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| I'm kind of new to muskie fishing so help me out. A friend and me were debating how to properly measure a musky. He said you squeeze the tail to get the length. He said tournaments do that. My opinion is you don't squeeze the tail because it can add 1 to 2 inches to the length depending on how big the muskie is.
Is my friend right about tournaments squeezing the tails to get the length? Is that the right way to get a correct length? If he's right is that good for the fish? What does everybody else do?  |
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Posts: 8834
| Pinching the tail is considered the "proper" way to measure the length according to the DNR, and that's the "official" method for most tournaments.
Personally, I don't bother playing around trying to squeeze another 1/4" out of the fish. If its 40 I call it 40. If its 45, I call it 45". About the only time I would do it was if it was 49 - 3/4", or of there was money on the line. (tournaments)
The rest of the time I figure you're gonna throw it back anyway, does it matter of its 46 - 1/2" or 47"? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | c'mon EA who's leg are you trying to pull here...you are gonna tell us when you got that 47" at Herbies, your PB by some 6" by the way, that you didn't care if you measured it right...so if it was measured at 46 but it was really 47 you wouldn't care? if so, thats cool, I like to know how big they are... 
this topic has been discussed to death...there are some people who like to be accurate...call us anal if you will, but I want to know if a fish i got was 49 or 49.75, or whatever. I don't "half *ss" stuff and like to know to exactly how big it was or wasn't ...pinching the tail...well sorry to burst some peoples bubble but it doesn't add an inch...lay the fish on the bump board, see where the tails end up...don't squeeze the tail to death, just a light pinch is all that is needed...
measure it how you want, if you measure it at 49 but don't pinch the tail, imo don't say it was 49 with out the tail pinched..you measured it at 49, so it was 49.
then there are some that do the floating stick, or the tape in the water or whatever...might not be as accurate but maybe they don't care what a fish is or isn't....to each their own...whatever floats your boat right....
Edited by MSKY HNR 8/22/2007 1:08 PM
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| I break their backs to get that extra 1/2" or so. Makes me feel better knowing I can catch big fish. LOL
JUST KIDDING PEOPLE!!! |
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Posts: 8834
| Brad, we measured it in the water with a stick... On a bump board with the tail pinched, it could have been 48". I will never know, and I really don't care. I knew when I saw it swipe at my bait it was bigger than any muskie I had ever caught. Catching my biggest on the 8 with Herbie and the guy who introduced me to muskie fishing, and getting it all on film on top of that? Whether the fish was 47" or 48" doesn't really matter. Sure, if we had a bump board it would have been nice to get an accurate measurement. I trust that we were close. Like I said before -- if it was pushing 50"? Then you make sure. TWICE.
It bugs me a bit that the tail got cut off in the picture, but that's just incentive to go get a bigger one!
Edited by esoxaddict 8/22/2007 2:04 PM
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Location: Contrarian Island | cool by me...everyone does things differently in this sport...
some care how big they really are...
some don't....
some say they don't, but do...
Edited by MSKY HNR 8/22/2007 2:08 PM
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Posts: 2089
| ....on a bump board. Steve |
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Posts: 785
| CASE STUDY, this past weekend I measured a musky in the water and it went 45"es, out of curiousity I layed the measuring stick on the floor of the boat and measured the fish at 46.75"es (without squeezing the poor things tail). All the rest of the fish we caught that weekend we measured out of water. I was curious to check into it after a discussion on this website.
This spring I did the same thing with 41 that measured 42 on the floor of the boat.
I don't recomend laying fish on carpet and thats why before my next outing I'm going to buy a bunk board, its the only way. With my PB at 50-1/4 this year It makes me wonder what it would of went on a bunk board? 51? 51.5? Its not a big deal but in the future I'm going to be making more accurate measurements using a bunk board. |
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Posts: 8834
| Does that mean I can call my 47" a 48-1/2"?? |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I measure them with spite and unbridled contempt these days. They keep throwing the lure on me, even a Top Raider which hooks up pretty well. |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | I just want to know where I can Get Louie's Tape & Scale
Seriously though personally I don't think it really matters all that much unless like EA said there's a tourny win on the line
Edited by JohnMD 8/22/2007 4:36 PM
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Posts: 785
| EA, I won't tell no one if you don't
As far as I'm concerned once there measured and released its in the books and unchangible, and it really doesn't matter. Just nice to know when you have the desire to measure a particular fish that you are reasonably close and not an inch plus off, that kindof defeats the purpose of measuring! Most of us can guestimate within that accuracy... +5"es |
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Posts: 299
Location: Nowheresville, MN | I'm amazed. It's been just over 2 hours and nobody has laced into musky-skunk for putting a fish on the floor. You guys must be busy. LOL!
What's even better are the guys who brag that they don't even measure a muskie anymore. |
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Posts: 355
Location: Wausau, Wisconsin | If you measure them at the baitshop, you get a real accurate measure...  The proper way is whatever makes you happy. If people really called fish what they were, there wouldn't be 1200% more 50" muskies in Muskies Inc than 49.5". I'm dang proud of 49.5" if that's what pinching the tail on an wet bump board tells me. |
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Posts: 335
Location: Orland Park | Come on...........if you measure a 49.5"er in the water, but if you pinched the tail for a legit 50"er while in the water, that wouldn't make a difference? Many people go a lifetime seeking that 50" trophy...............that would make a heck of a lot of difference to me. The 50"er is every muskie fishermans dream and something they can tell their grandkids. "Grandpa's got a 50 incher".
Others might have a trophy as a 50 pounder, but to those casuals, a 50"er would make their grandpa proud.
When I got a couple 49's and a few 48's, there was talk. But when I got that 50, there were tears shed.
This is another topic for another day.
Edited by Commanche Jim 8/23/2007 8:15 AM
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How to accurately measure a muskie