I bet you are still shaking from that catch. We are all proud of yah!
1ST Muskie ever
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Fishing Freak
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Look
I really don't care her actual weight, so drop it.
As I stated several times it was Approx. using a fish calculator.
I'm not going to start carrying a weigh scale to weigh them.
I don't care if it was only 5 lbs, nobody will take away the fact I caught a 48.5" Muskie.
Who really cares about the weight, I don't, You guys are making a big issue out of this for no reason, So please drop the weight issue.
And Thanks for all the congrats, and yes I'm still punped about this catch.
I really don't care her actual weight, so drop it.
As I stated several times it was Approx. using a fish calculator.
I'm not going to start carrying a weigh scale to weigh them.
I don't care if it was only 5 lbs, nobody will take away the fact I caught a 48.5" Muskie.
Who really cares about the weight, I don't, You guys are making a big issue out of this for no reason, So please drop the weight issue.
And Thanks for all the congrats, and yes I'm still punped about this catch.
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Canadian Bacon
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Guest
I posted the weight comment mearly as an educational tool. It was not intended to scrutinize your catch. I feel it is important to educate people about muskie, and that is what I was trying to do, and will continue to do. I have spent a lot of time educating myself about these fish, and feel it is important to share that information with others whenever I can (whether the advice or knowledge is welcome or not).
Again, amazing catch, and congratulations on a great first muskie.
HW
Again, amazing catch, and congratulations on a great first muskie.
HW
awesome catch FF. Looks like the rideau to giving up some nice ski's early. In my opinion, catching a big ski is one of the best rushes around.
Question for the muskie vets out there: Would it have been ok if FF left her while she was just sitting on the surface like that, NOT belly up (i.e. is she just resting, or is addtional help needed as FF did)?
Question for the muskie vets out there: Would it have been ok if FF left her while she was just sitting on the surface like that, NOT belly up (i.e. is she just resting, or is addtional help needed as FF did)?
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Guest
FF did exactly the right thing. Stay with the fish until you are certain it can swim away under its own strength.
6 minutes is a really long fight for a muskie, so I can see why the fish was exhasted. Most fights last less than 2 minutes, and even then, the recovery time for these fish can take a long time (20 minutes or more). They fight hard; to the point of exhaustion.
If you release a fish, and have doubt that the fish has recovered properly, stay with it. Don't abandon a fish. Make sure it swims away under its own strength.
It is important to note that even muskies that swim away seemingly unharmed may still not be 100% okay. Take the extra time to release the fish properly. The fish will let you know when it is ready to take off (token splash to the face). Don't rush your release.
Sometimes when you are recovering a fish, you can let go of its tail pretty early in the release, and they will often swim away seemingly unharmed. It is these releases that have always bothered me. I am never certain that the fish doesn't just swim away and go and die on the bottom of the lake or river. I had this happen with the first muskie I landed this year. The fish was released, and swam away under its own strength. However, its lethargic departure bothered me, and I questioned whether I had given enough attention to the release. As such, I now take extra time to release the fish. If you wait long enough, the fish will eventually take off with a burst. It is this burst that makes me feel confident I have released the fish to live another day.
HW
6 minutes is a really long fight for a muskie, so I can see why the fish was exhasted. Most fights last less than 2 minutes, and even then, the recovery time for these fish can take a long time (20 minutes or more). They fight hard; to the point of exhaustion.
If you release a fish, and have doubt that the fish has recovered properly, stay with it. Don't abandon a fish. Make sure it swims away under its own strength.
It is important to note that even muskies that swim away seemingly unharmed may still not be 100% okay. Take the extra time to release the fish properly. The fish will let you know when it is ready to take off (token splash to the face). Don't rush your release.
Sometimes when you are recovering a fish, you can let go of its tail pretty early in the release, and they will often swim away seemingly unharmed. It is these releases that have always bothered me. I am never certain that the fish doesn't just swim away and go and die on the bottom of the lake or river. I had this happen with the first muskie I landed this year. The fish was released, and swam away under its own strength. However, its lethargic departure bothered me, and I questioned whether I had given enough attention to the release. As such, I now take extra time to release the fish. If you wait long enough, the fish will eventually take off with a burst. It is this burst that makes me feel confident I have released the fish to live another day.
HW
Beauty fish, we fish fish for that rush.
As for the weight thing, I had a 45" that was 24lb. To weigh the fish I unhook in net, in water, hook the scale on the net and lift for the weight, lift fish out, photo and release. I then weigh the net wet and subtract the difference. this only takes seconds and relies on having everything to hand - a muskie fishing thing anyway. As for the recovery, I too have had a fish stay on the surface right way up for a while before returning to the deep - I tried to photo this too but it was dark and the flash spoiled the results.
As for the weight thing, I had a 45" that was 24lb. To weigh the fish I unhook in net, in water, hook the scale on the net and lift for the weight, lift fish out, photo and release. I then weigh the net wet and subtract the difference. this only takes seconds and relies on having everything to hand - a muskie fishing thing anyway. As for the recovery, I too have had a fish stay on the surface right way up for a while before returning to the deep - I tried to photo this too but it was dark and the flash spoiled the results.
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Fishing Freak
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Nice work Fishing Freak - that one was about 15 inches longer than my first ever muskie and I was blown away by that experience...until I got a 45 incher the next year...and I was blown away again.
As for the weights of these fish...it is really tough to estimate and even when using a scale I think you are at the mercy of the scale gods some times. Sometimes under sometimes over.
But one thing is for absolute sure...you caught a 48 inch muskie and there are not many people that get to say that (including me), but at least a gagillion that would like to (including me).
That was good of you to babysit the fish until it revived...very very good. Everyone should know that muskies take longer to get back in gear after being caught in the warmer water of summer. Speed of release and babying is essential to helping the fish.
By the looks of that picture, your fish has a lot of room to grow into that monstrous head it has. Thanks for giving me a chance to get her this fall.
As for the weights of these fish...it is really tough to estimate and even when using a scale I think you are at the mercy of the scale gods some times. Sometimes under sometimes over.
But one thing is for absolute sure...you caught a 48 inch muskie and there are not many people that get to say that (including me), but at least a gagillion that would like to (including me).
That was good of you to babysit the fish until it revived...very very good. Everyone should know that muskies take longer to get back in gear after being caught in the warmer water of summer. Speed of release and babying is essential to helping the fish.
By the looks of that picture, your fish has a lot of room to grow into that monstrous head it has. Thanks for giving me a chance to get her this fall.
Fishhawk
"gotta run like a madman bye thanks see ya good luck"
"gotta run like a madman bye thanks see ya good luck"
gettin a little off topic (sorry if I am taking away from that beauty FF), I understand being confident that the fish swims away strong, and I if I was lucky enough to get a beaut like that I would definetly stay there until it did that it (as HW prescribes) .... but ... what is the difference between letting her recover/rest on her own in the weeds (as per FF's great pic) until she's ready, or, having your hand on her tail and givin her a hand? I mean, either way she is breathin in the same oxygenated water and resting ... no?
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Guest
Simmer,
Holding your hand on the fishes tail and slowly moving it in an S pattern is essentially like performing CPR on the fish. It forces an appropriate amount of water/oxygen into the gills, and facilitates recovery of the fish.
Take a drowning human and compare it to a caught fish, and I think you'll find the comparison eerily similar.
First, a fish can only stay out of water as long as a human can stay under water. Keep this is mind when handling your fish. Taking a fish our of water is comparable to forcing a human under water. As such, don't keep a fish out of water longer than you can hold your breath. If you want more than one or two pictures, take them in the water. Keep the fish out of the water for no more than 30 seconds (even that is pushing it).
When a human is under water for too long, they get water in their lungs. In order to help with the recovery process, CPR is performed to force oxygen into the lungs, and to force any water that is in the lungs out of the body. If you leave someone who has been under water too long to recover on their own, chances are they will die. CPR is a highly effective revival technique.
For a fish, it's pretty much the same thing. By taking them out of the water, you are depriving them of water/oxygen. In order to perform CPR, you need to get that water/oxygen back into the gills. Holding the fish, and using an S pattern release is the ideal way to do this. Leaving the fish to try to recover on its own is not ideal. It's better to assist with the recovery process.
HW
Holding your hand on the fishes tail and slowly moving it in an S pattern is essentially like performing CPR on the fish. It forces an appropriate amount of water/oxygen into the gills, and facilitates recovery of the fish.
Take a drowning human and compare it to a caught fish, and I think you'll find the comparison eerily similar.
First, a fish can only stay out of water as long as a human can stay under water. Keep this is mind when handling your fish. Taking a fish our of water is comparable to forcing a human under water. As such, don't keep a fish out of water longer than you can hold your breath. If you want more than one or two pictures, take them in the water. Keep the fish out of the water for no more than 30 seconds (even that is pushing it).
When a human is under water for too long, they get water in their lungs. In order to help with the recovery process, CPR is performed to force oxygen into the lungs, and to force any water that is in the lungs out of the body. If you leave someone who has been under water too long to recover on their own, chances are they will die. CPR is a highly effective revival technique.
For a fish, it's pretty much the same thing. By taking them out of the water, you are depriving them of water/oxygen. In order to perform CPR, you need to get that water/oxygen back into the gills. Holding the fish, and using an S pattern release is the ideal way to do this. Leaving the fish to try to recover on its own is not ideal. It's better to assist with the recovery process.
HW
