2007 Muskellunge production info

[Brian]

I recently received a request for information relating to our donation to Nebraska Game and Parks.

Here are a few highlights:

• Virtually all of our $5000 donation in 2007 was used to purchase, or offset, the cost of minnow-feed for muskellunge production.
• On July 11 - 4,575 4" fingerlings were purchased from Iowa's Spirit Lake Hatchery and were delivered to the Calamus Hatchery south of Burwell, which had been stocked in May with brood fathead minnows.
• There were 4 additional feedings, totaling 215 gallons.
• Some feedings were pond-cultured (34 gal white sucker fingerlings, 26 gal yellow perch fingerlings, and 54 gal Black Crappie fingerlings).
• On Sept 26, ponds were drained and 3,560 advanced fish (9-11", 8.0/lb) were harvested and moved to the North Platte Hatchery for over-wintering. Pond survival was 77.8%.
• Over-wintering feed consisted of 50 gal of fathead minnows and surplus rainbow trout fingerlings.
• In 2007, total feed costs were $2.12 per fish.

We would like to thank the following:

• Jim Gleim and his staff at the Calamus Hatchery for all their hard work.
• The staff at the Valentine Hatchery for all their work in trying to clean up the Yellow Perch eggs damaged by ash introduced into the incubation system by heavy rains following the fires in Valentine, upstream of the Hatchery.
• The unknown members of District 4 who successfully captured several adult spawning pairs of white suckers.
• NGPC Fisheries management for their decision to over-winter the fingerlings in North Platte.

Brian Sanger, Pres.
Huskerland Muskie Hunters
Muskies, Inc. - Ch. #53

[Catfishsteve]

Great job, Brian! Congrats! You guys have done good!

[Chad]

Brain,

Will the organization be making another contribution in 2008?
Is a contribution required to keep the program going?

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Chad

Brain,

Will the organization be making another contribution in 2008?
Is a contribution required to keep the program going?

It wouldn't surprise me to see us make some sort of financial contribution to the resource...it's a part of what we're all about.

Will it be as large as last year? Likely not.



Are ongoing contributions required to sustain the program? That would be a question for Dean Rosenthal and Don Gabelhouse at NGPC. When I asked the question last year, the crystal ball wasn't functioning...so, we'll just have to wait and see what happens after the February meeting (when the districts put in their requests for 2009 stockings).

Rest assured, I'll let everyone know what happens!


- B

[burrodebo]

Brian,

Got any more pics of the growing up process these muskies went through? I'd love to see anything you have. That pic of the fingerlings in the bin is pretty cool.

[Brian]

I have a few pics:

This little guy won't be "legal" until the year 2014 -


Super-expensive, high-tech fish transport device:



My personal favorite....eagerly anticipating his new home:

[AnglerX]

Can anyone guess where the muskie in photo #3 is being stocked..I can Brian and Daryl do not count.

[Chad]

No clue. I would guess WT with the dog training area in the background, but that's just a guess based on little more than the fact that the hill looks moderately familiar and I was once on the dog training hill.

[AnglerX]

I'm going to say I'm 100% sure that is the Boat ramp looking SSE at TimberPoint . If I'm right-you will now know why I edit the background out in some of my pics.

[Chad]

Apparently you don't need to edit them on my account...

[AnglerX]

Muskies in bucket picture?
I happen to know the person who took the photo of those 12-14-inch fingerling muskies just waiting to swim out of the BLACK bucket and terrorize every living thing in that body of water.

That photo was taken on the new boat ramp at Timber Point, yes, looking south, southeast.

Later,

Daryl B.

Good thing I didn't make a bet! Daryl would have wanted half...

[Chad]

I've been around long enough to know one thing with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY.

Daryl likes apex predators.

waiting to... terrorize every living thing in that body of water.

[Chad]

I was right

Darned right I do! I marvel at all of those creatures, love 'em.

You know when they show those nature shows on TV and the lynx runs down the poor little snowshoe hare? And everybody feels sorry for the poor little rabbit? NOT ME! I am cheering for the predator! I love it when they are successful! Hey, predators got to eat too!

Have you seen the great white sharks rocketing up out of the water to cream a poor little defenseless seal basking on the surface? Sends chills up and down my spine. I love it. Now, what kind of a top-water lure would be a good imitation of a seal on the surface? What size of treble hooks would you have to put on that seal imitation? How heavy of line would I have to use? I suppose a steel leader would be mandatory.

Daryl B.

P.S. Feel free to share this message if you wish.