Posted in Conservation Matters on 12/17/2010 by mayfly18
November 30, 2010 turned out to be a great day for Eddy Beers as he fished the St. Lawrence River with Bob Walters, a fishing guide from Clayton, NY. Eddy landed a 59 inch musky that unofficially tipped the scales around 56 pounds. The team attempted a live release, but unfortunately, the fish did not respond to resuscitation attempts and succumbed. This fish was most likely a female and at least 20 years of age. A world class fish for sure.
Read “Saving Muskies” below to learn how world class fish like this remain in the St. Lawrence River.
Saving Muskies.
Although top-notch musky fishing is available on the St. Lawrence River today, muskellunge populations were in danger of collapse in the late 1960′s. At that time, the biology of the species was virtually unknown, and as a result, little was done to manage and protect them. In the 1980s, an international working group of researchers and managers from the DEC, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), and SUNY ESF joined forces to form the Escoid Working Group. Efforts from this group led to a vast collection of information on muskellunge, which helped create consistent international regulations to effectively manage the species and its critical habitats. Additionally, “Save the River”, an environmental advocacy group, has been an instrumental partner with DEC in promoting a catch and release philosophy to anglers, which undoubtedly has led to improvements in the fishery. A tremendous amount of effort from many individuals has been invested into learning about, and restoring musky to its rightful place as “King of the St. Lawrence”.
Further information on muskellunge management and research initiatives (http://www.esf.edu/tibs/Documents/SLR%20Muskellunge%20Management%20Plan%20III.pdf) (PDF, 421 kb) may be found on the SUNY ESF web site.
John Dwyer's Angling Journal 