From the President's Boat
Jim Shannon is doing well with his chemotherapy treatments and thanks everyone for their support and prayers.
We are only 17 months away from the 2016 Muskies Inc. International Muskellunge Symposium and 50th Anniversary Celebration of the formation of Muskies Inc. The Twin Cities and North Metro Chapters will jointly be responsible for running this important scientific information exchange on Muskellunge and anniversary celebration. There is more information to come, but please make plans to participate and also assist us in 2016.
Earlier this Spring NMMI volunteers were scheduled to assist the DNR with the capture of Muskies on the St. Croix River radio tracking movement study but had to be cancelled multiple times due to high water and weather. I am happy to report that last week the DNR was successful in capturing in commercial nets six of the ten planned Muskies and implanted them with radio tags purchased with funds from Hugh C. Becker Foundation and NMMI.
Information is starting to come in from the PIT Readers we purchased this year in conjunction with the Hugh C. Becker Grant for the ongoing Twin Cities Stocking study on White Bear, Bald Eagle and Lake Minnetonka. Pre-mature information results from the study appear to confirm the success of our NMMI practice of stocking yearlings over fingerling Muskies. We didn’t stock any fish this year due to lack of any available supply from the hatcheries. The majority of the hatcheries lost their entire stock of Muskies to disease and weather.
MNNI Member Brad Patterson has worked hard with Fishing for Life, the TC Chapter, Thorne Brothers and other NMMI Volunteers to help arrange a sucker fishing event for 20 Wounded Warriors on Veterans Day. Unfortunately it appears due to extreme weather that the event will be cancelled.
The season is almost over as cold days and snow is here. Keep logging those fish in the Lunge Log. We need your photos for the newsletter, Banquet (Feb 28th, 2015) and the Muskie Expo so them in to me.
Planning for the 2015 Annual NMMI Banquet on February 28th has commenced. If you have anything to donate or wish to assist us, please let us know. More details will be provided over the coming months regarding volunteers needed for the day, pre-packaging of prizes, hall setup, etc. We will add additional games, start earlier and reduce the number of presentations in order to keep the Banquet lively end the evening on time.
Good luck fishing to all the diehards still trying for that Mount Monster, stay safe and cherish those loved ones and friends!
Dan Mruz
North Metro President
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Winterizing My Boat
From Greg Ide, Twin Cities Muskies Inc.
To winterize my Lund with a 2000 Mercury 4-stroke I do the following: Loosen spark plugs about ¼ turn and re-tighten, to be sure they are not frozen in place when eventual replacement is needed. Remove the propeller, check for fishing line, re-grease the shaft and re-assemble. I use a bent screwdriver for bending tabs of the Mercury propeller lock. I check Bearing Buddy covers for cracks or tears, and check the electrical ties around Bearing Buddy covers. (I never grease my hubs. I used to do that and it led to bearing failure.) Fill gas tank with ethanol-free gas, and add more StaBil. Take the electric trolling motor and graphs indoors. Put a new plastic tarp over the boat cover as I store boat outdoors and it is easier to push snow off the plastic tarp. Most winters I do not re-charge the batteries in middle of winter, but last winter I did because it was so cold, and I was worried a discharged battery could crack.
I attended Fred’s Shed seminars at the Boat Show and Sportshow, and they suggest a more complete winterization. They feel fogging 2-stroke cylinders is a bad idea, especially if the engine is fuel injected. They recommend running a commercial “pickling†solution into the engine as its prep for winter. They suggest an oil and filter change every fall for 4-strokes, and said never to use automobile oil on a 4-stroke engine. They claim automotive or aftermarket oil is not designed for continuous use at 5000+ rpm.
Fred’s Shed also suggested checking the lower unit oil for water contamination by removing the lower screw, and loosening the upper screw to get a gear oil sample. Milky appearance indicates water contamination, burnt smell indicates imminent gear failure.
Note that cracks in the housing or a failed seal will put an oil slick at the rear of the boat. In a sense, you are checking the lower unit for leaks every time you put the boat in the water if you look for the slick.
The mechanics at the Fred’s Shed seminars strongly recommend occasionally adding Ring-free Plus (or the similar product for your brand of engine) to gasoline to clean the fuel system and prevent carbon build-up in engine. They recommend a ten micron fuel filter, and a water separator in the fuel line.
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Print Your Member ID Cards
A new system has been implemented by Muskies Inc. that allows members to print their own Muskies Inc. ID cards at any time from the muskiesinc.org website. This new process will save dollars in monthly expenditures for the imprinting and managing of ID cards over the previous method.
To utilize this new process, log in to the Muskies Inc. website muskiesinc.org using the Member Login button on the left of the home page. Once you have logged in, click on the profile update button. In the upper right corner of the profile, there is a link that you can click and print your card. For family members, the family head can print the IDs for the entire family.
Members who do not have access to computers or are unable to print their own ID cards should contact the MI Secretary to have them produced and mailed to them.
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Our Chapter’s purpose is:
To promote a high quality muskellunge sport fishery;
To support selected conservation practices based on scientific merit and carried out by authorized federal and state agencies;
To promote muskellunge research;
To introduce the species into suitable waters;
To support the abatement of water pollution;
To disseminate muskellunge information;
To promote good fellowship and sportsmanship among men, women and children;
To encourage and support youth involvement in muskellunge fishing for our future.
Join the North Metro Board or as an Event Chairperson or as a Volunteer. The Board meets for only two hours once a month on the first Tuesday, September through June. You can help influence the direction of the Chapter and help the Metro Muskie Fishery.
We are trying to make our Chapter an overwhelming success but need your help with a variety of small tasks and projects. Contact me or any of the North Metro Board Members to assist us!
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Next Meeting - November 19
Derek Crane, Ph.D.
Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology
We are very excited to have new NMMI Member Derek Crane of Lake Superior State University deliver at this month’s meeting his presentation on the Future Directions for Muskellunge Conservation and Restoration presentation he gave with others at the August International Muskellunge Research Symposium in Ottawa. This should be a very interesting session you shouldn’t miss. We expect our Fisheries Specialists friends from the Minnesota DNR to be in attendance.
His research addresses issues related to conservation and restoration of native fishes and their habitats. Within this broad research agenda, he has recently focused on reproductive ecology of muskellunge and walleye, effects of invasive species on population characteristics of native fishes, use of emerging modeling techniques to identify relationships between the abundance of native and non-native fishes and habitat features at multiple spatial scales and energy densities of native and non-native forage fishes.
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Please join us at our general meetings the 3rd Tuesday of each month, Sept. through May. Each month we have a speaker come in and the topics vary from local metro area tactics to the basics of reel cleaning. We also have a rod and reel raffle and lure raffle. You DO NOT need to be a member to attend our general meetings.
| When: |
3rd Tuesday of the month 7pm – 9pm |
| Where: |
Coon Rapids VFW - 1919 Coon Rapids Blvd NW |
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Chapter Board of Directors Elections
Nominations for members of the chapter’s Board of Directors will be taken at the December meeting. Members of the Board of Directors will be elected by chapter members present at the December meeting and will each serve a two-year term starting in January.
Consider taking part in making decisions that affect you as a member of this chapter. The Board needs people who are interested and willing to participate in the chapter and its future. The chapter Board meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm at the Coon Rapids VFW - 1919 Coon Rapids Blvd NW.
Contact Dan Mruz 763-535-4206 or frostd_2002@yahoo.com or any current board member if you’re interested in joining the Board of Directors.
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Red Wing Lodge 2014 Muskies Inc.
in the Books
By Jon VanIngen
During the annual Outing August 9-16, 25 fishermen from the North Metro and Twin Cities chapters once again enjoyed Bartlett family hospitality. Mike and Anne Bartlett, along with daughters Molly and Kate, and son Matt, went all out again preparing for and hosting Muskie Inc. fishermen, again exhibiting the fun and solid service with which the family has built and maintained its strong reputation in the business.
54 muskies were caught and released by our Muskie Inc. group. Matt Hotchkiss took big fish honors with a 49†released muskie. Matt will have his name engraved on the Big Fish plaque.
Red Wing Lodge fishermen had a very good week August 9-16! In addition to our 54 muskies, the other guests in camp added 62 additional releases, ringing in 116 total muskies caught and released by Red Wing Lodge guests during that week. 116 releases is a testament to the resource as well as to the determination and expertise of Red Wing guests. As usual, stories, jokes and good-natured ribbing were enjoyed by all, but the stats on these were not officially recorded, and that includes the stories shared on the Lodge deck during the annual Sunday night bull session.
Keep an eye out for our detailed fall invitation that will officially begin the sign-up period for the 2015 Red Wing Lodge outing. The dates for next year’s outing will be August 8-15. Don’t just wish, make it happen.
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Working to Preserve, Promote and Advance Muskie and Pike Education and Research in Minnesota
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NORTH METRO OFFICERS
President................................... Dan Mruz
Vice President.......... Steve Wernesbach
Regional VP............................. Mike Riha
Secretary.................. Tony VanDanacker
Treasurer........................... Jim Shannon
BOARD MEMBERS
Dick Hamann................. 763-428-7789
Robb Meyers.................. 612-791-6331
Dan Mruz......................... 763-535-4206
Brad Patterson...............763-464-5548
Nick Poppler....................651-592-5875
Mike Riha......................... 763-607-2800
Jim Shannon.................. 763-434-9729
Steve Sorgenfrei..............651-789-4360
Tony VanDanacker........ 763-370-5424
Jason Wegwerth.............763-478-1748
Steve Wernersbach........763-242-2625
Membership Chairman
Robb Meyers ................ 612-791-6331
Members Only Fishing Contest
Steve Sorgenfrei.............651-789-4360
League Night Chariman
Steve Sorgenfrei.............651-789-4360
Newsletter Editor
Robb Meyers.................. 612-791-6331
Web Administrator
Dennis Boehme
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