On Minnesota Lake Chain

Fishermen Help Minnesota Biologists Learn More About Musky Population In Baby & Man Lakes

- Matt Ward

This article outlines another example of the great things that can happen when anglers and scientists work together. It also, illustrates cooperation between scientists. îis effort is a direct result of a friendship developed through common interests during my undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. îe author of this article has been musky fishing for a long time and had a hand in my initial foray to chase muskies in Canada some 18-plus years ago. During my life I have been fortunate to work and play alongside some great people, including Matt. Enjoy his article. — Jordan Weeks.

Fisheries managers are continuously challenged by trying to balance budgets and staff time with the species they need to sample. Huge factors are how often the species need to be sampled and how much time is spent doing so. As a result, biologists continue to look at ways to efficiently use staff and available funding to collect quality data. An example of this was a study conducted on Baby and Man lakes in which angler volunteers were incorporated into the study design to evaluate the status of a muskellunge population.