St. Croix Muskies – here we go! *DELETED*

Post deleted by mwitham

Nice fish, Micah. But I’m a little concerned about the closed season right now…

I’m not sure, but possibly it’s open for bass and muskie on the northern part of the Croix where it is completely in the state of Wisconsin and not just a border water???

All is fine!

Micah wasn’t targeting muskies but caught one and having his young daughter with him gave him a life long memory!

We all have caught fish out of season when targeting other species.

Way to go Micah, teaching your daughter about fishing!

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Way to go Micah, teaching your daughter about fishing!

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…and releasing!

I’ll third that….way to go Micah

There will be stories about the fish that was bigger than me from your daughter for a long time

Thanks guys for the kind words…as you all know the walleye/pike season opened saturday on the St. Croix. In this particular spot, we have seen some 20+ pound pike come out of here as well as ton of walleyes early in the season as they are coming out of this high percentage spawning area…”fish in a barrel” as they say. You’ll be glad to know that I keep about 10 fish per year (if that) and I never keep muskies!!!!!!!!!! All fish that were caught this weekend were released.
Hadley told me this morning that we should go fishing more! I love it!

Great job taking your kid out, Micah, and I’m glad you had such a great trip!

That said, I disagree with you and apparently some others on the season issue. You shouldn’t be throwing a dancin’ raider on the St. Croix until muskie opener, and if a warden catches you doing it you should get a ticket for targeting muskies out of season. Throw any bait that doesn’t target muskies, and I’m fine with it! Husky jerks, 3/8oz spinnerbaits, zara spooks, etc. are all fine by my standard.

I’ve caught plenty of walleyes and northerns on 10″ jake crankbaits, but you wouldn’t catch me throwing them before muskie opener. Where should one draw the line?

There is one perfect test for whether or not you were fishing out of season: the “newspaper test.” It gauges your conscience. Imagine that photos and a full account of your day on the St. Croix were scheduled to be posted on the front page of a major newspaper tomorrow. Would you be comfortable with that? Not defiant or defensive … comfortable.

This muskie/pike season issue is an old one, and all you can do is use your best judgment. In your heart of hearts, if you know you weren’t targeting muskies you pass the newspaper test and I think you’re A-OK.

John

Hey John;
I hear what you are saying.

However, in a friendly discussion of this, I see nothing wrong throwing super-sized baits for 20+ lb pike. Throwing muskie sized baits for “muskie sized pike” is standard.

Like you said, this occurs A LOT!!! Take a look at Tonka, come opener on May 13th, there will be a lot of guys throwing spinner baits and large zara spooks for pike. These guys that are doing this are going to catch a lot of bass in search of their pike. The bass season isn’t open yet. Is it wrong? My opinion is that it isn’t, even though the angler “knows” they are going to catch big bass doing so.

If you are on a mission to target muskies with muskie baits, while “whistling”, stating you are pike fishing. You bet that is breaking the law. However IMHO, chasing big pike with big baits, even though muskies are inhabiting the same water shouldn’t be against the law or any ethics.

The only true cure for this, is to not have a “mixed” set of dates when different species of fish are allowed to be pursued and harvested.

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The only true cure for this, is to not have a “mixed” set of dates when different species of fish are allowed to be pursued and harvested.

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I agree 100%. But I’d hate to see that happen because people are abusing the discretion the law allows them. Micah might not have been “abusing the discretion the law allows him” but plenty of people do. That said, I don’t think it’s a huge problem right now. I’d like it to not become a huge problem.

I know a place where I could catch dozens of muskies on #5 shad raps over the next month. I could easily say I was targeting walleyes, but I wouldn’t be. So it’s more than the lure a guy is using. That’s your point, I think. If a guy has a clear conscience after considering the law, I have no problem with it.

John;
I do like your “newspaper test”. That is a good conscience check!

St. Croix Muskies-here we go!……I do see a little problem with this, the season is closed. Not to take anything away from the experience with your daughter, because those will always be great memories for the both of you. However this is the same spot that you posted about last year with a number of different nice sized muskies. You speek of 15+ lb northerns, I went back and looked at all your reports from last year and there was not one single pike in any of those reports. I guess I see this as nothing more then breaking the law, the muskie season is closed and this is a spot that you know holds a number of muskies, and low and behold the bait that you caught this fish on is one of the same baits that you spoke of last year in your report as being the bait of choice for this location. I guess the subject of this post is a little misleading based on the fact that the season is closed.

just wanted to comment on the post deletion…

This is a gray area to begin with. I don’t feel like I was doing anything illegal by the books and laws that are in place. But I shouldn’t have posted what I posted (based on seasons) and for that I apologize. Are there big pike in this location that I was at yesterday…yes. Have my brothers and I caught them before…yes.
On topwater or with other “muskie” lures…yes.

In retrospect, there are lot of things that you may not have done if you would have thought them through a bit more. This would definitely qualify. Not because I feel bad or “guilty” for fishing muskies out of season, but because of the implications and conclusions that people have made.

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St. Croix Muskies-here we go!……I do see a little problem with this, the season is closed. Not to take anything away from the experience with your daughter, because those will always be great memories for the both of you. However this is the same spot that you posted about last year with a number of different nice sized muskies. You speek of 15+ lb northerns, I went back and looked at all your reports from last year and there was not one single pike in any of those reports. I guess I see this as nothing more then breaking the law, the muskie season is closed and this is a spot that you know holds a number of muskies, and low and behold the bait that you caught this fish on is one of the same baits that you spoke of last year in your report as being the bait of choice for this location. I guess the subject of this post is a little misleading based on the fact that the season is closed.

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Case closed.

Be careful out there, Micah, so you don’t get a ticket from a CO. I genuinely look forward to your St. Croix muskie reports once the season opens up!

This was a great experience for him and his daughter by accident. Lets let them have that experience and enough has been said so he will be more carefull about what hes throwing and where. Not the best situation but yet an experience this little girl will always remember and hold in her heart. I think its best we all just leave it at that. Thanks.
Thanks, Bill

I did not mean to take the wind out of your sail pal. Your post was very geniune in the fact that I understand your love for the outdoors and sharing that with family, because that is what it is all about. There is nothing better then taking a young child out and having an experience like what you got to share with your daughter. I am sorry if I read more into this then what it was. Looking at it at face value, perhaps I was out of line, and I am sorry for that. I guess looking at the subject title of St. Croix Muskies-here we go, got me a little hot and I looked past what was really being said, and that was the experience that you got to share with your child, and your family. I don’t feel that you needed to remove the photos if you truly felt that you did nothing wrong, because you will always look back at the 1st time that you got to show your daughter first hand what a true muskie experience should be. I am sorry if I blemished that in any way.

I’ve sort of made a decision to stay out of confrontational posts, but for this I’ll make an exception. I’d just like to say a few things.
In speaking with Witham face to face for the first time this year he basically told me he was a muskie fanatic. And in doing so, continued to tell me exactly how passionate he is about muskie fishing. In that conversation he actually said that he has a respect for muskie,…This respect was brought on by the almost spiritual moment when catching muskie. This passion and respect can be clearly seen in this episode. I know first hand he is a true and genuine sportsman who stands for the values that we commonly support here at IDA. Something that happens like this may be found questionable; I can understand that. I also understnd the concern of the posters above. I agree with your good moral to make sure we are all good sportsman in terms of laws and morals. Thats a good thing! I said earlier that IDA promotes genuine sportsmanship and a respect for the environment. Mwitham does just that and he is a respectable angler. I just wanted to make sure you knew that about him.

Well said Matt…

I have made a couple comments on this issue recently also…I personally believe that the “politcal” factor of State govt pressures every year to liberize seasons, limits, etc… to make the recreation “commodity” more saleable to the Public…with “unenforceable” rules.
The spawning runs going into several rivermouths in Little Bay de Noc were choked with boats catching walleye with jigs and terminal tackle three weeks ago…There is NO open season on walleye until May 15…BUT Steelhead/Splake are legal…so you can’t stop the fishermen from fishing and catching Walleye…only prosecute them for keeping them. They do the same thing on the spawning Smallies when walleye opens in the Bay before the bass opener…and this practice is growing and growing…

I agree with the mentioned solution… Since the Eyes/Sauger spawned several days ago…Open the Walleye, Musky, and Pike on the dang same opening day…and simply close vulnerable spawning areas to all fishing during the spawn.
Why make laws unenforceable?
I agree with Matt’s assessment on Micah…and also support the idea that Fishermen must be accountable if we are to continue to have viable fisheries…there will never be enough wardens to accomplish that without us.

Micah,

Thanks for sharing such a great post and picture. What a great experience that is for you to show your daughter an opportunity like that. I see nothing wrong with your post whatsoever. As always good judgement should be used when fishing. Everyone catches an accidental fish from time to time and I see nothing wrong with that you did Micah!

Have a fun summer!

I can’t support a fish and game law violation for any reason. Most fish and game laws are unenforceable/easy to violate, and it’s up to us as sportsmen to follow the rules as best we can.

But like I said earlier, if Micah has a clear conscience about the season issue I’m 100% cool with it.

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But like I said earlier, if Micah has a clear conscience about the season issue I’m 100% cool with it.

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I absolutely agree as well!
Nice fish Micah!

Lots of good points were written on this one.

But I look at it this way – If Micah was ticketed, and and was sitting in court – and the judge was given a copy of the original post, including the title, text, and pics, would that judge give him the benefit of the doubt? Being that the season was closed – I would say he’d be paying a ticket . I try to error on the side of caution nowadays and tend to keep quiet more often, but then again, I have learned that lesson the hard way .

Tim

Amen…John 23
I certainly hope Micah realizes that he is NOT and should NOT be judged as the crux of this discussion. My previous reply was to point out the ludicry of overlapping unenforceable fishing regs.
Obviously game laws should be a result of careful management and conservation of resources…that should include (hopefully) participation and conformation by sportsmen.
Everyone will NEVER be pleased but in a democracy they have a voice…and a right to vote.

Catching a huge fish while taking your child out fishing…and especially releasing it unharmed to fight again…Priceless