Pike Tracking Program
As of June 14: Radio transmitted Pike.
All fish are alive.
Many fish stayed near the Wharf for the first week, (recovering I imagine). Several moved significant distances right away
All but one has since made significant movements into Muskoka Bay. The one that hasn’t moved far was caught close by.
The three caught in Muskoka Bay have stayed/returned to their general area of capture
One fish has returned to its area of capture, several kilometres outside of Muskoka Bay
One fish left Muskoka Bay and has returned
The other eight have moved around in Muskoka Bay. Several have returned to the Wharf at least once. A couple seem to be settling into a defined area.
Movements of 1-2 km over two day interval are fairly common
Also, I have reports of 8 tagged fish being caught, mostly from the Wharf; one from the narrows and one from the river mouth
I think we should keep the frequency of tracking up another week or so. If more one-way type of movements, indicating a fish is going somewhere, don’t happen (i.e. if fish just seem to move about within a discrete area) then the frequency can probably go down.
Steve Scholten (MNR)
Maps of pike movement coming soon....
Local anglers take tourney’s top prize
Two Muskoka anglers are getting quite comfortable in the winner’s seat.
Mike Reid of Gravenhurst and Wes Foster of Bracebridge won the annual Lake Muskoka Pike Tournament on Saturday with a tournament record of 188 inches for five pike. The win came with a top prize of $10,000.
Reid credits his partner and their combined pike fishing experience for the win, adding it helps when you’ve got a fast boat.
“This year we had some help from Team Powersports,” said Reid. “We fished the entire lake and covering the water quickly in a fast boat is key. We don’t fish any spots that no one else knows about, we just run around a lot.”
The duo’s smallest catch was 32 inches, but the other four fish ranged from 37.5 inches to 41.5 inches.
By 9 a.m., the team had a good inventory in their live well. They weighed in their fish two hours before deadline, but Reid explained the pair also overcame some adversity.
“We caught one and lost one (in front of another angler),” said Reid. “But we went back about a half-hour later and caught it again. It was one of those gift days where the fish gods were good to us. Everything worked out.”
He said the best part was the tournament drew more than 80 teams, which meant the prize money for first place was a whopping $10,000.
“Once we knew there were 80 boats registered, it was time to go to work,” said Reid.
This is Reid and Foster’s second time winning a first-place prize. Last year they won a $6,900 purse for their top finish.
The tournament paid cash to the top five spots and awarded prizes from sixth to 20th.
Second place and $2,608 went to Scott and Tim Carley of Gravenhurst with 160.25 inches. Clint Hurd and Brad Herbert from Parry Sound took third place and $1,956 with 157.75 inches.
Chris Marling of Bracebridge and Phil Curtis of Parry Sound earned $1,304 for fourth place with 156.5 inches, and Chad Coady and Mike Reynolds of Gravenhurst won $652 for fifth place with 153.75 inches.
The biggest pike — at 43.5-inches — was caught by Brian Cammick and Ray Potter, earning them a $1,580 cash prize.
Full tournament results are posted on the Muskoka Bassmasters’ website at www.muskokapike.webs.com.
“We are proud to say that we ran a 100 per cent live release tournament this year, with every single fish being released healthy and alive,” said Andre Carriere of Muskoka Bassmasters. “As well, the Ministry of Natural Resources teamed up with us this year to take on an extensive pike-tagging project that is a first of its kind in North America. They (MNR) were able to tag hundreds of pike as they were coming in to the final weigh-in.”
Carriere said each tagged pike includes a tag number and a call-back number. It is hoped that when these pike are caught, the anglers will report it.
“This tracking program will be ongoing for years now, and we will be able to track the time and distance the pike travel after being released from Gravenhurst Bay,” he said. “If someone catches one, please call it in and release this fish back to the lake safe and sound.”
Anglers can look forward to the annual pike challenge in Huntsville on June 7.
Prizes and Award Ceremony.
Just a heads up for all tournament anglers, after the weigh in come in and have a cold one with us at Boston Pizza as we will be doing all the final day awards and ceremonies inside Boston Pizza this year.
Cheers!
Pike Tagging Project
Muskoka bassmasters is teaming up with the Ministry of Natural Recourses this year during our annual pike tournament to conduct an extensive pike study.
This will be a first for this kind of study on pike in
We will be tagging a number of fish with regular tags, recording capture location size, and a scale sample, and hope to get call inns from these tags for years to come.
We are also implanting approximately 6 or 7 radio transmitters in pike, and will be tracking them closely for months after the tournament via a satellite signal receiver device. This will be done by boat and air.
We hope to be able to get info on the distance traveled by pike, the time of travel and also the proximity of original home of the pike after being released into
This should be a very cool study to follow, and we will be sure to keep you posted.
More info and press release from the actual MNR fish Biologist to come with the proper terminologies and better explanations and expectations from this whole project.
This will all take place during our pike tournament and will not effect or delay any of the final weigh in process.
Cheers
Andre.
New Entry Fee $210
We have increased the entry fee by only $5 each person for a total of $210 per team. This is just to help up get more prizes for the already over 100% plus payback tournament.
News and Updates
Bracebridge Yamaha's Tagged Fish
Four Wheeler Giveaway
Once again, from one of our proud sponsors, Bracebridge Yamaha will be giving away a brand new Yamaha four wheeler this year. Just catch the winning tagged fish. The Ministry of Natural Resources will be tagging 3 fish, only 1 of which will be a winning fish. We will be giving away all 3 tagged fish numbers to all anglers the morning of the tournament. These numbers will be included in your grab bag. The winning tag number will be revealed at the final weigh in. So if you catch one of these 3 tags, you will have a chance to drive away a winner. 
Picture not exactly as shown.
Stay tuned for more upcoming news......
