# Successful Release of Muskie?



## spinfisher (Sep 23, 2005)

I have been planning to fish for muskie for the first time this year. I have bought some decent start-up gear and I have read just about everything I can find--about catching them, but largely about how to safely handle them and successfully release them with confidence that they are not floating belly-up later on.

C&R seems close to 100% in the sport of muskie fishing, but after reading volumes of material and looking at hundreds of posted photos, I'm inclined to believe that the survival rate of muskies caught on hook and line is very low. The way many of these fish are handled surely must result in their death from broken jaw, popped vertabrae, fungal disease from slime removal, stress from exhaustion or being held out of the water for several minutes for a photo shoot, etc.

When you consider the combination of their sheer size and the teeth/gill plates, coupled with the fact that muskie's physical strength belies its fragile nature, it seems to me there are a lot more fatalities among released fish than most people believe. 

I'm confident a smaller fish (30-inches or less) might be relatively easy to handle and release, but how, specifically, should (can) a large muskie be handled to avoid injuring the fish (and fisherman)? How do you safely remove the hook? What kind of net/cradle should be used?

Links to informative sites are helpful, but I'm more interested in how experienced muskie fishermen on this site handle and release their fish.


----------



## jsalkas (Feb 18, 2005)

Never handled a big muskie, but from my (little) big pike experience you are concerned with all the right items.

All I can say is push down the barbs on treble hooks at the very least. When using the jaw control technique, give some support to the fishes belly. Snap your shot and get it in the water immediately, grasping the tail and moving the fish back and forth to resuscitate (sometimes this doesn't take long at all).

If you don't care for a picture, don't even remove the fish from the water, just flick the lure out with your long nose pliers (make sure you have a string connecting them to your wrist so you don't drop them overboard).


----------



## FutureClassicChamp (Jan 16, 2006)

its great to see a new musky angler that is as concerned about cpr as you are. the way i normally go about it is once i get her in the beckman, i try to get the hooks out...depending where they are. if they are not in a good spot, ill cut them. i rarely get a picture with a fish, for 2 reasons...i fish by myself a lot and i dont even want another pic, unless shes over 50, or has some really distinct markings. once the hooks are out, ill grab her by the jaw and slip my hand under her belly. some guys say that vertical holds are a big no no and they take alot of stress off the fish. im not sure about this. regardless, i dont use them. 

keys
-have a large enough net to be able to work on the fish while its still in the water
-long nosed pliers
-hook cutters (knipex)
-hand under belly
-get her back as soon as possible

check out muskie.outdoorsfirst.com. im sure they have have articles are cpr.


----------



## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

well said.


----------



## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

FutureClassicChamp said:


> keys
> -have a large enough net to be able to work on the fish while its still in the water
> -long nosed pliers
> -hook cutters (knipex)
> ...



I dont' think it can be said much better than that. That's just about perfect. Keep the fish in the net(no harm to it at all) while removing hooks and taking a quick scale sample. Then picture or not the fish will only be out of the water for 30 seconds or less and this will greatly improve the chances that it will survive. Best of luck to ya!

CG


----------



## iwdavefish (Apr 30, 2004)

Sums it up nicely. Have a net designed for muskies and limit the time out of water. Have your dehooking tools and a hook cutter at the ready. Not in your tackle bag or in a compartment somewhere in the boat, but right there where you can grab them.


----------



## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

I would add 1 thing. Make sure the net is treated. 


Beckmans makes a great net as does Frabill.

http://www.thornebros.com/muskie/releasetools/frabill/frabill_nets.html 



http://www.muskyshop.com/modules/cart/products.php/nav_id/19/page/1/id/129/name/BeckmanNets


----------



## Blue Pike (Apr 24, 2004)

Was reading a good article about Musky c&r.
http://www.thenextbite.com/site/featured_article.cfm?owner=749CF72F-3048-725D-6CA6DD61BF539078

Pretty interesting.


----------

