Upper Long Lake Indiana

[Chae]

Webster Lake Musky Club Needs your help.
The Upper Long Homeowners are contesting the stocking of Muskies. this is our 8th year since we started putting muskies in here and we would hate to see it stoped. There are upper 40" fish coming out of here on a regular basis. We just had a meeting today with the DNR about stocking. we have agreed to cut our stocking down to 2 fish per acre this year.(the homeowners were asking for us to only stock 1 every 3 years or 1/2 fish per acre yearly) that is not aceptible to us. But the DNR is doing a creel study this year (May Through OCTOBER) we are asking anyone and everyone to come and fish Upper Long and participate in the study.

Thanks

Chae



Ps if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me 260-385-0623

BTW there were some homeowners complaning about speeding Just a reminder it is a 10mph lake.

[TAN]

Chae,

Is the real issue the muskies, or is it the extra boat traffic that little lake probably sees now that big muskies are coming from there? I would imagine that lake saw very little pressure of any kind prior to muskies being placed there.

I'm just curious, not trying to start anything. I have fished there a few times, and will again this year. I fully support your club's efforts, and thank them for it here. Hell, I wish every lake had muskies in it.

Good luck to all this year! The season cant be too far off now.

TAN

[Chae]

Of course they never came out and said too many people but we have our suspicions. a lot of it stems from new Homeowners and not knowing all the facts.The Bluegill supposedly aren't getting any bigger and that is why they started putting them in there in the 90's. and someone said that they found a few Bass with bites on them.
Chae

[Muskie-Addict]

One thing I'd definitely keep in mind is the old saying about "you'll catch more flies with honey than by using......."

These lake associations are powerful groups, even on a tiny lake like UL. There is no shame, and only a potential gain, in being 10% nicer than you need to be when working with these people.

Muskies and talking about them, can bring out the worst in people. Us, and the folks we're working with. Tip-toeing and tact is in order.

I wish you guys luck, that's a great lake over there. Kill 'em with kindness and facts and let the chips fall where they may.

-Eric
Only 79 more days till the opener!!!

[mcastor11]

Well I can tell you that if you guys come out to Upper Long like you all did on Skinner, it wont be a issue. That was who made the push to get the Muskies out of Skinner. After the survey it was a No-Brian'er.
As long as you see the DNR guy at the ramp, make a effort to talk to him and tell him how many hours you fish for muskies on that watter. I know I will be over there a few times. We usally fish it a few times every year.

[Icedog]

BTW there were some homeowners complaning about speeding Just a reminder it is a 10mph lake.

Where is this posted? Its not at the launch.Doesnt a speed limit have to be posted at the launch>

[mcastor11]

There used to be a sign there. I havent noticed if its still there or not. I know no one reads the one at skinner. Most small lakes are 10mph or no wake till 1pm.

[Icedog]

There used to be a sign there. I havent noticed if its still there or not. I know no one reads the one at skinner. Most small lakes are 10mph or no wake till 1pm.

I have been fishing there for the last four years and have never seen one.

[biddler2]

I was there last Friday, I didn't see a speed limit sign either. I did talk to the DNR kid, he said it's been about 50/50 on the muskie question. One thing that might help is some better signs on how to get to the ramp (my first time there).

[Toad]

I've only been there once, but it was a spring saturday and only one other boat was on the water fishing for muskies. Maybe it was a slow day and it gets enough muskie fishermen on other days that would cause the homeowners to complain, but I wouldn't know. The ramp parking certainly seemed big enough to accommodate plenty of fishing so I don't think that that should be an issue.

If it is like Chae says, because people aren't (in their minds) catching as big or as many bluegill as they feel they should be catching, then that is hard to combat. I and any of us know that it is easy for any fisherman to come up with reasons why the fishing didn't go the way they would have liked and to chalk it up to, the weather, or the lure choice, or any other multitude of reasons. And if someone is after panfish, then "that other species with teeth" is certainly easier to blame than to figure out how to improve their ability to catch their target species.

I guess all you can hope to do is to let the DNR know that plenty of people like the muskie fishing in the lake and educate people in a manner that doesn't make them think you are telling them they are wrong in their thinking. It's a fine line to walk sometimes. It's unfortunate in that we have to have these issues when there are so few lakes with muskie and so many lakes with the more common species of bass and bluegill, which are both fun to catch as well, it's just that you would think people would feel blessed to have a fish as cool as a muskie in their back yards. Hopefully this lake stays the way it is or at least with enough muskie potential to give the guys up north another place to fish especially with all the hard work that went into making it a great muskie place. If I'm up there at any point and see the DNR there I will be sure and let them know how we did and how much we like the lake.

[ToddM]

The "muskies are eating all my --------" is an easy one to argue back on. Simply, if you were catching big ----- and you are not, that is overharvest. if the muskies were eating all your ------, you would not be catching any. the problem is on your end.