# safe catch and release



## jcrdust (May 24, 2004)

Just wondering if any of you diehard muskie guys can help me out. I am pretty new to the muskie game and was wondering what is the safeist way to handle your catch and get a quick photo (assumeing one lands a fish) with the least amount of stress and damage to both fish and angler. I see guys on tv with thier hands in the gill plates an I always thought this was a no no.


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## fugarwi7 (Sep 20, 2006)

Keep the fish in a large net in the water to remove hooks and clear the line, then you can carefully reach your finger behind the gill cover (avoiding the gills is the critical thing) and carefully slide your fingers forward to the jaw bone. Then you can lift the fish without hurting the gills or the fish. When you actually lift the fish, make sure you do not lift vertically by the jaw bone alone. Get a good grip around the tail section or just behind the belly and lift as horizontally as possible. Always support the weight of the fish with both hands and never by the jaw alone. You can cause harm to the fish without the added support. Before you do any of this, make sure the camera man is ready so you minimize how long the fish is out of the water. As soon as the pic(s) are taken, promptly return the fish to the water so recovery time can begin. Hold the fish until it swims away on it's own and it will be there for the next trip.

Hope this helps.


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

fugarwi7 said it perfectly. The only thing I was going to ad is the advantage of a big game fish lipper. There are many different brands (Berkely, Boga, Bass Pro etc.). These allow for the safe handling of the fish and keeps your hands away from sharp gill plates and teeth. I have a net for the boat, but this year I realized the importance of a lipper when fishing for musky in the river. My friend and I were trying to carefully handle a fish when it erupted, burying a #5 treble into his hand. Here's a few pics to see the consequences. And a few to see a lipper. 





Before 


After


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## jcrdust (May 24, 2004)

Thanks guys, I have a lip gripper but I thought with a big fish like a muskie it would put to much strain on the jaw even if you supported the belly. Thanks again.


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## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

From the Muskies Inc. website.

http://www.muskiesinc.org/ss/site/c...orms and pamphlets and KTD/2006-TipsRele.pdf?


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

I would get a net!


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## Blue Pike (Apr 24, 2004)

MadMac said:


> I would get a net!



Yep, me too.


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

Be careful you don't get your fingers against the gill rakers. Not only can you damage them but they are very sharp and can cut your fingers easily.


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## pikemaven (Jan 1, 2008)

fugarwi7 said it quite well. Please consider fishing with barbless hooks, my son and I have been doing so for years. We don't lose many fish as a result, providing we do not let the line go slack. Sometimes we let the line go slack at boat side and the fish swims off the hook.


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