FFS

So, I’m seeing reports of someone catching 29 Muskies and other reports of 10+ on the Fox River before daylight on opening day.  Just curious on people’s opinions on this.

Here’s mine:

A:  I feel that it is unethical harassment of fish that would otherwise not be caught.  I’ve not heard of someone catching that many fish in that short of time.

B:  I assure you fish are being snagged.

Purchasing ffs does not make you less of a sportsman, how you choose to use it defines you as a sportsman.  with the if it's legal it's okay attitude, I wonder. It's legal to find a big colony of spawning bluegills and pound limits every day and feed everybody in the neighborhood. Sure it's legal but I don't think that's the definition of a sportsman. I think a sportsman puts the resource ahead of harvest or ego or is at least is conscious of the resource. And for the don't judge me people all of life decisions should be made on judgments, we should judge everything and everybody😁

If you’re sniping, I say you’re less of a sportsman while doing so.  Simply put, it’s driving around looking for fish.  Similar to spot lighting deer except legal.  Doesn’t make it ethical though.

I don’t have FFS at moment either. I will probably purchase one after a couple of needed operations. When I purchase one, it doesn’t make me any less of a sportsman than what I am now. Poppycock! 
I don’t understand why people constantly “Judge” others based on their beliefs. I know it’s a free country and all, but it gets old. I follow the DNR rules. The way you’re talking, we should follow “Your” rules? Are you kidding me? Lol
Your problem is with Technology and the DNR. 

W6,

I don't have a horse in the race as far as FFS, as I'm not really a techie guy - it just doesn't interest me.

The only thing I really like a fishfinder for is depth, temperature, and knowing if sand, rock, or weeds are below me. 

The following comments are based solely on my observations from 10 years worth of people staying at the Woodlands (new fisherman every week from May thru October) on Plum Lake.

Plum Lake is a class A Musky and Walleye fishery.  I don't think they designate lakes as a class A smallmouth fishery, but there are some absolute tanks in Plum, along with a nice population of nice Crappie.  I guess my thoughts on this is that people could spend their time targeting any one of the above species.

Hands-down, the overwhelming majority of people who stay at our cabins (and fish Plum) are bass fisherman, followed by pan fisherman (I'm including Crappie, perch, and bluegill in this bucket) - more people then you'd think chase crappies and Gills for a family fish fry while on a fishing vacation) followed by Walleye.  

Musky fishermen are a distant fourth. There's only a small handful of diehard who come up looking for Musky and fish nothing else.

I'm not looking to get into the debate about FFS (as I really have no opinion) to each their own. If you want FFS go for it, if you don't care for FFS then no reason to use it. Based on 10 years of renting cabins, I can speak to the folks who come to the Northwoods and what they're fishing for...

It's kind of funny, customers always ask me where the best spots are for whatever fish they're targeting.  I can help them out with panfish, eyes, smallies, and pike, but for musky, I always tell them I have no idea, I don't  target skis, and only catch them occasionally by accident.

Many of the good walleye lakes have become Largemouths factories like Upper Long.  DNR and lake associations are urging people to keep the bass.  Same with Pike.  There are kill tournaments and contests.  Just not many people traveling for that species.  People are coming for the Walleye, Muskie and crappies.  

If no one is fishing for them, its going to be hard to eradicate them from harvesting.  I guess my thought if you have a lake that looks like it could be a really good LM fisheries, why not facilitate that, at least you would have a good LM lake.  Trying to eradicate them, there's a good chance you'll end up with a mediocre LM fishery and a mediocre walleye fishery.   ​

Walleyes and of course Muskies are the bread and butter of the Northwoods.  Once the panfish spawn is over I bet it's close to 70% of people fishing are targeting walleyes and muskies up here.  Like you said, the bass fishing is solid and there are a few lakes that have put a 21" size limit on smallmouth.  LCO, Grindstone, Whitefish, Round and Stone are a few that I know of for sure.  But as far as largemouth go, there are many lakes that they are trying to eradicate them.  No size limit, keep 5 or some lakes as many as you want and the season opens on the traditional opener.    

Wright, if someone solely fished walleyes than a lot of the surveys would be concerning, lack of natural reproduction was the common theme. There were also a lot positives in these surveys, clearly bass are taking advantage of the void left in the food chain from fewer walleyes on some of the lakes.  Panfish seemed to be improving in lakes with the lower bag limits.  I saw one lake that you probably fish from time to time where not a lot of muskies were caught but 44% of the muskies sampled were over 42" and crappies were listed as fairly abundant with 84% of the crappies >10".  Sounds like a lake I wouldn't mind fishing.

Thank you Grace, I see the word down and decline in these a lot.  Some positives like LCO that basically was speared down to an unfishable musky population is doing better.  Whether the natives leave it alone or not is another question.  

Here's a link to frke net and shocking surveys; you can sort by county and then the lakes you typically fish.  Most are pretty recent 2024 and 2025 at least for the lakes I checked.  This is probably much better indicator if the lake(s) you fish are going down the crapper or not, versus what you are hearing on here.  https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/reports 

It's not so much people saying the lake numbers are down.  I know for my area, guides on the water everyday see it but more importantly the local fish biologist of the Hayward area lakes Max Wolter says it's going down hill.  Through fyke nets, creel surveys and electro fishing they have determined there is little to zero natural reproduction of Walleye and Muskie in almost every lake.  Many factors are the cause for this but shoreline degradation is a big one.  The real exception is the Chippewa Flowage for Walleye.  So, with stocking being cut by 80% state wide.  That means not many fish being taken via hook and line, spear or birds/mammals are going to be replaced.  Quite a few lakes went to and 18" walleye size limit this season with a couple going to 28".  We're also gaining strict panfish regulations on almost every lake.  This is a good thing.  Mostly 10 panfish but starting to see a lot of lakes that only allow 5 of 1 species through June 15th or something like that.  

If you were to come up North on a Saturday, you'd find that regardless of the numbers of fishing licenses purchased.  There are lots of people and lots of people fishing.  We also have many more residents that don't leave all summer and fish daily or several times a week.  People that never went back to the office after covid.   Which is fine, I surely would have done the same had I been able to.   

As far as whitetails go, I think people North of Hwy 8 would have a very different opinion than you.  You're right, fewer hunters up here but it is far from being overrun with deer.  What we do have is a bunch of big dogs and bears running around taking care of what's left of the deer.

All I know is FFS makes ice fishing specifically more enjoyable, doesn't result in more fish caught (in fact until you learn to use FFS effectively it actually reduces catch numbers), and gives my son something to get hooked on and look forward to using while fishing. I work 60 hours a week and run around to school events just about every weekend. Yet I'm still a more avid fisherman than any of my son's friend's families. You all forget you are on a fishing website, bantering with other fisherman. The vast majority of fishermen go out for a couple hours on the weekend while at their cabin 3 times a summer and are happy to catch a meal of 6" bluegills to have their annual fish fry with family. 

To the people saying their lake numbers are down - you just weren't as effective of a fisherman. I assure you you are not good enough at fishing to notice a 5% reduction in a fish population, despite what you believe. Try harder.

Majority of you don't seem to care about the decline in fisherman numbers over the years. Hobbies have to keep up with technological advances to keep people engaged. At least at the rate we are going, there will be too few fisherman to put a dent in a population so you will all be able to catch as many 20" musky that you want once every lake is stunted out. 

I bet there were plenty of people that believed every whitetail deer was going to be wiped out with the invention of gunpowder, yet here we are with lower hunter numbers than ever and an overpopulation of deer that we can't hand out enough tags to manage.

Dropped a hint on the “What did you do today” thread but nobody figured out what I referenced.  

Was wondering if anybody would pick up on the reference to “The Matrix”.   Classic  👍✌️

OneFineDay:  "The Choice is yours."  That was said by Morpheus to Neo.  
And there are many, many days when I wish I had taken the blue pill.