natural reproduction

[slimehuffer]

ME SICK
First off I just want to thank u tony for running such a great operation every time I come down there I have a blast and learn so much fishing with you and your guides, and your a damn good cook. One of the 4 fish my dad caught over the weekend, he always says " I was musky fishing when you where just a stain in your moms underwear," needless to say he took us to school, anyways one of those fish was barely 11 inches. I no that the last stocking was in oct. and all fingerlings where 11-16 inches. My ? is if there is some way this fish was stocked and is just stunted or something and is not growing. Or maybe it was naturally reproduced above the dam or maybe just maybe nature is findeing a way and the muskies are starting to reproduce in the lake. If this fish is from natural reproduction on the main lake I would asume it was born last spring witch brings me to my second ?. I no last spring was cooler and I think water temps went up more gradually this in part with not a lot of rain stirring things up and burrying their eggs in mud can and will the muskies of cave run ever have a significante natural reproduction even only if it was the perfect year?

[MagikSmallie]

I thought They did reproduce naturally on the Cave...do they not?

[slimehuffer]

.... In significante numbers not that I'm aware of, if they where I think the DNR would start to regulate fishing seasons to try to protect them dureing the spawn. Doesn't the DNR call cave run a "put take lake," don't get me wrong there has to be some eggs that get fertilized and left alone enough to hatch but my ? Is can and will the muskies down there start to evolve and start spawing differently to ensure there own survival(they don't no there's gonna be a bunch of there brothers and sisters dumped in at the launch). The mn dnr did a study on leech lake tracking seasonal movements and spawing behaviors and they discovered the muskies where spawning in areas that weren't the typical spawning areas, after more research they found out the muskies where stageing there spawn farther out from shore in deeper water, the dnr assumes they are evolveing and spawing differently because of the presence of pike and all the pike fry eating muskies eggs. I no there's no pike down there but I think after a big female dumps her eggs year after year with no succes she might start to try something different to ensure the survival of her species. Are we about to witness the evolution of a top end apex predator to ensure his or her own survival....I hope so just like to hear some other peoples thoughts on the subject.

[MagikSmallie]

I find this very interesting and I want to learn more. I know that Musky were native to the Licking River long before it was impounded, so I assume that if they reproduced before the lake they should reproduce after. But at the same time impounding a river slows the current and increases the sediment settling (increased turbidity) so maybe just the simple fact of impounding the river caused a decrease in reproduction rates? Good Topic let's keep it going.

[TimG]

I read somewhere that the eggs from the fish below the dam are of better quality, which is why they get their brood stock from there. I've always heard that there was no natural reproduction to speak of in Cave Run. I guess it has to do with them evolving as a riverine species. As I understand it muskies don't reproduce very well anywhere, as they don't guard their eggs etc. so that probably doesn't help either.

[mikie]

At the Cave last week, DNR was shocking fish and collecting eggs in Beaver Creek, Buck Run, Clay Lick....

It's difficult for muskies to spawn in flood control reservoirs, since water levels in the shallows fluctuate so much. Where they lay eggs one week could be dry land two weeks later. m

[TimG]

Ahhh, I was misinformed then. I did read that somewhere, though. I guess you can't believe everything you read. Have they done that in years past too?

[mikie]

Tim, I dunno, and I couldn't tell if it was state or fed people in the boat. All i know, I was trying to get some fishing done in Buck Creek, but it's hard to compete with a fish shocking rig!

Scott attended a local club meeting that evening and they were talking about shocking in the main lake and Beaver Creek there, he passed on some info to me about the catch rates (which were considerably better than mine!). Contact Mr. Salchli since I'm sure he knows more than I. m

[TimG]

Hey Mikie, how did you guys wind up doing? I was the guy in the back of the Stratos you kept bumping into in the Northfork area on Friday. A tough bite, but we did wind up with some nice accidental bass and the one sub-legal.

[mikie]

Actually, it was my son Jon's best day on the water in quite some time - maybe ever. The muskies weren't moving for me, but he targeted bass and got his PB largemouth, a KY spot, many white bass and a couple stripers. It was his second time out fishing this year and he cleaned up! I couldn't be much happier about that. m

[J.E.]

I was fishing around black water in late fall and I saw alot of musky in the 9 to 12 in. swiming around.I think this are natural reproduction, because is area are not stock.