Let me make two things perfectly clear before going into the point of this post...
1. This post is NOT meant to bash or question any WCF angler's ethics or methods, especially someone like George.
2. I completely understand & appreciate targeting a specific species when the odds seem somewhat stacked against you & having success nonetheless (like when I decided to try targeting pike on the DP 10 years ago based on a hunch). I admit the idea of catching a muskie, regardless of size, in a body of water so close to Chicago is quite inviting. The mystique of Andrew's walleye adventures on the Salt Creek system is something I find intriguing & am envious of.
However, being a dedicated & somewhat educated muskie angler, something rubs me the wrong way about targeting under-sized muskies. A lot of my ire is being drawn from only having experience muskie fishing in lake & river systems where there has been an established & sizable population for years prior to my angling experience, thus the Busse equation is one I'm not sure how to calculate. Amongst regular muskie hunters, targeting immature fish would generally be considered taboo & unethical.
In other systems, the goal of a muskie angler is to catch a true trophy, and any incidental catch of a an undersized fish is purely accidental. Minimum length limits are not only in place to limit harvest of immature fish, but to also protect younger fish when they can be more vulnerable to angling pressure & damage from hooks, handling, etc. Do those limits stop under-sized muskie from biting a lure? Absolutely not. But in such a unique situation like the budding Busse/Salt Creek muskie population where the capturing of immature, undersized fish can be prevented or purposely decreased, to me it only makes sense that ethical anglers like the ones here on WCF limit the chances of these fish being caught until they begin to reach legal & ultimately trophy size.
It will be impossible to not catch these fish on occasion. The growth rates & consequent appetites of these size fish can be insatiable. Should you feel guilty if you catch a beautiful & aggressive young muskie while fishing for bass or walleye? No. Should you get a thrill out of the catch of a small muskie caught accidentally, especially from Busse (where it never seemed possible)? Hell yes! Will it seem unfair to see unethical, uninformed anglers and/or bucketheads trying to catch these same fish? Of course, but that doesn't tempt us to poach fish or alter our angling practices when we currently experience it, does it?
Muskie are an extremely valuable resource that, when managed effectively by both the vendor (DNR) & the consumer (angler), can create monumental & unsurpassed angling opportunities. Look at how the advent of larger length limits & strict, self-disciplined catch & release practices have transformed fisheries like Lake of the Woods, Mille Lacs, Vermillion, Georgian Bay, & Lac Seul into 50" factories. I don't pretend to believe that Busse can or will reach 1% of the level of fishery that these lakes have. In fact, I'm extremely concerned the Busse experiment will fail. But muskie are not the same fish as a bass or walleye, thus the effect of catching multiple undersized muskie will have a far more adverse impact than catching & releasing undersized bass or walleye.
I hope I haven't ruffled any feathers or made any of you cross-eyed by my long rant. My goal of this post was to possibly educate & spark potential debate, or at least get you thinking. And again, I'm not questioning George's ability or ethics and have the utmost respect for him as a fisherman & outdoorsman. I welcome any feedback to my soapbox post, positive or negative. Until then, good fishing.
Alex
1. This post is NOT meant to bash or question any WCF angler's ethics or methods, especially someone like George.
2. I completely understand & appreciate targeting a specific species when the odds seem somewhat stacked against you & having success nonetheless (like when I decided to try targeting pike on the DP 10 years ago based on a hunch). I admit the idea of catching a muskie, regardless of size, in a body of water so close to Chicago is quite inviting. The mystique of Andrew's walleye adventures on the Salt Creek system is something I find intriguing & am envious of.
However, being a dedicated & somewhat educated muskie angler, something rubs me the wrong way about targeting under-sized muskies. A lot of my ire is being drawn from only having experience muskie fishing in lake & river systems where there has been an established & sizable population for years prior to my angling experience, thus the Busse equation is one I'm not sure how to calculate. Amongst regular muskie hunters, targeting immature fish would generally be considered taboo & unethical.
In other systems, the goal of a muskie angler is to catch a true trophy, and any incidental catch of a an undersized fish is purely accidental. Minimum length limits are not only in place to limit harvest of immature fish, but to also protect younger fish when they can be more vulnerable to angling pressure & damage from hooks, handling, etc. Do those limits stop under-sized muskie from biting a lure? Absolutely not. But in such a unique situation like the budding Busse/Salt Creek muskie population where the capturing of immature, undersized fish can be prevented or purposely decreased, to me it only makes sense that ethical anglers like the ones here on WCF limit the chances of these fish being caught until they begin to reach legal & ultimately trophy size.
It will be impossible to not catch these fish on occasion. The growth rates & consequent appetites of these size fish can be insatiable. Should you feel guilty if you catch a beautiful & aggressive young muskie while fishing for bass or walleye? No. Should you get a thrill out of the catch of a small muskie caught accidentally, especially from Busse (where it never seemed possible)? Hell yes! Will it seem unfair to see unethical, uninformed anglers and/or bucketheads trying to catch these same fish? Of course, but that doesn't tempt us to poach fish or alter our angling practices when we currently experience it, does it?
Muskie are an extremely valuable resource that, when managed effectively by both the vendor (DNR) & the consumer (angler), can create monumental & unsurpassed angling opportunities. Look at how the advent of larger length limits & strict, self-disciplined catch & release practices have transformed fisheries like Lake of the Woods, Mille Lacs, Vermillion, Georgian Bay, & Lac Seul into 50" factories. I don't pretend to believe that Busse can or will reach 1% of the level of fishery that these lakes have. In fact, I'm extremely concerned the Busse experiment will fail. But muskie are not the same fish as a bass or walleye, thus the effect of catching multiple undersized muskie will have a far more adverse impact than catching & releasing undersized bass or walleye.
I hope I haven't ruffled any feathers or made any of you cross-eyed by my long rant. My goal of this post was to possibly educate & spark potential debate, or at least get you thinking. And again, I'm not questioning George's ability or ethics and have the utmost respect for him as a fisherman & outdoorsman. I welcome any feedback to my soapbox post, positive or negative. Until then, good fishing.
Alex
- BPM
