Muskie in EF?

[SpeckWick]

I read that they would be stocking muskie this year in East Fork. Has it already been done? If so, has anyone caught any or heard of them being caught yet? This may have nothing at all to do with muskie, but it's something I just noticed in the last couple weeks. When fishing with minnows, I have had at least three or four clean break offs right at the hook when I set the hook on a fish. Happened a couple times this past Sunday also. I have been known to tie a bad knot in a hurry once or twice, but these looked like they'd been actually cut. No fray or anything in the line where a knot had slipped. Am I nuts, or could this be blamed on the muskies? I'm not crazy about the idea of adding them to EF to begin with. Maybe I'll change my mind down the road when they get big...

[JusFshn]

I was in the Horseshoe yesterday along with a ton of baitfish and I saw some serious fish run through schools of baitfish near the surface.. Lookes to be 20" fish with green backs.. Could it be?

[SpeckWick]

Who knows? I thought I'd read the stocked fish would be smaller, like 8" or something. I'm not sure where you mean by the Horseshoe? You talking about the area on the north bank on the way between Bantam and the Campground?

[CritterGitter]

It is true. Muskies are my first love and so I am very aware of the DOW musky program. This is the very first year that they have stocked East Fork. They stocked the advanced fingerlings(about 8-9" long) about 2 weeks ago. Typically, the goal is to stock about 1 per acre in each lake that gets stocked. They may have stocked more in EF for the initial stocking to sort of get them going, but I don't know that for sure. They should reach 18-22" next summer and then grow to approx 28-30"s by summer 2010. You will not have to worry about the crappie population at all.

The primary forage base for muskies is shad. After that they prefer baby carp, bullhead catfish, chubs, suckers, shiners and perch. They seldom eat game fish. Not that it won't ever happen, but it would be the exception rather than the norm.

CG

[JusFshn]

I'm not sure where you mean by the Horseshoe? You talking about the area on the north bank on the way between Bantam and the Campground?

Coming out of Bantam on the left as you were heading to the beach.. The channel makes a big turn.. Resembles a horseshoe..

[SpeckWick]

Coming out of Bantam on the left as you were heading to the beach.. The channel makes a big turn.. Resembles a horseshoe..

Yeah, I know where you are talking about now. Everybody has their names for different parts and features of the lake. Like my dad has called Poplar Creek "Macedonia" as long as I can remember. Until I got my boat and started paying attention to maps myself, I thought that is what it was called. Knowing what the actual names of these places makes a big difference, especially when someone tells you the fish are biting there.

As far as the muskie rarely eating crappie, I'm not 100% convinced of it. A big predator would rather eat big food. If they have the choice between a 6" crappie or a 2"-4" shad, it seems they'd pick the crappie. I am not a muskie expert and I hope I'm wrong. Either way, I'm sure you are right as far as little effect on the overall population of crappie. Maybe if we are lucky they will make bluegills their food of choice. God knows there are enough of those in East Fork. I can't remember seeing soo many bluegills as this year.

[fished-out]

The shad get a heckava lot bigger than 2-4 inches in East Fork. I'm not worried about the Muskie eating big crappie; when they're young though, they will eat alot of shad that crappie might otherwise eat. Fortunately, EF has a ton of shad and I can't see muskie putting much of a dent in them, especially since all the hybrid stripers certainly haven't done any damage.