Thought I would post my fish numbers here for Austin 2011.
Up through Aug 15th, I spent 180 hours on Austin which included hours ranging from 430am starts to finishing after 130am on several nights.
Through August 30, 210 hours TTA (total time Austin), 17 trips:
6 fish netted 43 39 30 31 36
Sept 1 Through September 30, 245 approx TTA, 14 trips:
7 fish netted 33, 31, 34, 36, 36, 38, 36
Oct 1 through Oct 31, 270 TTA, 9 trips:
2 fish netted, 36, 36
Nov 1 -Nov 30, 295 TTA, 7 trips:
1 fish netted 33
Dec 1-Dec 25 310 TTA, 6 trips:
2 fish netted 34, 36
Lost a Christmas day fish at the boat and ended the season with that fight.
18 total fish, 1 legal
The 36" fish was caught and released 5 times. It has a large chunk of left pelvic fin missing, looks cut or deformed at a 90 degree angle, and is very noticeable. It was caught within 100 yards of the same GPS point, hit a wabull twice, Mepps once, HH twice. C&R definitely works.
There is a 30/31 that seemed to be the same fish too, I finally clipped the fin and sent to Plainwell.
The clipping confirmed it was a 2002 class fish.
Average per trip was 4. hours per trip and a fish average of 17 hours between fish-slightly skewed due to a crappy start, and a better finish.
I started counting fights not netted and had 18 counted. I used 130 hours of vacation time, of course no sick time [smilie=bs.gif] and fewer night time hours this years as compared to the past.
Other notes, I saw fish each time out. I have lots of data, this is it in a nutshell. I didn't count fish caught from Murray or LC in this group either.
Thank God for thin ice, haven't seen the shanties out on Austin much this winter!
I was really hoping some of the fin clippings from the smaller fish would come back as proof of natural repoduction. For a lake that has produced some big fish a 31 inch 9 year old shows just how variable growth can be between individuals.
What were your hours/fish like there in years past? It would be interesting to chart its downfall. Also, do you know anything about a 50"+ fish caught trolling in Austin this summer? It popped up in the master angler report.
My numbers, not totally accurate, as I wasn't really tracking total fish:
2009 with 200 hours on the lake 22+ fish were caught and released.
48, 47, 46, 3 x 44, with a handful of 42-38" fish. The winter of 2010 spearing
pictures of 3 51" Muskie surfaced in 2010…
2010 400 hours 3 legal fish were caught out of 17.
Other people here have fairly good data on Austin as well, would love to hear their numbers.
"mskyprey" said:
Other people here have fairly good data on Austin as well, would love to hear their numbers.
When I get home later and get some time I'll post mine. I have all the data on an excel file on my laptop.
It really is amazing to me to see just how fast the fishing has declined there. I thought we would get a few more decent years of fishing.
This winter has been awesome for the lake though. As an ice fisherman it has been frustrating but it is all worth it if it saves a few muskies. Last sunday I drove around the lake and there wasn't a single shanty out. Last year at this time I couldn't even count how many where out there at this time. I also haven't been hearing any of the usual horror stories from my local connections about people killing 10-20 fish a year, obviously due to the lack of ice.
The follows this year out at Austin were notably smaller as well, and the "big girls" were not showing themselves in the usual places..towards the end of the season I was out fishing, hoping to at least see one decent fish with the clearer water as I have in the past but they were notably absent…I covered a lot of water this year out there.
That's what I was thinking Will.
"Scott Williams" said:
Also, a reason it is back on the table is partially the interest generated by the darkhouse guys. They let the DNR-E know they wanted more fish stocked as well.
Well thats swell. I've seen estimates that an ALIVE trophy sized muskie is worth anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand dollars when you consider the hatchery costs to produce the fish and the economic draw of fishing for it. I'm sure the darkhouse guys know this and will be making generous donations to the state of Michigan to cover the loss in public resource they create when they send a harpoon through a $2000 fish.
"Scott Williams" said:
I am all for it even if it gets speared, if we get the regs passed for limited harvest. The guy killing 1 or 2 doesn't bother me. The guy killing 20 frightens me.
This can get into a whole different discussion, but I don't think these guys would stop at the 1 or 2 fish. Don't some of the guys who spear live right on the lakeshore? If so, I think they would just spear a fish, bring it back to their house, and go back out to keep spearing.
The only way a spearing ban goes back on Austin is if it becomes a broodstock lake.
I've had this discussion with a couple people in the DNR recently in meetings. My opinion was that with the spearing present the ONLY way this lake should get fish is if there are extra fish after all other waters have been stocked.
The other option is to only stock it with males that will take 12+ years to reach 42". LOL!!!!!!
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