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Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | I've posted this as a "Note" on the resort facebook page, as well as placed it in each of our cabins last week and passed along to guests in the RV sites as well.
This will be elementary for many of you so thank you for your patience in humoring me for trying to reach some of the less experienced among our friends here. Comments and other tips are welcomed. This is most certainly no an exhaustive list.
We can't expect people coming up to LOTW for their vacations to sit in the share and wait for it to cool off, but we can try to work around the heat as best we can.
We’ve heard multiple reports of muskies (and a big walleyes as well) being found belly up dead on the surface of the warm water on Lake of the Woods during these current periods of extreme heat. Please consider the following when fishing while surface temps are high (high 70’s, 80’s.)
1. Land the fish as quickly as possible. Put away ultra-light rod combos when walleye fishing and use good heavy duty muskie rods for muskies and pike. Minimize the fight to limit the amount of lactic acid burn.
2. KEEP THE FISH IN THE WATER. Use landing net, cradle or hand land and unhook fish while the fish is in the water, with extra caution used to keep the head in the water. You should never bring a fish into the boat to work on hook removal. This is not a good practice at any time of the year.
3. Allow the fish to recover in the water before any photos are taken. Use cradle, large nets that allow the fish to sit upright and recover from the trauma of the fight.
4. Consider water releases & photos with fish just up out of the water for a moment before putting it back in.
5. Have all camera gear ready and functioning properly before fish comes out of the water. Be prepared for 1-2 very quick photos and get the fish immediately back into the water.
6. Support your fish horizontally under its belly at all times. Vertical holds have been proven to damage a fish’s skeletal structure and should always be supported with both hands in some way while holding for photos.
7. Hold the fish still while release it. It’s no longer suggested to move the fish forward and back during a release. Allow the fish to sit upright and monitor it after release if it stays on the surface. Any fish that appears it will not make it should be harvested if it is of legal size. Any fish not of legal size must not be harvested regardless of whether or not it will die upon release.
8. If you can, fish early morning periods and late evening periods to avoid the heat of the day. If you don't HAVE to fish, wait until the water temps cool down some.
9. Go barbless. Hooks are much easier to take out when the barbs are pinched down or filed off. This will also save you all kinds of trouble if you end up getting stuck with a hook during the process of unhooking your fish.
Thank you for taking extra caution with our precious natural resources. Safe handling techniques, particularly during warm water periods, will significantly improve the future of our fisheries.
Edited by MyliesPlace(Justin) 7/18/2012 10:14 AM
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | Excellent list, appreciate you trying to reach as many folks as possible. Sometimes it's as simple as people just don't know, and this may help. |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Justin: Great tips. The warm water of last week has taken its toll. I don't expect folks to quit fishing, but please be a carefull as possible. Here's one we found yesterday, (42-43"er) no doubt the result of last weeks 80 degree water temps. Doug Johnson
Edited by dougj 7/18/2012 12:10 PM
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Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | Thanks, Guys.
The danger is certainly real.
If we all do the best we can, it will help ALOT.
Cheers.
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Posts: 2067
| I was always kind of suprised you don't see more floaters in the NW angle in July (maybe most sink?) With 100+ fish caught a day, every day, there will be a few that die. As mentioned do your best - I like to water release as many as possible, I'm very comfortable hand landing anything under 42" ......hand landed one for DougJ many moons ago but that was more like 46", he tells the little ones to go away.  |
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Posts: 8834
| Barbless. Good idea. |
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| tks,i hope a lots will take the time to read it.
pretty strange the lil guy are the most nervous ones and the most dangerous to handle without net
Edited by learntoswim 7/19/2012 10:39 AM
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