Commentary: Let’s examine potential solutions of the forward-facing sonar issue and muskies – Outdoor News
With the recent advances in directional sonar – forward-facing sonar (FFS), to be specific – we are faced with a conversation about the ethical responsibilities of angling for muskies during what is a period of vulnerability for these fish: the post-spawn period during June.
What brings this conversation to the forefront is a pattern that has developed during the past few years. In lakes with deep-water habitat, such as what can be found in portions of Minnesota’s Leech Lake, anglers targeting muskies with FFS have found success at never-before-seen levels, sometimes catching up to “in the teens” numbers of muskies per day – abnormal and concerning levels to many anglers.
These areas have sometimes as many as 20 to 25 boaters targeting these fish at a time. Three to eight fish caught per day is somewhat common, but a much higher number of captures have occurred on key days.
It has been known, for many years, that the post-spawn adult muskies frequent these areas and that a good bite occurs just following the muskie-fishing opener until roughly the Fourth of July. Trollers and casters have seen success in the past, but not to these elevated numbers.
FFS allows anglers to be extremely efficient, searching out individual fish, casting to them, then quickly moving on to the next – rather than somewhat blindly trolling and casting to target fish in a general area.
MORE MUSKIE COVERAGE FROM OUTDOOR NEWS:
Outdoor Insights: A special muskie regulation on Minnesota’s Leech Lake?
Jeremy Smith: Time to take a pinpointed approach to managing forward-facing sonar
Minnesota’s new muskie plan will put an emphasis on yearling stocking
Things we know
• Muskies are a low-incidence fish in the best waters with a low-density but high-quality fishery.
• Leech, in many ways, is Minnesota’s “capstone” muskie lake – where the original eggs came from and were used to increase and augment muskie waters across the state and even in other states.
• Muskies, like many fish, suffer from barotrauma if taken from deep water. This depth is not a fixed number and varies given other factors.
• Muskies will suffer from temperature stress, as well, if quickly moved to and/or through warm-water temperature barriers – deeper (cooler) to shallower (warmer).
• A good number of muskies, in many bodies of water, only rarely move to shallow water – if only during spawn.
• Muskies may suffer from various stressors from a typical angling battle (lactic acid buildup, hook trauma, net-damage trauma, blindness, loss of blood) that can result in a fatality.
• The majority of the suspended, post-spawn, muskies that are targeted during the June and early July period are adults – sexually mature fish that are already recovering from the rigors of spawning (yet another stressor). A few muskies are typically seen floating (dead) from about June 5 to 25 just from the rigors of spawning alone, but not to the number seen during the past two or three seasons.
This is the most intense angling pressure Leech (and other lakes) has sustained during, traditionally, what has been a time of rest, feeding, and recuperation for the fish. There is nowhere for them to hide anymore.
Conclusion
This brings us to where we are at present:
Should we regulate to protect these fish? How could regulating be done successfully? Should we simply try to change the ethical acceptance of targeting this population of muskies in water depths greater than, say, 20 feet? Or should we do nothing and let the chips (resource) fall where they may and a valuable population of fish be devastated?
The Leech Lake Fisheries Input Group, composed of roughly 15 representatives from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Cass County, city of Walker, area guides, Leech Lake Owners Association, as well as business owners/resort owners and other local and statewide entities meet with local/regional DNR officials on a yearly basis. One idea discussed was to post signs at public access points, encouraging anglers to refrain from targeting muskies in water deeper than 20 feet in the water column.
Time will tell whether this first step comes to fruition, but anglers are encouraged to be part of the conversation as this is an evolving issue. I would encourage you to call the Walker DNR office if you have input/ideas or if you do indeed witness a dead muskie on Leech Lake this open-water season.
Craven is a retired educator/coach for the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School District, and is a longtime fishing guide, seminar presenter, and outdoors writer.
