Press Release, PIT tag Scanners, Monday!
Below is a press release sent out by CCMI Pres. Jim Olson. Come on over to the Monday night meeting at 7PM and watch how the Scanners work. Also Wally Banfi, from Outdoor Horizons Radio will give a presentation on "Muskies, Top to Bottom" starting about 7:30p all happening at Eastside Club Monday!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 07, 2010
Unprecedented Muskie research on Lake Monona gets major boost!
Contact: Jim Olson at 608-282-6200 or 608-233-4455 (home) [jolson@lawtoncates.com]
The Capital City Chapter of Muskies, Inc. (CCMI) announced today a major development in the stocking project of muskellunge (muskies) in Lake Monona. CCMI has recently received grants from the Hugh C. Becker Foundation (Minneapolis), the Madison Fishing Expo and the Blackhawk Muskie Club (Janesville), has held fund-raisers and received donations from its members to finance this project in 2010. These funds have been used to purchase muskie fingerlings; PIT tags, and scanners. The recent grants have permitted the acquisition of ten data scanners. These scanners will be used by CCMI anglers who have been highly successful in catching and releasing muskies in Madison Lakes. The data from captured and released (unharmed) muskies will be entered into a WDNR data base that will track important information for the next 10-20 years. This unique project provides the opportunity to collect currently unavailable data for many years to come. CCMI & WDNR have been conducting stocking research here since 2007 (including stocking 3,000 PIT tagged fish, using 50% WI and 50% MN strains of Muskies) to determine which of two different strains is better able to grow here in Madison waters. When the fish is captured a scanning wand is passed over the fish and a unique number is displayed from which the date stocked, size, and muskie strain can be determined
The data collection phase of the project (mining of the data) will be kicked-off Monday May 10, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. This event will occur at the East Side Club, 3735 Monona Drive, Madison. WDNR representatives will demonstrate how to use the scanner. Kits containing the scanning wands and instructions will be provided to the highly accomplished muskie anglers. The event is open to the public.
There is no known or documented natural reproduction of Muskies in Madison area lakes. As a result, it is believed that all muskies in the Madison Lakes have been stocked. Muskies stocked in the Madison area lakes in the past were derived from Northern Wisconsin waters. The Leech Lake, Minnesota strain, according to some muskie experts, may result in bigger, stronger and higher quality muskie populations. This data will permit WDNR to compare the growth rate of the two strains; the comparative growth rate between muskies in the Madison lakes and the historical growth rates of muskies throughout Wisconsin; the survivability of the strains; and the travel distance of the muskies within the local chain of lakes. This research project will result in a thorough and comprehensive multi-year experiment comparing results. The outcome of this objective, thorough, scientific research project will be key in determining how best to use the very limited stocking resources.
The Muskellunge is the official fish of the State of Wisconsin. According to some sources it takes the average angler more than 50 hours to catch a legal muskie.
The Capital City Chapter of Muskies Inc. is a volunteer organization established in 1983 and has over 350 members residing primarily in central Wisconsin [www.capitalcitymuskiesinc.org].
