Muskie kill

[skinut]

Just want to share my grief with some other Vermilion muskie fisherman. A "friend ?" of mine called the other night to brag about the 51 1/2 inch muskie he caught on 6 lb test line last weekend while fishing for walleye. When I said that is a great release, he told me that he killed the fish and steaked it out, half for eating and half for smoking. His logic is that the stocking of muskie in Vermilion is the reason for all of the small walleye being caught this year. This is something I hear all the time from the locals up here, many of whom will kill a muskie when they catch one while fishing for walleye. The other thing this guy mentioned was that there will be a lot less baby ducks eaten next year with this fish dead. To add insult to injury, he told me about the large egg sacks this fish had when he cleaned it! I told his wife that I hope his grandkids are muskie fisherman, and ask Grandpa where all the big muskies have gone! Just want to spread the sadness around fellas. Can't believe the closed minds of some these so called "sportsmen" up here. This is the same guy that will take several limits of walleye a week just to give away to his neighbors. How do we change the mindset of these guys? Thanks for the shoulder everybody

[guideman]

It is unfortunate for you to have friends that do stupid things like that. They complain about the fishing and then go take more than their legal limit. The only way to stop idiots like that, is to call the DNR and report them. The muskies have little or nothing to do with the numbers or size of the walleyes in Vermilion, infact more muskies are eaten by walleyes than the reverse.

Some people are going to kill muskies no matter what you do. It happens on many muskie lakes in Minnesota because walleye is still king for most anglers in this state. This guy may kill a few in his lifetime however I would worry more about the number of walleyes he's taking.

Call the tip line, let the DNR deal with this poacher, they have a real hard on for people that keep to many walleyes.

[upnorth]

I am a Walleye guy for them most part, although I am planning on giving the Muskies a try next year.

I really don't believe that the problem with the smaller walleyes have much to do with the Muskies. If Muskies are having any impact on the Walleye population it will be competition for food, any lake can only support so many predator fish. Competition for food will also come from Northerns and there are some big Pike in that lake and they eat too.

Angling pressure it probably the biggest factor. And I am no biologist, but I tend to believe most fish populations fluctuate in both size and numbers over a few years. Weather timing can play havoc with a few spawning years and it can also play havoc with how and where the fish are biting.

So blaming Muskies for small Walleyes and or poor fishing ins just a load of Carp That same person would probably shoot a wolf thinking there will be more deer for him. This guy needs to get some education on the predator and prey roles and how they effect each other.

[Silver Scale]

Changing the mind set of some of these people is a tough thing do to but it can be done. I know a guy who told me he had speared a muskie under his dock a few years ago. He knew I was a die hard muskie fisherman so am not sure why he told me but I took him muskie fishing and got him hooked, lucky guy caught a 43 on the first spot and did a nice release with a nice picture to show for it. He has since changed his attitude about muskies. Some people you can't convince them that they are wrong. About the only hope it that their kids and other folks they come in contact with are smarter and listen to the scientific data that the DNR has rather than the emotional babble that some of these people spread around.

[muskybuck]

Where ever there are Muskies this happens. I heard about a man fishing Lake Wissota (a reservior on the Chippewa River)in WI and a game warden came up to him as he was fighting a legal Musky. The fella threw the Musky up on the grass and the warden said "you are going to keep him I see". The fella said no I am going to let him go (after a while). They kill too many walleyes was his reason. That is a very common attitude for the locals there also. That is also the lake where the DNR rolled a world record class Musky about 10 years ago with their shocking survey. I do not think you can change the attitude of these type of people. Have to keep trying, that's for sure.

[Dave B]

Are muskys out of season? I support C&R and only eat one or two fish meals per year, but if this was a legal catch, what is the big deal?

Are musky that sacred where some harvest is that big of a deal? Vermilion is a big lake w/ lots of musky, taking some isnt going to hurt the fishery.

[upnorth]

I agree it was a legal fish and his decision, it more the mentallity of why he kept it.

[guideman]

Dave,

It's that very attitude that is the problem. Some muskies are kept every season and you have to expect that however, when it comes to replacing a

50"+ muskie it takes years. They are a very low density population even in the best muskie lakes.

Think of the outraged there would be on the Big V if all the muskie anglers started to kill all the Big walleyes we catch.(we catch a lot of them!)

Emagine the responces to me posting that I caught

and killed a limit of 23.99" walleyes including that big kicker fish at about 30". Or braging on the fact that I killed a number of big fish this summer. The walleye fisherman on this board would be ripping on me for ever, if not longer.

All fish are not the same, we need to adjust our harvest, so that Vermilion continues to have the excellent multi species fishery that we all enjoy now and in the future. Education is also a very important part of this equation, unfortunately we

can only educate those that are willing to listen to the truth, instead of the fantasy.

[Dave B]

Like I said, I agree that I would encourage anyone I know to release that fish, like I would any trophy. However, the talk but contacting the DNR or TIP seemed a little extreme. What could they do?

I have seen lots of big eyes on Vermilion get the knife and I dont like it. But I dont make too much noise about it unless it is someone I am with or someone I know.

[upnorth]

Dave I had to re-read the posts here to see what you were talking about. I really think Guideman/Ace was referring to the fact that a lot of locals and probably this guy, have more than the allowed limit of Walleyes in the freezer and should be checked.

But he11 I could be wrong too

[MNBIGBEAR]

I read an article, and I wish I could find it but it was about the very subject that these "musky haters" use to justify killing muskies. It stated that the DNR tested the stomachs of something like 1500 muskies, and a very small percentage actually contained the remains of Walleyes. Over 90% of muskies contained remains of whitefish, suckers and other rough fish. Lake Miltona down by Alexandria is dealing with this problem also. Many of the residents will go fishing for muskies just so they can kill them because their belief that they kill the walleyes is so strong that they want ALL the muskies out of "Their" lake. Ignorance is a musky's worst enemy this day in age. The same gos for big walleyes and bass. I cringe when I see these people keeping these 25, 26 inch fish for the frying pan. We, as sportsman need to keep coming up with ideas to inform people on what conservation means and the benefits that it provides. Ive been trying to convince my mother-in-law, who lives on the Big V, that these "mean" muskies are not going to bite her when she is swimming and they are not going to eat all her precious walleyes. Its no easy task trying to break these misconceptions. Good luck Sportsman and lets keep doing our part. Musky fishing has never been better, but just imagine what it could be if everyone thought conservation.

[MT Net]

First it was the bald eagles eating all the walleyes, then it was the cormorants, now the muskie. I wonder what will be the next in the crosshairs for those who cry wolf, the painted turtle, spotted owl, rusty crayfish?

As far as the low number of ducks, loss of habitat is a huge factor. I've seen more minks and otters cruising the shoreline in the past few years. They are known to eat an easy meal of eggs. Not to mention the cold wet spring and summer season we've had the past few years.

Funny how some rationalize their inability to catch fish, and cry wolf. Could it be the walleyes are finally outsmarting us?

[guideman]

Dave,

I was referring to the walleyes, not the Muskies.

This guy isn't a rare case on Vermilon, there are a number of those same people that complain about the walleye fishing, that have way over their own limit in the freezer.

You see them out on there docks, every night in the spring catching numbers of fish. I doubt they eat them every day. I think you'd be surprised to know just how many locals and cabin owners that are on Big Bay, Daisy bay or Fraser Bay keep way more walleyes than they should. All of these bays

have a great spring dock bite, some nights 100's of walleyes can be caught in a matter of hours.

If Vermilion has a walleye problem is ain't from the Muskies, it's from over harvest and the loss of habitat from over development. The inability of some anglers to catch fish is do to their own inabiitys as anglers, not because the muskies are eating them.

[Dave B]

I know what you mean about the dock bite on Big Bay. My parents had a place just west of Bayview. We would often take people out all over the lake hoping from spot to spot, then catch more and bigger fish off the dock at night.

They often wondered why we ran all day to catch fish. It wasnt just a spring bite either, it was a hot bite into August for at least a few hours per night.

BTW, my old man built the A frame on teh 1st small point West of Big Bay, I am sure the fish are still there!