48″ minimum for Muskies 2010

Good news! 2010 regulations are out and it appears we now have a statewide 48″ inch minimum for Minnesotas Muskie waters. This does not include the metro Tiger waters which are still 40″.

48 inches seems about right

Good! THe bigger ones taste better anyway!!

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Good! THe bigger ones taste better anyway!!

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Gus your going to starve this summer

Remember I’m going to follow you. I will then rush over and scoop them with MY net.

Great news

Is there a lake list of those stocked with tigers?

I think there are about 20 some lakes with Tigers. Off the top o’ my head here’s the ones I can remember:
Bryant, Cedar, Island, Silver, Johanna, Weaver, Clear, Crystal in Burnsville, Crystal in Robbinsdale,Calhoun-Isles-Cedar, Nokomis, Gervais, Phalen, Elmo, Orchard, and a few others.

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Good news! 2010 regulations are out and it appears we now have a statewide 48″ inch minimum for Minnesotas Muskie waters. This does not include the metro Tiger waters which are still 40″.

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And yet they still allow spearing on most Muskie Lakes

There was a guy supposedly bragging he speared over 17 Muskie out of the Mississippi in one winter a couple years back. A friend of mine that lives to fish Muskie has multiple pictures of Muskie he’s caught with old spear wounds on them.

There are so many people that hate Muskie in there walleye waters. Giving those guys a spear just doesn’t make any sense to me. I don’t think spearing should be banned all together but I sure wouldn’t mind seeing it banned on Muskie waters.

I’d have to guess trying to get spearing selectively banned would be about as easy as us walleye fisherman getting the Natives to stop netting?

are you able to hook into tigers consistently on those stocked lakes? Dont want a keeper just want to catch one.

yes page 19 20 and 21 http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_wildlife/fisheries/plans/muskiepike_2020.pdf

Thats good news

But when are non muskie fishermen going to realize that muskies aren’t necessarily the cause if their problems b/c a muskie would much rather go for a big fat tulibe, sucker, carp, or trout

The same day it rains beer…

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Thats good news

But when are non muskie fishermen going to realize that muskies aren’t necessarily the cause if their problems b/c a muskie would much rather go for a big fat tulibe, sucker, carp, or trout

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I couldn’t agree more. I love walleye, but I feel horrible for you Muskie guys when I run across people in life who’s main objective is to kill muskie

I’m sure this is very old news to most of you but I thought it was very interesting and factual.

A major study was undertaken from July of 1991 through October of 1994, and other documented studies were conducted as long ago as 1952. These studies, as well as others, came to the same conclusion. Game fish such as Walleye make up a very small part of a Muskies diet. In one particular study, the stomach contents from 1092 Muskies were evaluated. The results proved that a Muskies diet is quite diverse, and that in 74% of the sample fish, only one food item was present. Muskies are not voracious feeders consuming fish after fish, as some people would have you believe.

Walleye ranked extremely low in the Muskies diet. In the 1092 study fish, only 5 contained traces of Walleye. This study collected Muskies from 34 separate bodies of water, including lakes with large populations of Walleye. Despite their abundance in those lakes, Walleye proved to not be a very important food source for Muskies. In fact, during the study Muskies and Walleyes were observed in very close proximity to one another, as the Walleye is also a predator. Walleye made up 3.4% of the total stomach content volume found in the Muskies in that study. Bass species found accounted for 3.1%, even lower than that of Walleye. 63.5% of the total stomach content volume was made up of Yellow Perch and various minnow species.

A lot of useful info right there. Did it mention how much was stomach content was smaller pike at all?

Good news
Interesting study too. I would have guesses a bit higher even but still not enough to seriously affect walleye or bass numbers. Muskies are opportunists by nature and bass and walleyes when healthy are harder to catch. It would be interesting to know what percentage of the bass and walleyes that those muskies ate were unhealthy in some way.

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The same day it rains beer…

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Well Pal, at my house thats every Friday night

put em all back

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63.5% of the total stomach content volume was made up of Yellow Perch and various minnow species.

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And that’s why one of my favorite colors is perch!!! Bright enough to used in dark water and natural enough for clear water!!!

Mark

i wish wisconsin would do this. i live in southern wisconsin and most of our waters are still 34″. everyone i know puts everything back but i’ve seen alot of muskies kept on the wisconsin river in the upper 30’s. its a shame

Ever notice most of the top walleye lakes are also top muskie lakes??? I know here the best waters for about all species are also top muskie waters. We are to blame for low walleye poulations due to over harvest not the muskie for “eating” all the walleye.

shaley:

Well Stated, I am in your camp all the way!!!

Mark