muskiedreams

It would be nice if pike like that weren't as rare as they are. More catch and release could make that possible.

Nice Larry!! I will be looking forward to seeing the video. Now that you are back to the cold you might want to wear one of these At least you missed the worst of it. For Rochester it was the coldest February on record.

John Kelley, Thank you very much for your input. It is very interesting what your friend in England told you about what they did in order to achieve such good trophy fisheries. But I am guessing that they also took measure to preserve and/or enhance spawning grounds and how much (if any) harvesting of smaller fish was occurring. Still, it can be very tricky to maintain a trophy fishery because there has to be enough smaller fish reaching a larger size to take the place of those trophy fish that will eventually die of old age as well as a healthy forage base and habitat. But maybe when there are a good amount of trophy size fish, they will naturally control the numbers of smaller size fish to an ideal level. I am also curious about what the pike populations and size in Minnesota are like now. I know they have invested a lot of effort in muskies for quite some time and they have been quite successful but I am not sure about how many waters are producing trophy muskies and if any of the musky waters there are naturally sustained or have become naturally sustainable following a stocking program. There are always so many things that can affect the balance of a fishery. Even without our influences, I am sure there would be fluctuations due to natural causes. But we are, no doubt, a big part of the equation and we must do what we can based on monitoring, research science and controlled actions in partnership with the DEC to make sure we don't throw the equation out of balance.

Thank you sk8man for posting this topic. I beleive that the diary studies provide a lot of valuable information that the DEC can use in conjunction with other data that they collect in order to assess and manage the health of out fisheries throughout the state. Not only for trout and salmon, but for all species in OUR lakes and streems. I capitalized "our" on purpose to emphisize the importence for all anglers to take part in helping to manage the resources we all enjoy using, so that we and future generations will be able to enjoy all the great angling opportunities that we have in New York for years to come as well as continuing to improve on them. We owe it to ourselves and future generations. Also, Joining conservation minded clubs can be a way to give even more by volunteering to help with projects as well as a way to gain an understanding of what is involved in managing our fisheries. There is also the bonus of making new friends and learning things that will make you a better angler. Muskies Inc. Chapter 69 just started participating in diary studies for Conesus Lake and Waneta Lake last year. Even if you only fish a few times a year, the information that you can provide is helpful. I would like to see more fishing clubs getting involved in participating and promoting the diary studies as well as volunteering to help with field operations and promoting a conservation mindset amongst all anglers. In the state of Wisconsin, there is a great deal of colaberation and cooperation between fishing and other outdoor clubs and organizations and their DNR, and their great resources are testimony to the success of these kinds of cooperative efforts. Working in groups and partnering with other groups can also have an impact on raising more public and private funds and focussed effort for our fisheries while at the same time improving habitat for other wildlife. Another club that I am in, The Niagara Musky Association, has been participating in diary studies for the Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor for many years. I haven't been participating in it but I intend to this year because I usually fish those waters at least 3 or 4 times per year. If you fish wates in more than one region each season, you can contact the regional DEC office to find out if they are conducting a diary study for the waters you fish or you might be able to fnd out on th DEC website. They will send you a diary at the beginning of the season and then they will send you a postage paid envelope at the end of the season to mail it back to them. Even if you don't catch any fish, the informatin is helpful to detemine the average angler hours of effort per fish caught. Also, the more anglers that participate, the more accurate the data will be.

You might be able to get that question answered and more here. DEC Announces State of Lake Ontario Meetings There will be experts from both sides of the pond discussing many aspects about the state of Lake Ontario. It is always very informative. Not to mention the free cookies!

Beautiful fish!! Thanks for the release You are a

Chase0218, If it is possible with muskies (which I am not Positive about), it is likely it is also possible with pike and possibly other fish. Ronix 51, If you are reading this, can you shed any light on this thought.

Funny I just got a spam about an Evinrude offer. Seems like too much of a coicidence.

Chas0218, I believe Larry mentioned that once in reference to catching muskies late in the season on cold days. What his main concern with it was that if the eyes freeze it can cause permanent damage to them. I am not sure if it is true or not. If it is, they might not be able to feed effectively any more.

One thing that I think is important is that whatever you decide on, it is best if the model sells in good numbers and it remains mostly unchanged for several years. This will insure better access to parts and service in the future, including aftermarket parts. You don't want to have to junk it because you just can't find a replacement part.

I have a 1995 Evinrude 15 hp 4 stroke on a Grumman 18' aluminum boat. It is mounted on a heavy duty kicker bracket that I can raise and lower. I had a brace installed inside to strengthen the transom behind the kicker. I use an EZ steer for steering leakage. I have to use a tie down to secure the motor from bouncing around on the road. I would have perferred to have a transom wide enough to mount the kicker directly on it and I wish I had a throtle at the helm. I typically troll at 3 t0 4.5 mph but it will go down to about 1.5 and up to about 8 or 10 mph. The 10hp at that time was only a little lighter (same block) and I got a deal on the 15 hp in 96'. What I don't like about it is that some parts are no longer available. It hasn't been an issue yet. I think you should do ok with a 9.9. The 15 hp did come in handy for me a couple times when the main motor failed.