THE PROPER HANDLING AND RELEASE OF MUSKELLUNGE Prepared by the Niagara Musky Association, Inc. I. Necessary Tools: Net or Cradle Long-nose pliers Hook-outs Bolt cutters for cutting hooks Jaw spreaders Extra hooks 60 inch measuring stick to measure length Flexible plastic tape measure to measure girth Camera
II Landing Methods: Net or Cradle. A. Net -The rim of the net should be at least 30 inches wide. -The net should be rubber coated and at least 40 inches deep. -Lead the fish into net head first. -Always keep a netted fish in the water. DO NOT bring a netted musky into the boat. A large musky thrashing on the floor of the boat can cause serious injuries to the fish and/or the angler. -Remove the hooks(paragraph III). B. Cradle - Requires two people. -Lead the fish into cradle head first. -Close the cradle around the musky and hold securely. -Keep the fish and cradle in the water. -Remove the hooks (paragraph III). Weighing a large musky with a cradle and sling. -If you want to weigh the musky, do so in a cradle, net, or weigh sack device which supports the full length of the fish. Hanging a large fish by the jaw may cause injuries to the jaw, skeletal vertebrae, and internal organs and should be avoided.
-Length x girth x girth divided by 800 will give an accurate estimate of the musky s weight without the stress of weighing it. III Unhooking - Take a moment to observe the situation while the fish is in the water secured by the net or cradle. -As long as the fish is in the water and allowed to breathe, it will be ok. -If necessary, you can secure a small musky by holding it tightly behind its head, or by the tail, and a large musky by the gill plates (be careful not to damage its gills, and beware of the gill rakers). -Remove hooks using long-nose pliers or hook-out device. -If hooks do not remove easily, cut them with hook or bolt cutters. Hooks are plentiful and cheap, muskies are not. Remove hook remnants with pliers. -If you don t have hook cutters, your hooks should be barbless. Hooks on store bought lures can be made barbless b y e i t h e r pinching the barbs in or filing them off. -If the musky is deeply hooked, use jaw spreaders to keep mouth open to enable you to reach in to remove hooks. -Always exercise extreme care in unhooking and handling any musky. A hook in the hand, leg or arm, or a hand tendon severed by a sharp tooth will not only ruin a day s fishing, but can cause serious physical injury. IV Measure fish -Cradles have built-in length measurement, otherwise use a sixty inch stick. -Lay the stick next to fish while in it is in the water. Measure from the
tip of lower jaw to the tip of tail. -If you desire, you can use a plastic tape measure to measure the girth at widest part of body. V Photograph fish. -Photograph the fish while it is held in the water being resuscitated for release. -If you want to hold the fish out of the water, cradle one arm under its belly while the other hand securely grips the gill cover. Always support the full length of a large fish. -Do not lift or hold the musky vertically. Fisheries biologists believe that vertical lifts increase risk of injuring the jaw, skeletal vertebrae, and internal organs. -Try not to keep the fish out of the water for more than thirty-seconds. The longer the musky is out of the water the greater the chances of delayed mortality. Good rule: don t keep fish out of water any longer than you can hold your breath. -Photography can be tough on a muskellunge. Consider releasing most of your muskies without taking out of water pictures. -Warm waters of summer are especially tough on angler caught muskellunge. Consider not removing the musky from the water during July and August. VI Release Fish-Hold the musky upright in water until it s able to swim away under its own power. You may have to support the belly of larger fish to keep them upright.
If you would like to learn more about catching and releasing muskellunge, consider joining the Niagara Musky Association, Inc. For more information, write to: Niagara Muskellunge Association, Inc., PMB 382, 735 Delaware Rd., Buffalo, NY, 14223.