|
|
Posts: 79
| I was wondering how many of you have taken a break in the action with the hot water temps in Minnesota and Wisconsin?
I haven't been out in quite some time now. Hopefully it cools down soon.
I have been surprised at how many and who are still fishing though. Makes me wonder should I be still fishing anyway?
Attachments
----------------
 heat stress.JPG (40KB - 114 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 321
| You need to trust your gut, there is no real "cut-off" temp, just a feeling you get. H |
|
| |
|
| I will not fish muskies again until I know the water temps drop into the mid 70's I measured water temps over the July 4th weekend down to 30 fow of water. Surface down to 6' was 80.1 It was still 77.6 at 14' At 16' it dropped too 72.3 I would love to be out rowwing, but will wait until temps drop. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 8834
| Too hot to be out anyway |
|
| |
|
Location: Apple Valley | I haven't gone out in 3 weeks now for muskies. I've been bass and crappie fishing. Just so hot. Water temps pushing 90's. Just insane!
Brian |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Bass fishing for us.....guess it's a good time for the boat to be back in the shop.... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 357
Location: Duluth, MN | Breaktime for me up here. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Was planning to be in northern WI this coming weekend but have chosen not to head up due to temps. Have not been out since the 4th timeframe. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | going bluegillin tomorrow night in madison...I about fell over last tues nite watching 2 younger guys casting for muskies on Monona...84.5 surface temp...unreal. it's the experienced guys that should be setting the example and not fishing.... and i know some guides are still on lakes in MN over 80...sad. |
|
| |
|
| Flatheads make for an exciting break...but, with the water so high...urgggggh. No metro trips for me the entire month of July!! This sucks!! I've also been shocked by the number of guys still fishing. Had trouble releasing a couple of 50+ fish in June! I think, since it's an election year, Al Gore turned his global warming machine back on! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | The muskie guides and well known muskie sticks on each body of water need to be an example. I canceled all my guide jobs the last few weeks and talked to all the clients that have trips booked through July and into August. They understand the issue and most were very very good about it. The ones that were less than understanding I can't help and just won't rebook. Plenty of buisness out there. I will go out of my way to help the people who care about the health of the fish.
Let's all be good examples and help spread the word about heat related stress and delayed mortality.
I was out Saturday night looking around, havin a few cold ones, listening to some tunes and saw two dead muskies. Both had fresh flesh tears from being caught. I talked to a couple guys at the launch that just got in from targeting muskies. They had no idea of the dangers. I was very nice and explained all the issues. They said they would give it a few weeks before they tried again. Spreading the word will help. Be nice and people will listen.
If a guide is giving up $1000 to $2500 a week they can take a break also.
A muskie can swim off but the effects of the catch will not be good. Delayed mortality, stunted growth, infection, etc. Nothing good about stressing them out when they are at their weakest point all year.
My hats off to everyone who is giving the muskies a break. Let em grow and live for another year. Heat kills. Dead fish don't excite anyone. |
|
| |
|
Location: Sun Prairie, WI | I’m seeing reports on other sites of “guides” on two south central Wisconsin flowages posting pictures of recent musky catches in mid-80’s water temps. One is even posting on FB about upcoming openings he has the next few days for clients to book with him. Unreal…
Edited by gtp888 7/17/2012 9:18 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 582
| we were out swimming this past weekend and surface temps were warm.. (83 degrees), but once you get about 2 feet down the water was alot colder. We measured it at 73 degrees by dropping my transducer. |
|
| |
|
| I think some of these guys should be more versitile and target other species during this hot weather. I know there is one guide in particular fishing and guiding on some MN lakes above 80. One of the lakes is a broodstock lake well over 80 degrees. Same individual will slam people for fishing in Indiana when the lakes are even close to 80. Why is it ok to fish out of state in 80 degree water temps but not in your own state? That seems very selfish. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | "we were out swimming this past weekend and surface temps were warm.. (83 degrees), but once you get about 2 feet down the water was alot colder. We measured it at 73 degrees by dropping my transducer."
That may be true, but the top 2 feet is the zone where much of the fight will take place, the zone where the fish will be netted and contained while removing hooks, and also the zone the fish will be released into. It's still an iffy deal at best, and up to each individual. While most on here have at least been informed, amazing how many are out there don't know or aren't aware of any of this or the effect on the fishery. Better days ahead hopefully. We need an Alberta clipper! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1039
| I haven't made a musky cast in July. I hung it up a little early as that was when the gills left my very shallow Bay.
I did take my best friend's 7 year old fishing for pannies last week, though. It was actually pretty fun.
Now it is time to chase some salmon around. It is also time to get the fall gear ready to go. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | it's nice to see guides like Mike Koepp, Todd Forcier and others cancelling trips when water is too hot...wish other guides would do the same...some will blast guys in their home state for fishing 80 + but then travel to MN and do the same thing....hypocrisy at it's best!!!!!
the experienced anglers, guides/"pro staffers" should set the example....
Edited by BNelson 7/17/2012 11:11 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 321
| bluegill tast good. H
Edited by Homer 7/17/2012 10:48 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | Golf Ball flies farther when it's warm out ... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 7090
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | When it's too hot to fish...
Attachments
----------------
north-ave-top.jpg (250KB - 138 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 373
Location: Maine Township, MN | esoxaddict - 7/16/2012 4:35 PM
Too hot to be out anyway
For sure. I'm getting sick of this heat! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 143
Location: La Crosse, WI | This year has just been insanely hot! I would like to credit everyone on this website for informing me on the dangers of fishing muskies in high temps. Even though I love to chase them it doesn't seem right if the fish has a high percentage of dying. I've also been able to inform some of my fishing buddies on the dangers of fishing in high temps. All in all, I probably saved the life of the one muskie we would have caught all month haha!
Depending on guiding muskies as a way of life and cancelling trips due to high water temps is a slippery slope. Its easy to sit back and make that decision for the person but much more difficult if you're the one depending on the income. I'm just glad the information is out there and many people choose to hang up their sticks for a month or longer...
Best guess for when we'll be able to get back into the action? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1416
Location: oconomowoc, wi | same here.. haven't tossed a musky bait since the end of june. the 620vs is rigged up for salmon and trout on lake michigan. having a blast with those til we cool back down.. besides, salmon taste better then musky anyways! kidding of course! 
(july 16th michigan 003.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
july 16th michigan 003.JPG (29KB - 129 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 61
| Chuckin Baits - 7/17/2012 11:57 AM
This year has just been insanely hot! I would like to credit everyone on this website for informing me on the dangers of fishing muskies in high temps. Even though I love to chase them it doesn't seem right if the fish has a high percentage of dying. I've also been able to inform some of my fishing buddies on the dangers of fishing in high temps. All in all, I probably saved the life of the one muskie we would have caught all month haha!
Depending on guiding muskies as a way of life and cancelling trips due to high water temps is a slippery slope. Its easy to sit back and make that decision for the person but much more difficult if you're the one depending on the income. I'm just glad the information is out there and many people choose to hang up their sticks for a month or longer...
Best guess for when we'll be able to get back into the action?
Mid August if we are lucky. Probably more like the first week of September down here in SE Wisconsin. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 582
| Propster - 7/17/2012 10:26 AM
"we were out swimming this past weekend and surface temps were warm.. (83 degrees), but once you get about 2 feet down the water was alot colder. We measured it at 73 degrees by dropping my transducer."
That may be true, but the top 2 feet is the zone where much of the fight will take place, the zone where the fish will be netted and contained while removing hooks, and also the zone the fish will be released into. It's still an iffy deal at best, and up to each individual. While most on here have at least been informed, amazing how many are out there don't know or aren't aware of any of this or the effect on the fishery. Better days ahead hopefully. We need an Alberta clipper!
did i say anything to the contrary? Did i once mention i am good to go fishing in these temps? What some of you don't realize is the top 2 feet of water column is not the entire lake. i have successfully released lots of fish in warm water temps. I traditionally don't fish for muskie in warm water, but there are lots of people on my lake doing it and i am not going to yell at them. This is a sport fish, and i care about the quality of this sport as much as the next guy. But some of you are way over the top believing that if a fish dies, the end of the world is coming. Its a fish! and if your that concerned its probably not a good idea to catch a muskie with possibly 3 giant treble hooks yanked thru its mouth and gills and you should stick to bluegill. That being said, i do care enough and am lucky enough to be able to fish for other species until the conditions IMO improve. But thats not the same for everyone else. People who enjoy fishing for them, spent $2000 a week on a cabin etc... its up to all of us to do the right thing as we see it, but its not illegal to fish for muskies when the temp hits 80 degrees so i won't be standing at the boat landing with a sign on or anything condemning anyone else.
Edited by jackson 7/17/2012 12:43 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 148
Location: Milwaukee, WI | This AM, on the radio, I heard the Manager of MN DNR say MN has already had more than one case of northern pike die-offs from temperature related stress in shallow lakes. There is no place these fish can get refuge from high-temp/low 02 in the shallow, weedy lakes. If its happening to pike, muskies are likely under stress too. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Can someone lend Slamr a camera with zoom? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 7090
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Flambeauski - 7/17/2012 12:57 PM
Can someone lend Slamr a camera with zoom?
No offense to muskie fisherman and nature viewing on the lake is cool and all but when THIS is right in front of your tourney HQ, you're glad you chose volleyball instead of hockey years and years ago...
Attachments
----------------
zoom.JPG (233KB - 123 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | "did i say anything to the contrary? Did i once mention i am good to go fishing in these temps? What some of you don't realize is the top 2 feet of water column is not the entire lake. i have successfully released lots of fish in warm water temps. I traditionally don't fish for muskie in warm water, but there are lots of people on my lake doing it and i am not going to yell at them. This is a sport fish, and i care about the quality of this sport as much as the next guy. But some of you are way over the top believing that if a fish dies, the end of the world is coming. Its a fish! and if your that concerned its probably not a good idea to catch a muskie with possibly 3 giant treble hooks yanked thru its mouth and gills and you should stick to bluegill. That being said, i do care enough and am lucky enough to be able to fish for other species until the conditions IMO improve. But thats not the same for everyone else. People who enjoy fishing for them, spent $2000 a week on a cabin etc... its up to all of us to do the right thing as we see it, but its not illegal to fish for muskies when the temp hits 80 degrees so i won't be standing at the boat landing with a sign on or anything condemning anyone else."
Jackson, not sure where this rant came from. I also did not make any accusation toward you or anyone else. If you took this the wrong way, sorry. In case anyone misinterpreted your post as a rational that it was okay to go ahead and fish - I'm not going to do any harm because two feet down it's much cooler - I just wanted to point out what others may not have thought of, and what your post appeared not to address.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 8834
| Slamr - 7/17/2012 1:12 PM
Flambeauski - 7/17/2012 12:57 PM
Can someone lend Slamr a camera with zoom?
No offense to muskie fisherman and nature viewing on the lake is cool and all but when THIS is right in front of your tourney HQ, you're glad you chose volleyball instead of hockey years and years ago...
But how do you concentrate on the game? I'd be thrown off the team for letting the ball go right by. Again and again and again... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 7090
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | esoxaddict - 7/17/2012 2:13 PM
Slamr - 7/17/2012 1:12 PM
Flambeauski - 7/17/2012 12:57 PM
Can someone lend Slamr a camera with zoom?
No offense to muskie fisherman and nature viewing on the lake is cool and all but when THIS is right in front of your tourney HQ, you're glad you chose volleyball instead of hockey years and years ago...
But how do you concentrate on the game? I'd be thrown off the team for letting the ball go right by. Again and again and again... ; )
EA,
The team is two people...all of the guys and girls I play with know that "scenery recognition timeouts" do occur from time to time. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1039
| How many 8's do you have to do before she hits? |
|
| |
|
| Scenery aside.............That looks like an amazing place to play sand Volleyball. Maybe I should be worring less about the guys fishing in the heat and try to play even more Vball? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 582
| Propster - 7/17/2012 1:54 PM
"did i say anything to the contrary? Did i once mention i am good to go fishing in these temps? What some of you don't realize is the top 2 feet of water column is not the entire lake. i have successfully released lots of fish in warm water temps. I traditionally don't fish for muskie in warm water, but there are lots of people on my lake doing it and i am not going to yell at them. This is a sport fish, and i care about the quality of this sport as much as the next guy. But some of you are way over the top believing that if a fish dies, the end of the world is coming. Its a fish! and if your that concerned its probably not a good idea to catch a muskie with possibly 3 giant treble hooks yanked thru its mouth and gills and you should stick to bluegill. That being said, i do care enough and am lucky enough to be able to fish for other species until the conditions IMO improve. But thats not the same for everyone else. People who enjoy fishing for them, spent $2000 a week on a cabin etc... its up to all of us to do the right thing as we see it, but its not illegal to fish for muskies when the temp hits 80 degrees so i won't be standing at the boat landing with a sign on or anything condemning anyone else."
Jackson, not sure where this rant came from. I also did not make any accusation toward you or anyone else. If you took this the wrong way, sorry. In case anyone misinterpreted your post as a rational that it was okay to go ahead and fish - I'm not going to do any harm because two feet down it's much cooler - I just wanted to point out what others may not have thought of, and what your post appeared not to address.
no issue, sorry if i mis-read or mis-interpreted. |
|
| |
|
Location: Contrarian Island | here's one for all the guys who claim it's cooler 5 feet down...a guy went out last nite on a 4k acre lake in MN...dropped a temp gauge to 16 feet and it was still 79 degrees.... |
|
| |
|
| I have personally not fished in three weeks I am starting to get depressed. More than anything because I feel like I am trying to do the right thing but according to all of the recent large fish pictures that are being posted by people who i would expect to know better I feel like I'm in the wrong. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Pelican was 76 when we left the water yesterday. 60's and rain most of the day today, and I see that weather went across a pretty good section of MN too. |
|
| |
|
| I am confused I was also on the lake last night, not fishing, and measured surface temps on two separate transducers at 80 plus on several locations as well as 79 degrees over 16 ft down, as Nelson stated earlier. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | A Northern Mn. Lake was 78* air temp. today and down to 51* tonight.
The water temps are at or about 74-76 on the main lake basins (west side)
Forecast is for near 80 -83*( air temps) for the next 7 days with lows in to the Mid to low 50's
I hope to get out tomorrow evening after work.
Edited by Top H2O 7/18/2012 10:48 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I haven't fished muskies since the 1st weekend of July. Been fishing walleyes and bluegills. Even walleyes and smallmouth on deep, clear, NW WI lakes feel warm to the touch when brought up from 15+ feet deep. Even smaller walleyes that are released are not swimming off quickly. Perch that are hooked deeper and take a few extra seconds to unhook are pretty much going belly up as soon as they are dropped back in the lake.
We finally had a couple days of cooler weather. I don't know if it got much above 70 in Hayward yesterday and we had a fair amount of rain. I might head out today and hope to toss some musky baits, but I'll have the walleye gear along too just in case.
Last saturday I found a 41-42 floating dead on LCO. The 1st weekend in July we saw a few walleyes floating too which is unusual. I've never seen such high water temps so far down in the water column. Fish are stressed...
Tucker |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | It's 58 degrees right now here and rained most of the night, a nice cool rain too. That will help.
Some of the lakes will cool very fast, some will take a while, but most here will be in the low to mid 70's today. Forecast is for a low of 54 tonight after a high in the low to mid seventies.
Going to be mid 80's this weekend again though, but at least no middle to upper 90's. Main thing is it is supposed to be cool at night.
Some lakes WILL be cooler 5' down, some will not. Depends on local weather, how much rain has fallen the last few days,etc. Measure YOUR local water temps and act accordingly. For example, we saw rain several times yesterday, a couple storms lasted a couple hours and brought the air temps into the 60's, and two counties down there was nearly none until last night. South of there, it rained all afternoon. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i traveled around quite a bit this past week was in so. wisconsin, minnesota and n. wisconsin (n. central). the minocqua/eagle river/western up area is nothing like the rest of the midwest. n. central wisconsin is green, cool at night and seems to not have been hit like the surrounding areas. minnesota was ridiculous dry and stifling hot ... a lot like southern wisconsin.
i believe this area gets right fast if not already ... heck i'lll have to be cutting grass again. here it's growing fast ... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | "I have personally not fished in three weeks I am starting to get depressed. More than anything because I feel like I am trying to do the right thing but according to all of the recent large fish pictures that are being posted by people who i would expect to know better I feel like I'm in the wrong."
You're not wrong guest. One definituon of character is how you act when nobody's watching. Most are doing the right thing. I for one appreciate that. |
|
| |
|
| After nearly an inch of rain yesterday the water temps still went up yesterday after the sun came out. I spoke with one newer musky fisherman last night. He had 83F surface water temps even after an inch of rain. I also spoke with a diver yesterday and he said this year the water is warm deeper down than most years.
One good thing it that the bite generally slows with the warm water also. Once the water gets cool look out!!
I am very pleasantly surprised that most our giving it a break. Some are icing down there transducer temp guage before fishing I think. ha ha.
Good point Propster. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I haven't seen 83 on any water I have fished yet, but I haven't fished pannies and bass on any smaller or dark water lakes, either. Norm Wild had the same temps on Pelican I saw on the 'Bird on his Lowrance units. Haven't fished muskies on my favorite waters since June, so can it, ande. |
|
| |
|
| Sorry Steve, was just joking with the icing down the transducer. Every water is different. I just thought it was odd the water was still 83 with some rain. The lake was shallow and weedy were the report came from though. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 61
| BNelson - 7/18/2012 7:51 AM
here's one for all the guys who claim it's cooler 5 feet down...a guy went out last nite on a 4k acre lake in MN...dropped a temp gauge to 16 feet and it was still 79 degrees....
And to piggy back off what what BNelson said, here in Madison it's still a bathtub and won't be changing any time soon. 10k acre lake that is still 81.3 5 meters down after 1.83 inches of rain overnight...ie 16.4 feet down it is still 81.3. http://metobs.ssec.wisc.edu/buoy/
That will take a solid week of cool cloudy weather and even cooler nights to even think about fishing. Southern and Southeast WI musky lakes won't be safe for quite a while even after it starts to cool down. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Been WAY warmer there than here, and we've had more than normal rainfall unlike the drought conditions in the rest of the state, meaning cooler water from the rain and more cloudy conditions. Point is, don't transfer Madison area conditions automatically here. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 61
| sworrall - 7/19/2012 10:57 AM
Been WAY warmer there than here, and we've had more than normal rainfall unlike the drought conditions in the rest of the state, meaning cooler water from the rain and more cloudy conditions. Point is, don't transfer Madison area conditions automatically here.
I didn't. Did you read my last paragraph...said southern and SE lakes won't be safe for quite some time. Never said ALL of Wisconsin was still hot. I was just making the point that just because it is safe to fish near Wausau, Rhinelander, GB, etc doesn't make it a good idea to start fishing Madison/Milwaukee areas...
I think we are in agreement... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | yep. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2
| This is just my view. Why take a greater chance of release mortality. I use the down time to scout new areas for when the temps cool down. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1039
| I'd like to use my down time to "scout" out areas with Slammer. |
|
| |
|
| nahhh it's ok to fish in warm water! they swim away just fine and live! sure they do...read on. Reality check.... BN
DanKlis
Posted 7/23/2012 9:48 AM (#573276 - in reply to #569233)
Subject: RE: LOTW - Sabaskong Bay & Area - July '12
Justin - Thanks fo the reminder on safe handling. My buddy Tom caught a 50 incher on Thursday night in the Angle. The water temp was 81 in the bay. His lure was babrless. It was his first 50 (although he has caught a bunch of 48 to 49 inchers) and really wanted a photo. The fish looked good on the release (I have handled many big fish, and really felt good about the handling and release). The next day we returned to the spot. On the way in there were three bald eagles on shore. The fish was on shore.
My friend was really bummed out, as I was. I am fairly certain that the water temp had to do with the fishes passing.
I am certain in my years of muskie fishing there were others that passed away.
DanKlis
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 8834
| That's a sobering fact all right.
Another sobering fact that is a percentage of fish, estimates as high as one out of ten fish, die as a result of us catching them. And that is in any weather, and any water temperature.
We slam hooks through their faces and drag them back to the boat against their will. Then we net them, rip said hooks out, and basically suffocate them ofr a few minutes while we take pictures of them out of the water to prove how great we are. And do you know what? They swim off scared half to death and exhausted, and some of them DIE. That's right. Dead. Pushing daisies, tits up, expired, pining for the fjiords... All for our enjoyment and to boost our egos about how great we are at catching fish.
We're doing something for fun that people used to do for sustinence. We're doing something for sport that was created and intended to put food on the table. "safe handling" is a good thing to teach people, and a good thing to practice. But let's not put ourselves on too high of horse here, shall we not? If we were all that concerned with the safety of the fish, we'd flat out stop fishing for them.
Just sayin'... |
|
| |
|
| 3 regal birds were fed, heck they might have actually killed the fish. A muskie after release is probably an easy target for a Bald Eagle. BR |
|
| |
