PIT tagged muskie caught

Recently I was fortunate enough to recieve the CCMI PIT tag reader/scanner from our club muskie stocking coordinator Tom Penniston so that I could scan some of the smaller Wis. strain and Minnesota spotted Leech strain muskies in Lake Monona. On Sunday I trolled up a little 32" barred muskie on Monona and scanned the belly of the fish and the scanner beeped indicating a hit. The reader displayed a 10 digit number which I wrote down.

I sent an email to Scot Stewart DNR Regional Fisheries Manager and he replied that the tag number corresponded to a PIT tagged muskie from 9/18/2006 when it was stocked at 12.5 inches long in Lake Monona. Their records indicated it was a raised muskie from Chippewa Flowage stock. The muskie had grown an average of 6.3" per year. The average growth rate for fingerling muskie is 6" per year until the fish reach 36" at which time the growth rate continues but slows to a few inches per year.

Your donated dollars for the Wis. Strain/Leech Lake strain study are hard at work and we are finally able to start recording growth rates as the fish are getting into that 30" and over range! In addition many spotted Leech strain have reported being caught up to 35" in length. Both Wis. strain and Leech strain have been pit tagged for the side by side study since 2006. In 2005 500 Leech strain were also stocked but PIT tagging was not available till 2006The 2005 fish were fin clipped, left pectoral fin.

The scanner is now in the hands of guide and CCMI member Jeff Hanson who will undoubtably catch and scan several more fish both spotted and Wis. strain.

Steve R