New 48 inch minimum for Muskies.

[guideman]

Hey guys,

As I'm sure most of you already know there will be a new minimum of 48 inches on Muskie this year on Vermilion. What do you all think about that?

Good, bad or indifferent? For my part, I think it is a step in the right direction for securing the trophy muskie fishery that most anglers want. My feeling is this, I'd much rather catch a few big fish, than numbers of average sized fish.

What are your feelings on the new minimum?

"Ace"

[StillFishin']

I think it's a very good thing. Of course I'm in the camp that muskies are just too rare to keep whatever size. I doubt I'd ever keep any muskie of any size.

StillFishin

[vermilionwally]

Well I dont fish for muskies but I have always understood that they are basically catch and release anyway so I dont think the Minimum size will really affect the fishing at all.

[Walleye Guy]

I agree that most muskie fisherman release the muskies they catch. However there are many muskies that are caught by fisherman who are fishing for other species of fish. Many of these end up on their walls. Which is their right do do and I support them as they are a true trophy in their eyes. However many of these fish are the 40-45 inchers that have the chance to grow much larger. I think the minimum 48" will protect the muskies and increase the chance that the next state recore muskie will come from Vermilion.

I beleive the next state/world record muskie will come from either Mille Lacs or Vermilion.

[guideman]

I have to agree on your lake choices for the new state record. I think they both have record fish swimming around right now. Infact there have been a few caught and released in the last few years out of both lakes that could have made that mark.

I think the key to the new regs, is that now many of those incidental catches that you mentioned will now be going back. They may not all survive being released, but at least they are given that chance to survive and grow to trophy size.

You can either manage Muskies for numbers or for trophy potential, and I think the DNR has taken the right steps for building a true trophy(record potential) fishery here in Minnesota.

"Ace"

[mrmanners]

I would like to see the min. put into regulation for the state. I Started muskie fishing about four years ago and hit Eagle in Ontario and they have had a 54" in effect for awhile and man does that seam to help.

[Roughfisher]

I think the new muskie regs are a bad thing. Now, non-fishing dads won't let their kids fish these waters anymore, because they're afraid the kids will get excited and keep an illegal 38" muskie.

Every water they put these special regulations on means ten fewer kids get to go fishing. I know my dad wouldn't let me fish any waters that had any kind of weird regulation on it when I was ten. You can't expect a ten-year-old kid riding his bike down to the river to bring a tape measure and to know the difference between a northern and a muskie. Most non-fishing dads will ban their kids from fishing at all if they think their kid is going to break the law by being a kid and keeping a big fish they catch.

Everyone is wondering why no kids are fishing anymore. Go figure. What do we want, a regulation so that nobody's kids can keep any bluegills under ten inches and no northerns under 40? The muskie regs are ridiculous. Why don't we just make it illegal for kids under 21 to go fishing at all. Because that's what we're doing by restricting harvest like this. A lot of kids are going to miss out on a lifetime of angling because of all the regulations that are making being a kid illegal.

[heartattack22]

Fewer and fewer kids are fishing because they don't have people that are willing to take them!!! Plain and simple. One part of fishing is learning about what you are catching and be able to identify the different fish. These regulations are meant to increase the numbers of quality fish in the lake. Give all of our special regs 5 years and watch what the number of quality sized fish does.

[delcecchi]

Do you know of cases where kids have been cited for possessing an undersize musky? Or are you just blowing smoke? The dad thing sounds like dad making excuses.

[upnorth]

Quote:

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Every water they put these special regulations on means ten fewer kids get to go fishing. I know my dad wouldn't let me fish any waters that had any kind of weird regulation on it when I was ten. You can't expect a ten-year-old kid riding his bike down to the river to bring a tape measure and to know the difference between a northern and a muskie. Most non-fishing dads will ban their kids from fishing at all if they think their kid is going to break the law by being a kid and keeping a big fish they catch.

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Dad should spend some quality time with his kids either teaching him the differences or taking the time to take him fishing and if need be learn about fishing with him.

I was one that didn't fish much to speak of as a kid(I was one of the whose dad didn't teach him fishing) so when my son was old enough to be interested in fishing we learned together. Don't use the excuse of rule instead of piss poor parenting for kids not fishing.

[Silver Scale]

Three things why kids aren't fishing.

1. Parents, single or otherwise that don't care or don't take the time.

2. TV

3. Computer games, internet and instant gradifaction syndrome.

Well that's more than three but I'm sure there are more.

I don't for a minute buy those reasons why the muskie size limit shouldn't be raised.

[Scott F]

Kids shouldn't fish if they can't kill everything they catch? Dads maybe should be teaching kids that it's OK to throw most of the catch back to be caught again another day.

[delcecchi]

In my case, I taught my dad it was ok to throw them back. He grew up during the depression and it used to really bug him to throw back those nice walleyes and laketrout in quetico.

[vermilionwally]

I agree that it doesnt affect kids fishing. I am 16 years old and last summer i caught my first muskie and i was excited to just photograph and release it even though it was only 24 inches long it fought well and i was happy about catching it. I dont know why people think we kids dont fish anymore. I know a lot of kids at my school that fish. THey dont all fish that much but there are a few like me that are crazy about fishing

[mrmanners]

Kids not fishing now a days can be directly routed back to parents or family not taking them out and teaching them. I do understand that parents and family cannot fish all the time but I know as a new parent I will be bringing my two year old daughter out this year and teacher her to fish. Even if I need to duck tape (Just kidding) the rod to her hands. It's about getting out from behind the electronics and into the great outdoors. Most if not all people do not eat a Muskie so keeping them is only done to put on a wall. And a 38" Muskie is not worth keeping and putting on a wall, now a 48" makes more sense but one you have fished a Lake like Eagle in which a fish gets into the 54" range you then start to understand how valuable a resource these fish are and can be with a little attention.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Mrmanners,

Good for you!

Be sure to bring plenty of goodies to eat for her and to be VERY willing to cut your days short when she is ready to go home!

Cliff

[slick814]

Truer words have ararely been spoken, Cliff! One lesson I had to learn when my oldest was 2... be prepared for some shorter days on the water whan they come along. The big thing is to make it fun for them, and they will enjoy and look forward to the next trip more and more!!!

As far as the Muskie slot goes... I say why not? I don't generally fish them, but I do believe that it will create a better fishery for those who regularly do if more get put back to get to the 48" status!