Scientific Musky Study

[Steve-o]

Fish of 10,000 Casts: Scientists Reveal Why Muskies Are So Hard to Catch

After fishing for muskies in a controlled environment for 35 days straight, researchers at the University of Illinois came up with some interesting answers to an age-old question.

After gauging and recording each muskie’s personality, the researchers then took the 68 fish and stocked them in an experimental pond. The pond was emptied of other aquatic species beforehand, and they filled it with minnows so that all the muskies were content and equally well-fed.

Then came the fun part. Bieber and Suski fished the experimental pond with conventional gear for 35 days straight. They covered every inch of water using every combination of lure and presentation they could think of

At the end of the 35 days, they had caught seven fish!!! 

[mike89]

and they get paid for it too!!!   

[Rodwork]

There could be many factors. #1 might be they suck at fishing.

But let us see: 2 people fishing 16 hours a day x35= 1,120 hours of fishing. So they spent 160 hours fishing per fish caught. Say it take 2 min per cast. That would be 4,800 cast per fish. Well under the 10,000 cast most say it takes.

I wonder how these number would have changed if a professional musky hunter was doing it?

[LPS]

I'm thinking they didn't put in 16 hours a day. 

[Rodwork]

I doubt they tried “every combination of lures” either. The Musky Shop has 70+ different rubbers alone without adding the weight option.  I hate studies like this. There is so much missing information and distorted claims. They probably fished it like my 10-year-old boy. Wants to go home after 20 min because they are not biting today.

[Steve-o]

Who says these guys didn't know what they were doing... 

They found someone to pay them to fish for 35 days straight! 

[LPS]

In a similar study that I read years ago, they had a 1 square mile of fenced in land and they released so many bucks and so many does into this square.  They allowed so many guys to hunt this area.  People were pissed about such an easy hunt.  After so many days they had only seen 1 buck or something like that.  Not nearly as easy as everyone thought it would be. It was in NY.  If I find it again I will post the correct numbers. But my point is how similar to this musky deal. Not as easy as it looks.