Indiana’s muskie record turns 10 years old this spring, causing at least one expert to wonder how much longer the record can last.

“We’re due for another state-record muskie,” said Jed Pearson, fisheries biologist with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Fish & Wildlife (DFW). “Ten years is a long time to wait.”

In April 2002, Darrin Conley caught a 42.5-pound muskie at James Lake in Kosciusko County. Conley’s fish, which measured 50 inches long, broke the previous record by George Webster, a 35-pound muskie also caught in James Lake, in 1994.

James Lake, referred to as “Little Tippy” by most locals and anglers, is a 282-acre natural lake near North Webster. Given James produced the last two state-record muskies, biologists think it will likely produce the next one. The question is when, Pearson said.

In addition to producing the last two state-record muskies, lakes in Kosciusko County also have produced the largest muskies registered annually in the DNR’s Fish-of-the-Year program since 1988.

Lake Webster has produced eight Indiana “Fish of the Year,” including a 51.5-inch muskie caught by Jeff Kachmann in 2003. Although the muskie was longer than Conley’s state record, it weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces less.

Lake Tippecanoe has produced three Indiana Fish of the Year. The largest among the three was a 48.5-inch muskie caught last year by Joshua Shelhart. The largest muskie caught at the Barbee lakes and registered to date with the DNR is a 50-inch fish taken in 2010 by Steve Florio.

“Even though these are very big muskies, we think there are even bigger ones out there,” Pearson said.

Pearson, a 40-year employee with the DNR, played a key role in bringing muskie fishing to northeastern Indiana in the early 1980s. Fifteen Indiana lakes and reservoirs are stocked with muskies, with Lake Webster serving as brood stock for the entire program. Each spring muskie eggs are taken from females captured at Lake Webster, for hatching.

“We no longer need to rely on out-of-state sources for stocking muskies,” Pearson said. “This has allowed our muskie program to continue to grow over the years.”

Indiana’s muskie stocking program is off to a good start this year after DFW biologists collected a record-matching 1.9 million eggs from adult female muskies at Lake Webster. Warm temperatures forced biologists to start the egg-taking operation two weeks early.

The eggs were fertilized with milt from male muskies and will be used to produce approximately 24,000 fingerlings for stocking 15 Indiana lakes and reservoirs.

“We normally begin trapping muskies in Lake Webster around April 1, when the water temperature is 40 degrees,” said Pearson. “This year we had 60-degree water temperatures in mid-March.”

To capture adult muskies, biologists set large fish traps at nine locations from March 20-26. They caught 143 muskies, including 69 females. Although most of the muskies were 36-40 inches long, the largest measured 45.5 inches.

The number of eggs taken this spring matches a record set in 2011. Muskie eggs are hatched at the East Fork State Fish Hatchery in southwestern Indiana. After hatching, the fry and small fingerlings are fed pellet food and minnows before stocking in the fall.

Muskies, a large predatory fish, were native in Indiana only in small tributaries of the Ohio River. In response to angler interest, the DNR began stocking muskies in various waters, including Lake Webster, in the 1970s and 1980s; muskie eggs and fry were obtained by Indiana from out-of-state sources.

Since the late 1990s, Lake Webster has served as Indiana’s brood stock for muskie eggs. All muskies now stocked in the state originate from adults captured at the lake. Although biologists think some muskies may be spawning directly in Lake Webster, the DNR continues to stock about 3,800 fingerlings each fall to maintain the muskie population there.

“Due to natural conditions and the vulnerability of small muskies to other fish predators, Indiana anglers would have few opportunities to fish for muskies without the stocking program,” Pearson said.

State parks seeking interns

 

The DNR Division of State Parks & Reservoirs seeks to add 17 volunteer participants for May-August to Indiana Heritage Corps (IHC), an AmeriCorps program in which participants complete trail work at four state parks.

On-site housing, a living allowance of $335 per month, an education stipend ($1,468 before taxes) and hands-on experience are provided, as well as a chance to earn college internship credit and to live at a state park.

Volunteers will serve at Pokagon (in Angola, four positions), Fort Harrison (Indianapolis, six positions), Brown County (Nashville, three positions) or O’Bannon Woods (Corydon, four positions) cleaning, restoring and constructing 20 cumulative miles of trail in the four parks.

IHC candidates should be at least 17 years of age, U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, be able to pass a strict FBI background check and be able to make a four-month commitment to the program (May 7-Aug. 17). IHC, which started Jan. 1, is funded through Indiana’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Interested qualified candidates should email a resume and cover letter to indianaheritagecorps@dnr.IN.gov

More information can be found online at www.dnr.IN.gov/parklake/7252.htm or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ INheritagecorps

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.