The ‘Good Old Days’ are now!
When I started my fisheries career in Northern Michigan in the 1970s there were fewer muskie waters available, and the overall size structure of muskie in them was much poorer than now. The area I started in the Western U.P. had more viable muskie waters than many areas of the State, although the size structure of muskie in those waters was much smaller.
Benji Wood,V.P. of the Boundary Waters Muskie Club.
Muskie fishing guides from Wisconsin regularly travel to our U.P. waters to provide their clients with a successful and satisfying muskie fishing experience. Although back then, muskie anglers were pretty happy to catch a muskie larger than 36 inches long. Throughout my career as a fisheries management biologist, muskie anglers’ expectations escalated. During the 1980s and 90s most muskie anglers were pretty satisfied with boating a muskie over 40 inches in length. Before I retired, most muskie anglers I spoke to were searching for waters that could produce muskie 50 inches or larger. This escalation of expectations is similar to many deer hunters and big antlered bucks.
Changing Attitude
What changes happened to result in the overall size structure to improve for muskies in Michigan waters? One of the greatest factors is a changing attitude by the majority of muskie anglers about catch and release. Muskie research indicates it often takes about 15 years for a muskie to attain large “trophy” size. Since normal muskie populations are much less dense than other good game fish populations like walleye, bass, or pike, they are more susceptible to being cropped off by catch-and-keep anglers.
Unlike northern pike, muskies are not prone to high natural mortality and, as a result, are a more long-lived species, which allows a higher percentage of them to reach quality size. Muskies attaining a larger size can be retained in the muskie fishery if they are not caught and kept in large numbers, allowing larger numbers of good-sized fish to build up. Muskie Inc. maintains the largest data set of muskies in the country. A research study by Kevin Richards on the Muskies Inc. data stated, “In the 1960s and prior, muskie fishing was a catch-and-kill sport.” Numerous historical photos of noted muskie fishing guides in Wisconsin show them shooting muskies alongside the boat to subdue them before boating them. Another muskie shooting story spread widely years ago. Reportedly, an off-duty Detroit policeman boated a muskie out in Lake St Clair and shot it, although it was in the bottom of the boat. He had to be rescued as his boat sank offshore. In the past most muskie tournaments were not held in a way that would allow for anything other than keeping the fish.
The Muskies Inc. Richards study found in the early 1970s, only a limited portion of legal-sized muskies were released upon being caught by muskie anglers. That same data indicated almost all 50-inch muskies were kept by successful anglers. In 2015, when the research summary wrapped up, that had changed to 99.9% of all muskies were released and 100% of muskies over 50 inches released.
Upgrading Regulations
For many years up until 1993, the muskie minimum size (MSL) limit was 30 inches and a daily bag limit of one. That year, the inland muskie MSL increased to 42 inches with a daily limit of one fish. In 1995, the entire State was increased to the 42-inch MSL, including the Great Lakes. In 2013, the bag limit on muskies was reduced to one muskie per year, reflecting the change in angler attitudes about retaining a potential trophy fish. In 2018, the overall State muskie MSL stayed at 42 inches, although a limited number of waters MSL changed based on their potential to produce “trophy” fish or have a larger muskie population with more likelihood of catching a muskie. These lakes are laid out in Note 7 of the Michigan Fishing Guide. Some “action” lakes have an MSL of 38 inches.
Some muskie waters have a somewhat higher MSL at 46 inches, and a few waters with the greatest potential to produce big muskies have a 50-inch MSL. Typically, the later 50-inch MSL waters have a lower muskie density.
An additional muskie fishing regulation change that occurred over the last three decades is more muskie waters were added to a spearing ban on muskie. Research has shown that muskies are extremely curious fish, hence their tendency to follow up close but not strike at potential forage (lures). This makes them very susceptible to spearing, where those same fish are not as likely to be caught hook and line.
Muskie Age
In a 2017 summary study by John Casselman (preeminent muskie researcher) examined Muskies Inc. data for 43 years (1971 to 2013) and found that the harvest of muskies has been greatly reduced over that period. This “reduction was due to a great increase in catch and release angling and also increased minimum size limit regulations.”
The Casselman study found that “muskie length, weight and age of fish have all increased significantly” over their study period. Their study found that “muskie size and mean age increased substantially, indicating an overall increase in the mature muskie population and increased reproductive potential of muskies.” The study went on to conclude, “To ensure sustainable trophy muskie populations, fish younger than 15 years should not be exposed to fishing mortality.”
Summary
Research and large data sets maintained by Muskies Inc. indicate your chances of catching a trophy muskie are better now than in the past decades. The only downside is that another research study by Jim Diana, University of Michigan, has found that increased shoreline development on muskie waters reduces their potential to maintain muskie populations through natural reproduction. Michigan DNR has struggled to build up its muskie fingerling production. Fortunately, Northern Michigan still has a number of self-sustaining natural muskie waters. As a result, although good muskie populations could be more widespread in the waters maintained by natural reproduction the good old days of quality muskie fishing are now!
