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| Message Subject: your cpr process | |||
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| Watched another tv show where the guy was holding up a 40"er with one bare hand and while he wrestled the 10" bait's hooks out with his other bare hand. To me, the guy was only a thrash away from finding himelf sharing that set of big trebles with the musky. What a way to put a damper on your trip to LOTW, eh? I was wondering how more safety-minded folks manage their catch and release process. Here's mine in a nutshell... 1. Net fish head first. 2. Set the fish in the bottom of the boat and immediately cut the line just abovethe leader. Set the rod aside. 3. Grab the camera and set it on the folded-over fron seat. (It's aimed up and toward the back of the boat. My Olympus 35mm actually has a small remote I can point and click to start a 3 second delayed shot.) 3. With the fish still in the net, CAREFULLY remove hooks with a pair of long-nose pliars. Leave the tangled bait in the net. 4. Remove the fish from the net and measure it using the marks I've laid out on the bottom of the boat. 5. Take pictures. 6. Release fish. 7. Remove the bait from the net and retie the leader. 8. Congradulate lucky self and thank the powers that be. Overall, my goal is to get the fish back in the water ASAP while I minimize risk of harm to me or the musky. I've already learned my lessons about carelessness and taking care of my hands. How about your process? Any tricks you would recommend? How many of you guys have accidently hooked yourself bad? Thanks! | |||
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| Ranger, here is a great link for some great info on proper CPR practices. I think the number one take home message from this info is to not bring the fish into the boat, keep her in the net IN the water. The fish can still breathe while you are cutting your line above the leader and then cutting (if hooked bad enough) or removing the lure hooks. Also using a WET bump board ( I just learned this myself), instead of marks in the boat is much more friendly to the fish. With the methods in the link, the only time the fish is out of the water is for a very quick measurement, then a quick photo. Time out of the water should be very minimal. Someone posted here quite a while ago about a great way to tell if the fish has been out of the water too long. "When you finally have the hooks free(from the fish in the net in the water) and it is time to bring the fish in the boat for a quick measurement and quick pic, hold your breath. When you need a breath, so does the fish. With doing everything in the net in the water, the fish won't be out very long. Hope this helps, later. http://www.muskies101.com/abccpr | |||
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| 10 second rule: If you bring the fish out of the net, you SHOULD have every thing else READY. KEEP THE FISH IN THE NET OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT!!! Until you got the hooks out and your ready to take pictures, and only a couple of pics...remember the 10 second rule!!! I see too many fish doing the CRAPPIE FLOP on the bottom of boat floors during the summer. Imagine if some on let you flop on pavement, while you cant breath. I see too many photos taken of fish....again, imagine if you were under water and not breathing and someone was trying to kill a roll of film to get the right shot. Ranger you have many good tips. I just would like to have more folks keep the fish stable in the net over the side of the boat...before they handle the fish.[;)] | |||
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| Ok, I appreciate the emphasis on caring for the musky and I see my technique doen't meet standard. I'll check out the link, thanks, Greg. My challenge will be to figure out how to manage it alone; I almost always fish by myself. I've considered building some sort of floating cradle I can knock over the side of the boat and then steer the musky into it. Hmmmm.... Off to the CPR link! Thanks guys. | |||
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| Putting the net handle in the rod holder is a great way to do it by yourself. | |||
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| Ranger you do have a good routine but the fish in the boat isn't any good for the fish and you, you must leave the fish in the net in the water at all times but to lift for a quick picture and release. Here is mine: 1- Net the fish with my Kwick Kradle that I lay in the water behind the boat held with my foot on the handle ( when alone ) till the fish in there for the taking. Then I lift my foot till door in under water and pull the fish in. 2- leave fish in the water and rest top of net hoop in rod holder ( S-10s are great for this ) Now you can take a deep breath, grab camera and release tools. 3- use needle nose plyers and remove hooks and if they don't come out right away grab the knipex and cut hooks and remove barbs from fish. 4- remove lure from net for your safety, another good reason for a treated net the lures are easy to take out. 5- now take another deep breath and hold it while you grab the fish and lift it with full support under the belly for a quick picture and right back in the water holding it by the tail moving the tail left to right till the fish swims away. You can measure the fish in the net in water before step 5 or after as you grab some tail. Leaving fish in the water, cutting hooks as well as suporting the fish while out of the water are the most important parts of the release not the pictures. | |||
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| Good question Ranger. My general CPR technique - First , I fish solo ALOT I can't remeber the last time I used a net.I will let the fish tell me when he/she is a bit tuckered but, not near played out to exhaustion - this will vary greatly with water temps. I don't want to bring a real GREEN fish in to CPR,too many bad things can happen to me and/or the fish. My photo ops are when the fish is still swimmin'- one hand on the pole and the other holding the camera taking bad photos !!! Get on the leather glove-grab the line (gloved hand). DEATH grip on lures hook in the fish with a 12in linemans pliers-If it shakes,the lure is secured from me and it may unhook itself if you get lucky.With the lure secured,I will put a DEATH grip on the lower jaw chin/gill area with my gloved hand. Now the fish is secured-NEVER LET GO! or you could hook yourself if it thrashes !! I will remove the hook or cut it with a mini bolt-cutter, depending on the situation.I will then lift it out for a quick measure - 60in. tape on the gunnel - wetted before measuring - back in the water she goes and I will then do the belly cradle and tail hold until she can swim away with authority.If they thrash brutally during the measure I'll let it flop into the lake.Better there than the bottom of the boat. At times I've ran my trolling motor while holding the fish to get it revived after a tough fight/unhook in HOT weather or a DEEP water catch. Gotta do what you gotta do !! The fish is always in the water during the unhooking- no net to tangle lures,hooks,line and the fish won't roll thrash and split fins or bury a hook into it's eye. If a fish inhales a lure severely,I may have to use my net,we'll see. I started out netting my fish,but after a few bad tangles and hoping to god the fish would make it after the long ordeal - no more nets unless absolutely necassary. It's easier to do big fish than smaller fish - go figure Mother ps - I may not be perfect,but I'm comfortable and confident with it. | |||
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| Wow, no need to go to the link, you guys have given me plenty of great tips to consider. Thanks again. You know, after 6 months of bing a member I'm still amazed at the friendly expertise that is available on this board. And in between I get to do stuff like watch the antics of Slamr and consider Sponge's unique brand of goofy wisdom.[:bigsmile:] [:sun:] | |||
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| Ranger: The most important things for a good/safe release when fishing alone or with someone (besides a good camera) is the net and HOOK CUTTERS. Once the fish has been netted, you can keep the fish in the water (like Jason mentioned) and cut the hooks right there (no need to cut the line). Replacement hooks are cheap and the fish will be free in no time. Its better than strugling with pliers with a well hooked fish.[:p] | |||
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| All good information above. Definitely agree with the "fish should never see the bottom of the boat" philosophy. I'll add a couple of thoughts: When you have a fish that you know you don't want a picture of, try to release it (if you're comfortable doing it) without putting it in a net. Either, remove the hooks while the fish lays in the water (easiest with fish that are not hooked too bad) or get a hold of the fish (across the head on smaller ones, gill hold on bigger fish) and remove hooks over the side on your boat. Again, if you are inexperienced or not comfortable getting around the hooks, it would be better to net. There is no fish's life worth taking a trip to the hospital and the more apprehensive you are about getting a hold on the fish , the more your odds of getting stuck increase. You need to have a very aggressive (yet cautious) attitude when handling fish by hand. If I'm alone and want a picture of a fish, I flip the switch for my livewell and start it filling as soon as I know that to be the case. After hooks are removed over the side of the boat I tank the fish. I then set up my camera which is ALREADY mounted on a tri-pod and has been locked into the propper postition for the picture BEFORE hand so that all I have to do is spead the legs and set it down. I spash some water on my lexan bumpboard, hit my delay button (ten seconds) and grab the fish out of the livewell. Picture is taken, lay fish down on my lexan bumpboard for a measurement and she is back in the water. Total time out of water, hopefully no more than 20 seconds. | |||
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| Here is a page I put up about CPR tools http://jomusky.tripod.com/crtools.html I plan on putting more up about Catch and Release Techniques | |||
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