New muskellunge and northern pike regulation changes

[Anthony Adams]

New muskellunge and northern pike regulation changes to take effect April 1

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that new muskellunge and northern pike regulations will go into effect for all anglers on April 1, 2013. In Michigan, only one muskellunge (including tiger muskellunge) may be harvested per season per angler. Anglers who would like to harvest muskellunge must have a new muskellunge harvest tag, available March 1, 2013. Anglers are not required to obtain this harvest tag to fish for muskellunge; it's only for those anglers that intend to harvest a muskellunge.

Muskellunge harvest tags are free and available at all license vendors. Anglers who do not possess the tag are required to release all muskellunge they catch. The new tag will be used as a means to enforce the new possession limit statewide and will allow the DNR to monitor how many tags are provided to anglers and to provide insight on the level of harvest.

Registration of muskellunge harvest is not a requirement, but it will help the DNR manage this important species. For more information, please visit www.michigan.gov/muskie.

New northern pike regulations will also go into effect on April 1, 2013. Northern pike regulations now include the establishment of a new 24-inch to 34-inch protected slot limit (PSL) regulation on several waters. The DNR believes this new regulation has the potential to increase predation levels by larger northern pike on smaller northern pike and result in a greater number of larger northern pike on various waters. A new provision has been added to waters where up to five northern pike may be taken. This provision restricts harvest to only one northern pike greater than 24 inches allowed as part of the daily possession limit of five pike on those waters.

Modifications to the muskellunge and northern pike regulations were developed with collaboration between the DNR and the Warmwater Resources Steering Committee (WRSC), a public advisory group that was tasked with review of muskellunge and northern pike regulation proposals. Additionally, the general angling public participated in a survey to advise the DNR on these regulation changes. These regulations will serve to protect and enhance future muskellunge and northern pike populations for anglers.

[Anthony Adams]

Contact: Nick Popoff, 517-373-1280 or Ed Golder, 517-335-3014

Public meetings to be held in March and April to discuss fishing regulations

The Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division has announced public meetings to be held throughout Michigan to discuss local and statewide fishing regulation proposals.

The purpose of these meetings is to discuss local fisheries management and regulation proposals. Additionally, modifications to northern pike and muskellunge regulations were adopted for the 2013 fishing season and a presentation summarizing these changes will be given at each meeting. 

Three regulations were adopted for northern pike in 2013: the statewide 24-inch minimum size limit, a five-fish bag limit with only one fish greater than 24-inches allowed in the daily limit and a 24-inch to 34-inch protected slot limit. For muskellunge, the possession limit has been modified to one fish per season for 2013. Depending on the geographical area, managers may discuss the modifying management for northern pike or muskellunge on specific local lakes based upon these newly adopted regulations types.

Meeting dates, times and locations include:

Tuesday, March 12 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (EST) at the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center located at 6087 E. M-115 in Cadillac, hosted by the Central Lake Michigan Management Unit.

Tuesday, March 19 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (EST) at the Portage Library located at 300 Library Lane in Portage, hosted by the Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit.

Tuesday, March 19 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (EST) at the Bay City State Recreation Area's Visitors' Center located at 3582 State Park Dr. in Bay City, hosted by the Southern Lake Huron Management Unit.

Tuesday, April 2 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST) at Cheboygan Sportsman Club located at 13516 Seffren Rd. in Cheboygan, hosted by the Northern Lake Huron Management Unit.

Tuesday, April 2 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (EST) at Ishpeming Township Hall located at 1575 U.S. 41 in Ishpeming hosted, by the Western Lake Superior Management Unit.

Wednesday, April 3 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (CST)/7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (EST) at Gogebic Community College located at E. 4946 Jackson Rd. in Ironwood, hosted by the Western Lake Superior Management Unit.

Thursday, April 4 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (EST) at Portage Lake District Library located at 58 Huron St. in Houghton, hosted by the Western Lake Superior Management Unit.

Thursday, April 4 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (EST) at Clinton-Macomb Public Library located at 40900 Romeo Plank Rd. in Clinton Township, hosted by the Lake Erie Management Unit.

Monday, April 8 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (EST) at Sydney's Restaurant located at 400 Cedar St. in Munising, hosted by the Eastern Lake Superior Management Unit.

Tuesday, April 9 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (EST) at Tahquamenon Area Public Library located at 700 Newberry Ave. in Newberry, hosted by the Eastern Lake Superior Management Unit.

Tuesday, April 9 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (EST) at the Bay College Heirman Center located at 2001 N. Lincoln Road in Escanaba, hosted by the Northern Lake Michigan Management Unit.

Thursday, April 11 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (CST) at Bay College West located at 2801 N. U.S. 2 in Iron Mountain, hosted by the Northern Lake Michigan Management Unit.
For more information on these meetings, visit www.michigan.gov/fishing.

Individuals attending these meetings are requested to refrain from using heavily-scented personal care products, in order to enhance accessibility for everyone. Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for this meeting should contact the local meeting coordinator a minimum of five (5) business days before it occurs. Requests made less than five (5) business days before this meeting will not be accommodated.

[Anthony Adams]

Hey Dan read up on this and give me a ring later today or tomorrow.

I have concerns and I think all fishermen & outdoorsmen should take notice and participate in these meetings. They may apply to you more then you know.

If anyone would like to discuss this with me or has concerns I would like to hear it. Just message me your phone number or concerns.

Thanks all

[thedude]

its nice the DNR decided to host these as far away as possible from any major city.......

[djkimmel]

Must be were all the pike anglers live...?? I was at the final meeting were they discussed the pike and muskie plans with the pike and muskie groups. It was an 'interesting' meeting. I'm glad I was there. You should have seen how things might have gone otherwise...

I would suggest these public meetings are a GREAT opportunity for a bunch of you to tell the MDNR that you want year-round bass fishing.

But please, no doe urine, or other outdoor scents! I hope we don't end up with height or weight requirements next! (just kidding with all of the last sentence. I guess )

[Team houston]

April 1st is still a couple weeks away.

[LAPORTE]

its nice the DNR decided to host these as far away as possible from any major city.......

My thoughts as well ....

[Big dreams]

Hoping to expand my knowledge on this from you guys on the board...  What is the purpose of Muskies when we have pike?  Why do we need both?  Has there ever been any cases of Muskies attacking people?  I don't know much about them so please help me understand this.

[stackenem]

Did I miss something? pike minimum 24" 5 pike limit but only 1 over 24"

[Anthony Adams]

its nice the DNR decided to host these as far away as possible from any major city.......

A bit odd with so many in the UP and Northern Michigan. I'm guessing that the lakes mostly in question are in the UP.

It's a bit disappointing to say the least.

I get nervous when ever the DNR starts talking proposed fishing regulation changes then holds the meetings in remote places.

[djkimmel]

Did I miss something? pike minimum 24" 5 pike limit but only 1 over 24"

The information is summarized a little confusing. There are a number of different options the MDNR wanted and anglers overall approved for managing lakes with different pike populations just as they have had lakes with no size or creel limit in the past. If I remember right, that version would be used on lakes with lots of pike, but not many big pike so you can keep small ones but only 1 over 24".

[djkimmel]

its nice the DNR decided to host these as far away as possible from any major city.......

A bit odd with so many in the UP and Northern Michigan. I'm guessing that the lakes mostly in question are in the UP.

It's a bit disappointing to say the least.

I get nervous when ever the DNR starts talking proposed fishing regulation changes then holds the meetings in remote places.

You're going to have to get back in 'the game!' There were numerous public meetings and a public survey. All this was decided last year after public meetings, going through the survey results and presenting them to pike and muskie user groups at citizen advisory committee meetings.

I don't remember everywhere that I personally posted information about the meetings and the survey but I know I shared it on Facebook and at least my GreatLakesIceFishing.com website if not on this website too?

The meetings this year are to roll the changes out approved last year by the public and pike/muskie groups to the most affected areas of the state. Most of the lakes getting new, special pike regulations are in the far north and the Upper Peninsula.

[djkimmel]

Hoping to expand my knowledge on this from you guys on the board...  What is the purpose of Muskies when we have pike?  Why do we need both?  Has there ever been any cases of Muskies attacking people?  I don't know much about them so please help me understand this.

Muskies are a native apex predator of our lakes and rivers. They are a highly desirable trophy sport fish that have gone through a fishing revolution similar to bass where most anglers who specifically target them now practice close to total catch and release. Many muskie groups wanted no creel on muskie at all.

Muskellunge are generally not as numerous as pike. They seem to spawn later than pike and their fry can become targets of earlier spawning pike fingerlings - possibly one reason pike are more numerous in more lakes since they use similar spawning habitat. There are lakes where muskies do real well and pike do not, though it is much more common to be the other way around.

They can get a lot bigger than pike at the top end though it usually takes many, many years for them to get to the top end size of 50 to 70 pounds. There are at least 3 types of muskie in Michigan - the Great Lakes muskie, the Northern muskie (they like rivers) and the naturally and artificially occurring muskie/pike hybrid - the Tiger muskie.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_53405-214034--,00.html

The Michigan state record for Great Lakes muskie has been broken twice in the past 3 years from the Torch Lake chain, first from Torch Lake and then last fall by a 58 pound fish caught by a bass angler fishing Lake Bellaire with a small minnow. That fish was recognized by 1 group I'm not real familiar with as a world record since the older world records of 60 to near 70 pounds have been thrown into question by multiple claims of fraud.

Lake St. Clair may have the most muskie of any other body of water in the world so we are getting lots of national and international attention.

[Anthony Adams]

its nice the DNR decided to host these as far away as possible from any major city.......

A bit odd with so many in the UP and Northern Michigan. I'm guessing that the lakes mostly in question are in the UP.

It's a bit disappointing to say the least.

I get nervous when ever the DNR starts talking proposed fishing regulation changes then holds the meetings in remote places.

You're going to have to get back in 'the game!' There were numerous public meetings and a public survey. All this was decided last year after public meetings, going through the survey results and presenting them to pike and muskie user groups at citizen advisory committee meetings.

I don't remember everywhere that I personally posted information about the meetings and the survey but I know I shared it on Facebook and at least my GreatLakesIceFishing.com website if not on this website too?

The meetings this year are to roll the changes out approved last year by the public and pike/muskie groups to the most affected areas of the state. Most of the lakes getting new, special pike regulations are in the far north and the Upper Peninsula.

I have to admit that I'm not up on things as well as I used to be. But I made some phone calls and there are some proposed fishing rule changes that will be discussed at these meetings. However I haven't yet got my hands on those actual proposed changes.

Maybe you could shed some light on these new proposed changes?

[djkimmel]

It is different for each meeting. I never expect or try to be the only source for information. Which is why I created a forum where any member can share information they have with anyone else who reads it. If you have some helpful information, please share it.

Here is a link to the planned discussion at the Cadillac meeting on March 12: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10371_10402-296496--,00.html

Here is a link to the planned discussion at the Kalamazoo meeting on March 19: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10371_10402-296564--,00.html

Here is a link to the planned discussion at the Bay City meeting also on March 19: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10371_10402-296552--,00.html

What I suggest is for more people to keep up on their MDNR (and other government activities) by subscribing to email press releases and update at: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MIDNR/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1

PS: The new and improved 2013 Michigan DNR fishing guide is now available: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10371_10402-296165--,00.html

Shortly, they should come out with a major changes for 2013 link on the MDNR fishing web page - www.michigan.gov/fishing