Muskie Mortality on the St. Lawrence

[wolfe]

Playing catch up with lots of posts here since my return from vacation, but was wondering if there was any further word in the past week or two about the possible cause of those big, gorgeous muskies floating belly up on the Larry?

Also, has the dying off ceased? Last I remember, CCB said it was abating, finally.

Sorry if I missed it, if it was posted. I scanned a couple of pages of posts quickly, and didn't see any mention...?

Thx.

W.

[Cancatchbass]

Wolfe:

The die-off does appear to be over for now.

I submitted a half dozen cleithra from fish a week or so ago, and have seen no new fish since.

I have been working with Dr. John Casselman (quite possibly the #1 muskie expert in North America), putting together a report which should be available in approx. a week.

Rest assured, Hawk-Talkers will be among the first to get the info. we've all been waiting for.

CCB

[wolfe]

CCB,

Thank you, sir!

The topic (muskie die off) came up this evening and it got me wondering again.

W.

[Kpin]

Txs CCB, all the muskie pics I've seen on FH had got my blood pumping, twas very sad to hear of the unexplainable die-off, esp. because I've yet to bag my very first one.

[Lunker Larry]

Heard that from studying the clethrum they've noticed a faster growth rate among muskies during each of the recent "warm years" that we've begun to experience.
If that's the case, as a result of global warming we should see bigger muskie, and I would suspect bass, in the coming years.
See..there's always an up side.

[Scumking]

Wolfe,

Die offs here in Quebec were investigated and were not related to toxins but to a drastic change in water temperature.We fished from the end of May which was unsually cool and wet water temp mod to high 50's to high 60/70's within a week in June.

Ron

[wolfe]

That's interesting Scumking; thx for the info. Was it concluded as such or presumed?

My idiot hunch was drastic warm up in water temp being responsible for the Larry die off's, but those who know the waters and muskies better didn't seem to find this plausible. It made sense to my simple mind.

W.

[grumpy7790]

Veterinarians who examined the carcasses at Cornell University believe the rapid rise in water temperatures weakened the muskies' immune systems and made them vulnerable to a bacterial infection that was the direct cause of death.

http://www.esf.edu/newspubs/news/2005/06.30.muskies.htm

[Muskie Rush]

Veterinarians who examined the carcasses at Cornell University believe the rapid rise in water temperatures weakened the muskies' immune systems and made them vulnerable to a bacterial infection that was the direct cause of death.

http://www.esf.edu/newspubs/news/2005/06.30.muskies.htm

The die-off started in mid to late April, prior to the rapid warming of the water. The word "believe" does not mean it was the cause. I sure wish that it were true, we may never know! Things are looking positive, fish are still being caught.[/url]