FISHERIES

In 2020 the Chapter donated $5,000 to the Missouri Department of Conservation to purchase fathead minnow breeding stock.

Due to the Golden Shiner Virus infection in Lost Valley Hatchery’s 2019 muskie year class, and the subsequent quarantine of these fish, staff were forced to feed most of the minnows that would typically be held back for broodstock the following year.  The Chapter’s donation allowed the purchase of 560 pounds of fathead minnow broodstock.

The Pomme de Terre Chapter of Muskies Inc. works closely with the Missouri Department of Conservation in improving and maintaining the five Muskie Lakes in Missouri. Chapter fundraisers go directly to these projects and we help other chapters through donations when necessary to maintain their muskie fisheries.

Examples of ongoing and past projects are;

	Installation of brush piles in Lake Pomme de Terre almost every spring for the past 20+ years including placing brush piles along side a handicap accessible fishing piers.  Project is done in conjunction with the Corp of Engineers and Missouri Department of Conservation.
	Installed and maintained vegetation beds in an attempt to re-establish vegetation in Lake Pomme de Terre.  The chapter donated funds and received matching funds from Muskies, Inc.  Chapter members donated hundreds of man-hours of labor to help the MDC install the vegetation beds.  The project started in 2004 and is being continued by the Missouri Department of Conservation
	Hinge cut trees at Henry Sever Lake to improve habitat. March 2017

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Multiple times in the past the chapter has donated fiche nets to the MDC to be used in their spring netting projects. Nets are used to capture breeding muskies and to do census studies. 

In 2006 the chapter donated nets to cover the rearing pools used to raise muskies at the MDC’s Lost Valley Hatchery in Warsaw, MO. 

In 2010 the chapter donated four nets to the MDC to cover rearing ponds to increase yield.  Funding for two of the nets came from the Hugh C. Becker Foundation.

In 2012 the chapter donated two nets to the MDC to cover rearing ponds to increase yield.  Funding for one of the nets came from the Hugh C. Becker Foundation.

In 2014 the chapter donated two nets to the MDC to cover rearing ponds to increase yield. Funding for one of the nets came from the Hugh C Becker Foundation.

In 2015 the chapter donated one net to the MDC to cover rearing ponds to increase yields.

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In 2018 donated multiple Boga grips to the Missouri Department of Conservation to better handle netted muskies.  The Department determined that the Boga grip did no damage to the muskies' mouth and minimized possible harm from mishandling the fish.