Angler Position Concerning Spearing Muskellunge in Michigan

Dear Michigan DNR – Esocid Committee and Jim Dexter, MI-DNR Fisheries Chief,

This letter is being submitted on behalf of the four muskellunge groups in Michigan to oppose the continued efforts of the Michigan Darkhouse Angling Association to open spearing on all waters within the state of Michigan. The basis for our unified opposition is simple: many muskellunge waters in this state are already failing to meet management plan population goals. Most of these underperforming waters experience high exploitation rates, and an overwhelming portion of the harvest occurs during the winter by way of spearing. Conversely, the better performing muskellunge waters in the state do not experience high exploitation rates directly owing to regulations that prohibit winter harvest by season closure or spearing bans.

Opening any additional waters to increased harvest via spearing muskellunge goes against all efforts the Michigan DNR has put forth to increase angling opportunities for muskellunge. Michigan is currently the only state or province that allows non-tribal spearing for muskellunge. Every other state and province recognizes spearing has a significant impact because muskellunge habits make them vulnerable to high exploitation during winter. The spearing community would lead you to believe that spearing has no greater impact on muskellunge populations than open water angling. While on the surface this may seem like a reasonable statement we only need to look at the facts:

– Spearing has had dramatic and immediate impact on the muskellunge populations where the ban has been lifted. Gun Lake and Austin Lake (LP), Iron Lake and Kingston Lake (UP) have had populations decimated from spearing.

– Spearing is the only explainable reason waters with regular stocking have produced less than satisfactory numbers of muskellunge. There are almost too many waters that could be listed in this category, some of which are new waters. Many long time stocked waters fall into this category. These waters have failed to produce the muskellunge fishery that they could have and they all have one thing in common – spearing.

With the known impact of spearing on these muskellunge fisheries and the loss of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars from wasted stocking efforts it is with great conviction that the majority of muskellunge anglers in Michigan are completely against muskellunge spearing.

It would be a disgrace to the Michigan’s natural resources to allow spearing to be expanded to include any additional waters, particularly Lake St Clair. St Clair is considered the best muskellunge water in North America, to open spearing for muskellunge on this water would be a gross mismanagement of the resource. St Clair has become the premier water in North America because spearing is not legal and winter harvest has been eliminated due to the season closure. We are blessed with many waters that could reach this same potential but aren’t allowed because of overharvest, very little of which is open water harvest. The state of Michigan is losing millions of dollars in tourism already because we have so many waters with muskellunge but so few with fishable populations. No one from out of state is coming to fish muskellunge at Burt Lake or any other of the many waters like Burt Lake.

Due to the compelling evidence mentioned above the four muskellunge organizations in the state (Boundary Waters Musky Club, Lake St Clair Muskies Inc., Michigan Ontario Muskie Club and Michigan Muskie Alliance) urge the Michigan DNR Esocid committee to disregard any increase in the number of waters where spearing is allowed.

These organizations would also like the Esocid Committee to consider a recommendation for the complete elimination of muskellunge harvest via spearing in Michigan for the following reasons:

– Spearing on waters with natural populations of muskellunge that are self-sustaining is mismanagement of the resource. Most of these waters (with the exception of St Clair) are well below the fish per acre levels outlined in the management plan. These waters are not being stocked due to concerns with mixing genetics from Detroit River broodstock. It has been documented that spearing accounts for most of the harvest on these waters and often well in excess of acceptable levels of exploitation.

– Spearing on waters that are currently being restored is going to slow, if not eliminate, the potential for these waters to be self-sustaining.

– Spearing on stocked waters increases the number of fish that need to be stocked wasting fish that could be stocked in other waters therefore reducing the impact that the limited number of fish reared at Wolf Lake can have around the state.

The Michigan Darkhouse Angling Association wants you to believe that they’re being discriminated against and that their method of harvest is a tradition. The fact is this tradition is borrowed; it is covered in the tribal treaties for anyone that this “tradition” applies. Muskellunge anglers (by definition spearing is not angling) in the state are really the ones being discriminated against by the muskellunge spearing community. This small group wants their method of harvest allowed on all waters with complete disregard for the impact on the resource and economy. They will try to sell you on their “look and release” tactic, rest assured they will be able to look and release all they want on any muskie water once muskellunge spearing is banned statewide.

Thank you for the time and the effort you put into our fisheries.

Sincerely,
Will Schultz, Michigan Muskie Alliance Board Member
on behalf of:
Boundary Waters Musky Club
Lake St Clair Muskies, Inc. – Muskies, Inc. Chapter 58
Michigan Ontario Muskie Club
Michigan Muskie Alliance –Muskies, Inc. Chapter 47