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Posts: 421
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | I found this whole discussion very interesting with regards to rec. fisheries management. I've linked it to start at the handling stuff, but overall I left feeling empathetic to folks that chase the really big stripers and and their concerns for the future of their fishery.
https://youtu.be/fAZ7u9orueQ?si=kyPGp-Ap_mlBr2tr&t=3274
The release mortality and handling suggestions particularly relevant to musky: reduce number of hooks for quick release/barbless, keep in water and so on. The key point: fish size affects handling time (bigger=more time handled), and handling time is the most important predictor of survival. So bigger fish get handled more and therefore have higher potential for mortality. The takeaway is collectively anglers need to embrace reducing handling. Pete Maina and "Musky Man" Larry Ramsell spoke about this in a recent Ugly Pike podcast.
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/episode-273-pete-maina-larry-r...
The absolute most significant point in the Striper vid from my perspective for our native reproducing muskies in Canada is around the 30:43 point. Muskies have evolved to grow and reproduce to a certain maximum reproductive age and size without fishing mortality. As said in the discussion, we need to ensure we don't add too much fishing mortality - what that is has been reached in some systems in that past and we've managed to halt it to some extent with regulations relevant to the technology of the time (1990s). As I've posted before and Larry and Pete allude to, recent technology developments are potentially taking us to that breaking point, and we need to do something about it.
It is only going to get worse:
https://muskyinsider.com/blogs/past-newsletters/45lb-nj-musky-sonar-...
Edited by Angling Oracle 4/6/2026 1:18 PM
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Posts: 7128
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Fishing is inherintly bad for the fishes. We should all do the best we can to ensure that the release process is quick and does as little damage to the fish as possible.
Much more than that and we start to attack each other. |
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Posts: 1506
| Slamr - 4/6/2026 2:49 PM
Much more than that and we start to attack each other.
Too late Slamr. It will be sooner than you think, that you can have a big screen on your boat. It will show you the entire underwater lay out, and show you places all over the lake where fish have been caught, as well as where there currently are fish, and how big they are. It will give you suggestions on what bait to use based on what has worked on that lake and that spot. You don't think so? 360 live sonar already here. One boat network already here. Lake mapping integrated and add in OnX fish and all the data collected from all the users as well as data scrubbed from all the web sites out there with pictures of fish and the meta data in those pictures. AI puts it all together in one neat package so that your boat will take you to the fish and tell you which lure to throw, and what direction and what retrieve to use.
I know which side of this fence I'm on. |
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Posts: 1699
Location: Brighton CO. | We hook a small fish horse it in don't net pop the hooks out don't admire it or take photos and back in the water. Large get played out to take the steam out of them net admire them take photos and gee I hope it makes it OK. |
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| TCESOX - 4/6/2026 6:36 PM
Slamr - 4/6/2026 2:49 PM
Much more than that and we start to attack each other.
Too late Slamr. It will be sooner than you think, that you can have a big screen on your boat. It will show you the entire underwater lay out, and show you places all over the lake where fish have been caught, as well as where there currently are fish, and how big they are. It will give you suggestions on what bait to use based on what has worked on that lake and that spot. You don't think so? 360 live sonar already here. One boat network already here. Lake mapping integrated and add in OnX fish and all the data collected from all the users as well as data scrubbed from all the web sites out there with pictures of fish and the meta data in those pictures. AI puts it all together in one neat package so that your boat will take you to the fish and tell you which lure to throw, and what direction and what retrieve to use.
I know which side of this fence I'm on.
I find this vision of the future depressing. In some ways I am glad I am old and probably don't have that many years of musky fishing left. Last year I joined a musky league and was stunned by the anger at the organizational meeting when the majority voted against FFS. Most of these folks had fished in the same league for many years but they were very upset by this decision. Some pretty harsh language.
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Posts: 1506
| North of 8 - 4/7/2026 10:50 AM
TCESOX - 4/6/2026 6:36 PM
Slamr - 4/6/2026 2:49 PM
Much more than that and we start to attack each other.
Too late Slamr. It will be sooner than you think, that you can have a big screen on your boat. It will show you the entire underwater lay out, and show you places all over the lake where fish have been caught, as well as where there currently are fish, and how big they are. It will give you suggestions on what bait to use based on what has worked on that lake and that spot. You don't think so? 360 live sonar already here. One boat network already here. Lake mapping integrated and add in OnX fish and all the data collected from all the users as well as data scrubbed from all the web sites out there with pictures of fish and the meta data in those pictures. AI puts it all together in one neat package so that your boat will take you to the fish and tell you which lure to throw, and what direction and what retrieve to use.
I know which side of this fence I'm on.
I find this vision of the future depressing. In some ways I am glad I am old and probably don't have that many years of musky fishing left. Last year I joined a musky league and was stunned by the anger at the organizational meeting when the majority voted against FFS. Most of these folks had fished in the same league for many years but they were very upset by this decision. Some pretty harsh language.
Not really much of a vision, and not far in the future. More a description of what is about to happen. You referred to "not many years" left fishing. Well it won't be many years. I'm guessing you will see this before your muskie fishing days are over.. All of that is being worked on now. How much has all this changed since the pandemic? A lot. And change is accelerating. I remember being enamored by getting my boat all hooked up as a network. Did not see what was coming. Legislation is being pushed in Minnesota right now, to protect our native muskie lakes from this insidious technology. Many MI chapters in Minnesota have banned FFS for their tournaments. Good on them. |
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Posts: 2094
| Caught a 48.5 off the bank this week, took one pole, three baits and some release tools, humans generally do their best to take the “hunt” out of all hunting and fishing… you don’t have to use electronics, trail cameras, tss shot … or heck even a boat..if you don’t want to… I get a kick out of challenging myself and being able to say “ love it when a plan comes together “
Edited by IAJustin 4/7/2026 9:58 PM
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Posts: 106
| As the season starts to really kick in I thought I would be up the subject of handling again. In order to get in the mood for an upcoming trip I watched the Muskies on the Shield video by Dick Pearson. Mr. Pearson many times never has the fish leave the water. On those times he does it is a very quick "here she is" and back in the water, 3 seconds. After watching that I went right to a recent video by an experienced You Tuber also fishing on the Shield. Fish caught, netted, measured, held for some still shots, and then released. While being put on the bump board the fish thrashed around. During the release the fish was let go and went belly up under the boat. A grip was regained on the fish and then released again. They went on to explain how careful they were to stick with the fish and make sure she was alright. Even watching her on the FFS to be sure she made it down ok. I will speculate that this was not the biggest fish this person has caught as by watching the video I was pretty sure he had caught quite a number of muskies and this was not a 50" fish. The contrast between the two videos could not have been more stark. Just something to keep in mind as the season really gets going. Muskies are fragile. |
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