"Mayhem" said:
I've heard rumors that some of the fish spawn in long lake. Its really too bad the stocking had to be stopped there, that lake has great big fish potential and my understanding is that it historically had a self sustaining wild population.
Long is a known spawning area but it is not confirmed that the fish have reproduced.
The following is all my opinion based on what I've been able to read/gather over the years…
It is likely there were some GLS trapped by the dam that managed to remain for a number of years into the early 1900's. The dam and the flooding, that conneted the five small natural lakes, likely resulted in the destruction of the spawning area needed by the trapped GLS. The trapped fish would not have been able to maintain their numbers and were eliminated eventually.
Hey, thanks for that Will. As I said, almost 1/2 the lake can be crossed off because of lack of structure. There are a couple red marks on there that, just looking at a map, you would not think to see them there. But if you know the lake just a little bit, you will understand why they were there. Some of the other places that you have marked are spots where I have caught/seen big bass and pike. Other spots that you have marked are packed with shanties & tip-ups right now.
I do have to disagree with the "no GLS fish when northerns were stocked" though. There is a picture in Gillettes of a GLS that was taken sometime in the past 10 yrs. [smilie=brows.gif]
"Jim tenHaaf" said:
I do have to disagree with the "no GLS fish when northerns were stocked" though. There is a picture in Gillettes of a GLS that was taken sometime in the past 10 yrs. [smilie=brows.gif]
Who did the genetic testing? Coloration can't tell you the strain. The fish that were being stocked in the 70's/80's looked more like a GLS but that didn't mean they weren't N. strain.
Would the fact that a natural reproducing population of GLS fish was once present here make this a good candidate for stocking when the GLS program gets going?
This lake definitly has big fish potential. Iv seen some hog pike taken out of there. Gull Lake is another lake in that area that I would think has some really big fish potential if it had muskies in it.
"MattG_braith" said:
Would the fact that a natural reproducing population of GLS fish was once present here make this a good candidate for stocking when the GLS program gets going?
Yes and no. Yes in that it would be good water but no because the riparians don't want muskies there. Maybe their thinking has changed since the mid-80's but I doubt it. The Grand River from GR to Lake Michigan would be a much better idea…
"Will Schultz" said:
The Grand River from GR to Lake Michigan would be a much better idea…
Oh man, this is getting me excited already just to think about…I fish the Grand all the time for pike, a chance at muskie out there would be amazing.
Are you talking about planting them in Grand Rapids under the dam or more towards Spring Lake?
"MattG_braith" said:
[quote="Will Schultz"]The Grand River from GR to Lake Michigan would be a much better idea…
Oh man, this is getting me excited already just to think about…I fish the Grand all the time for pike, a chance at muskie out there would be amazing.
Are you talking about planting them in Grand Rapids under the dam or more towards Spring Lake?
They can pass the entire length of the river from Lansing to Lake Michigan up and down due to the fish ladders. Where they're stocked isn't really a big deal but I would love to see them in the lower river and bayous in greater numbers than it has currently.
"Jim tenHaaf" said:
I too thought that Gull lake would be a sweet lake for Muskies, especially because it also has ciscoes. But with the Rainbow and Lake trout in there, I'll bet there's no way to get muskies planted.
No, a managed trout lake will never get muskies unless it is rebuilding a natural population.
"Jim tenHaaf" said:
Will, on a different note, when's the last time you caught a muskie in Gun? And what's the biggest you got out of there?
Late 80's was the last one I caught in Gun, maybe early 90's.
Biggest was 49.5" here's a pic of the replica.
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wish they would have stayed in though…I'm suprised I missed the majority of the discussion in this thread, i'm intrigued anytime there is discussion about Long Lake or Gun Lake. I live 5 minutes from Long and so most juicy stuff concerning that lake makes its way to me somehow. My grandpa has a 50" mount of a muskie he caught while tip-up fishing for walleye's (had to spud the hole bigger). And my best friends dad is the one who speared a 48" fish that got a bunch of publicity when I was a kid. Also same guy told us a story of seeing a giant in the channel between mickey and Long. Also talked to a kid who lives and mickey and claims to see them in the shallows every spring spawning. In the end none of it is any good because i'm a below average musky fisherman at best and the chance of me ever catching one is super slim. (though I swear I had a follow last fall but I only caught a glimpse and I can't convince myself either way as to if it really happened.)
I plan on going there this spring to cruise around the shallows and try to see them for myself, i'm sure its all b.s. but it would be cool to see one just to know that they actually do exist. I've heard you guys compare looking for the old stocked fish to searching for big foot or nessie, but hey i'm cool with growing old and being the guy who's like "i've fished that lake for 50 years and haven't caught one, but I still know they're in there." Then again I could drive 40 minutes to skegemog… hmm…
"Chris Musselman" said:
I'm suprised I missed the majority of the discussion in this thread, i'm intrigued anytime there is discussion about Long Lake or Gun Lake. I live 5 minutes from Long and so most juicy stuff concerning that lake makes its way to me somehow. My grandpa has a 50" mount of a muskie he caught while tip-up fishing for walleye's (had to spud the hole bigger). And my best friends dad is the one who speared a 48" fish that got a bunch of publicity when I was a kid. Also same guy told us a story of seeing a giant in the channel between mickey and Long. Also talked to a kid who lives and mickey and claims to see them in the shallows every spring spawning. In the end none of it is any good because i'm a below average musky fisherman at best and the chance of me ever catching one is super slim. (though I swear I had a follow last fall but I only caught a glimpse and I can't convince myself either way as to if it really happened.)I plan on going there this spring to cruise around the shallows and try to see them for myself, i'm sure its all b.s. but it would be cool to see one just to know that they actually do exist. I've heard you guys compare looking for the old stocked fish to searching for big foot or nessie, but hey i'm cool with growing old and being the guy who's like "i've fished that lake for 50 years and haven't caught one, but I still know they're in there." Then again I could drive 40 minutes to skegemog… hmm…
Much better natural reproduction in Long than Gun in my opinion. Though Long is a totally different approach than Skegemog I gon't think the chances of running into a fish are any less. The bonus of fishing Long is that Boone's is right there, catch an early dinner then hit the lake for the night. Man I'm glad I don't live closer… I could do that every day – broke and divorced… NOT GOOD!!!
I gon't think the chances of running into a fish are any less
Damnit Will, don't be just planting that stuff in my head, now I'm going to lose sleep every night being like "Does he really mean that or is he trying to trick me into torturing myself out there just as an experiment to drive me mad?"
Oh and last time I went to Boone's I got the Prime rib in honor of you.
"Chris Musselman" said:
I gon't think the chances of running into a fish are any less
Damnit Will, don't be just planting that stuff in my head, now I'm going to lose sleep every night being like "Does he really mean that or is he trying to trick me into torturing myself out there just as an experiment to drive me mad?"
Oh and last time I went to Boone's I got the Prime rib in honor of you.
HAHAHAHAHA!!! That you're here with the rest of us proves that you've already gone mad.
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