I'm not sure if I asked this already so if I did just lead me back to the tread.
With the state switching to GLS muskies for the stocking program(which I think is a good thing), what will happen to the stocked waters in the western UP where Northern strain muskies are the native strain(Cisco chain, Peavey, etc.)?
"Will Schultz" said:
Many of the waters in that area don't need stocking and if they're a border lake that needs to be stocked WI can handle it because the success of our GL program is important for them too.
Unfortunately, the lakes I fish rely solely on stocking and one hasn't been stocked since 2005 so i'm glad to hear that stocking in some form will continue up there
"swanezy" said:
My dad came home and told me they are dumping 3000 more in Macatawa this year. Will these be all GLS fish?
Yes, but not positive about actual numbers based on 2012 pond culture survival.
Ottawa County – – The Great Lakes strain of muskellunge will be stocked when available in Lake Macatawa and the lower Grand River to take advantage of over-abundant gizzard shad and to provide a sport fishery.
"swanezy" said:
My dad came home and told me they are dumping 3000 more in Macatawa this year. Will these be all GLS fish?
My personal point of view about Macatawa is this – why stock it? if muskies wanted to be in Mac, they would be in there. Not only from our previous stocking efforts, but even from GB stocking. I have heard rumors of a couple stray fish being found on our side of the lake. Lake Mac is a tributary to Lake Michigan, where Muskies are native. If the fish want to be in there, whether is be for food, spawn, etc, they'll be in there. [smilie=2c.gif]
Muskies are in Mac, there is just SO MUCH FOOD for them they don't eat often, that being said, yes I am sure many have left. No harm in starting them in Mac even if some want to leave(they leave Murray, Ovid, Thorn or any other place they get stocked that they can leave). They were in Mac pretty good in the very distant past. GLS with access to the Great Lakes, works for me. My 2 cents.
Macatawa had a huge spearing harvest at the end of WWII, as detailed in a Feb. 18, 2007 Holland Sentinel article by historian Randy Vandewater. Between Feb. 14 and Feb. 28 of 1945, several large muskies, including 2 30#, a 36# 49", a 45# 53.5", and a 48# 54", were speared on Mac. The guy who speared the 45# had speared 14 muskies in 1936 and 13 in 1942. So the lake does at least deserve some respect with good regulations.
368
29
1 Guest(s)