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Posts: 7067
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Lots of yelling in the muskie world about delayed mortality, yet I see LOTS of really small muskies getting their pics taken, even by some really well accomplished anglers.
FOR ME, I sometimes do, but USUALLY dont take pics of smaller fish, because extra fish handling = better chance of fish death.
How big does a fish have to be for a pic for all ya all? |
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Posts: 1498
Location: Brighton CO. | Every other fall I get back to Wisconsin and fish with a friend and a guide. Last trip back I got a couple of fish friends took picture and back they went. No measurement the guide just gave us a estimate. My friend didn't like the fact the guide didn't measure the fish. Last fall my friend went back with another friend with the same guide and he would text me pictures of the fish they caught with a exact measurement. This fall I'm going back well I have the guide measure my fish? I guess it depends on how big. As far as picture of my fish I have guys in the boat with me to get one OK. When fishing by myself I net the fish leave it in the net in the water take a picture of the fish in the net. How do I measure a fish by myself? I don't. back they go. When fishing for Tigers here in Colorado I'm by myself and if I caught one fishing from shore with up to now is almost impossible back it would go no measurement or picture in less some bystander would help. I have a camera with was top of the line in 2006 when I bought it now I just carry my I phone and its a model 8. I do take lots of pictures of the landscape. |
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Posts: 1086
| For me...with regards to taking pix of the fish...a couple of decades ago, it was fun to have pix and stats of the fish I'd catch. I used to keep a Log Book with the fish stats, date, time, location, body of water, weather conditions, air temps, surface water temps, condition of the lake, water clarity, yada, yada, yada.
But...then life got really busy. Got married, started a family, raising two kids and working a full-time job, which all of that combined, that all significantly cut into my time out on the water.
Then as the stresses of every day life really started to set in...I found that I valued the time out on the water, more than I cared about the pix of every fish and the stats and keeping up with the Log Book. So the desire to continue with the Log Book went buh-bye. Just no time for it.
And, soon, so did the need for pix of every fish. Decades ago I significantly backed off on pix of every fish. Then it simply came down to pix of quality fish. Or fish with a really interesting character and/or marks on it. Or...if there was something unique about THAT fish, on that day, with the scenario that may have been going on in the boat that day, ie, fishing with a friend that had never caught one before...or...as my kids soon began to grow...pix of them with their first fish, or their biggest fish, etc.
It was more about capturing the essence of the moment, for the memory books.
So there is no true answer as to what size a fish needs to be...now...for me to be taking the pix. I think a lot of it will simply depend on the moment and the circumstances. But overall...a LOT less pix of fish these days.
As for getting quick measurements of fish...when fishing solo. Being I spent years, fishing solo, I had found that simplest way to do this has STILL been to utilize the simple, floating, round ruler stick. That is one priceless tool to have in the boat when fishing solo. I'd have the fish in the net...slip the floating, ruler stick through the loops of the net bag and get the best measurement I could get. A lot of it depends on the size of the fish and the energy/activity level of that fish. Normally I'm not bothering to get a measurement of fish that are in the mid to lower 40 inch class fish and below. But the mid to upper 40 inch class fish and above...I'll use the ruler....and do the best I can.
Will it be exact down to the 1/4" measurement? Heck no. That's not important to me, to be that exact.
Especially since...decades ago...I quit taking lot of pix, and I quit sharing pix with others and I quit sharing stats and measurements of the fish with others.
Those kinds of details were merely for me and my own curiosity at that point.
Yes...I know and realize that Frabil used to (maybe still does?) make a large, fish cradle tool, that acted like a net and measuring device all in one. Those were huge, cumbersome and awkward to use and took up a lot of room in the boat. I tried using that thing a few times, when fishing with others, in their boat, when they've had the Frabil cradle in their boat. And I used is just enough times, to see that it was nearly impossible to work with, while fishing solo and it was just cumbersome and awkward enough even with two people trying to operate it...that it was one tool/device that I never bothered to invest $ into one, for myself. It just wasn't for me. Simple floating ruler stick through the loops in the net bag and done. Easy...peasy.
But if I'm fishing with a friend, and their first fish...or with my kids and I'm teaching them the proper techniques of CPR'ing a fish...and how to properly hold and handle a fish...then that fish will be placed on a wetted bump-board in the boat. To get that more closely accurate measurement: for them. To appease them.
Nowadays...for me...it's more about time out on the water. Since my time has become increasingly more limited out on the water over the past 6 or 7 years. Going through a Divorce will do that to a guy and his time on the water. Some may think: Don't you now have MORE time out on the water, post-Divorce? Sadly, not in my situation.
So now...it's more about getting away from the stresses of work, stresses of computers and technology...I just like being out in the boat. Away from the city, away from traffic, away from work, away from computers, away from stress and just being out there. Catching fish is no longer a NEED. Catching a fish is now merely just an added bonus.
Priorities have certainly changed for me.
I do still appreciate catching numbers of fish. I certainly do still appreciate catching a quality fish. But quality time on the water, is vastly more important than any measurements and stats anymore.
Edited by MACK 5/14/2025 11:07 AM
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Posts: 11
| Thinking about the question, I had a lot of varying factors, is it a long camping trip at an infrequent lake with family or friends, a destination spot, my home lake? Ultimately, the one factor in the end was, is it memory worthy. A destination lake with beautiful scenery probably going to get a pic of the first fish in that trip but my home lake if it's clearly not over 40" I likely wouldn't take it out of the water if possible. That same destination trip, I catch a bunch of low 40" Im not bumping or getting pics of all those fish, a camping trip with family or friends who I don't get out with often I may get a pic of us holding a fish that isn't "pic worthy" but want the memory of our time together and the success of the trip. So whatever deserves a lasting memory gets a pic not necessarily based on size or "pic worthiness".
A funny story on a destination trip with my father, it's supposed to rain all day, we decide to fish a few hours right after breakfast before the heavy rain moves in. I catch the biggest fish of the trip in that window, both of us left our phones/camera at the cabin bec we didn't want to risk getting them wet and was planning on getting chased off the water after a short time. That one I won't forget bec of the absence of a pic. |
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Posts: 2051
| I guess this year its 47" (and mainly because I had my nephew with me and brother-in-law snapped a couple quick ones)...I have 12 other 40"+ with no true pictures...I actually never really take "pictures" solo (how I mostly fish) - I might turn some video on for a 45"+ fish to capture the 5-10 seconds of coming out of the net and swimming back home. Many youtube channels are ridiculous..bumping fish that aren't even 40"? I don't even want to catch a 38" muskie let alone bump it! |
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Posts: 2358
Location: Chisholm, MN | Depends on the situation. If the fish is healthy and someone is with me that wants a picture then any size is ok. If the fish is bleeding, they don't come out of the water. I really only want a pic of 47+ for myself, but again, if they show any signs of mortality they don't come out of the water. |
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Posts: 211
| Purely personal. I had a guy out 2 years ago that hadn't caught a musky in 25 years and his 1st and only musky was an incidental catch. That 44" fish was special to him. he was still shaking 10 minutes later. Cold water, short fight, easy hook removal and quick picture. Same with another friend and his 45" Tiger. Quick pic and he went on to order a LAX reproduction. Smaller fish or if a fish isn't noteworthy it doesn't come in the boat.
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Posts: 7
Location: Wright County MN | I take pictures of almost every fish personally. Wont post almost any of them though. |
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Posts: 662
Location: Duluth | Last picture I took with a fish was my PB two years ago. Next one will be new PB if possible. |
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Posts: 1361
| Last muskie pic I took was several years ago at one of the fall outings at Spring Bay. Friend who had never caught anything bigger than a dink, caught one that was 50" on the button (1/2 inch short of the big fish of the week). I did measure a 19.5" large mouth, very carefully, a couple years ago, for my special needs niece, when I took her fishing for the very first time, and she caught it on her second cast. That picture is priceless, and she is very proud to tell people exactly how long it was.
Edited by TCESOX 5/14/2025 5:21 PM
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Posts: 1778
| I've seen what the Muskie community can do to somebody who posts a picture. If I take a picture I sure won't tell anybody. If I take a picture I sure wouldn't post it. If I take a picture it would be for me to frame and hang in the house for my personal enjoyment and memory. |
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Posts: 3907
| Slamr - 5/13/2025 3:55 PM
Lots of yelling in the muskie world about delayed mortality, yet I see LOTS of really small muskies getting their pics taken, even by some really well accomplished anglers.
FOR ME, I sometimes do, but USUALLY dont take pics of smaller fish, because extra fish handling = better chance of fish death.
How big does a fish have to be for a pic for all ya all?
I have a bunch of ideas about this subject but my first thought is.....
Andrew, I will never forgive you for making me hold a toilet plunger in my teeth for a match fishing fish pic. |
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| In part because I fish by myself most of the time, last summer on Eagle Lake was the first time in 3 or 4 years I had a picture of myself with a musky. The guide took pictures of both fish I caught with him that day and did ask if he could post. I said sure, good guy and that is what he does for a living. I looked at his FB site later and was a little surprised that the picture of a 45" fish, the smaller of the two, was one of the few on his page that had a comment. It was a very nice looking fish with cool markings and I think that was why a couple people commented. But, I was glad he asked before just posting. |
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Posts: 98
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Pretty much every muskie fishing show/video I watch they pull them out of the net to show the camera. Not to mention every tournament. Where’s the call to ban them?Guess there’s a double standard in the muskie world. With FFS and people worried about pictures you might as well just stop fishing for them. If you truly cared so much about the health of the fish you better just stick to fishing a different species.
Edited by FishinXtreme 5/14/2025 9:01 PM
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Posts: 1361
| Pretty much everyone fishing in a tournament, would probably be fishing somewhere anyway, had there not been a tournament. |
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