Muskies 101 - A quick guide for proper gear selection and fish handling

[UglyStick]

With everyone getting muskie fever lately, I feel obliged to give a little 101 on the necessity for proper gear selection and handling when targeting these awesome fish. The below information is just a top-line of a few of the concepts any angler should practice when hunting the fish of ten thousand casts.

For all of their size and strength, muskies are actually fragile fish that can be stressed fairly easily. Although it can be fun to fish with light tackle, muskie fishing should be the exception to that rule. To be able to land a musky of any size on light tackle, the fish will have to be played to exhaustion or close enough to it. In these cases, even if the angler takes the time to properly revive the fish and sees it swim off, there is a good chance it will die later. In warmer weather or if the fish sustains injury or is bleeding, delayed mortality increases even further. Unfortunately, muskies hooked and landed by anglers targeting other species using light tackle often fall into this category.

For this reason, it is critical to use heavy tackle in order to land your fish in the least amount of time reasonably possible and avoid putting undue stress on the fish. This means using heavy action rods and reels, strong line, and high quality snaps, swivels, leaders, and hooks. This also minimizes the chance of a muskie breaking off and swimming away with your favorite lure stuck in its mouth. Muskie fishing also involves large and heavy baits which also require the use of heavy tackle.

An example of an appropriate general purpose muskie set-up would be a 7 ½’ heavy, fast action rod rated for 3-8 ounce lures mated with a solid casting reel such as a Calcutta 400 with 60-80lb braided line and a 100-130lb fluoro leader with heavy duty hardware. Trust me… this is not overkill…

The other part of the equation in safely landing and releasing a muskie is having the proper net and release tools at the ready in addition to using proper handling technique.

Hand landing is not recommended… having a musky net large enough to properly hold, or “pen”, the fish is important. Scooping the fish from the water and letting it flop around on the floor of the boat is a recipe for disaster. You also want to have the proper tools such as long needle-nose pliers (for hook removal), jaw spreaders, and small compound bolt cutters, such as Knipex, for cutting hooks if deeply embedded or hooked near sensitive areas like the eyes, gills, or undersides. It is better to cut a hook than either injure the fish trying to remove a hook or keeping the fish out of water for an extended period of time. If hooks are cut, be sure to remove as many pieces as possible while trying to limit tissue damage.

Always remember to minimize "out of water" time. If possible, remove the hooks and take your measurements while the fish is still in the water in the net. Always revive the fish before letting it go. Sometimes it's almost instantaneous, and sometimes revival can take up to 20 minutes or more so be patient. Hold the fish by the tail section before the caudal fin with one hand, while using your other hand to gently balance the fish under its belly behind the pectoral fins. This gives the fish additional support. Gently roll the fish from side to side to ensure that the gill covers are moving softly. This helps force water through its gills and increase oxygen intake. When the fish is strong enough to wriggle away and stay upright, it's a candidate for successful release. If the fish is having problems maintaining its balance after release, the revival process should be continued. In the summer when water temperatures are in the high 70’s to low 80’s muskies are subject to high rates of mortality due to angling stress. In these situations avoid muskie angling if you possibly can or at least reduce "fight time" to the absolute minimum and do not remove the fish from the water.

Never lift a muskie vertically by its jaw. This has the potential of causing severe injury to the fish especially if it's a big one. When lifting a muskie for a photo or any other reason, always wet your hands first and lift the fish horizontally using your other hand to support it under its belly. Also, never ever hold any fish by its eye sockets as this definitely causes damage to the fish. A quick Google of “muskie handling technique” will provide some good articles and video examples.

I encourage anyone interested in pursuing muskie fishing to take a moment to speak to the representatives from the NJ chapter of Muskies Inc at the following events:

Garden State Outdoor Show in Edison – Jan 8-11th

Ramsey Outdoor cast N Blast in Succasunna – Feb 21st
(a presentation on muskie fishing is typically part of the event schedule)

World Fishing and Outdoor Expo in Suffern – mar 5-8th

Pequest hatchery Outdoor and Sportsman Show - Mar 28-29th

Thanks for reading and happy hunting…