Gun Lake Public Meeting

jawtag · Post by **jawtag** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 10:31 am

Smada962 wrote:Awesome, thanks to all who made it there. Im real sorry I couldn't go to try to help out.

If you didn't make it they said that public meetings are only one of the many things they take into consideration. I would definitely drop them a email in support of restoring the natural GLS population in Gun Lake.

It was fun to see some of the old timers heads spin as they couldn't disprove science with hear-say. I think a lot of the guys "on the fence" will definitely come around they just didn't want to admit they were wrong

Smada962 · Post by **Smada962** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:07 am

jawtag wrote:
Smada962 wrote:Awesome, thanks to all who made it there. Im real sorry I couldn't go to try to help out.
If you didn't make it they said that public meetings are only one of the many things they take into consideration. I would definitely drop them a email in support of restoring the natural GLS population in Gun Lake.

I signed that petition and shared it on FB. I will send an email also.

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 12:23 pm

Thanks to everyone that was able to go to the meeting and worked to make this happen.

Out of curiosity what were the oppositions reason to being against the proposal? Was it just the same "muskies will eat all the gamefish" rhetoric or were there other concerns?

Post by **Will Schultz** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 12:24 pm

Mayhem wrote:Thanks to everyone that was able to go to the meeting and worked to make this happen.

Out of curiosity what were the oppositions reason to being against the proposal? Was it just the same "muskies will eat all the gamefish" rhetoric or were there other concerns?

Yes, muskies will eat all the walleye we stock.

kid coulson · Post by **kid coulson** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 5:54 pm

Great work fellas!

bails · Post by **bails** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:16 pm

Yeah I left in a hurry sorry to everyone there that I haven't introduced myself to I was so excited to talk Muskie but I have a bad temper and wAs nervous to have a one on one conversation with some of those guys. They were so rude to say the least. I was not ready for that I think I said 2 words at the very end of the debate. "Definitely yes" was my answer and the old man behind me made a pffh sound and laughed, the same guy that basically said go ahead and stock them we will just kill them like we did before. I wish they could understand that Muskie would allow for more trophy walleye to grow larger and if they really cared AboUt walleye they would push For slot limits and really push for catch and release among anglers on their lake. Before I ever even thought about Muskie fishing I fished thornapple for wAlleyes and could always catch them, and even caught a 9 pounder oh yeah! And the gentleman that said he talks to fisherman on thornapple that hate the fact that they put muskies in that lake I have never.... Ever heard anything along those lines. I feel obliged to start walleye/crappie fishing on thornapple to show them that that lake is an amazing fishery full of a ton of species. One of my buddies caught two five pound large mouths on a local tourney for the road commission on a buzzbait and said it has the biggest bass around the county. To be honest I was offended about how rude they were. Overall though it was a good meeting the fact that some men went from negative to open was amazing and it wouldn't of happened without the comments that were made by people there. By the way... My favorite comment.... Muskie eat small mouths!!!! Please... It would be like saying I love to eat bark off of trees!

Steve S · Post by **Steve S** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 8:07 pm

Sorry I couldn't be there, but I would imagine Duke, Pete and Will did us proud. I take it you guys told them how lakes with Walleye improved with muskies. If I would have been there I would have gotten in trouble. Alot of people who live on lakes will go out and limit on whatever there fishing for go home clean them and come back out and do it again. We know muskie want shad, suckers, carp. But if they do eat a walleye, smallie or whatever. Can someone tell me they probably eat one or two fish a day, not 5 to a hundred.

Duke · Post by **Duke** » Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:16 am

bails wrote:Yeah I left in a hurry sorry to everyone there that I haven't introduced myself to I was so excited to talk Muskie but I have a bad temper and wAs nervous to have a one on one conversation with some of those guys. They were so rude to say the least. I was not ready for that I think I said 2 words at the very end of the debate. "Definitely yes" was my answer and the old man behind me made a pffh sound and laughed, the same guy that basically said go ahead and stock them we will just kill them like we did before. I wish they could understand that Muskie would allow for more trophy walleye to grow larger and if they really cared AboUt walleye they would push For slot limits and really push for catch and release among anglers on their lake. Before I ever even thought about Muskie fishing I fished thornapple for wAlleyes and could always catch them, and even caught a 9 pounder oh yeah! And the gentleman that said he talks to fisherman on thornapple that hate the fact that they put muskies in that lake I have never.... Ever heard anything along those lines. I feel obliged to start walleye/crappie fishing on thornapple to show them that that lake is an amazing fishery full of a ton of species. One of my buddies caught two five pound large mouths on a local tourney for the road commission on a buzzbait and said it has the biggest bass around the county. To be honest I was offended about how rude they were. Overall though it was a good meeting the fact that some men went from negative to open was amazing and it wouldn't of happened without the comments that were made by people there. By the way... My favorite comment.... Muskie eat small mouths!!!! Please... It would be like saying I love to eat bark off of trees!

Hey sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself or the rest of the guys- we did have a very good showing from MMA there.

You have a lot of fishing experience on Thornapple- I think you should send an email to the DNR saying just what you did above. They sometimes publish and share the written comments they receive on a certain topic, and it would be great to have this positive experience with other species on Thorn. Thanks send it to Kregg smithk34@michigan.gov or Jay wesleyj@michigan.gov