muskellunge angler survey summary 2014- 2016 - michigan...the picture can't be displayed....

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Muskellunge AnglerSurvey Summary

2014- 2019

Illustrations by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

• Prepared by Cory Kovacs • MDNR-Esocid Committee


2019 Angler Survey Results • 514 trips reported • 65 individual anglers (provided contact information) • 2,494.5 total reported angler hours • On average, an angler made 7.9 trips • Average angler trip was 4.8 hours • Musky catch rate= 0.09 fish/hour • On average anglers caught .45 fish per trip

• Took more than two trips to catch at least 1 Musky • A total of 231 Musky were caught • Anglers frequented nonstocked waters 11% more than they

did at stocked waters.


Survey Participation

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

78

237

463

560

623

514

16 12 11 3 0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700 Re

spon

ses

Online

Postcards

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Responses have all been online beginning 2018.


Participation by Residence Instate Out of state

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Only two states represented in 2019. Michigan and Illinois (n=1)


Effort by Region

0%

25%

50%

75%

100% Lower Peninsula Upper Peninsula

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Presenter

Presentation Notes

More Musky waters in Lower Peninsula and more participation by anglers residing in the Lower Peninsula. Slight increase in UP trips in 2019.


Angler effort 3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

Hours fished

Hrs/Trip

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

6.5 6 5.5 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1

Hou

rs

Hour

s per

fish

ing

trip

1,000

500 0.5

0 0

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Participation is directly related to hours fished. However, hours per trip also continue to decline.


Angler Hours by Season 100%

75%

50%

25%

0%

Spring Summer Fall Winter

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Very consistent across the survey years. Very likely that spring effort has increased due to catch and immediate release year round. We are not getting much participation from the winter angling segment, despite making efforts to reach out directly to this group. Cutoffs Spring= June 30 Summer= Sept 22 Fall= Dec. 31 Winter= March 15


Musky caught per hour Ca

tch

Per U

nit E

ffort

(fis

h/ho

ur)

0.14

0.12

0.1

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02

0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Catch rates dropped in 2015 and have remained relatively unchanged. Slight increase in 2019.


Angler Method 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Casting Trolling Fly Trolling Live Spearing Tip-up Jigging Other (artificial) (live bait) Sucker

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Angler methods are predominately casting and trolling artificial lures. In 2015 “Other” was identified as Fly; in 2016 fly became a selection in the survey. Starting in n 2018, Trolling (live bait) and live sucker are the same.


Musky caught by size category

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60% <35" (38") 35-42" (38-42") 42-49" (43-49") 50+

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Presenter

Presentation Notes

2018 and 2019 length categories reflect those in parentheses. The 50+” size category remained unchanged. <38, 38-42, 43-49, 50+


0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Angler Effort per Year in 2019

1-10 11-20 20+ Times per year (trips)

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Anglers make many trips per year to fish Muskies. This segment of the angling community is growing and it is expected to see an increase in the 11-20 and 20+ categories in the coming years.

Waters fished in 2019

Top 20 waters w/ ties

1. Thornapple Lake 60 2. Murray Lake 46 3. Campau Lake 40 4. Eagle Lake 26 4. Lower Crooked Lake 26 6. Clam Lake 25 7. Wilson Lake 24 8. Lake Bellaire 21 8. St. Marys River/Munuscong 21

10. Intermediate Lake 15 10. Lake St. Clair 15 10. Black Lake 15 13. Tahquamenon River 13 13. Ben-way Lake 13

15. Elk Lake 10 16. Mullet Lake 9 17. Sanford Lake 8 18. Lake Ovid 6 18. Brevoort Lake 6 18. Budd Lake 6

14. Hanley Lake 12

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Number of trips made to each waterbody. 22 waters had one trip reported.

Muskellunge Angling Trips in 2019/2020

_.----;_:?' . ..... ~_.,,--;:.-· ·

,✓ _, •• - ~~=-~ •r

,,-✓ ..!. - :; .,,,.'·/

Legend

c~-=~! Counties

Angling Trips _, -2 -3 -4 O s LJ 6 □1 C] 11

C] 15

LJ 17 21

- 29

- 31

- 86

- 87

- 132

c,

(

~-') //

\.('

,, ,. :i

i

Map by M. Tonello- DNR-GIS

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Statewide distribution of Muskellunge angler effort. Information used for this heat map was only pulled from those who responded to the online Muskellunge Angler Survey.

muskellunge angler survey summary 2014- 2016 - michigan...the picture can't be displayed....

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