. Just thought it was odd I have not come across any with the time I spend on the water.

Don

[CaptainMusky]

Don, as they get bigger they become more deceptive. It wouldnt explain not seeing/catching many last year, but the high water this year definitely has to play a role in not seeing them this year. Its not real common to just see them up shallow when they are adults. The smaller ones you might, but not typically the larger ones.

I dont have a good feeling about stocking fingerlings into the chain with all those catfish. They should have put more adult fish in there to hopefully bring down the catfish population a bit then they could introduce the fingerlings, but I just dont think fingerlings will be real successful.

I would suspect they are really spread out in the system now. They are in such few numbers out there that finding them will be difficult. Initially the first year or so they were pretty much a home body, but now they have had nearly 3 years under their belt so they are roaming wherever they see fit.

[JoeMX1825]

great point about them moving about the chain now, the majority of fish I heard caught the first year were right around where they were released by the DNR...Time will tell

[Rick G]

They should have put more adult fish in there to hopefully bring down the catfish population a bit

Lol, they would have had to stock thousands of adults to put a dent in the cat population

I think they are dispersed throughout the system now, likley to areas where there is less competition for food.

Only time will tell how successfull the introduction of muskies into the Chain will be.

[CaptainMusky]

Lol, they would have had to stock thousands of adults to put a dent in the cat population

Exactly! Thats what they should have done. ;-)

[steiger]

Ended up catching one on the aqua view last winter. I was east of cedar island just off the steep break shore. I have a picture I will see if I can find it.

[Horseshoe_Don]

I would suspect they are really spread out in the system now. They are in such few numbers out there that finding them will be difficult. Initially the first year or so they were pretty much a home body, but now they have had nearly 3 years under their belt so they are roaming wherever they see fit.

Makes sense to me

[CaptainMusky]

Yeah its a lot of water. They are hoping to manage to .35 fish per acre so you do the math with the amount of water out there there won't be many. For a few years it may seem like it but it will drop dramatically once they start to reach trophy size. If it works there should be some giants in about 8 years which may last 5 years then it will level off. Its super awesome to have a "new! Fishery this close. 20 yrs from now it will be way different though.

[RumRiverRat]

Had decent sized Musky take a swipe at my spinnerbait a couple weekends ago when I was pre fishing bass for a club tourney.

[kemp13]

I had a Muskie I would say around 25 inch in the net couple weeks ago pulling cranks down river but it flopped out also heard of a couple of similar size caught earlier around 22 bridge

[noska]

Caught one today 33"

[JoeMX1825]

Caught one today 33"

Nice, that's the largest one I've heard caught so far, what lake was it caught in?

[noska]

Horseshoe

[nater]

There were some respectable sized muskies caught out there from what I heard this summer. I wouldn't worry too much with all the forage they have out there.

[IceHawk]

Heard of a 38 incher being caught this summer out there. I know they planted some adults in there so very possible. Nater you obviously know of some other nice fish caught any sizes?

[JoeMX1825]

if that was a true 38", then they are growing at an astounding rate in the chain (we figured they would with all the high protein suckers and carp they can prey on)....all of the 132 adult fish released the 1st year they were stocked ranged between 24"-28" (My brother in law caught a 27" in Ceder Island that 1st fall)

Most figured it would be 6-8 years for a shot at a 40"+ fish...might be sooner...whoohoo!

[50inchpig]

well, ya know, most of them have grown a few inches by the time you hear about them. sometimes more than a few inches.....