"tundrawalker00" said:
…MMA, a group that opposes muskie spearing…
MMA, as a group, does not oppose spearing nor has MMA taken an official stance against spearing as a method.
As has been stated, the amount of harvest (exploitation rate) is the issue. What method is used to harvest is irrelevant. Whether the exploitation occurs by C&R mortality or by choosing to harvest is irrelevant. If muskie populations were meeting DNR management plan goals for acceptable population levels, and if exploitation rates were within acceptable levels, then there would be no scientific issue to begin with.
"tundrawalker00" said:
Fishhead, you won't see more than a couple dozen spearing shacks at once. There are quite a few people who will mark their panfish holes with branches when they know it's going to snow. It lets them come right back and it keeps cautious ice anglers away. I ran into this trick on a crappie spot on Lake Cadillac a couple weeks ago. But yes, Laman's Landing is the historical concentration. However, last winter's fish came from the panfish grounds on the north side of the lake (east of the brown boathouse straight out from Wilson).
Thanks for the clarification. How does the water clarity we saw Saturday compare to "normal" water clarity on Hamlin? From what I saw Saturday, you'd have a difficult time identifying a fish in 8' FOW, so increasing the MSL would have a minimal effect to relieve the harvest of sub legal fish. Just my thoughts.
That's the thing with spearing on upper Hamlin and that's why a lot of guys opt to go elsewhere. It's a reservoir, so you're going to get dirty water every time it warms — and this is one of those years. Most guys will move rather than keep blocking up a shanty in a spot that is filthy every other time they go out. The guy with the 47 was anticipating trouble with visibility and soft ice because of the forecast and just decided to sit for a while before he pulled his shack.
One other note, don't mistake the hard-sided shacks to the west of Wilson for spearing shacks. There's a crappie town that forms out there every year over 30 feet of water.
"tundrawalker00" said:
Thank you. I will look at my past wording and try to make my wording in the future more precise as to MMA's published stances/goals if I publish such a disclaimer again.
Thanks Brian. I think it's an important distinction. Especially if, when, someday MMA is a true alliance that includes the darkhouse membership. Someday…
Love the conversation….investors and takers. Two different groups of people. Short sighted vs. long term goals. At least progress is being made. I still love old guys who say "we used to catch em by the 5 gallon bucket, now you can't find a fish"….well, no shit, you took and you took and now you reap the reward. MMA has quietly made some of our lakes extremely note worthy….and I think that is awesome!, despite the mentality of the others that use the resource without contribution. I do think that the contribution should give us more say in the use of the resource; it would pressurize the other "organizations" to take part…pay to play.
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