Hey guys, just wanting to know if there is a water temp that one should no longer target Muskie, being it would be harder for the fish to recover?
Thought I read something about this and I’m not sure if it’s true or not. Don’t want to kill any Skies. Thanks
I don’t think it’s so much of an issue regarding fishing for them but more of an issue on how they are treated when caught. With high water water temps all fish destined to be released should be handled with extra care. For example if you are finding 80 degree suface temps you may want to consider forgoing a pic and leaving the fish in the water (net) while you quickly remove/cut the hooks and quickly release it. Additionally it would not be the time to mess around with light tackle.
I used to use lighter tackle on musky’s, 12# mono on a spinning rod, hit one on Deer lake once in late summer when temps were mid 80’s.
Long battle and the fish was slow to recover, in fact after waching her slowly swim off, 10 mins or so later, I see her sufacing and not doing well at all, more time trying to get her going and hopefully she made it, but I always wondered.
I no longer use light tackle or barbs on my hooks.
You cut a hook and leave it in a musky imho you just probably killed it.
Water temp?
Not sure, but if one of the musky’s/northerns I caught started to take a longer than normal time to revive, I’d back off and look for something else to fish.
Can’t help you on actual temps though, don’t know enough about that.
Al
When surface temperatures are higher the dissolved oxygen is depleted and this causes a lot more stress on big fish. Add big waves to the mix and a photo of your big fish, YES, the odds go way up of killing said fish. I am not going to say, stay off the water and don’t fish, but when fishing in a situation when the water temps are high, proper handling of the fish will make a BIG difference in mortality. As stated above, heavy gear makes for a much shorter fight and less stress to the fish. Net the fish, leave it in the net in the water, remove the hooks, take a measurement if you like and let the fish go. All of this can be done without ever taking the fish from the net or the water. This will help up your odds of not killing the fish. If your going to take a pic, do a release shot while keeping the fish in the water. The less stress we can put on the fish the better the odds of it swimming away are, and living.
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You cut a hook and leave it in a musky imho you just probably killed it.
You don’t leave the hooks in the fish after you cut them…
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You cut a hook and leave it in a musky imho you just probably killed it.
You don’t leave the hooks in the fish after you cut them…
Watched it done on one of the musky shows on TV, maybe you don’t but evidently some do.
You still need to handle the fish more than if you can just pull the hooks out.
Personal choice though
Al
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You cut a hook and leave it in a musky imho you just probably killed it.
You don’t leave the hooks in the fish after you cut them…
Watched it done on one of the musky shows on TV, maybe you don’t but evidently some do.
You still need to handle the fish more than if you can just pull the hooks out.
Personal choice thoughAl
Keep in mind that there is a lot of editing with what you see on TV. If the hooks were cut, I am about 100% that they were removed, it just may not have made the cut for TV.
Maybe so, but considering both the wife and I seen it, and it was one fulid motion, it’d have to have been some pretty good editing.
Like I said, personal preference, but I find in a majority of the cases my hooks come off in the net, or are removed by very little effort.
You cut the hooks you still have to deal with removing them, I perfer not to, personal choice… 
Al
I think guys cut hooks and then leave them in thinking they will rust and disolve or something. I see that all the time. Or are you saying its different with musky? Or musky hooks?
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I think guys cut hooks and then leave them in thinking they will rust and disolve or something. I see that all the time. Or are you saying its different with musky? Or musky hooks?
If Musky hooks are different, news to me.
I’m saying with musky’s or any fish, cutting the hook off and leaving it in the fish is a good way to either kill or harm the fish.
And (for me) removing the barbs eliminates this problem, also making hook removeal easier.
Least imho.
Al
Your news is news to me….
I have watched plenty of fishing shows where they recommend that you just cut your hooks, or line and then the hook will rust out or fall out eventually or whatever. 
Do NOT just cut the line or cut the hook and leave it on a Muskie lure I’m guessing it would take about 10 years for a 10/0 hook to rust away at witch point the Muskie would be dead about 9 years.
Last year I got a 46″ ski that was very very thin and had the most deformed jaw I’ve ever seen guess what I found in it’s jaw….a cut 6/0 or 7/0 hook. I don’t think that fish made it was in the worst shape I felt really bad catching that one. All I ask is that when you cut hooksis take the extra second and take out the cut part you’ll save a fish. Rember dead muskies don’t bite 
Gues it goes to show even on TV we have difference’s of opinions.
I’ve seen the TV pro’s hang a 50″ fish off its gill plate to show the viewing audience to, but not so sure that’s a better way to hold them than trying to support the fish lenghtwises.
As far as rusting away, I remember hearing that way back when I was a kid, wishful thinking it turns out to be.
While these posts may tend to be a bit off topic, it does show the different opinions on catch and release, some right, some not, and some who knows?? 
Thanks for posting all.
Al
Man thanks for the discussion guys, really good info. I like the idea of barbless hooks, have to give them every chance to live in my book. Although I’m still working on my first 
so what do I know .
Sad to say eye but your lake may be done till fall, luckily our temps don’t often hit that 80 degree temp so normaly not a worry for us.
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Sad to say eye but your lake may be done till fall, luckily our temps don’t often hit that 80 degree temp so normaly not a worry for us.
That’s what I was thinking, thanks bud. It’ll give me a chance around here to experiment and learn the right rhythm, might get a brave bass to be enticed 
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In talking to long=time biologist, Bob Strand regarding this subject a few years ago, he said that stressors endured that decrease a muskie’s chance in survival while fighting a muskie include: water pressure change, water temperature change and injury during release/battle. Keep in mind that dissolved oxygen within the water tends to decrease with temperature.
Many folks in illinois quit fishing the mid-summer there simply due to the fact that they lose too many fish to mortality issues. Temperature is a factor.
Dcraven good info. The lake I fish gets pretty warm and also gets an alge bloom during the summer. Good point on the Oxygen, I know river fish get in the running water during summer to get Oxy., didn’t put 2 and 2 together with the lake fish.
Oh WELCOME to the IDO 
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