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Posts: 122
| Looking for as many tricks as possible. My guess is I only killed one muskie... had a bad eye from previous experience (not me) and my hook got into the other one .. yeah swam off hope its eye was okay I took special care removing the hook.
Currently before leaving the landing I am aware of where all of the tools are, have them, and I grab them as soon as the fish is netted.
Our net seems to cut up tails a little and if i caught a super big one may need something better on the fins and more capable of cradling the size recommendations!?!
Releasing I have seen several remarks to leave in net troll and seen it done and the fish died. Although I did not see what they did previous only trolling 40 plus fish in net in circles with fish circled in net not straight I was a tad ticked... but she seemed to have been pretty worn down already.
Currently I hold them gently and forward motion til they decide to leave (usually right away) even then i watch so no boater flies over the spot...
Lastly how do you safely take pictures if decide to take them. I had one almost flop out of my hands and I tightened grip in jaw so I wouldn't drop her (held sideways) and my nail punctured some skin in her cheek... yeah I admit she was still fiesty and I was in a hurry to put the big girl back... it happens.
Lastly suckers one hook troll fast never had an issue because one hook and they hit fast and haven't swallowed. As far as the hook posts I DO use some lures with a lot of hooks... never had an issue thus far except eye hook on the one. As long as released with tools been fine.
Thought it would be a good post to get more ideas to protect these fish.... criticise my efforts if they are wrong no big deal the quest for knowledge.
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Posts: 360
Location: Algonac, MI | IMO - can not share this info enough.
FISH ThANKS - they work.
Edited by Contender 10/7/2013 12:16 PM
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Posts: 122
| I tried googling those tanks do you have a link? Thanks! |
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Posts: 122
| Not sure how well they will work for me... the 17 1/2 boats seems smaller and smaller every time I go fishing. I wish they sold a muskie specific boat I could think of all kinds of cool modifiers to add. |
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Posts: 8866
| The best thing you can do in my opinion is get the fish unhooked quickly, take your picture and get it back in the water. Keep the fish upright, and let it recover. A lot of guys slap them on the tail to get them to swim off. I've never seen the point in that. Lactic acid buildup can kill them. Scaring the #*#* out of it one more time so it freaks out and swims off doesn't seem right to me. Another thing that we do often is unhook the fish and let it hang out in the net for a bit while we're getting cameras ready. Out of the net on one side, quick picture, back into the water on the other side. When I'm holding a fish, I am always expecting it to freak out, and ready to "help" it over the side of the boat, so if it gets away from me it lands in the water and not the boat.
Most of it is obvious - have your net ready and your tools ready and your camera ready, so when you catch a fish, you're not farting around looking for tools and holding the fish while someone else fumbles for a camera or tries to figure out how to work your camera. It sounds pretty stupid saying it, but as soon as a fish is hooked we actually talk about who is going to do what. That way there's no confusion over who is getting the net, who is getting rods or whatever out of the way, who is picking up the trolling motor if need be, who is getting us off the rocks, who has the pliers, etc. And sometimes you just have to tell someone in the boat "go over there and stay out of the way"... It's easy with two people, but when you've got three or four in the boat it can turn into a circus pretty quick. |
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Posts: 360
Location: Algonac, MI | Add to the tank, as must haves. Knipex, jaw spreaders and long handle pliers.
Tanks are made by Krunch products, Dave Clark - 586-615-6805
They run about $300/ea, and work best when coupled to a washdown pump, to circulate the water. But, I have used a bucket to fill and refresh water in my aluminum boat, and it still works. Also, you can make your own tank, as another option. Many guys build them, using plywood and resin, plastic panels and even stainless.
All depends, what materials you have might have access to, and will hold water.
I have even used Offshore Angler fish bags, as a live tank.
Edited by Contender 10/7/2013 1:27 PM
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Posts: 84
| big nets like the Frabil big kahuna and Beckman magnum musky are expensive, but worth every penny, they'll make your net job easier and work as an outside the boat livewell when you're getting your camera ready
They also won't tear up the fins near as much as a cheaper net |
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Posts: 365
| buy a huge net ,,, keep them in the net ,,, cut the hooks with a hook cutter (have spare hooks in your tackle box) and release them by turning the net inside out ,,,,, and finally ,,, do you really need pictures ??? ----------- jimjimjim |
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| pretty simple keep your fish out of the water for less than 30 seconds,avoid girth measurement of normal fish.it beet any live well money can buy.last thing don't pump,the fish just put her in the water and wait,once you feel the tail moving let her go.
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Posts: 221
| We had a tough one yesterday. Monster 51 incher. Got it in the net to realize that it had a huge cut going down the side behind the gill (looked like it had been propped in the last week). To make matters worse, we find out it somehow ate the sucker (18 inches) head first and had gotten the first hook buried in its throat. First time seeing one come in like that.
I managed to get the hook out without doing much damage. I felt like leaving it where it was would have killed the fish for sure. Hard to decide what's best until you have to deal with it I guess.
It swam away, but I really doubt it made it. Tough to see, but you can't save them all. |
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| jimjimjim - 10/7/2013 4:02 PM
buy a huge net ,,, keep them in the net ,,, cut the hooks with a hook cutter (have spare hooks in your tackle box) and release them by turning the net inside out ,,,,, and finally ,,, do you really need pictures ??? ----------- jimjimjim
good question,i always wondering whats the point to take useless pics of 30 incher.i see the point when its your first year,but hey who need hundreds pics of same lil fish? |
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Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | Those tanks look great but that fish is now counting as your daily bag limit, and you're done for the day. If it's undersized you're committing a crime. Am I wrong? |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Schultz345 - 10/7/2013 5:14 PM
It swam away, but I really doubt it made it. Tough to see, but you can't save them all.
I was involved in tagging back in the 90's and the stipulation by OMNR was all fish had to be tagged and released even if we thought chances of survival was slim. We were amazed that some of these fish thrived and were recaptured. One in particular had torn and bleeding gill filaments hanging from the gill plate. When recaptured the first time the filaments were still hanging but grey and dead. On the third capture the dead filaments had fallen off. through all this the fish was gaining length and weight. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | 5th lake Brad - 10/7/2013 5:32 PM
Those tanks look great but that fish is now counting as your daily bag limit, and you're done for the day. If it's undersized you're committing a crime. Am I wrong?
In Ontario yes. Wouldn't call it a crime but the regulations state immediate release for fish under the legal size limit. |
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Posts: 8866
| Technically, you're in possession of that fish if it's in the livewell or a tank like that. It might be a great way to revive them, but I think you're done fishing until the fish is back in the water. |
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| Some years back the WI DNR netted fish on our lake, measured and cataloged them, then shocked fish, then did creel counts for the entire summer. Had a chance to get to know the fisheries tech who was most often on our chain doing creel counts. His advice on reviving fish was to get them in the water, facing forward and upright and if they were slow to revive, run the trolling motor while holding the fish in that position. He had been involved in capturing and releasing at least a thousand muskies he estimated, over a 30+ career with the DNR.
He said he had seen the guys on tv reviving fish by pulling them back and forth next to the boat and wondered about it. He asked the fisheries biologists and they said that was counter productive, pulling water in the wrong direction. (He said he was one of the last guys who got hired that didn't have a degree, got hired on right after he got out of the Army after Vietnam)
About a week later I was fishing after dark and a fish about 40" grabbed a top water close to the boat, and after a short fight was in the net. Since we had left the camera at home by mistake, and the hook came out when I netted it, it should have been a short, easy release. However, the fish had thrashed in the net and I heard it bonk the side of the boat when it was first netted. I reached in to get it out and it was pretty much still. I could see nothing wrong and put it in the water. It turned belly up. I told my son to step on the trolling motor full speed and held the fish forward. After about 50 yards the fish came around and then after another 50 swam away strong. I have since used that with a couple of shorties that seemed wore out just being reeled in and it worked well.
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Posts: 1530
| the tanks are awesome period. the folks using them have saved hundreds of 50 plus fish. as for regulations on possession. with 4 guys on a boat it really wont matter as its being released. common sense for the c.o.,s to see. |
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| Schultz345 - 10/7/2013 4:14 PM
We had a tough one yesterday. Monster 51 incher. Got it in the net to realize that it had a huge cut going down the side behind the gill (looked like it had been propped in the last week). To make matters worse, we find out it somehow ate the sucker (18 inches) head first and had gotten the first hook buried in its throat. First time seeing one come in like that.
I managed to get the hook out without doing much damage. I felt like leaving it where it was would have killed the fish for sure. Hard to decide what's best until you have to deal with it I guess.
It swam away, but I really doubt it made it. Tough to see, but you can't save them all.
That is what a muskie does with a sucker when it wants to eat it. They may t-bone it first, but they will eventually get it turned in their mouth to swallow head first. Not saying you waited too long to set the hook, but that can easily happen to someone who waits too long to set the hook on a sucker fish. And sometimes a real big muskie doesn't waste too much time trying to swallow a sucker. |
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Posts: 833
| Yeah you need to set the hook on a sucker with urgency, that is why we have the quick-set rig. One bit of advice is use clear water to your advantage. If you can see the fish then you have some additional leeway, still set with urgency. If you can't see the fish, then roll the dice and set immediately. $8 minnows are a lot easier to replace than the 8-12 years it takes to grow an adult musky.
I've actually netted a sucker fish without any hooks in it's mouth, when they grab the food it take a lot for them to let go.
I think the advice on the large net is the best in here. Keep the fish in the water, remove hooks quickly, and do not be shy about using the knippex. |
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Posts: 221
| I've been using suckers for 3 years now and have never seen a fish take the sucker head first like that one did, and we use BIG suckers. He set the hook within 30 seconds. I think it was just one of those situations that we really couldn't have done anything differently to change the outcome. |
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Posts: 122
| Wonderful advice. The DNR in Minneapolis lakes wants fisherman to measure and call in on tagged fish..... without a tank well.... personally I don't do tournaments so by the time I release hooks or untangle hook if caught in net no need for tank I think cause they are immediately set free... unless I measured one for the dnr ahhhh nah and usually don't fish where tagged fish are |
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Posts: 122
| Will look into tanks not sold on and measure big guys and newer to actually catching them so if appear bigger then last monster keeping track though only measure quick and length... this is part of the joy of the sport can I beat the last one... but fish survival is prime if it looked bad forget measuring been lucky so far! |
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| Guest,
It may seem as simple as that to you, but it's not. I guess you are not familiar with some of the big boats that guys troll from on LSC. Leaving a fish in the net over the side of the boat is not an option for them (sides of the boat are too high). Those tanks should be a necessity for those big boats and save fish. They used to just net them, bring them into the boat, set them on the floor, unhook them, and torpedo them over the side. The tanks give bigger fish a better chance at survival when caught from the big charter boats.
Just to clarify, I do not fish from one of those big charter boats, nor do I use tanks. Just trying to help educate you. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Nell - 10/8/2013 10:47 AM
Will look into tanks not sold on and measure big guys and newer to actually catching them so if appear bigger then last monster keeping track though only measure quick and length... this is part of the joy of the sport can I beat the last one... but fish survival is prime if it looked bad forget measuring been lucky so far!
is this written in some kind of code? |
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Posts: 360
Location: Algonac, MI | 5th lake Brad - 10/7/2013 5:32 PM
Those tanks look great but that fish is now counting as your daily bag limit, and you're done for the day. If it's undersized you're committing a crime. Am I wrong?
I fish "big boats" on LSC often, and hanging over side with a fish in the net, is not an option. (Safety, other circumstances, etc). People forget, we run large spreads, with multiple rods, couple boards out, in all weather conditions. Stopping the boat dead for every fish, does not work well.
Letter of the law...yes, its' considered a violation for a sub-legal to be in the tank. However, I will tank a sub-legal in a second, to save it. The fine is on me. I'd rather explain I am saving it, instead of tossing it over the side to die, like wanton waste.
Bag limit - keep in mind, usually more anglers on bigger boats = higher bag total. So the "boat" is not done fishing when one fish is riding shotgun.
In 10 years of using tanks, we have put few undersize fish in them, (couple a season) out of 400+ fish a year. Most little guys just do not need it. They come in quick, are very lively and quickly released. It's just a few of the bigger fish that get a breather. In addition, we revive other fish, left floating by other boats, and not always from other trollers, either. Just two weeks ago, revived a fish, caught & released by a caster. 20 minutes in the tank, and off she went.
Not uncommon, for another boat to call you on cell or VHF, and ask you to pick up their fish, because it went belly up after release. These favors happen all the time.
The "Guest" comment, about tanks being un-necessary is completely closed minded. Obviously, never fished from a larger boat in 4' waves. I use the tank, in my 14' boat, 19' and 36' boat. I do not leave the dock without it, casting or trolling.
Edited by Contender 10/10/2013 3:33 PM
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Posts: 122
| For me a tank my be unnecessary fit in a 17 1/2 foot boat but food for thought I have thrown slot limit fish in my live well before (not muskies but revived to be released) to save them so VERY good point! I have also held a small muskie that had a hard time caught trolling fast and hooks both jaws over boat side for ten minutes then he finally swam off happy. I big girl trolling slow holding would get tricky |
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