This is a movement/tracking study on the land locked Great Lakes Muskellunge in the Elk Chain of lakes. Michigan Muskie Alliance is a contributor to this study and will assist with volunteer and funding efforts.
In April 2008 MMA purchased 10 ultrasonic transmitters for this study at a cost of $2500
We finished our spring survey and pulled nets the day before the opener. We successfully implanted 5 muskies with sonic tags, and all were doing well (actively moving) when we tracked them a week later. The downside, and artifact of the uncertain budget that we experienced this winter, is that we could not purchase the new tags fast enough to get them here on time. Since we collected over a dozen muskies, we could have had a great sample out there if the tags were in hand. All is not lost though, and we may try to collect and implant some more when the tags arrive. We have 6 automated receivers in the system now, and we will also actively track on occasion.
Patrick Hanchin
Fisheries Biologist
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
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Just a quick update to this project…
This is probably something we want to keep here on the forum and not make this public.
The last week has been busy with 11 muskies getting implanted with sonic transmitters. I got a note from John Molenhouse on Wednesday and you could sense the excitement in the e-mail about what he had done that day. I’ll have to do some checking but John may be tracking the largest muskie ever tagged in any tracking study. This girl is 54.7” and I’m comfortable saying she was over 50# at the time of capture.
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I had to get in touch with my bud Larry Ramsell about this fish (yes, he's going to keep it quiet) and I was able to confirm that the muskie John is holding above is the largest muskie ever involved in a tracking study.
Keep in mind this includes tracking studies on the fabled Eagle Lake and Ottawa River.
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It's just east of Traverse Bay, and yes, they're connected. The one labeled Round Lake here is Skegemog. (I don't know why…)
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