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Posts: 251
| Happy Hooker's recent post reminded me of a similar question.
How do you fight a Musky? Do you live to fight the fish so you you prefer to play it out a bit longer or get it to the net ASAP. I am pretty sure I know where most people are going to land on this issue but here is my story.
I have been going to LOTW in late July with a friend the last few years to fish for Musky exclusively. Last year he invited his father who actually started him on musky fishing 15+ years ago. Well, Last year my buddies father was set on using his own tackle which was a very old, flimsy spinning rod and 25# mono (we at least got him to put new line on, although he didn't want to). To get to the point, we had a disagreement about fighting the fish. He was of the opinion that the joy was in fighting the fish and commented video of some of our catches that we were netting the fish before they were tired out (and before we could thoroughly enjoy the fight). Me and my friend wanted to get it in the net asap both to secure the catch but more importantly for the health of the fish. No matter how much we talked to him about using heavier tackle and trying for a quick landing he didn't change his mind.
Do you try to "wear the fish down" or just look for the earliest opportunity to net the fish? Do you think that you or Musky fisherman sometimes try to net a fish too early (not just a bad pass/opportunity)?
Edited by timhutson1 2/26/2016 8:40 AM
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Posts: 470
| My brother-in-law is of the same mind set as your buddy's father. Likes to use ultra light tackle (Bass fisherman, Not muskie fortunately) and fight them for long term. Been back and forth with him about that for several years.
I'm from the school of Get 'em unhooked and back in the water school of thought personally. I'd hate to kill a fish by having it break off with a lure in it's mouth/gills or die of exhaustion so I can play with it more.
JMHO,
RandalB |
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Posts: 8781
| I don't think it's ever a good idea to fight them until they are exhausted. I'm also not sure horsing them right into the net is doing them any favors, either. That's when they roll up in the line and get hooks all stuck the net and then you have to spend 5 minutes untangling them from the mess before you unhook them. Had a few come in hooked nicely only to go nuts in the net and wind up with a treble in the eye. Also had a buddy who had a fish that was a little too green when it came out of the net. Fish thrashed, he lost his grip, dropped the fish about 4 feet leaving it flopping on the floor of the boat beating the crap out of itself.
If your worried about tackle failure because the fish made another run, you need to maintain your gear a bit better, or get better gear IMO.
I don't think I've ever "played one out" so to speak, but I do often tell the netman to hold off until the fish is calm enough and facing the right way where I can steer it into the net while he puts the net under the fish. Generally speaking, I think we do more damage with them thrashing about in the net while still hooked than we would if we just waited the extra 30 seconds before we net them. There is such a thing as premature net-ulation.
Edited by esoxaddict 2/26/2016 11:32 AM
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Posts: 20218
Location: oswego, il | I don't horse them but don't play them out even when I do target them with bass tackle. I let them do their thing and they don't do it long and I bring them in when they don't. I thumb and free spool alot and don't apply a ton of pressure. Still it does not take long to bring in a fish. |
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Posts: 457
| I'm putting them in the net the first good chance I get, kind of like hunting, I'm taking the first good shot I get. Waiting for the perfect condition will lead to disappointment, but that is just me. |
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Posts: 251
| It is funny that you say that because on the trip he had what he called a monster fish (their initial estimate would have made it over 60", although not likely that big it was clearly a huge fish) on the line which got off when they tried to net it. He blamed it on trying to net it too soon but it sounded more like a combination of a bad net job and the light line. He described it hooked through both sides of the mouth. I just hope it lived. |
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| I don't wait, I pull my pistol and open fire soon as I hook up. |
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Posts: 441
| I fish by myself 95% of the time. I try to get them in as fast as I can, but when your netting the fish by yourself, you need to tire them out somewhat to get them in the net.
I get them unhooked and let them rest in the big net, before I measure them and take a photo. If they are not big, I don't bother measuring of photoing them. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | swim em under pressure and keep em down ... |
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| Raise the rod tip and try to provoke a jump. Has long has I get a good look at them and it isnt at a tournqment give a little slack at the side of the boat and once in a while they throw the hooks so you don't have to mess with them. |
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Posts: 8781
| happy hooker - 2/27/2016 4:29 PM
Raise the rod tip and try to provoke a jump. Has long has I get a good look at them and it isnt at a tournqment give a little slack at the side of the boat and once in a while they throw the hooks so you don't have to mess with them.
Unless it's a pike. They never seem to shake off no matter how hard you try to lose them!  |
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Posts: 1000
| faster you get them in the net, the faster you can unhook them and let them settle. if you're fighting them out I don't think you should be taking pics. |
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Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | What SLED™ said: I lost a WR because I didn't follow this advice..............you can't horse that class of fish, if you do, you will lose the fish of a lifetime. Believe me, it sucks!
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 612
| bucknuts - 2/26/2016 8:19 PM
I fish by myself 95% of the time. I try to get them in as fast as I can, but when your netting the fish by yourself, you need to tire them out somewhat to get them in the net.
I get them unhooked and let them rest in the big net, before I measure them and take a photo. If they are not big, I don't bother measuring of photoing them.
Times two here. When fishing alone I tire them out a little bit so as to make the situation manageable. Otherwise I just poke at it with the net and the fish goes nuts and shakes loose t times, since my timing isn't perfect with a good sized fish, as it would e when a dedicated guy with the net would be available. However I don't let them run around for ever either. Some would say I horse them in. |
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Posts: 785
| Playing a fish out for fun is pointless to me. Horsing a fish makes them go crazy and gives them more opportunity to get free. Jabbing a net at a fish that's too deep or going crazy also is very risky. However giving the fish excessive time to fight also adds unnecessary risk of them coming off as well as exhausting the fish needlessly. After the hook set(s) I apply steady pressure to the fish and take the first clean shot I get at them. It's not rushing it or dragging it out... the fight last exactly as long as it's supposed to and with muskies it's not usually a very long fight. The longest 3 fights start to finish i have on video lasted just a few seconds shy of 2 minutes... longest fight I've ever had at most pushed 3. |
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Fighting fish