Bemidji Cass Muskies Inc – Youth – Fisheries

Supporting Conservation, Research and Youth Fishing

Bemidji Cass Lake Chapter 46 of Muskies Inc is part of the largest fishing and conservation organization in the world dedicated to muskellunge.

Youth

Muskies, Inc. provides guidelines and suggestions for quality programs and activities to educate our young members and, where possible, youth in general to ensure the future of the fishery. Our local Bemidji-Cass Lake Chapter is committed to helping youth in our local area.

Fisheries & Research

Muskies, Inc. works to conserve, protect and restore North America’s Muskie Fisheries. Areas of concern include habitat preservation, water quality, water management policies, and the development/maintaining of self-sustaining fish populations.

About Muskies, Inc.

Our Purpose

To support selected conservation practices based on scientific merit and carried out by authorized federal and state agencies.
To promote muskellunge research.
To establish hatcheries and rearing ponds and introduce the species into suitable waters.
To support the abatement of water polution.
To maintain records of habits, growth, and range of species.
To disseminate muskellunge information.
To promote good fellowship and sportsmanship among men, women, and children.
To promote a high quality muskellunge sport fishery.

Our Organization

Muskies, Inc is an Active, Service-Oriented 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization for men, women and children.

Founded in 1966 by Gil Hamm, the original group of thirteen avid Muskie Fishermen concentrated on continual improvement of the Muskie Resource through rearing and stocking efforts, and sound conservation practices.

Today, Departments of Natural Resources have realized the value of stocking Muskies. There are thirty-seven of the lower forty-eight states with active Muskie stocking programs.

Muskies, Inc. has expanded to over 6,000 Members and 50 independent Local Chapters throughout the country. We have become a national voice of the protection of the Muskie species. Muskies, Inc. is widely recognized as the first organized group of anglers to espouse the “Catch And Release” practice now embraced by many conservation-minded groups throughout North America. Today Muskies, Inc. focuses on three critical areas: Youth, Fisheries, And Research.

Muskies, Inc statement on Forward Facing Sonar

Since its inception, Muskies Inc. (MI) has been an advocate for conservation. Protecting muskies and the environments they swim in has been the cornerstone of our organization. We pioneered the widely accepted practice of catch and release at a time when it was an unpopular concept and our chapters work tirelessly, every year, to enhance and protect our muskie waters.

Today, and into the future, with the advent of new electronic technology to target fish, forward-facing sonar (FFS) has introduced a new set of challenges for our fisheries and our organization. The concern is that this level of technology has tipped the scales too far in favor of the fisherman and made our fish, in certain situations, vulnerable to abuse. Over the past several months, anglers have repeatedly asked us to make statements on the subject. We understand that this technology is here to stay, but we feel it is of the utmost importance to use it ethically.

“Fair Chase” is a concept that hunters have long promoted. This is a practice in that the hunter does not take game with an unfair advantage over the game animal. The same concept applies to muskie fishing. “Sharpshooting,” the practice of using live view, 360, or side scan to target individual muskie, should be considered unethical. The scope of “Fair Chase” will be debated, but refraining from “sharpshooting”, avoiding spawning fish, and the harassment of any fish that show no interest in eating is a starting point in protecting fragile muskie populations.

Muskies Inc. will continue to embrace the latest research for the protection of the fisheries. As results from studies on the effects of FFS become available, we will continue to formulate our stance on the subject. Until then, we strongly urge all anglers to use common sense, be responsible, and apply the spirit of “Fair Chase” when fishing.