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Mr Musky |
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Posts: 999 | The warmer the water tempeture the higher their metabolism becomes and the more they have to feed! Guys look at fall as the best time to musky fish but actually there are alot more and longer feeding windows in the warm water period, this right now is the feeding period. Thats why when fall rolls around they are so fat. They aren't putting on the feedbag then, they allready have they dont just turn fat overnite come Oct 1st. I wouldnt suggest fishing them in 80 plus degree water temps though. | ||
| just some guy |
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| You either care about the fishery or you don't. It either matters to you if a fish dies, or it doesnt. I don't care what other anglers do. I will worry about me. I make my own choice every year about the same time. | |||
| Fish and Whistle |
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Posts: 462 Location: Antioch, IL | Not sure why you would think it is speculative or unproven. FACT: As water (fresh or salt) temperature rises it's ability to retain oxygen decreases. Higher temperatures equal more biological activity that can use up great amounts of oxygen, which will lower pH due to more carbonic acid. Higher water temps will increase the decomposition speed of waste which means more CO2 and acidification from nitrate generation. This will create low oxygen levels. It also means more bacteria, parasites and fungus. These equal more chance of disease. Fish stressed from being caught (Loss of slime coat from handling and over exertion) are highly susceptible to infection and disease. Fish swims away and gets a parasite. You go home happy. The fish goes belly up in a week and becomes a source for more disease. At the magic number of 80 degrees the oxygen levels begin to dramatically decrease (if you haven't noticed before, water has all kinds of "set" temperatures that it does amazing things...like freezing, boiling and evaporating. These are not general temperatures that these things occur. That happen at a specific temp, not 5 degrees this way or that way). The metabolism of all aquatic life increases with rising temps. A muskie will need roughly double the amount of oxygen to survive in 80 degree waters then it would to survive in 70 degree waters. A caught and played fish will use massive amounts of oxygen in the process and if there is little oxygen available to replenish itself, the fish dies. (The bigger the fish the greater the chance of mortality) There is nothing speculative about it. Aquatic life does not follow the same laws of nature that we do. They do not like change in their environment. They can adjust ,some better than others, but they all need time to adjust and gradual changes. ("Golly G whiz, the fishing shut down for days after that (insert weather pattern here) came through" That is because it is taking the fish days to adjust to the temperature / pressure changes. All water is different. Many other factors go into it's ability to hold oxygen than just temperature. --Water quality is a huge factor. High levels of phosphates and nitrates (Fertilizer and run off from farm fields) will greatly decrease waters ability to hold oxygen. It also increases the chance of disease and will lower ph levels. (More stress on fish) --Surface area in relation to total water volume.( Oxygen dissolves by diffusion from the surrounding air at the surface) --current (or the lack of) more current and surface agitation equals more surface area for more oxygen exchange to occur. I could continue, but I'm sick of typing. There are always variables to consider, but once the water is hovering around 80 degrees consistently, muskie fishing is not the best idea if you actually care for the fish. Just because you are not educated on a subject doesn't mean that the information is not out there. To ignore the facts so you can justify what you want to do, that is just selfish. I worked in the wholesale fish business for many years. Shipping fish from all over the world. Dead fish for me equaled lost inventory. EVERYBODY in the wholesale trade knows that you do not put extra stress on any fish when the temps are over 80 degrees. One time I had a shipment of 1000 fish (all different sizes and species) that were delayed in customs and the containers reached 83 degrees for about 4 hours. I lost 20% before the end of the day and 80% by the end of the week. I've had fish sit in bags of water, for over 48 hours, that they can't even turn around in. Bigger fish with their backs sticking out of the water. If the water stays around 76 degrees I average a 2% mortality rate. Later (It will be hot tomorrow so I need to get ready to go bass fishing) Dave Edited by Fish and Whistle 7/14/2010 10:40 PM | ||
| Vince Weirick |
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Posts: 1060 Location: Palm Coast, FL | Guest...are you trying to get an answer that makes you feel better for your decision to fish in warmer water temps? Others that fish in warm water temps...thanks for helping reduce the muskie population! | ||
| Lens Creep |
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Posts: 123 | Tom Betka and I put together some information a couple years ago that some of you may find interesting. Here it is if you'd like to have a look. Muskie Fishing In Extreme Conditions By Brad Waldera and Tom Betka There are certain fishing conditions that require special precautions to be taken, or that extra care be given to the fish in order to reduce overstressing Muskies, and help minimize the occurrence of delayed mortality. The information contained in this article may help you in making a decision that could ensure that less fish die from delayed mortality. Muskie fishermen release the majority of the fish that they catch. Because of this, there are certain steps we should be taking to ensure that we’re releasing fish healthy, and in good condition. This article will try to explain how taking special precautions in various fishing situations can greatly increase the survival rate of the Muskies we release back into the lake. Two of the main topics summarized in this article are lactic acidosis, a buildup of lactic acid that can cause abnormal heart rhythms (potentially leading to a sudden stoppage of the heart), and hypoxemia, which is a condition of an abnormally low blood oxygen level. These two issues account for a significant portion of the delayed mortality following the catch & release process. Fishermen can have some control over these issues by simply being more aware of their effects on Muskies, and by changing some of the ways in which we fish for them. Lactic Acid is a natural by-product of functioning muscle tissue. When fish have normal blood oxygen levels, their muscles can function aerobically with very little lactic acid produced. When the supply of oxygen in their blood is depleted, more and more lactic acid is produced and they may experience numerous metabolic abnormalities. This condition is further worsened by the hypoxemia resulting from a prolonged fight in water low in dissolved oxygen, or from long periods of air exposure while the fish is handled and photographed. Hypoxia means low oxygen, and refers here to a fish’s lack of obtaining adequate oxygen. This lack of oxygen causes their pH level to decrease and they become more acidic. That in turn leads to the interference of oxygen getting delivered to the tissues, such as the heart. As the heart becomes hypoxemic, it becomes more susceptible to abnormal rhythms. In periods of pronounced hypoxemia, the heart may even cease to function normally, possibly resulting in the death of the fish. Many Muskie fishermen believe in using stout tackle and fighting the fish quickly without over-stressing the animal. When fighting a fish on the line, lactic acid begins to build in their muscle tissue. The longer the fight lasts, the higher the level of lactic acid produced. Once the level of lactic acid reaches the “point of no return”, it may cause the fish to die. They may swim away at the time they’re released, but can often die many hours later. Higher water temperatures can magnify the oxygen and pH imbalance in the fish, and this increases the importance of shortening the fight. To reduce lactic acid levels and restore the normal pH of the blood, exhausted fish need oxygen fast, and the only way to get oxygen to the fish quickly is by allowing water to flow through its gills. Therefore many fishermen are now choosing to simply unhook the fish in the net, to avoid handling them at all. Unhooking and releasing Muskies in a timely manner will allow them to recover much sooner, and could mean the difference between life and death for the fish. As most anglers know, water temperature is the main factor in determining how much oxygen is available to the fish. Because warm water isn’t capable of holding as much dissolved oxygen as cold water, lakes with low oxygen levels can also increase the occurrence of hypoxemia in angled fish, potentially increasing delayed mortality. Many serious Muskie fishermen will not fish for Muskies at all once the water reaches certain temperatures, such as 80 degrees. In the warm summer months when water temperatures are highest, many Muskie anglers choose to pursue other species of fish that are less sensitive than Muskies to the effects of low dissolved oxygen levels. Fishing in high winds can also increase the risk of delayed mortality, especially if you’re fishing alone. It may be quite difficult to control the boat while playing the fish, which can prolong the fight time and increase the occurrence of lactic acidosis. Concurrently, if the water temperature is high, the fish may also become hypoxemic. Fishermen should strongly consider whether they should fish these locations in these scenarios or choose a different approach. As Muskie fishermen, we have a great deal of control over many of the factors affecting delayed mortality, simply by limiting the amount of time we keep a fish out of the water. While the incidence of delayed mortality has been estimated to be in the range of 5-30% the exact figure can never be known, as there are many determining factors. Therefore we recommend that every effort be made to keep delayed mortality deaths to a minimum. There are many other situations that also require taking precautions to help minimize the risk of delayed mortality, such as targeting deep-water fish. To achieve neutral buoyancy and have the ability to stay at any depth it may want to, a Muskie has to be able to take gas into the bladder and let gas out of it. When fish are rapidly brought to the surface from deep water, they may experience a rupture of the swim bladder, possibly allowing a gas bubble to enter the bloodstream. This gas bubble could then find its way to the gills, brain, (or other vital organ) and thus block vital blood flow from the downstream tissue. This type of injury is similar to that seen in humans who rapidly ascend from deep water. In addition, if the fish is caught from water deeper than about 50 feet, it may experience decompression sickness, (the bends), just like humans do. Due to these concerns, it has been suggested that Muskie fishermen avoid pursuing deep-water fish if they intend to release them. Certain care should also be taken to ensure the release of healthy fish when fishing at night. In many instances the water temperature will be more beneficial to the well being of the fish in the cooler evening hours, but there are other issues that come up. You’ll want to make sure you’re aware of the location of your release tools and also minimize the amount of time the fish is in the net. Cold air temperatures may also have a slight effect on the Muskie. When taken from the water in very cold air temperatures, there is a risk of freezing to the fish’s eyes and/or gills. Some consider it to be a concern, but at this point it doesn’t seem to be a big issue. As much as we enjoy fishing for Muskies, there are times throughout the year when it can prove detrimental to their survival for us to fish for them without first considering the scenarios we’re faced with that particular day. If certain steps are taken, we can ensure that Muskies will survive and prosper for the next generation of fishermen. Contact Brad Waldera at 701-642-1952 if you’d be interested in a brochure version of this article. You can also contact me at [email protected], and I can e-mail the brochure version to you. A special thank you goes out to Tom Betka for his advice and assistance with this project. It was well appreciated. References Thomas Betka, MD, BS (Aquatic Biology) Medical Director, Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Care, Aurora Baycare Medical Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/articles/catch_release.shtml Casselman, S. J. 2005. Catch-and-release angling: a review with guidelines for proper fish handling practices. Fish & Wildlife Branch. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Peterborough, Ontario. 26 p. Thanks. | ||
| dcraven |
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| Interesting thread... Speaks a ton towards the tendency of human nature and rationalizing most anything. It is obvious and common knowledge (common knowledge is fact that has been proven a minimum of three times in seperate scientific studies and printed/published) that with increased water temperature comes increased mortality in muskie angling. A number of factors must be considered, as well stated in several pieces from this thread - depth, total water column temperature, oxygen content, out of water time, and on and on... But also consider a quote told to me by an old psychologist while taking my graduate classes in dealing with folks with emotional and behavioral disorders (muskie fishermen? HA!) - "Remember - you cannot rationalize with the irrational..." Some of that is going on here... Taking all environmental factors into consideration we all need to be responsible as when to fish and when not to fish. Until it is made illegal, of course there will be folks that fish 'skies when water temps approach 90 degrees or whatever. Many of these will be able to easily rationalize it away within the course of one or two sentences - that is human nature. Same with going out and catching and releasing 60 or 70 walleyes a day - is there going to be mortality - yep - maybe more than simply catching, keeping our limit and going back to the dock; but do we still do it and allow it. No scientist is going to give us hard numbers on when it is OK to fish and then not OK - there is a sliding scale where mortality increases - grey area. Individual decision making... But let's not waste our time trying to "rationalize with the irrational" or those that are simply desiring to be argumentative regarding the obvious. The fish are biting around here - time to go fishing. DC | |||
| BNelson |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I agree w DC....people can talk themselves into thinking just about anything is ok if they want to...to me, I err on the side of caution as when water temps have been 77+, up to 83, for an extended period of time to me that is time to quit musky fishing and chase bluegills... imho the guys that simply will fish for them regardless of studies proving they are putting more stress/harm on the fish by catching them in those temps are simply selfish.... do you have to fish ? do you need to fish? no, you simply want to fish.... the resource to me is more important than possibly padding my numbers, or even catching a big fish.... some see it that way, some don't... I also think the guys that know what they are doing are the ones that should set the example...we have all seen relative newbies in "safe" water temps mis handle fish, take way too many pics etc etc....do we want them out there when the temps are even higher??? I don't. my 2 cents. Edited by BNelson 7/15/2010 9:00 AM | ||
| iDoWhatImTold |
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| Lets not get carried away here. I simply mean when the temperatures are right around 80. We are not talking 85 degree plus water temperatures here. You can not tell me you guys simply do not fish when the temperatures in Minnesota and Canada are 80 degrees when you call off work for an entire week only to get up there after a 10+ hour drive to find the water temperatures are too high. With this heat wave right now I would not be surprised if water temperatures were not around 80 degrees everywhere Muskies swim yet I'm still seeing lots of pictures posted.......................................... | |||
| iDoWhatImTold |
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| Looks like we have some cooler weather coming in. Good luck to those that have have been patient and thank you for posting your opinions and facts for the less informed. I seldom fish in water over 80 degrees but when I do I take extreme caution and would suggest water releases. | |||
| mn_bowhunter |
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Posts: 51 | A quick search got these two titles about walleye mortality in warm water, Walleye and Sauger Mortality Associated with Live-Release Tournaments on the Lake Winnebago System, Wisconsin; and Factors Influencing the Hooking Mortality of Walleyes Caught by Recreational Anglers on Mille Lacs, Minnesota. I found no muskellunge studies in my 3 minute search but these are still applicable. Both were printed in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management and found that as water temps increased so did angling and/or delayed mortality. | ||
| sworrall |
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Posts: 32884 Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | My thoughts, I don't fish muskies when the water temps are in the 80's. I'm not talking surface and temporary temperatures on the top couple feet, I mean temps in the middle of the water column. Only way to know is the temps holding high no matter the winds and location on the lake, or a thermometer. | ||
| CiscoKid |
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Posts: 1906 Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Using what we know/learned leads to common sense telling us what to do and what not to do. We don’t “need” studies to prove certain things to know what is beneficial. For example: -Is there a study to tell us to shut off the power when working with electricity (maybe there is), and if you don’t you have a good chance of getting zapped? I don’t know of one, and really don’t care. However common sense tells me I would rather not find out by leaving the power on as there are plenty of examples out there illustrating what happens when you don’t. | ||
| Musky Brian |
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Posts: 1767 Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | " You can not tell me you guys simply do not fish when the temperatures in Minnesota and Canada are 80 degrees when you call off work for an entire week only to get up there after a 10+ hour drive to find the water temperatures are too high. " I don't think your example is what most of this discussion is centering around. If someone only has one week of vacation per year and they drive up to Mn or Canada then yes, I feel it is absolutely unfair to expect that person or family to not fish. However, is it necessary for an Indiana resident to be fishing now, or is it wise for someone to be planning a getaway to Webster Lake in July or August to fish Muskies? The answer is probably not, seeing as how those bodies of water can generally be fished 9-10 months out of the year. ....ugh, this really shouldn't be that difficult or complicated to figure out | ||
| lecture me |
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| drives some people crazy to see folks fishing for Musky in warm temps... drives some people to be lectured on every topic in musky fishing... for you super ethicists who never ever even scratch a fish with your 8/0 hooks and 100lb test, do you tailgate on the highway or drive 15 mph over the limit? (of course) That puts other HUMAN BEINGS at increased danger to being killed or injured by you refined philosophers. how bout I lecture you about that? you wouldn't listen or change your habits so layoff the lectures. | |||
| Matt DeVos |
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Posts: 580 | OK, I'll enter the fray. I'm having a tough time with some of the logic here. I'm aware of the articles from the MNDNR biologists. I can also recall a WDNR biologist (formally of Missouri where surface water temps are typically well into the mid-80's annually) stating opinions which were not nearly as fatalistic. One poster above says that: Fish and Whistle - 7/14/2010 10:27 PM At the magic number of 80 degrees the oxygen levels begin to dramatically decrease (if you haven't noticed before, water has all kinds of "set" temperatures that it does amazing things...like freezing, boiling and evaporating. These are not general temperatures that these things occur. That happen at a specific temp, not 5 degrees this way or that way). Dave Do you have any link, or can you reference any authority that supports this? I'd be really interested in seeing that. Because, from what I've seen and read on the subject, 80 degrees is not a "magic" number. Rather, there's a sliding scale. Basically, as water becomes warmer, the POTENTIAL for an unsuccessful release becomes higher. I understand that we all would love to have clear demarcations to guide our choices. Clear, bright-line rules certainly make decision-making easier. And since 80 degrees is a nice "rounded number" that most everyone can agree certainly is "warm", most guys seem to gravitate to it as a cut off point...and I generally do the same. But where the logic seems to go south is with the opinions viewing this issue in black/white, rather than in shades of gray, and then condemn other anglers. I think it's "missing the forest for the trees". I can't quite grasp why 76.9, 77.8, 78.5, 79.1, and 79.6 degrees are all OK...but at 80.0 degrees, oh boy, now if you fish, you are a selfish fish killer. Surface water temps generally hit the upper 70's every summer throughout the vast majority of the entire muskie's range. So do some of you think that it's unethical to fish during the summer months? 77 is too hot? Why not 76 or 75? Those are pretty "warm" too...again, we are talking about 2-3 degrees fahrenheit here. Unless the post above, which does assert that 80 degrees is indeed a "magic number", is correct, we are not talking about major differences scientifically. (The difference between 75.3F and 78.7F is 1 degree Celsius, 24 and 25, respectively). Is it really true that the difference between 1 degree Celsius is a substantial determining factor as to whether a released fish lives or dies? Does that same 1 degree Celsius really determine whether an angler is ethical or unethical? Personally, I believe that extra care and precautions need to be taken with all releases at all times, but especially during all summer months while temps in the 70's. I'll generally stop fishing with water temps sustained at 80 or higher, although daily short-term spikes from the mid/upper 70's up to 80 during the hottest part of the day don't particularly bother me (except that I'm definitely doing everything I can minimize handling with any fish caught under these circumstances). But I'm certainly not going to call out other anglers as irrational or unethical just because they don't draw their line at what appears to be an arbitrary 80 degree fahrenheit mark. And I honestly believe this is potentially a slippery slope. Let's not forget that when we fish, we are purposefully trying to impale a fish's face with large sharp hooks, then wrestle them to the boat, then take them out of the water where they can't breathe. There's a potential for killing a fish via such means every time we cast a bait, regardless of season. Yes, that potential increases during the warmest water season. But why 80? Why not 78 or 77 as has been suggested? And if 77 is bad, well, 75-76 can't be very good either, can it? We might as well stop fishing during the entire summer, after all, the potential for mortality is much higher than in the spring and fall, right? And that's the real problem here, right? The increased potential for mortality? Sorry for going on and on. But if concerns over potential mortality from high water temps is the driving force of the ethics of this discussion, I think that educating anglers on proper release protocol and tactics during the entire warm water period (the summer months) is far more important than drawing an arbitrary line whenever surface temps creep to the 80 degree mark. (The Betka/Waldera article above seems to do a nice job of that). | ||
| Lens Creep |
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Posts: 123 | Many Minnesota guys target other fish that can handle the warmer temps better when it gets to 80 degrees, such as Bass. Others choose to fish at night instead of during the day, or fish very early or late in the day. I'm not sure how much drop the temperature falls at night compared to daytime, but every bit helps. There are alternatives to simply not fishing. | ||
| kawartha kid |
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Posts: 238 | Weather it is or isnt hard on the fish in 80 degree temps i am not taking any chances i just go bass fishing to get my fishing fix. Theres lots of time to catch muskies during more favorable conditions. Muskies as a rescource are to important to me personally for me to risk killing them for the sake of catching one in 80 degree water. For me switching to another species for a while is a welcome change and a breath of fresh air,it gives me a whole new drive and motivation to be succsessful at catching another type of fish and also makes me appreciate muskies that much more when i start targeting them full time again. Its like getting two muskie openers a year. | ||
| Guest |
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| Many see temps around 80 on the depthfinder and give it up. The fact is, on most lakes, the actual water temp is probably up to 5 degrees less than that. I have noticed this in the metro this year. I'll have about 80 surface temp, then wind or clouds or something will come along and it will drop to 77 or less. Then again, when the temps are high go fish in the evening/at night. This gives the fish a good 12 hrs of cooler water temps to recover. Looking forward to some cool nights! | |||
| cast10K |
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Posts: 432 Location: Eagan, MN | I don't have the answer but I'll throw my 2 cents (or so) in the mix. I know of no study which proves a brick dropped on my head is bad for my health, but anecdotal evidence and common sense tell me not to do it. I like Dougj's idea and I'm sure it works to some extent, but it is also intertwined w/ Sworral's point about surface temps vs. various depths. You don't know until you check. I used to keep tropical fish as a kid. Most tropical fish had a preferred range of maybe 10-12 degrees, but big fluctuations even within that range were bad and potentially fatal. IMO there is no 'magic' temp, but for the purpose of a guideline what temp should we use? Water releases become even more important as temps rise. We need more discussion on this subject, and I don't think anyone is prepared to speak in absolute terms at this point in time. And finally, this is a message board, the whole concept is to express different opinions, so don't cry about being 'lectured' to. Telling somebody to 'mind their own business' isn't a real compelling argument for your point of view. | ||
| CiscoKid |
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Posts: 1906 Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Just keeping an open mind I looked up some water quality reports to find out some DO (Dissolved Oxygen) numbers as water temps increase. All I have to say is don’t automatically assume the DO numbers are below acceptable as water temps drop. Besides temp I believe there are a lot of other environmental factors that affect the DO on any particular lake, and portions of that lake. In some cases of reports I looked at the DO number actually was higher on a day the the H2O temps were higher! I don’t have to bring it up, but every lake is different in DO levels. I have looked at some the even at 70’ the Do levels were sufficient in the summertime. Below are two pics of Do level of two lakes for the same year. Take from it what you will. I had a hard time finding reports of H2O temps above 80° in the short time searching. You will see however how high the DO level is on LSG when over 80°. However, don’t take that as always being the case. Not arguing one way or another, but rather just trying to bring forth what may be interesting to some. Attachments ----------------  WC-Twin-2006.jpg (159KB - 142 downloads) WC-LSG-2006.jpg (99KB - 133 downloads) | ||
| C.Painter |
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Posts: 1245 Location: Madtown, WI | Lot of good points here....One thing I consider that a couple touched on and think might be more of a driving force is temp throughtout the water column. If I am in Northern MN or Canada even and I get a 80 degree surface temp..that could be a LOT different then being in Indy and getting an 80 degree surface temp. I think the temp profile of the water column might have a greater impact on the risk of mortality to the fish. One thing I would be interested (as a scientist) in seeing would be the affects of water column temperature gradient. If you had 100 fish in water column A and a 100 fish in water column B which one would have a greater risk of fatality to the fish? Column A, 83 F surface temps with a quick graduation down in temp after first 2 feet, down to a cool 68 ABOVE the thermocline. Column B, 75F temps down to the thermocline. What I am getting at, is there a factor of "shock" for the temperature swing, from bringing a cool water fish up from the depths to figh on the surface, be netted, unhooked, worked to regain itself, and release. Is a fish better off that is in shallow 75F water caught and faught the same way and release the same way better off? Or is that fish at more risk? Honestly I don't know, I am sure we all have opinions...and 99% of us are not fisheries biologists.. But I am curious. I for one have a personal opinion that surface temps are important, but I am more concerned with the overall temp of the water column. To me, 80F water temps in early june is very different then 80F water temps in late July or AUg. Cory Edited by C.Painter 7/15/2010 12:46 PM | ||
| Guest |
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| I have seen fish swim in and out of a creek that reads 68 degrees and a river that reads anywhere from 78-85 throughout the day with no apparent effect on them. In and out they would swim. How about in the summer when you see Muskies porpoise over deep water? I think fish are conditioned to there environment. Just because the water is over 80 degrees doesn't mean they head for deep water thats closer to the 75 degree mark and the only way to catch them is to cast or troll out deep and rip them up to the warmer surface temps. Some actually stay shallow and prefer the warmer water for whatever reason. Lots and lots of contradictions in this thread *rolls eyes. | |||
| stinger |
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Posts: 93 Location: Minneapolis, MN | I would say 80 degrees is the magical temp when all the Guests come out to play. | ||
| Guest |
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| So are you guys saying you see 80 on the depth finder once in mid July and then you hang it up until September? What if water temps hover near that mark, you will give up >6wks of season because of it? At what point do you call it quits? Just wondering what extreme you take it to. Maybe I'll stop fishing with hooks from now on. That last line was a joke btw. Don't attack me  . | |||
| momuskies |
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Posts: 431 | On Kinkaid in IL there were 84 degree surface temps over Memorial day weekend. So basically I gave up on June, July, August and probably the first half of September. Can't wait for LOTW in a week. | ||
| Guest |
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| Try keeping minnows or suckers alive in the mid summer when the water temps are in the 80's. They last an hour or two at best. Then try keeping some suckers alive in the late fall. They live for days and days and days. That's all the information I need. Warm water kills fish. It's that simple. Fish are way more hardy in the spring and fall and can live way longer in moderate to cold temps. | |||
| Fisher |
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Posts: 425 Location: Roseau | How do fish know what the water temp is? | ||
| Guest |
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Fisher - 7/15/2010 2:27 PM How do fish know what the water temp is? ..........They measure it with their scales! lol, lame I know. Somebody needed to lighten the mood in here. | |||
| happy hooker |
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Posts: 3147 | metro anglers have somewhat of an option,,,If you still want to fish muskies you can switch over to the many stocked tiger lakes,,nobody wants to lose a tiger but if you do lose one to stress they dont reproduce and on average live 7 years has compared to pures which live much longer,,lesser of two evils has far high water temps Edited by happy hooker 7/15/2010 2:53 PM | ||
| ToddM |
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| They don't know what temperature it is just as they could not tell how overstressed they may become during an angling battle with hot water temps and lower oxygen levels. They can feel temperature differences but it means little when they can't live in their comfort zone. Yes, people stop fishing for muskies when the water hits 80. I do, I go north or fish for something else. Simple as that. As stated earlier, it's all in what you really care about. Here is a story, told to me first hand accounts by both parties. I will not name names or the lake. The angler told me of a trip when they caught an incredible amount of fish, high water temps, fish stacked at a certain depth. I heard through the grapevine then asked the guide who seen the floaters afterwards. The fish seen were over 10% of what was told to me by the person who caught them. Since all dead fish don't float that total could have been alot higher. | |||
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