The Great Minnesota Muskie War

[Allen]

Antagonistic? Probably.

A "lot" of other people? I don't know if I would say a lot. I only know one muskie enthusiast, and he's caught exactly the same number of them as I have.

My point is that there's not a realistic chance for people to catch and keep them here, or in MN even. Remember...a 20 lb fish would be a trophy musky to many people. If you want to help the species, you need to get more people on board with them overall and having a catch and keep rule on any fish species that roughly equates to an 11-12 lb eye, or a 25-30 lb northern is not the way to go about it.

Given the advent of plastic/fiberglass replicas, one could easily argue that nobody ever needs to keep a trophy musky, so why even have a minimum that is so far into the trophy range in the first place?

I guess I just don't find them "special" enough.

 

[MuskyManiac]

FACT: Muskies eat walleye, walleye eat walleye, walleye eat muskies.

FACT: Walleye is not even close to the preferred forage for a muskie, even in lakes with an abundance of walleye.

FACT: I have not seen a study that shows walleye populations were negatively affected with the introduction of muskie, but I have read several studies that shows no significant impact.

FACT: Wisconsin DNR did a study where they examined the contents of 1092 muskie captured in 32 different lakes. 5 walleye were found total. FIVE. 6 muskies were found.

FACT: Muskies prefer white sucker, whitefish, tullibee, bullhead, yellow perch. They eat some walleye of course. They also eat various minnow species, coots, mice, and even rusty crayfish.

FACT: MN DNR did an examination of fish population impacts of 41 lakes stocked with Leech Lake strain muskie. There was found to be no significant decrease in any fish species. When looking at individual species in individual lakes, nets caught significantly more species in 16 cases, significantly less in 9 cases, and essentially the same in 194 cases.

FACT: I've caught 40 inch muskie and 40 inch northern. After the initial strike you know if you have a muskie. If you think it might be a muskie it's not, because there is no doubt when you have a muskie on the end of the line. I've never had a northern double over an extra-heavy St. Croix and need to hang on for life with both hands, but I've never caught a 53 inch northern either.

FACT: MN DNR stocks a ton of lakes with walleye because they have to. Over-development with loss of spawning habitat and harvest mortality makes it so.

You know, not trying to be a jerk here but these are the true facts and I have the references to back them up.

Yes, muskie eat all kinds of fish, just like all kinds of fish eat all kinds of other fish, but if you're still under the belief that muskies have a significant walleye impact where they are introduced you are just totally in the dark. It is simply NOT THE CASE. Again, if you can prove to me otherwise do so, but I can cite many other references where it has been proven to be a fallacy.

 

[SDMF]

Them muskies they like all them junk fish - carp, suckers woolys ---- its kinda like a steak --- you can get a ribeye (with more fat-bullhead) -- or a sirloin (walleye).

So you’re saying that Bullheads are MN Ribeyes? No wonder people keep and pickle them silver striped pike.

 

[Fishmission]

I got a negative rep for typing the word mushkie 3 times in my earlier post...hahaha Someone got butthurt with how I spelled it and thought I meant something bad by it. Classic snowflake behavior.

Who would do such a dastardly thing?

 

[Rowdie]

LOL I love that video of those guys Muskie fishing and this boat nearby catches a muskie and club it over the head. Then those guys go confront these two good ol boys, and that one kept saying "It's a shit fish, It's a shit fish......It's a shit fish"

 

[tikkalover]

MM, so I'm going to poke the bear here and say this. You are upset that they are canceling the musky program on 2 lakes in the same county as the lake you fish in. So are you maybe upset that the musky fishermen that fish the 2 lakes that they are discontinuing the musky program in, might come to your lake to fish them and there for over crowd your lake? Don't get mad, just asking a question that only you can answer. Do you fish these other 2 lakes also or just the 1?

 

[Downrigger]

I like this subject and the dedication that MM has shown. He really feels strongly. My parents have a place 10 miles from Pelican so I get to hear this stuff a lot and have been keeping up with it. I don't like that the public is telling the DNR how to manage the lakes just because they think they are better than everyone else. They don't have much more to fight about.

What I don't agree with is this idea that Muskie mush be CPR and you are a devil worshiper if you keep one. I would never keep one. I've caught a few and a few have been caught out of my boat and I wouldn't allow one to be kept but my boat my rules (Nobody I fish with would have kept one anyway). But, like all fish, they are a resource and a resource provided by the DNR (game and fish, God, Buddha,....whatever you want to call them) which is ment to be enjoyed and HARVESTED. Deer are managed to be harvested and consumed, walleyes are ment to be harvested and consumed, northerns are ment to be harvested and consumed, etc... We should be claiming that the Muskie should be treated any differently in my opinion.

 

[shorthairsrus]

I always think of that guy that got nicked up at devils lake for that tiger M --- I would not of kept it - but keep in mind i fished for 30+ years in MN and grown up to know that the holy grail exists. Thou shall not touch. If i had only fished ND i would of probably kept it too. Knowing that the laws are less strenuous in ND --- however i was shocked to learn we actually had such a law. Go ahead and stock em and let a guy keep one IMO. Most will throw back anyway.

 

[MuskyManiac]

MM, so I'm going to poke the bear here and say this. You are upset that they are canceling the musky program on 2 lakes in the same county as the lake you fish in. So are you maybe upset that the musky fishermen that fish the 2 lakes that they are discontinuing the musky program in, might come to your lake to fish them and there for over crowd your lake? Don't get mad, just asking a question that only you can answer. Do you fish these other 2 lakes also or just the 1?

I'm on Lida, they don't stock muskies on that lake. It is, however, downstream and connected to Lizzie, which is connected to Pelican which they do stock. Pelican is also connected to Melissa and Sallie which they don't stock but have muskies, which is connected to Detroit Lakes, which they do stock. Lizzie is the new lake they wanted to start stocking but that is off the table for now. I've heard of muskies being caught on Lizzie, and I wouldn't doubt there may be some in Lida, but I've never heard of one being caught on Lida. In Ottertail county I mostly fish West Battle and Beers Lake in Maplewood State Park, but not much in Pelican because of the zebra mussels and not wanting to deal with decontaminating the boat every time. The lake I fish by far the most for muskie is Detroit Lakes which is in Becker County. I haven't heard much of any complaining by DL, and I love going to eat on the lake at Long Bridge, Zorba's, The Fireside, and the awesome buffet breakfast at the Holiday Inn.

And regarding the last two posts, I think tigers are viewed a little differently because they're a cross and they're sterile. Keeping a tiger is not the same as keeping a pure strain breeding fish in my opinion. And remember as well, you can keep a musky in Minnesota, it just has to be larger than 54 inches. You know, when I started musky fishing 50 inches was considered the benchmark for a trophy, and it still is a great fish, but I won't consider getting a replica now until I hit that 54 inch mark.

 

[SDMF]

You know, when I started musky fishing 50 inches was considered the benchmark for a trophy, and it still is a great fish, but I won't consider getting a replica now until I hit that 54 inch mark.

You’d need a pickle jar the size of an old cream can.........

 

[Tlauz]

Earlier I stated my opinion on why I think the musky legislation is bad. I will now give my two cents on why I feel muskies are different than other fish. Quartz and gold are both just minerals, but one is viewed differently. An antique gun may be worth a lot of money because it is rare, but it is still just a gun. Big muskies are scarce. Muskies are more difficult to catch and there are less of them. I personally feel a large muskie is too valuable to only be caught once. Because they're so scarce they are special in my mind. Most people on this site don't post pictures of themselves holding a 14-inch walleye because it isn't a big deal to catch one. I think most people view large/trophy fish differently. I spent a couple years musky fishing and enjoyed it. I had a 50-inch muskie hit in 4 feet of clear water about 15 feet from my boat. I will never forget watching that fish open up and eat my bait. I don't fish for muskies anymore, but I respect people who put in the time and do it. I don't fish for walleye or hunt, but I will support any legislation to make it better for those that do. Whether you fish for walleye, panfish, muskies, or bass, I think it is important we protect our resources so those who want to chase these fish have the ability to do so.

 

[FishFinder97]

It seems like the people behind stopping the program don’t know anything about Musky and are just using the typical” they eat all the good fish” excuse and havn’t read any studies that have been done on these lakes

 

[shorthairsrus]

It seems like the people behind stopping the program don’t know anything about Musky and are just using the typical” they eat all the good fish” excuse and havn’t read any studies that have been done on these lakes

Keep in mind that the DNR supplements Detroit lakes with not only walleye fingerling stocking but also adult walleye stocking. Both very rare stocking procedures for a state that generally stocks fry

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If the DNR can state the reason for this maybe we wouldn't have an argument better yet start the same prmg on pelly

 

[SDMF]

It's hard for me to decide who's more uppity about their fish:

1. Musky folks

Or,

2. Trout folks

 

[luvcatchingbass]

One of my favorite River Monster episodes was when the Muskie one. After seeing that show I'm glad we have muskies and not snakeheads or tiger fish

 

[Kurtr]

It's hard for me to decide who's more uppity about their fish:

1. Musky folks

Or,

2. Trout folks

Trout. Fly fishermen take snobiness to a whole nother level. Show up with a spinning rod and you get shunned like a Amish person who went and got electricity.

- - - Updated - - -

Now have a fly fishing musky guy that's top level snob shit there

 

[Fly Carpin]

Trout. Fly fishermen take snobiness to a whole nother level. Show up with a spinning rod and you get shunned like a Amish person who went and got electricity.

- - - Updated - - -

Now have a fly fishing musky guy that's top level snob shit there

Just because you suck at something doesn’t mean you have to be so cruel to the people that do it. My feelings are officially hurt

 

[Stan's Dad]

Just because you suck at something doesn’t mean you have to be so cruel to the people that do it. My feelings are officially hurt

Its so hard to see you way up on that trout soap box

 

[Fly Carpin]

Its so hard to see you way up on that trout soap box

Bwahahaha

 

[MuskyManiac]

Now have a fly fishing musky guy that's top level snob shit there