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I don’t condone the use of one LARGE hook, but if that’s what you are going to use, then make it a circle hook, please!!!
Mark
Using one large hook does.n’t mean it isn’t a quick strike rig.
Unless I am using a SUMO sucker, I generally just use one 6/0 treble near the dorsal fin. As soon as the fish grabs the meat and is heading away from you…set the hook.
Using a large J-hook that has to be swallowed will kill fish and is not advised
This tourney is always a great time. A couple of my best fishing memories/stories come from fishing it. I highly suggest it to anyone. The TC Chapter does a great job with this one.
I need to figure out how I’m going to pull that boat home on Sunday… 
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Shawn, Bring your drinking boots this year and something to clean up your truck. It’s my personal mission to get the bald man throwing up drunk this year.
Nobody is arguing that handling does not have a toll on fish, but evidence has shown that even with exemplary handling of fish the chances of delayed mortality are increased in warm water. That’s good enough for me to take a few days off when it really gets hot
Here’s the Temperature section from the Casselman article I posted. Take a minute to read it.
“Temperature
Evidence suggests that catch-and-release mortality is directly related to water
temperature, with mortality increasing at extreme temperatures. In a seasonal comparison of
hooking mortality of bluegill, Muoneke (1992b) found that mortality was greater in the summer
when water temperatures were highest. However, this study did not account for other variables,
such as differences in feeding rate or reproductive status, which may have increased mortality
during the summer. Similarly, mortality in cutthroat trout has been shown to increase from 0 to
8.6% as water temperature increased from 8°C to 16°C (Dotson, 1982). In a meta-analysis of
black bass mortality associated with tournaments, a strong relationship was found between water
temperature and both pre-release and post-release mortality (Wilde, 1998). Research from
walleye tournaments indicates that mortality increases with water temperature and suggests that
tournaments should be limited to the spring and fall (O’Neil and Pattenden, 1992), or when water
temperatures are cooler than 15.6°C (60°F) (Boland, 1994). Wilkie et al. (1997) examined the
post-exercise physiology of Atlantic salmon at 12°, 18° and 23°C, and found that physiological
recovery was slowest at 12°C, however, there was significant mortality at 23°C. This result
suggests that warmer temperatures facilitate recovery but that extremely high temperature
increases mortality.
Nuhfer and Alexander (1992) found that mortality increased with water temperature in
brook trout that were bleeding from the gills or throat area as a result of hooking. Mortality has
also been found to increase with water temperature in smallmouth bass (Cooke and Hogle,
2000), largemouth bass (Gustaveson et al., 1991; Meals and Miranda, 1994) and striped bass
(Nelson, 1998). Interestingly, Bettoli and Osborne (1998) found that catch-and-release mortality
in striped bass was linearly related to air temperature but not water temperature, suggesting the
temperature during air exposure may be more important in determining survival than actual
water temperature. These studies demonstrate that catch-and-release mortality increases with
temperature and special care should be taken with fishing during extremely warm weather.
There has been a similar concern with releasing fish that have been angled during icefishing
and exposed to cold temperatures. It has been suggested that eyes and gills can be
damaged from freezing on extremely cold days. However, studies examining catch-and-release
survival of walleye during ice-fishing found no evidence of damage or mortality caused by
exposure to cold temperatures (Ellis, 2000). Thus, while brief exposure of fish to cold
temperatures may not cause mortality or damage, it is best minimize the time that fish are kept
out of the water when ice-fishing.”
See all those names and dates in parentheses? Those are references to actual data from actual studies done on actual fish. These are studies done by educated and trained scientists/biologists. These guys know a thing or two.
No, they didn’t actually tag a muskie and watch it die after being caught in warm water, but with a little open mindedness and some scientific thinking one can easily make the obvious connection.
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In all the times I have ever been out there I have never seen a fish floating.
By all means, those that cling to the idea that catching muskies in the heat of summer kills them, hang up your gear, I certainly won’t miss the extra guys on the lake.
Not all dead fish float
Nobody is saying that death is certain, at least I’m not, but the odds are increased.
September/October and into late fall
Here’s a couple more articles with some good info…
http://afs.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1577%2FH03-024
It seems to me that if other WARM water fish are effected, then it isn’t that much of a leap to infer that muskies are going to be negatively effected as well.
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/mnr/pubs/fishing/catch_and_release_review_and_guidelines.pdf
Check out “Temperature” on Page 8. Dr. Casselman is one the big guns in the world of Musky Biology. His “opinion” should stand for something. At least it does in my eyes.
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First things first, do any of you naysayers have any proof to back up the idea that a fish caught this time of year properly handled will ulitmately die because of water temp? If so please include a link to the study.
Second, so you so called muskie gods have a clear understanding of what the routine is when “we” catch a fish…. Fish hits, 30 seconds to at most 2 minutes later fish is in the net (thanks solely to the fact that we use equipment that allows us to “horse” our fish). Said fish sits in the water still contained in the net. One guy opens the board up, other guy turns the camera on. Guy who caught it grabs the fish and immediately lays it on the board, a couple of photos are taken. Fish is immediately put back in the water and released when ready to go. The whole process typicaly takes less then five minutes, including cutting or pulling hooks. Of that, the fish is out of the water for around 30 seconds.
So, can you “would be” marine biologists, show me how in fact that this is destined to die.
As far as I am concerned you can stuff your oxygen levels at the surface, and temperature for that matter. How many fish have you seen porpoising in the middle of a 95 degree day? I think you are all underestimating just how hardy these fish are. But again, if you can point me towards some sound scientific research on the subject, I am more than willing to read. Until then, as always, what you have said is just your opinion.
Here’s an excerpt from an article done by Rod Ramsell in ESOX Angler a few years ago.
In case you aren’t familiar with the name, Rod Ramsell is a fisheries specialist with the MN DNR. I think he probably knows something about this…
“If you are angling during the summer months, the recovery of fish subjected to exhaustive exercise is complicated by an inverse physical relationship between water temperature and dissolved oxygen. The higher the water temperature, the less dissolved oxygen water is able to hold in solution.”
So, all things being equal, a fish released in high water temps has a higher chance of delayed mortality than a fish released in cooler water temps.
