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********** SHOW-ME MUSKIE PROJECT ********** The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is seeking conservation-minded muskie anglers who are willing to participate in an evaluation of the effectiveness of Missouri's muskellunge management program. We seek a wide cross-section of muskie anglers at all levels of skill and experience. Missouri's Muskellunge Plan sets muskie angler catch rate objectives which can be documented most efficiently by anglers themselves. If you choose to participate, here's how the program will work: Your part is easy! Volunteers will receive a supply of "Show-Me Muskie Trip Record" forms and can make photocopies if additional forms are needed. Only essential information is requested, so the form should require less than one minute to complete after each trip. You will be asked to maintain a file of completed Trip Record forms for each day of muskie fishing. Even if you catch no fish, it will be very important that you complete and file a Trip Record form for each trip. Twice annually, you will be prompted by mail to return your Trip Record forms to MDC's Muskellunge Program Advisor in a postage-paid envelope. You will also receive a supply of blank forms which should be completed and kept in your file during the next recording period. All individual information sent to the Muskellunge Program Advisor will be considered confidential. However, you will receive group results in a semi-annual letter, along with other information updating you on Missouri’s progress in culturing and managing muskies. To indicate your interest in participating in this important angler/agency management partnership, complete the enclosed form and mail to: Mark Boone, Muskellunge
Program Advisor Further Questions? email Mark Boone
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The 2006 Letter To All Cooperators From Mark Boone. |
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January 31, 2006 Dear Show-Me Muskie Project Cooperators: I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a good year. Here’s hoping that you and your families enjoy good health, much happiness, and a bunch of muskies in your net. Last year I was able to fish several days and fortunate to catch and release a few muskies. I know lots of you had a good year too. We conducted our annual muskie coordination meeting in October, 2005. Most of the fisheries biologists, hatchery managers, and administrators involved in muskie culture and management attended. I’d like to share some of the topics we discussed and the decisions that we made.
A new 10-Year Strategic Plan for managing muskies in Missouri is near completion. We will be seeking your input this spring. The draft plan will be posted on our MDC web page (http://www.mdc.mo.gov/fish/sport/muskie/muskie.htm) and by the Pomme de Terre Chapter of Muskies Inc. (http://missourimuskies.org/). If you do not have access to the internet, let me know and I will mail you a copy of the draft plan. We obtained muskie fingerlings from Kentucky, Iowa, and Indiana for stocking last fall. On October 19-20, we stocked Hazel Creek, Henry Sever, and Lake 35 at a rate of one fish per acre. Fellows Lake was stocked with 541 and 550 fingerlings from Iowa and Kentucky, respectively. Pomme de Terre Lake was stocked with 2,682 Iowa fish and 2,760 muskies from Indiana. We are also holding 3,055 additional fingerlings at our Chesapeake Hatchery, which will be stocked into Pomme next spring. In 2004 and 2005 Muskies, Inc. financed a vegetation restoration project at Pomme de Terre Lake. Half of the money was donated by Gander Mountain and Muskies, Inc. International and half was donated by the Pomme de Terre Chapter of Muskies, Inc. We truly appreciate their support and generous donations! Members of the Pomme de Terre Chapter of Muskies, Inc. and MDC staff constructed and placed 30 additional fence exclosures in Pomme de Terre Lake to add to the 14 exclosures that were built in 2004. Exclosures or cages are needed to protect our plantings from plant-eating critters. Water smartweed, spatterdock, and water lily were planted in July. Water willow ‘burritos’ were also planted along the shoreline in several locations. Water willow plants were collected locally, rolled up in biodegradable netting that formed several large 10-foot long ‘burritos’, then staked along the water’s edge. We must all keep in mind that establishing and maintaining vegetation in any flood-control reservoir is a challenge because of the fluctuation in lake levels throughout the year. Now let’s dive into our Show-Me Muskie Project which gives you the opportunity to help us gauge the status of our muskie fisheries. First, let me thank each one of you for your help with this project; your efforts do make a difference and we appreciate it! It’s time to turn in the remainder of your 2005 Trip Record forms. I always look forward to seeing your reports and reading the comments and stories that you add. You will find a pre-addressed, stamped envelope to return your forms. If you did not fish for muskies in Missouri last year, please complete and return the ‘Keep in Touch’ form. Please keep up the great work and continue to encourage other muskie anglers to participate in the Show-Me Muskie Project because the more anglers that participate, the more we will learn about our fisheries. We especially need more information from Hazel Creek, Fellows, Henry Sever, and Lake 35. I have included a sign-up sheet for you to give to fellow anglers. Feel free to make copies if you want to sign up more than one angler. Thanks again for your dedication to our muskie program! If you fish for muskie in Missouri in 2006, please complete your Trip Record forms (enclosed). Remember, it’s important to complete them even if you do not see or catch a muskie. Please use a different form for each lake and for each angler. In my summer 2006 letter, I will ask for your completed spring 2006 forms. Thanks and good luck this year! Sincerely, Mark Boone
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