Stocking Question

Can anyone explain to me why the stocking of both pike and musky has been halted in Massachusetts for over 5 years now? These fish are prizes to many fisherman in massachusetts and i don't see why stocking isnt a common practice. My father and grandfather have fished Webster Lake in my hometown for years and years and tell me stories about how good the pike fishing once was in the lake. I would be a happy fisherman if the stocking resumed in Webster lake because the lake is far big enough to support multiple species.

I don't have an answer for you, most of the time when the state stops doing things it is because the program got cut.

Budget cuts...our fishing license fee's just go towards the EPA patrolling around to see if were using lead

i don't know for sure but with pike, it may be because they're "invasive" and have no natural predators. they eat a lot of the forage and hurt healthy populations of other fish like bass. they're definitely a big threat to the stocked trout.

i was in maine a few years back and there were signs at the boat launches saying it was the law to kill any pike you catch. i couldn't believe it. i was told they really care about their trout and salmon up there.

They will reproduce after stocking. Trout and salmon can not...

i don't know for sure but with pike, it may be because they're "invasive" and have no natural predators. they eat a lot of the forage and hurt healthy populations of other fish like bass. they're definitely a big threat to the stocked trout.

i was in maine a few years back and there were signs at the boat launches saying it was the law to kill any pike you catch. i couldn't believe it. i was told they really care about their trout and salmon up there.

sam is right about maine because a few years back I was fishing lake cobbie with my uncle and I caught a jumbo pike and he had to kill it because it was the law

i don't know for sure but with pike, it may be because they're "invasive" and have no natural predators. they eat a lot of the forage and hurt healthy populations of other fish like bass. they're definitely a big threat to the stocked trout.

i was in maine a few years back and there were signs at the boat launches saying it was the law to kill any pike you catch. i couldn't believe it. i was told they really care about their trout and salmon up there.

sam is right about maine because a few years back I was fishing lake cobbie with my uncle and I caught a jumbo pike and he had to kill it because it was the law

i think you guys may have misread the fishing regs cause my girls family has a cabin in maine and we go for vacation every year and i fish there the whole time , the state fishing regulations book states that it is "strongly suggested that anglers harvest every pike they catch" i saw plenty of people throwing them back in after catch. one awsome thing about maine is that they actually sell suckers for bait up there unlike mass, and there is no legal limit as to size or amount of pike you harvest but i have the book in my car and no where does it say that you are required to harvest every pike you catch but they would rather you not put them back. as for stocking in ma its dissapointing that places dont stock pikes and tigers ,my home lake indian lake was once full of pike and tiger muskies but the last time they stocked it was in 98 so all the tigers are dead by now but there is a healthy pike population cause ive seen many in the 3 foot range swimming around and know a few guys that catch good sized pike yearly from there.i would love to see more places stock pikes and tigers especially

http://www.state.me.us/ifw/fishing/species/management_plans/northernpike.pdf

scroll down to page 7 and read. it states that maine does not have a protective regulation on pike fishing so there are no size limits and unlimited daily bag numbers, and also states anglers are "encouraged" to harvest every pike they catch. funny cause it says that pike were first illegaly introduced in maine in the belgrade lakes which is actually where our cabin is lol. its actually because of belgrade pike that i started fishing again after so many years , i was out in the boat a few years back with my girls uncle and he took me to his favorite pike spot where i saw almost man sized pike swimming around just feet below us! we are going up for a week in june and i cant wait! im bringing my john boat and ill be buying lots of suckers while there

http://www.state.me.us/ifw/fishing/species/management_plans/northernpike.pdf

scroll down to page 7 and read. it states that maine does not have a protective regulation on pike fishing so there are no size limits and unlimited daily bag numbers, and also states anglers are "encouraged" to harvest every pike they catch. funny cause it says that pike were first illegaly introduced in maine in the belgrade lakes which is actually where our cabin is lol. its actually because of belgrade pike that i started fishing again after so many years , i was out in the boat a few years back with my girls uncle and he took me to his favorite pike spot where i saw almost man sized pike swimming around just feet below us! we are going up for a week in june and i cant wait! im bringing my john boat and ill be buying lots of suckers while there

lol my bad haha

We were getting pike and muskie from New York. Several years ago, an outbreak of disease at the hatcheries there stopped import to MA. There's your reason.