# Muskegon River--Heads Up!



## Nighttimer (Jul 24, 2001)

Flyfisher said:


> I read on some guide's blog that 45% of the steelhead that ascend the Muskegon are wild, naturally reproduced fish. With that in mind, make sure you ONLY kill the fish with clipped fins. Yum, tasty rainbows!


Aw man, now this is getting complicated. Wouldn't wild fish taste better? I think they would so maybe I'll throw back the planters. Or better yet, I'll throw them in the woods like I do with suckers. That way they don't poison our wild population of steelhead. What is the limit? Its 10 if I remember correctly. So if I catch 10, I can take them back to my truck and keep fishing right? We have a lot of family coming over this year so I would think 40-50 trout would do it. Plus I love leftovers...better make it 60. I might have to double that number for Christmas.


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## Flyfisher (Oct 1, 2002)

Nighttimer said:


> Aw man, now this is getting complicated. Wouldn't wild fish taste better? I think they would so maybe I'll throw back the planters. Or better yet, I'll throw them in the woods like I do with suckers. That way they don't poison our wild population of steelhead. What is the limit? Its 10 if I remember correctly. So if I catch 10, I can take them back to my truck and keep fishing right? We have a lot of family coming over this year so I would think 40-50 trout would do it. Plus I love leftovers...better make it 60. I might have to double that number for Christmas.


I heard 10 is the possession limit, with 5 being the limit...stupid game laws are so complicated. My cousin has a neighbor thats friends with a guy thats a CO and he said that you can only have 5 fish in your bucket at a time, so you'll have to drop those 5 off in your truck before you go back and get another 5. Bring lots of kids and you can help them catch their limits as well. Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!!!


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## Nighttimer (Jul 24, 2001)

Flyfisher said:


> Bring lots of kids and you can help them catch their limits as well.


That is a great idea! Thanks for the help. Yeah my cousin's brother is a CO, and he said you can keep all the planted trout you want. He said a CO would never ticket you for keeping planters as they are all privately stocked by some guy with a comb-over. I guess they don't like him. I also heard this guy sells a tape measures that shows a 8" trout to be 12". That should help me fill my bucket faster! I better head to the river now. It usually takes about an hour after chumming for the bite to really pick up.


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## Flyfisher (Oct 1, 2002)

Nighttimer said:


> It usually takes about an hour after chumming for the bite to really pick up.


Takes too much time and wastes my bait...

I just look for the guide slinging the soup ladle full of eggs and low-hole him.


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## Nighttimer (Jul 24, 2001)

Flyfisher said:


> Takes too much time and wastes my bait...
> 
> I just look for the guide slinging the soup ladle full of eggs and low-hole him.


Another good idea, but I'm just a low-life bank billy. Its too bad I don't have a boat because I know the betts, I mean best guide to follow around.


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## Flyfisher (Oct 1, 2002)

Nighttimer said:


> Another good idea, but I'm just a low-life bank billy. Its too bad I don't have a boat because I know the betts, I mean best guide to follow around.


:lol::lol::lol:


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## Spanky (Mar 21, 2001)

I thought the size limit on extended trout streams was 15".

Maybe thats just down here. 
Anyways we( the Kalamazoo, and Bc chapter of the MSSFA) used to supply the man power to do just what you are asking about. It was hard work and very cold on the hands. We did it for a few years and it was a great way to volunteer and give back to the fishery.

I posted a link in the coldwater forums I believe about the mass marking technology that we are using now. The trailers are expensive, but can do 10 times the ammount of fish per day without ever touching human hands.

These trailers not only clip the fins, but they take a before and after pic of the fish to be sure it was clipped, and can stick a coded tag in the nose( if needed) and send out of the trailer down a raceway into a holding tank. The only human assisitance is scooping net fulls of unclipped fish into the starting pool. Its pretty incredible, and takes about 5-10 seconds a fish. It may even be quicker than that.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

Spanky said:


> I thought the size limit on extended trout streams was 15".
> 
> Maybe thats just down here.
> Anyways we( the Kalamazoo, and Bc chapter of the MSSFA) used to supply the man power to do just what you are asking about. It was hard work and very cold on the hands. We did it for a few years and it was a great way to volunteer and give back to the fishery.
> ...


Depends. The upper Muskegon (Croton to Newaygo) is a Type 2 River, meaning the size limit is 10" on browns and rainbows, BUT the browns can only be kept from the last Sat. in April until Sept. 30th. The 'bows are fair game year round.


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## mechanical head (Jan 18, 2000)

Nighttimer said:


> That is a great idea! Thanks for the help. Yeah my cousin's brother is a CO, and he said you can keep all the planted trout you want. He said a CO would never ticket you for keeping planters as they are all privately stocked by some guy with a comb-over. I guess they don't like him. I also heard this guy sells a tape measures that shows a 8" trout to be 12". That should help me fill my bucket faster! I better head to the river now. It usually takes about an hour after chumming for the bite to really pick up.


Keeping yourself entertained during the rifle season I see... December bow hunts not that far off...



Nighttimer said:


> I mean best guide


your embarrassing me, and I haven't even seen the water in a month..

Is January hear yet? I may need a map back to the river..


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## Fishslayer5789 (Mar 1, 2007)

thousandcasts said:


> The upper Muskegon (Croton to Newaygo) is a Type 2 River.


Just to clarify, I think it's a *type 4* (blue). The regs for browns were as stated though.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

Fishslayer5789 said:


> Just to clarify, I think it's a *type 4* (blue). The regs for browns were as stated though.


My bad...typo. Yes, it's a Type 4. That's what happens when I try to type something at 5:30am. LOL!!!


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