Articles : The Pollution of Muskies Into Our Waters

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The Pollution of Muskies Into Our Waters:
A controversial look at stocking practices
By: Steven James Rusteberg

This article is not written by some wacked out, over excited “gill” fisherman, or targeted to bash the Department of Natural Resources. It is not my intention to destroy the relationship Muskie fisherman have with other outdoors man or any governmental organization. This article will simply state the facts proven by current and past scientific research.
In the past several years it has been my personal goal to understand, not only the Muskies environment, but also it’s behavior. I have collected as much scientific data I can get my hands on, including tracking studies, genetic data, growth data, habitat studies, YOY (young of the year) research, and much more. I have read each study and drawn some of my own conclusions on how the fish “ticks”. I have done this in order to help me successfully catch and release more Muskie. The key to catching them, is to understand them. You must become one with the fish, it’s environment, and life habits in order to be successful on every fishing trip.
STOCKING:
It is very important that we understand the repercussion (biologically) of stocking Muskies into our ecosystems. As you know, the Muskie is the top of the food chain in many inland lakes. This sole fact, is why we need accurate population estimates. We need to know how many fish and individual system can tolerate before biological stressors take place. These “biological stressors” include forage depletion, and disease problems. We stock fish for the sportsman, but must remember that we can create too much of a good thing. We expect our biologists to know how many fish is too many fish... but the fact is the scientists don’t know this without doing research.
A recent phone call to my local DNR fish manager revealed that we don’t currently know how many fish are in the Fox Chain. We know how many we stocked, and we know anglers are fairly successful at capturing them, but don’t know how many are out there.

FACT: We don’t know the mortality on the stocked fish in most Illinois waters.
FACT: We don’t know if these fish spawn in any Illinois waters.
FACT: We don’t know the natural recruitment numbers (if any) in Illinois waters.
FACT: WE DON”T HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF JUST HOW MANY FISH ARE OUT THERE IN ILLINOIS WATERS.

A scary thought if your a biologist trying to balance an ecosystem.

My point on this issue is we need to know an accurate population estimate before stocking continues. Serious repercussions of careless stocking can result in total population losses. Chautauqua Lake fisherman experienced this first hand. They woke up one morning in the mid-eighties to find Muskellunge dead on the surface of the lake. Red Spot Disease (a blood disease) caused by overpopulation stressors killed off a good percentage of the population of Muskellunge in their lake. It is 1998 and the lake is just starting to make a comeback. With a population estimate we can avoid this catastrophy. Perhaps we can stock more fish if we are not stocking enough!

GENETICS:
This is an issue that can really get heated among biologists, but since I have gone this far I feel it necessary to include in this article. Several scientists have broken down the DNA of the Muskie to determine where these fish have come from. A (macro) ecologist will tell you that Muskies originated from a prehistoric pike species called Esox tiemani. This species according to LeBeau (a leading scientist in Muskie research) was found as far down south as Georgia during the ice age. Skeletal remains have proven this. The fish was a river species, ambushing it’s pray much as the common Muskellunge does today. As these glaciers reseeded, three distinct populations took hold. These three populations are known as Ohio River Strain, Great Lakes Strain, and St. Lawrence River Strain of Muskellunge.
As the glaciers further reseeded, lakes (or potholes in the earth) filled with still water, and became home to stranded Muskellunge. Other Muskellunge retreated back to the river and remain there today. These Muskellunge had to adapt to their environment to survive Mother Natures wrath. These changes, scientists theorize, is partly why we observe Muskellunge characteristic to be so different. This is why some have spots and others have stripes, and some grow long, and some grow fat. Other reasons include there genetic line and forage base.

How does this effect what we do in Illinois?

Strains of Muskellunge have been “genically programed”. With every strand of DNA, the fish has been predetermined to growth rates, and “ecospecific” conditions within it’s (original) environment . Some strains have a very rapid growth rate and die off quickly, others have a very slow growth rate and can live up to thirty years of age. Stocking the proper genetic strain into our waters is critical for a trophy fishery. For example, if we stock all Michael Jordan Muskellunge into our water, we may end up with long skinny fish...( with a great jump shot). On the other hand if we stock a William Perry Muskellunge we may end up with all heavy fish...( that hit a Suick like a freight train). My crude analogy is simply to help you better understand that which genetic strain we put into our water is critical to it’s health and wealth.
It is quite obvious to me that the DNR is trying to create a “trophy” fishery in the state. The 48" size limit proves it! Why aren’t we stocking a Muskellunge with the correct growth rates and genetic capability to do this? If we are truly “growing a trophy fishery” why aren’t we stocking just female Muskie? After all, they are the only sex that can reach giant per portions!
If you want an interesting read on Muskie genetic diversity, send to David Whal at the University of Illinois. He has broken down the genetic growth rates of the different strains of Muskellunge and recommended to us what strains produce well in our thermal regime. His work, simply put, says “ be careful what you stock!” He infers that we may not be stocking the best strain of Muskellunge into our waters. More research must be done on this matter. He even suggests that we stock Muskellunge strains on a lake by lake basis for the best success. Why? Whal believes that specific genetic strains may do better in different environments. Maybe, strain “A”, has outstanding growth rates in a Shad forage base lake, where as it may not do well in a perch forage base lake. Maybe strain “A” does better in southern lakes where the water is warmer, and fails in northern lakes where the water is cooler. Again, only research will give us the answers.

GENETIC DIVERSITY:
THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR WATERS Both you and I are guiltily of pollution. I am not speaking of “physical pollution”, but a much more serious “hidden genetic pollution”. Yes, you have encouraged our political system to stock Muskellunge into waters where they have never existed there before. This can mean trouble. We have also stocked foreign strains of Muskellunge to increase natural populations, sometimes pulling recruits from these “foreign” strains, thus, mixing genetic attributes. Mixing strains through natural reproduction will “dilute” the original fish. This “dilution” doesn’t always have positive reprecussions to the fisherman, or the environment. Ontario is very aware that this took place in their past, and is currently attempting to bring back original populations. Stocking efforts have been put on hold, until they (and we) understand the repercussions.

What does this mean for Illinois?
How does this affect me (the Muskie fisherman)?
Should there be Muskie Stocking in Illinois?
If we do stock, what strain is best for a healthy fishery?
Should we do anything without accurate population estimates?

These are just some questions you maybe asking yourself. Most don’t have a simple answer. I did not write this article to have a negative attitude about Muskie stocking in the state, but to impress upon people to think before we act. Muskies in Illinois have only been around for 20 years, but other states such as Missouri with younger projects, that seem to be light years ahead of us. They have put together a“Ten Year Strategic Plan For Management”. They know what strain does the best in their waters, and are producing that strain at their hatcheries. They know what they want, what they know, and how to get it! Why don’t we?
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT?
Call Springfield and voice your opinion.... Division of Fisheries (217) 785-8266!