The Ministry of Natural Resources and Muskies Canada have a vision.
What they see is a time when a species that can grow up to 50 pounds and was once native to Lake Simcoe will re-appear in healthy numbers.
That being the muskellunge.
Through the years, a loss of habitat, overharvesting by legal and illegal means and a decline in water quality have attributed to the muskellunge’s decline in this province’s sixth-largest inland lake.
However, the ministry and Muskies Canada, a non-profit fishing club dedicated to promoting better muskie fishing in Canada, have joined forces to restore the species.
Launching a 10-year project last year, the ministry, through its White Lake Fish Culture Station, and Georgian Bay Hunters and Anglers planted 86 fall fingerling muskies in a handful of sites on Lake Simcoe ranging from Georgina Island to the Talbot River near Gamebridge.
Jason Borwick, a ministry spokesperson from the Aurora district office, said the planting was a success.
Within the 10-year plan, he revealed the first five will be devoted to stocking and improving aquatic habitat while the remaining five will be devoted to assessing what they’ve done.
What the ministry would like to see, Borwick said, is for the muskellunge population to be self-sustaining.
“All of the pieces (to the project) are falling into place, but there’s still lots of work to do,” he said.
While the project is up and running, there has been a bit of a stumbling block — funding.
With no provincial government money allocated to this project, Borwick noted they’ve had to find a way to raise funds to keep the program afloat.
Just recently, Muskies Canada came up with an idea, the Lake Simcoe Muskie Lottery.
The lottery, the first of it’s kind, will offer raffle tickets for a variety of prizes that includes three all-expense-paid stays at fishing lodges and four celebrity guided trips. As well, 10 top-ranked Ontario guides have donated fishing trips, and other prizes are up for grabs, including 18 rod and reel combos and other lure/equipment packages.
Through the lottery’s website, www.lakesimcoemuskielottery.com, visitors can view prizes, access to information concerning the Lake Simcoe Muskellunge Restoration Project, find a list of authorized ticket outlets as well as the toll free number (1-888-2-SIMCOE) through which tickets can also be purchased. Ticket deadline is midnight Aug. 7 and the draw takes place Aug.11.
All profits from the sale of lottery tickets will go directly to the project.
Doug Strong, a Muskies Canada spokesman who helped to come up with the lottery idea, said the most money they can raise based on lottery rules is $150,000. But realistically they hope to raise anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000.
In creating the lottery, Strong noted they encountered several stumbling blocks, including the fact Muskies Canada had no advertising budget to promote lottery.
But in getting this year’s lottery off the ground, Strong feels it will now be easier for them to do it next year.
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