Mark your calendars! April 14th 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Sportsmen's Direct in Harrison Twp. <url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
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Five presentations and Q&A with the DNR :
Invasive species of the Huron-Erie Corridor
Ongoing Efforts of Macomb County to Improve Access Lake St. Clair
Effects of Fishing on Bass; Lessons from Michigan and Connecticut
Lake St. Clair Fishery Status Update
Are There Really Too Many Muskies in LSC?
Note that the Darkhouse Association will be in attendance, and has instructed their membership to "behave" 🙂
I've kept quiet about this company but I don't want this meeting to seem like it's a fair and open forum. The owner of Sportsmens Direct, John Bacarella, believes there are too many muskies in St Clair and would like to see:
– year round catch and keep
– one fish/day limit
– 34" MSL
– spearing opened January 1 – March 15
He believes these changes will have an immediate positive impact on the local economy through increased sportfishing opportunities and for the muskellunge fishermen themselves. He's armed himself with lots of opinion and feelings in his communications with the DNR and absolutely NO facts. This is going to be another one of those meetings where the DNR presents facts and no one believes what they've presented.
We SHARE one of the most prolific muskellunge fisheries in the world with Ontario, the only thing that will ruin the fishery is if we (humans) get in the way.
Very interesting. All the more reason I will be attending, and curious to see what goes down.
Many of you guys might find <url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
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* note that in Adobe you can turn on the 'Presentation Notes' layer, and the little thought bubble-icon in the upper left corner of the slide has more info.
I'll probably send something to Mike before the meeting but it's going to be important to point out exactly what will happen to the population if spearing happened. If roughly 1/3 of all inland lake harvest comes from spearing, we could assume an increase in harvest by 1/3 on LSC. We know what impacts a small increase in harvest can have on a fishery, to increase harvest by 33% on a fishery would be a really bad idea.
Crap… maybe I just need to go to this meeting.
This constant push for spearing really needs to be spread to our friends on the Ontario side of St Clair!!!
There are some awesome slides in there! Slides 15, 17 and 18 could be used to show exactly what would happen (and why) in the inland waterway, and antrim chains with proper management… Also they show exactly what is happening in Hamlin and will happen in Muskegon, White, etc. if we don't increase the MSL, and or eliminate harvest in key times of the year. [smilie=deadhorse.gif] [smilie=deadhorse.gif] [smilie=deadhorse.gif] [smilie=deadhorse.gif]
Please may the NRC be open minded, and observant to a well thought out presenter [smilie=attention.gif]
Also thanks for pointing out that opened in adobe you get more commentary Duke, I like reading what they have to say about the slides and why they are important, or how they pertain. It's good to have multiple sourced of perspective.
I checked in with Mike T of DNR to see if more recent data showed anything different since 2011. In a word, no. Muskies still growing fast AND the population age structure shows good survival up through old age. Perch still growing way below average, with very high recruitment/spawning success – lots of dinks. Walleye spawning still very low in LSC and the Thames R. Erie recruitment has jumped though, so more walleyes expected to move through LSC from there.
Great info in that slideshow Duke, thanks for sharing.
One thing that stands out to me. Why would a harvest only community, like spearing, be pushing to open harvest on a population of fish with a "Do not eat these fish" warning on them from the Department of Health? Do they just want to stab them for the sake of stabbing them or do they enjoy the taste of mercury? I don't get it…
"MattG_braith" said:
One thing that stands out to me. Why would a harvest only community, like spearing, be pushing to open harvest on a population of fish with a "Do not eat these fish" warning on them from the Department of Health? Do they just want to stab them for the sake of stabbing them or do they enjoy the taste of mercury? I don't get it…
I brought this up to the spear guys last year and didn't get the response I was expecting. Noone really seemed concerned and the response for the most part was "we will eat them anyways" or that "the consumption advisory was BS". I was even challenged to find "a single case of someone getting sick from eating Midwest fish" which I did easily but the reaction was just a bunch of scoffing. Anyways I think we all know why they want to spear LSC muskies and it has nothing to do with clean organic protein.
"MattG_braith" said:
Great info in that slideshow Duke, thanks for sharing.One thing that stands out to me. Why would a harvest only community, like spearing, be pushing to open harvest on a population of fish with a "Do not eat these fish" warning on them from the Department of Health? Do they just want to stab them for the sake of stabbing them or do they enjoy the taste of mercury? I don't get it…
Basically they think the health advisory is yet another conspiracy by the DNR and MMA in an "elitist" method of protecting muskies. The idea stems from walleye eating the same diet, and not being on the do not eat list. They fail to realize that a 6-8 year old walleye is OLD and a 6-8 YO muskie is barely leagal, with the max age being over 20. The long term exposure is a justifiable reason, but is ignored by them because it is inconvenient.
Also, since it is just an advisory I am not sure it really carries any weight in an argument against spearing, as its not illegal… just stupid. But when you're already there…
"vano397" said:
Basically they think the health advisory is yet another conspiracy by the DNR and MMA in an "elitist" method of protecting muskies. The idea stems from walleye eating the same diet, and not being on the do not eat list. …
I didn't realize a 16" wallye ate 18" suckers [smilie=crazy.gif]
"Mayhem" said:
[quote="vano397"]Basically they think the health advisory is yet another conspiracy by the DNR and MMA in an "elitist" method of protecting muskies. The idea stems from walleye eating the same diet, and not being on the do not eat list. …
I didn't realize a 16" wallye ate 18" suckers [smilie=crazy.gif]
Fer Sher… They'd have you believe the mercury and PCB levels are in a homeostatic state.
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