Looks like I can stock muskies in my pond. Maybe I'll give them a try in the spring. They are about as close as I can come to chain pickerel. Does anyone know if they can be caught more than once? In the meantime, I'm going to see if I can make some modifications that will deepen my pond and perhaps improve it in other ways. The source that provides muskies also provides shiners and shad, so I'll probably try those too. The nearest Petsmart is out of ghost shrimp, but expects to have more next week, and I would like to try raising them this winter. And I'm expecting a cup of scud this month or next. I'd hoped to find a source of trout that I could put in the pond for this winter, but no luck there. The LMB would probably eat them as fist as I stocked them anyhow. But I have some things to keep me occupied.

Rainman had trout available a couple weeks back. You might want to PM him if you still want some. I think he had some larger ones.

I am sure you posted it but I forget, how big is the pond you are putting the muskies in?

Hey Turtlem,

If you don't mind, please post back how raising scuds over the winter goes and the setup you are going to use.

Bill D.

I think the pond is about 1/3 ac. I'm going to try to make some changes this winter that will make it larger and deeper. Seems a bit nuts I know, but it's larger than the pond my dad had northerns in.

I'm going to put some of the scuds in a small aquarium and most or all of the remainder in a garden pond that's 10', at most, long, 3' or 4' wide, and maybe 2 1/2' deep. I have a pond aerator that I hope will keep the little pond from freezing. And I may put a few in the big(er) pond.

Does your pond have any LMB? I stocked 3 14" TM this fall along with YP and some FM to "distract" the LMB. Not sure if the TM will survive with an established pond but it was worth a shot!

I have LMB. All that I've caught so far, with one exception, have been under a pound. The exception was 2 lb. But I see swirls, usually 2 at the same time, and always from the same 2 places in the pond, that appear to be caused by bigger fish. If they are 3 lb or more, I expect they could inhale a 14” muskie fingerling. But everything is something of a gamble.

It would appear that muskie never spawn in MO. I've read the State's muskie management plans, and they are all about stocking. I haven't found any mention of natural spawning. That's puzzling to me. With the variety of waters in the State, I'd think some would favor natural spawning. But maybe it's something the conservation dept. doesn't want, and it's trying to avoid self-sustaining muskie populations. Maybe they fear they would destroy existing fisheries in the waters where they might be self-sustaining.

I've never been keen on put and take fish management. Sometimes you have no choice if you want this or that species, or you fear a species will get out of control so you stock a sterile hybrid or fish that are all the same sex. But wherever possible, if I'm going to be taking fish out, or the public is going to be taking fish out, I prefer that the fish replace themselves.

From what I have been told by friends (one is a musky guide) in northern Illinois there is an issue with our sediment. Something about it sticking to the eggs causing them to suffocate? I would think the same may be true in Missouri. Also from what I understand is Musky/Pike spawn right before/after ice out. Maybe water temps have something to do with it?

You would think that there would be enough variation in the suspended solids around the State that it wouldn't be a problem everywhere, but possibly it's a problem in just the right (or wrong) places. I've noticed that streams in MO commonly have a milky look to them that I haven't seen anywhere else. It looks like it's something suspended and not a stain. It may have to do with the limestone that's at or near the surface nearly everywhere.

The muskies I found are $25 for a 12 - 14" fish. I read that it costs WI $27 to raise a muskie to 14". They are expensive little critters.

A little expensive but a lot wiser to use a 12"-14" fish that has a very high survival rate compared to less expensive smaller individuals that become fish food. Once you catch a 30"+ musky the $25 price each is very worthwhile. Also consider the overall value of this tool as the predation benefits this fish provides.

How many did you plan to stock in a 1/3 acre pond? Seems a bit small for more than a couple. TM are territory crazy. Not much territory even in a half acre pond? Not saying it won't work but I can tell you this from watching it with my own 2 eyes. I saw a TM once chasing a 2 pound of more LMB back and forth between 2 docks once. He wanted that fricken bass bad but couldn't quite catch him! Tried at least 4 times as I sat there and watched the whole thing go down. Poor bass was scared to death!! LOL... IMO you won't have nothing left in your pond but a few TM's if you go that route. They will eat everything man!! Keep that in mind and if there is nothing left they will eat any ducks or ducklings if you have any!!

As far as being able to catch them more then once I have no idea I never fished a pond small enough with them in it to find out?

Good Luck and keep us posted if you try this I would love to see how it ends up!

RC

RC51, I think you're right about the negative effects. If any muskie survive, I'll probably end up with 1 or 2 muskie and a bunch of little BG and nothing else, and that's not what I want. I'd be more willing to try pickerel if that was possible.

I think one NP would be cool to have if my pond was bigger.

Hey Turtle we use Pickerel down here in a few of our smaller lakes for control. I have caught a couple, but never thought of trans planting them. I don't know if we can get them here at a hatchery. I would have to get them direct I bet from the game and fish.

Pickerel would be a better choice in that size pond for sure! Most don't grow over 24 inches and they are a fun fish to catch and fairly aggressive! Plus you could have more balance for sure!

Hey good luck keep us posted as to what you do...

RC

Pickerel aren't on the approved list in MO, and I haven't found a single hatchery anywhere that raises them, and I think problems are a shame.