sworrall - 11/13/2007 9:35 PM
What is the intent of this thread? MuskieFIRST will put a reality based educational and informative piece together using this information, images and supporting video to indicate the proper way to handle a Muskie once you have her in the net. The article and supporting video will be archived for future reference anytime it's needed.

We have had a rash of complaints lately about what folks feel is the WRONG way to handle a fish, so why not put a truly comprehensive, professionally supported piece together describing what is the RIGHT way?

musky-skunk - 2/20/2014 11:49 AM

This thread is a great idea, will be interested in seeing the final product.

sorenson - 11/14/2007 7:50 AM

Holy Spotted Cow Steve, you don't want much do ya?

How fragile are they? On a scale of 1-10, somewhere between a 3 and a 9. Most of that is appearance and the answer to that depends on many things. How was the fish fought? Long and drawn out on light tackle or quickly into the net w/ appropriate gear? Water temperature - cool and well oxygenated or approaching upper tolerance limits? Hooked in the side of the mouth or deeply into softer tissue? How long out of the water? Size of the fish even seems to have quite a bit to do with it.
Many of the answers are basically common sense with a bit of 'sliding scale' built into them, add any of the factors that would impinge on survival and they seem to be a bit synergistic. Out of the water for a picture for 15 seconds is not bad, but out of the water for 15 seconds at water temps of 78 might be; out of the water for 15, water temps at 78 after a long fight on 8 lb. test line might be lethal...you get the point.

1) How long is too long? VERY temperature dependent. Muskies are cold-blooded and as such their metabolism slows (and therefore their need for oxygen) at lower temperatures. Add to that, the properties of water and it's capabilities to hold dissolve oxygen at different temperatures - higher temps = less oxygen. This further reduces the fish's ability to compensate at higher water temperatures.
When it's cool out, you can probably get away with 45 seconds to a minute, warmer no more than 15 to 20 seconds. Again, this is also dependent on the characteristics of the fight.

2) Contact with moistened objects should be no problem, especially incidental contact with smooth objects such as a bump board or rain jacket, etc. Try to not to contact things dramatically different in temperature (i.e., hot or freezing cold bump board) or anything of unreasonably rough texture. The protective layer on a fish's skin is usually adequate to guard against infections that would be caused by incidental contacts. If a substantial amount of slime is rubbed of by a carpet, for example, that may facilitate the route of infection for common, water-born disease organisms.

3) Vertical holds...much of my answer is going to be opinion as I haven't really handled a lot of muskies (from a professional standpoint) that needed to be returned to the water - and haven't had the opportunity to evaluate survival after handling. I think this is very dependent on size of fish - smaller specimens are probably not as adversely affected by the practice. Based on common sense and suggestions from other fisheries professionals, an unsupported vertical hold (i.e., entire weight of the fish being carried by the jaw), is not recommended. A lot of weight is being trusted to a structure that is not designed for that stress. I think much of the damage from this hold is cause by the fish itself if it begins to struggle. Internal organs that are 'free to move around' in the body cavity when not supported by water could be compromised by this type of hold too. I've even heard that holding them out of the water at all can impose some degree of tissue damage.
Contact w/ clothing, etc. - again, how much contact and what are the characteristics of the cloth? Wet rain jacket - no problem; cotton sweatshirt, maybe a problem. It's all about risk management. Wiping off the slime coat from the entire side of a large fish and returning it to warm water may lead to a disease problem.

4) Time in net - I have witnesses NO ill effects from holding a fish in a large net for any reasonable length of time. Unless the surface water temperatures are problematic, I think this is actually a harmless thing for the fish.

5) Hooks - again, I think let common sense prevail. I try to get them out, but not at an unreasonable 'air exposure' expense to the fish. Small pieces of cut hook should eventually cause a localized infection, tissue reaction, and hopefully expulsion of the hook piece. They do not dissolve. Where the hook is will also play into whether or not an attempt to remove it should be undertaken; as does the 'surgical skill' of the angler. Everyone has differing degrees of competency in this area as well as differing degrees in the quality of their tools. My wife (a veterinarian) can probably do even the most difficult hook extractions with the proper set of tools, but with only one large pliers, she's no better off than me.

These fish can be tough as nails or as fragile as glass Christmas ornaments. Some die. It just happens once in a while despite your best efforts to prevent it. It also seems that some live, despite being grossly mishandled by a previous encounter with an angler, boat, bird, hydropower turbine, whatever.

Obviously, I don't have all the answers. I can really only provide some basic guidelines. I think one of the biggest things that many people overlook is preparation. Believe that you are going to get a fish in the net. Visualize before the situation occurs how you might go about handling it. Have the proper equipment and know how to use it. If you are uncomfortable with something, go with someone who is accomplished at it, and above all ask questions.

Handle lots of small fish it just might prepare you for the time you have to handle a big one...well, no it won't, but it's a nice sentiment.
S.

And just in case anyone is wondering - no, they don't teach you to handle fish in school; the old-time biologists sit back and laugh at the newbies the first time they try to 'lip' a northern pike!

JOHN FALLON - 4/20/2014 8:26 PM

I am not knocking muskies inc at all , they do great things for the world of muskie fishing , but I have seen one of there magazine covers a few years ago with a nice muskie being held up out of the water in a net boat side . Whats up with that for a cover shot ????

sorenson - 11/14/2007 7:50 AM

Holy Spotted Cow Steve, you don't want much do ya?

How fragile are they? On a scale of 1-10, somewhere between a 3 and a 9. Most of that is appearance and the answer to that depends on many things. How was the fish fought? Long and drawn out on light tackle or quickly into the net w/ appropriate gear? Water temperature - cool and well oxygenated or approaching upper tolerance limits? Hooked in the side of the mouth or deeply into softer tissue? How long out of the water? Size of the fish even seems to have quite a bit to do with it.
Many of the answers are basically common sense with a bit of 'sliding scale' built into them, add any of the factors that would impinge on survival and they seem to be a bit synergistic. Out of the water for a picture for 15 seconds is not bad, but out of the water for 15 seconds at water temps of 78 might be; out of the water for 15, water temps at 78 after a long fight on 8 lb. test line might be lethal...you get the point.

1) How long is too long? VERY temperature dependent. Muskies are cold-blooded and as such their metabolism slows (and therefore their need for oxygen) at lower temperatures. Add to that, the properties of water and it's capabilities to hold dissolve oxygen at different temperatures - higher temps = less oxygen. This further reduces the fish's ability to compensate at higher water temperatures.
When it's cool out, you can probably get away with 45 seconds to a minute, warmer no more than 15 to 20 seconds. Again, this is also dependent on the characteristics of the fight.

2) Contact with moistened objects should be no problem, especially incidental contact with smooth objects such as a bump board or rain jacket, etc. Try to not to contact things dramatically different in temperature (i.e., hot or freezing cold bump board) or anything of unreasonably rough texture. The protective layer on a fish's skin is usually adequate to guard against infections that would be caused by incidental contacts. If a substantial amount of slime is rubbed of by a carpet, for example, that may facilitate the route of infection for common, water-born disease organisms.

3) Vertical holds...much of my answer is going to be opinion as I haven't really handled a lot of muskies (from a professional standpoint) that needed to be returned to the water - and haven't had the opportunity to evaluate survival after handling. I think this is very dependent on size of fish - smaller specimens are probably not as adversely affected by the practice. Based on common sense and suggestions from other fisheries professionals, an unsupported vertical hold (i.e., entire weight of the fish being carried by the jaw), is not recommended. A lot of weight is being trusted to a structure that is not designed for that stress. I think much of the damage from this hold is cause by the fish itself if it begins to struggle. Internal organs that are 'free to move around' in the body cavity when not supported by water could be compromised by this type of hold too. I've even heard that holding them out of the water at all can impose some degree of tissue damage.
Contact w/ clothing, etc. - again, how much contact and what are the characteristics of the cloth? Wet rain jacket - no problem; cotton sweatshirt, maybe a problem. It's all about risk management. Wiping off the slime coat from the entire side of a large fish and returning it to warm water may lead to a disease problem.

4) Time in net - I have witnesses NO ill effects from holding a fish in a large net for any reasonable length of time. Unless the surface water temperatures are problematic, I think this is actually a harmless thing for the fish.

5) Hooks - again, I think let common sense prevail. I try to get them out, but not at an unreasonable 'air exposure' expense to the fish. Small pieces of cut hook should eventually cause a localized infection, tissue reaction, and hopefully expulsion of the hook piece. They do not dissolve. Where the hook is will also play into whether or not an attempt to remove it should be undertaken; as does the 'surgical skill' of the angler. Everyone has differing degrees of competency in this area as well as differing degrees in the quality of their tools. My wife (a veterinarian) can probably do even the most difficult hook extractions with the proper set of tools, but with only one large pliers, she's no better off than me.

These fish can be tough as nails or as fragile as glass Christmas ornaments. Some die. It just happens once in a while despite your best efforts to prevent it. It also seems that some live, despite being grossly mishandled by a previous encounter with an angler, boat, bird, hydropower turbine, whatever.

Obviously, I don't have all the answers. I can really only provide some basic guidelines. I think one of the biggest things that many people overlook is preparation. Believe that you are going to get a fish in the net. Visualize before the situation occurs how you might go about handling it. Have the proper equipment and know how to use it. If you are uncomfortable with something, go with someone who is accomplished at it, and above all ask questions.

Handle lots of small fish it just might prepare you for the time you have to handle a big one...well, no it won't, but it's a nice sentiment.
S.

And just in case anyone is wondering - no, they don't teach you to handle fish in school; the old-time biologists sit back and laugh at the newbies the first time they try to 'lip' a northern pike!