This is a public service announcement on how we all might best deal with people who harvest a muskie. I don't mean to tell anybody what they should say or how they should feel, but you should realize that if you react in a certain negative way, you will cast muskie C&R proponents in a bad light that WILL likely have the opposite effect that you want. It will turn people away and make them less likely to ever choose to C&R, or to support more strict regulations, or say anything good about the Michigan Muskie Alliance ! Guilt by association.
It should go without saying that physical threats or personal insults fall into this 'bad idea' category, and will only hurt your cause.
The legal harvest of a muskie is a personal choice that should not be criticized. Some folks, when approached with respect and presented with clear facts- not opinion- might just listen. Others will not, no matter what. Therefore, the regulations that allow the harvest are the culprit, NOT the law abiding angler (who may just not be informed about muskies).
It is extremely difficult and slow to change a culture- the harvest mentality that generally exists in this state. You CANNOT "fight" it back from the outside, you can only get in and try to gradually turn it, bit by bit.
Very sorry for the sermon to what I am sure is the choir, but without a doubt this type of negative response HAS hurt the cause of trying to turn the culture, or to get support for stricter regulations. Tell your muskie fishing friends![/u]
I know I struggle with this personally, I've tried lately to bite my tongue and to look the other way, not because I don't care but I do come off very abrasive and I'm sure threatening. I am relatively new to the sport and didn't realize how much I would care about a certain species of fish. I've always had a true level of C&R with all species, but not to the extent I have now with muskies. Hopefully with more knowledge and years of fishing under my belt I can keep my cool like most of the veterans in the sport that i know. Until then I'll do my best!
No worries man!
And here is another opportunity for all of us exhibit our best behavior that you may have heard about :
MMA is organizing a summit of all muskie fishery stakeholder groups that will be meeting to clear the air, find common ground, and will be reporting directly to the DNR and the NRC. In other words- mideast peace talks between the Darkhouse Association and Muskies Inc. angling groups.
The first 'meeting' will be held at our banquet. We've invited a couple Darkhouse movers & shakers, Dean and Greg, who will be attending with their lady guests. Basically this is an informal break the ice thing- I'm going to share a back corner table with them, shoot the breeze, and we will each lay some thoughts out on the table. Feel free to join us at the table, but by all means please stop on by and be friendly! I'll be the one stuffing my face with the incredibly awesome bread roll things.
It is being suggested that MMA members re-create "The Mideast Peace Talks", in essence, with the Darkhouse spearing organizations. In this way we can demonstrate how nice we are, it was inferred. This is the worst possible parallel example to use as anyone who follows actual politics and history closely knows the world will be facing a nuclear bomb armed Iran within months, if not sooner, due to OUR change in strategy from hard economic sanctions (which were working) to appeasement. Who snookered who in that exchange?
I agree, however, that anyone engaging in personal attacks against Darkhouse members is wrong, but MMA as a whole should maintain the pressure toward stricter regulations which in the last couple of years was making good progress. Yes, educating those in the general public who are "receptive" to listening about conservation oriented practices is very important and creates credibility versus reckless threats.
What is our strategy as we move forward with further talks at the State level as the organized spearing community relishes their season of harvest and "marketing" successes using social media to spread the joys of "Heavy Metal Fishing" as some enthusiasts are calling it? They are undoubtedly looking to broaden their political horizons with this "momentum!" I hope to hear some realistic dialog from the podium at the banquet regarding these issues.
"A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday does not know what it is today."
Woodrow Wilson
"To hunt anything to the edge of extinction is a crime against science."
Spock
"Chuck S." said:
It is being suggested that MMA members re-create "The Mideast Peace Talks", in essence, with the Darkhouse spearing organizations. In this way we can demonstrate how nice we are, it was inferred. This is the worst possible parallel example to use as anyone who follows actual politics and history closely knows the world will be facing a nuclear bomb armed Iran within months, if not sooner, due to OUR change in strategy from hard economic sanctions (which were working) to appeasement. Who snookered who in that exchange?
The problem is all the fighting and bashing that was going on online really turned some people off within the DNR and on the DNR committees that were fairly neutral on the topic. These are people we need on our side if there is going to be any stricter regulations. Also people within the fisheries division encouraged us to reach out to spearers and form a stake holders group, as this is actually in the management plan.
I do agree we don't want to get snookered or concede too much. There are some fairly level headed spearers that seem like they can be convinced that spearing needs to be more regulated in order to keep exploitation under 5% or may be in favor of higher MSLs. This would be a big step considering their current leadership thinks there should basically be no spearing ban waters and no MSL.
Bottom line is even if we can do something about muskie spearing, pike spearing on muskie waters is not going away. We need to be on good terms with at least some of the darkhouse members so they police themselves on what they are throwing at. If they all hate us they are just gonna spear muskies no matter the size out of spite.
I dont believe as a club we should CONCEDE anything. However we pushed for the tag law and now we need to applaud it in public. No one is being fooled but we need to have a better level of acceptance in public of the very few fish that are harvested by spear. Remember , two of the three 50 pound class fish taken from the chain in the last several years were taken on hook and line and we did not scream bloody murder about it. Then one gets speared and we shout it from the mountain tops. BAD FORM. Smile and quietly move forward. We have achieved so much and now we need a new goal which in my opinion should be the closing of the Torch and Grass rivers until June to allow these fish to spawn without being harassed. Or other SPECIAL REGS pertaining to the Chain alone. We can do this without raising state alarm and get labeled again as a radical Peta type group. So #1 stand our ground against further lakes losing their spearing bans. #2 Smile in public while we educate on the benefits of cpr. and Congratulate those who fill their tag. #3 Work toward better protections of our natural reproducing waters like the Chain and Indian river systems. #4 protect our right to catch and release , we should concede nothing in this area. #5 continue to support more stocking efforts. Mike
"Kingfisher" said:
Then one gets speared and we shout it from the mountain tops. BAD FORM.
I'm assuming "we" is the muskie angling community and not MMA that you're referencing. There was a ton on social media including from many MMA members but nothing official from MMA. That combined with an ill advised and poorly worded petition to ban spearing statewide certainly set us back a couple steps.
As noted a million times, spearing isn't the problem the allowed harvest is the problem. This isn't only on the Antrim Chain or the Inland Waterway, we have plenty of stocked waters and restoration waters that do not/will not meet the management goal.
Yes I meant the Musky fishing community as a whole. I have always agreed with you that Spearing was not the worst enemy of Muskies. My point was to remind everyone that two out three of the largest fish taken from the chain were on hook and line. As a club I feel we need to just quietly pursue regulations to protect the chain like closing the Torch and grass rivers during the spawn. We can do the same to the White, Muskegon and all other Drowned river mouths(spawning areas) . I also would strongly support two short harvest seasons like 10 days in August and 10 days in February. Reduction in harvest should be our goal. (My opinion). We pushed for the tag and now we should be seen as supporting its use. Even if we do work behind the scenes to further restrict HARVEST. Mike
"Chuck S." said:
It is being suggested that MMA members re-create "The Mideast Peace Talks", in essence, with the Darkhouse spearing organizations. In this way we can demonstrate how nice we are, it was inferred. This is the worst possible parallel example…
Chuck I appreciate your input and apologize if I offended! The mid-east peace reference was meant ENTIRELY tongue-in-cheek, and in NO WAY did I mean to infer any sort of actual parallel to how this trivial fishing thing was going to go down. NOT AT ALL. I apologize for being insensitive- making such faux pas in trying to make a joke is a 'specialty' of mine…
And let me make this clear- this stakeholder group that is forming and beginning with this first meeting at our banquet, is NOT to show anyone how nice we are, and we will NOT be backing down in any way shape or form. BUT- please do NOT expect any update or dialog from the podium at this banquet. That is NOT going to happen.
I have been cringing as of late when reading these "social media" posts. I think that people fail to realize that in the age of digital media ready devices we are seeing more pictures of harvested fish, especially big ones, but I believe the overall harvest is likely down. If it wasn't these giants wouldn't exist in the numbers that are being taken. This is a long never ending battle, new generations of overharvesters are born every day. New legions of conservationists are born everyday, one necessitated by the other. I am in full agreement that we need to keep it civil, ammo is in abundance against our mission already. There will never be an absence of ignorance and exploitation so we must act with integrity and not help those who would kill everything by loading their guns with emotional word bullets they can then use against us over and over…
Thanks Duke for clarifying your earlier post. No problem with me not hearing any comments Saturday night at the banquet podium about the harvest issues. Will's and Mike's comments re-oriented my thinking into remembering the key point. That is, the amount of harvest, from any and all sources, effecting the success/failure of the State's management goals is at the critical core of this matter. With these GOALS in the forefront, clear thinking sportsmen should be able to discern objectivity with the "tweaking" of laws and conservation practices. I can see how Duke (MMA) and others from the Darkhouse group could possibly make this happen "at arms length." Unfortunately, there will always be some looking strictly at THEIR own agenda as the primary issue. Effective communication of any changes with explanation to the respective organization members will be very important in changing the culture. Thanks Gentlemen!
"Kingfisher" said:
I dont believe as a club we should CONCEDE anything. #3 Work toward better protections of our natural reproducing waters like the Chain and Indian river systems. #4 protect our right to catch and release , we should concede nothing in this area. #5 continue to support more stocking efforts. Mike
Agree. no concessions. no spearing of musky. let them spear perch. it's more of a challenge and better eating. eom. gary
[quote="Cyberlunge"]I have been cringing as of late when reading these "social media" posts. I think that people fail to realize that in the age of digital media ready devices we are seeing more pictures of harvested fish, especially big ones, but I believe the overall harvest is likely down. If it wasn't these giants wouldn't exist in the numbers that are being taken.
This is how I feel as well. I really don't think harvest is up. These fish survived before our help and they got big before our education efforts. Big fish were being caught by MMA member long before we got the one tag law . We are now out there educating people and starting to bridge the gap between spearing and Catch and release fishing. We will convert some of these guys to at least contributing to the stocking efforts. But Like Cyberlunge stated I also cringe every time the mud slinging starts over a picture on facebook or some other media source. Lead by example. Harvest is the main enemy of natural reproduction. W e took that from one per day to one per year. Some lake should be even less than that. so we have a job to do and that is to quietly work to reduce this harvest on the Chain at least for a period of years to allow it to rebound. Mike
368
31
1 Guest(s)