Download Summary - New Mexico Muskies Inc

Summary
Tiger muskies have been introduced into a
number of lakes in the Western U.S. to control
rough fish and provide a recreational fishery.
That is the same reason they were introduced
into New Mexico lakes.
Muskies and trout co-exist in the same bodies
of water all over the country, and the evidence
indicates that they will continue to do so. Tiger
muskies are a tool for trout management and
contribute to creating excellent trout fisheries.
In combination with proper trout stocking,
tiger muskies and trout are compatible
fisheries.
Besides New Mexico lakes, anglers can find
numerous examples of trout and tiger muskies
coexisting including lakes in Colorado, Utah,
Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington. In most
cases tiger muskie were stocked to control
rough fish and were selected because they
cannot reproduce.
Do tiger muskies eat trout? They do
occasionally, but in far less numbers than the
number of fish taken by trout anglers.
Scientific observation shows that “Muskies eat
all the trout” is completely false.
There is room in the lake for both species to
exist and thrive, and there is room on the lake
for anglers of both species. Whether you’re a
trout angler, or a muskie angler, hopefully
you’ve gained a bit more knowledge about
how these fish can, and do inhabit the same
waters.
Further Information
You can find more information
regarding tiger muskies by entering any
of the following into your favorite
internet search engine “tiger musky,”
“tiger muskie,” “esocid” with your
subject of interest such as “prey” or
“stocking”.
What do
New Mexico Tiger
Muskies Eat?
The document New Mexico
Department of Game and Fish
biologists used as a primary source of
information may be found at
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodcons
ume/groups/lr/@mnr/@letsfish/docume
nts/document/226917.pdf.
You can contact the New Mexico
Department of Game and Fish,
Fisheries Management Division at 505476-8055 or via the web at
http://wildlife.state.nm.us/.
The New Mexico Chapter of Muskies,
Inc. may be found at
http://www.newmexicomuskiesinc.org.
A Summary Specific
to New Mexico Waters
and Trout Fisheries
Introduction
The Trout Fishery
The information provided in this brochure will
help New Mexico Anglers understand the role
tiger muskies play in New Mexico lakes.
Because they are new to our state, there are a
number of misconceptions regarding tiger
muskie food habits and how they might affect
other fisheries. In particular, there is some
concern that trout fisheries may be at risk.
Food Habits in
New Mexico Lakes
Quemado Lake
Goldfish
Trout
Fatheads
Tiger muskie were introduced to improve trout
fishing in New Mexico. Suckers and goldfish
can compete with trout and impact that fishery.
By reducing suckers and goldfish, Department
biologists believe trout growth rates will
improve.
Crayfish
Other
Tiger muskies are opportunistic feeders. In
most places 90% or more of their diet is made
up of fish. They are not particular about the
fish they eat, but generally feed on those fish
that are easiest to catch.
Department biologists monitor the fisheries in
Bluewater and Quemado lakes twice per year.
Besides monitoring the tiger muskies,
biologists also monitor the trout fishery.
Managers make changes to trout stocking
strategies to maintain this fishery given some
predation by tiger muskies.
Tiger muskies are a cross between northern
pike and muskellunge. Because they are
hybrids, tiger muskies cannot reproduce. The
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
stocked them into State waters in order to
control rough fish including suckers and
goldfish. They have been coexisting with our
trout fisheries since 2003.
Tiger muskies are opportunistic feeders and
will eat the most abundant fish in a lake. After
trout stocking, trout are fed on. Within a week
or two of stocking trout are less common in
tiger muskie diets because they learn to avoid
the muskies.
Both northern pike and muskellunge usually
feed on rough fish in their natural habitats in
the upper Midwest. Tiger muskie also feed
primarily on rough fish. Department biologists
selected tiger muskie for stocking for this very
reason. Before stocking tiger muskies,
biologists reviewed a number of studies and
determined that muskies would coexist with
the existing fisheries. They continue to
monitor tiger muskies to make sure this
management is achieving its objectives.
Bluewater Lake
Goldfish
Trout
Golden Shiner
White Sucker
Crayfish
In New Mexico, goldfish, suckers, and
minnows are the primary prey of tiger
muskies. They also eat crayfish,
worms, salamanders, each other and the
occasional trout.
Trout fisheries at these lakes are maintained
through stocking. Department biologists are
aware that tiger muskies eat trout when they
are first stocked. Stocking schedules have
been changed to compensate for this loss by
stocking more fish at one time and by stocking
larger fish.
Tiger muskies are not ravenous predators that
eat everything in sight. Over seven years of
observation, and more than 1,400 tiger muskies
examined, about 50% of all fish captured have
had empty stomachs.