Advice on handling/landing muskies - esp alone

[minnygriff]

Rookie muskie angler here, have never caught one but went out to a local lake yesterday evening and hooked onto a 34" tiger. Very exciting, but once I got her to the boat we had some issues. I happened to be alone last night, and the only net I have is small and would only harm a larger fish. I got it alongside the boat a few times and had a glove on, attempting to gill the fish. However I was a bit gun-shy and she thrashed as to be expected. Eventually I got a hold with the glove but it took way too long. Hook was lodged tight in the side of the fish's mouth so I brought her in the boat and got the hook out. This process took way too long and the water temp was upper 70s, maybe even 80. The fish took a long time to revive and she just rested on the bottom in very shallow water as I left - I'm hoping she was able to recover. The release process really took some of the shine off my first muskie as I'd prefer a seamless transition back into the water. If I'm going to kill the muskie I may as well not fish.

What advice do you have on landing and handling a muskie, especially alone? I have a small 14 foot boat and don't fish for muskies often so a $150 cradle/net would not really be an option. If I'm with someone else I plan on grabbing the tail once the fish is along the boat, using the other hand to support the muskie nearer the head as the other person extracts the hook. I could then slide my hand under the gills. Do any of you typically use a glove when gilling a fish? I did yesterday but now think it is harmful to the fish, and would prfer to barehand it assuming I can overcome those jitters of a thrashing fish. Sorry for rambling on, but just wanted any advice or input a more experienced person could offer. Much appreciated. Thanks

[Dylan33]

If you are alone, and the hooks are exposed enough, the best option would be to bring the fish along side the boat, and use a pliers or hookouts to get the hooks out without taking the fish out of the water. After hooks are out, pick her up and admire for a few seconds, or the best option is to just release without taking her out.

as for the glove...I am not an expert, but I see no issues with it. It shouldn't be damaging to the fish and keeps you safe as well.

my 2 cents

[bemidjibasser]

Nothing wrong with a glove, just try not to actually touch the gills themselves. A decent size net would be a good option when going it alone. I would just try to play the fish to the boat as quickly as possible and get the hooks out and the fish back in the water as quickly as possible... If you can keep the fish in the net and in the water while removing hooks that will often times help in a quicker revival and healthier release. Without the net, if you don't want a picture, you can pop the hooks out without ever taking the fish out of the water, possibly with out even having to grab hold of the fish...

[squeedunk]

Get a bigger net! It will not cost you $150. You can get an effective net for $50 or less. I found a large muskie net at Sports Authority quite a few years back for $50. If you buy a net now it will last you for a long time and you will get your money's worth.

When I started muskie fishing I made a cradle out of an old minnow seine and 2 pieces of 2 x 2 lumber. A cradle is a bad option for fishing alone but it served it's purpose for me for a few years.

[KING]

I know its not what u want to hear...but get a net

I fish a lot by myself and have landed a lot of fish...for one person a net is the only way...for your safety and the fishes

wait until that 34 is 44 or 54...its a whole new ball game

the net allows a nice cool down period for u and the fish

[cbrooks]

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[Nick Kuhn]

I'd get a net as well. You don't necessarily need a huge one, you can get by with a bit smaller hoop (makes netting more difficult but certainly not impossible), just make sure to put a bigger bag on them. Large fish can be tough to pick up by hand after they've been unhooked and in the net a while, I wouldn't ever recommend hand landing any esox over 32", especially when you have large baits dangling out of the mouth.

[minnygriff]

Looks like net may be the answer. How exactly do you manage to net fish, hold net, and unhook fish when alone? I've been a bass fisherman my whole life so handling large fish is a bit new to me.

Thanks for offer CBrooks, but looks like I'm a little far south for you in Minneapolis.

[50inchpig]

there is no great answer to that or one way it's always done best, but if you hook the corner of wet towel to a bucktail and practice dragging it in and netting a few times out on the lake you'll get the hang of it.

consequently, you can also use the soggy towel in place of a fish to frame your camera for a timer pic.

[cbrooks]

If you ever in the northern part of the state I'm not to far(Cass lake area mostly). Just keep me in mind but I would seriously think about a large net ,hook cutters , jaw spreader and pliers. I could give you all the lectures on C&R but its mostly for your saftey as well. When ever I catch a fish and get it in the net and its still green. I'll just go ahead and cut all the hooks on the lure. Too many bad expirences with hook in my hand and a fish on the other.

[Nick Kuhn]

Netting a fish by yourself is a bit tricky, I tend to coax the fish into swimming into it. Unhooking isn't too difficult. Lay the net handle over the gunnel (in my boat I hold the handle between my legs). Steady the fishes head with one hand and use a long pliers with the other. Don't get yourself into any awkward positions because you'll want to be able to move both hands in a hurry if the fish still has some headshakes left in it.

[sdpikehntr]

I just picked up a frabil net for $39.99 at a sportsman warehouse. The best $39.99 spent so far. With the basket and handle it is about 6' long. The basket depth is just over 40". It is lighter than I would like but I too am just starting and am limited on funds... Someone a few months ago said "the best way to get into muskie fishing is with a open pocket book" I believe that statement to be true, its not cheap. Start with what will work, and work towards the quality items.

[rugbymn]

Looks like net may be the answer. How exactly do you manage to net fish, hold net, and unhook fish when alone? I've been a bass fisherman my whole life so handling large fish is a bit new to me.

Thanks for offer CBrooks, but looks like I'm a little far south for you in Minneapolis.

My advice would be to find a partner to fish muskies with. In related news, I'm near Minneapolis.

[justinT]

Looks like net may be the answer. How exactly do you manage to net fish, hold net, and unhook fish when alone? I've been a bass fisherman my whole life so handling large fish is a bit new to me.

Wedge the handle of the net under something in your boat like one of your seats. That will give you two free hands to work on the fish. Make sure you have a some hook cutters too.

[Nick Kuhn]

I just picked up a frabil net for $39.99 at a sportsman warehouse. The best $39.99 spent so far. With the basket and handle it is about 6' long. The basket depth is just over 40". It is lighter than I would like but I too am just starting and am limited on funds... Someone a few months ago said "the best way to get into muskie fishing is with a open pocket book" I believe that statement to be true, its not cheap. Start with what will work, and work towards the quality items.

The bags on those are a little wimpy, I had a few broken knots within the first few months and have since replaced the bag. Keep your eye open on clearance racks. I picked up a huge coated/knotless bag for ~$30 that way.

[bronzeback]

netting a fish alone definitely takes practice, but it's a different scenario everytime you do it so I think maybe having a few "fire drills" won't hurt even if they're not actually drills. I caught a 20" smallmouth last night, boatside, pitchblack. And she dogged me for a second so I thought maybe it was a smaller fish so I quick netted it. In hindsight i obviously didn't need the net, but my adrenaline said I did and it was good practice.

when you're out by yourself, keeping your boat organized is key. having your net in a position where you can easily grab it no matter what side of the boat you're fishing out of is a must. I have a 14 foot boat too and my biggest piece of advice would be keep the bag of the net as far away from any exposed hooks or rod-tips or oars or anything it can catch on, because when you've got a fish on it seems like the net is always attracted to those things, especially the 30 dollar baits.

[kingfish689]

Muskie fishing is not cheap you can expect to spend $1000 to catch and release your first fish

[mainbutter]

Do any of you typically use a glove when gilling a fish? I did yesterday but now think it is harmful to the fish, and would prfer to barehand it assuming I can overcome those jitters of a thrashing fish.

This is exactly my thoughts on the subject.

I am a big fan of gill-plate hand-landing big esox, especially with "surprise" accident catches when you don't have a proper very large soft-webbed net. In the past, nets have been a bigger threat to muskies than deep hooking.

Last summer I hit the lucky jackpot when it came to surprise musky catches during a trip to Ontario, and was faced with the prospect of having to safely release a few big'uns, including a 45'' and 48'' for the biggest two.

The first time with the 48''er I let my uncle handle the rod while I gilled the fish. The 45''er came later that day, and I decided that I had to learn to do this by myself with any regularity (having recently moved to MN it wasn't something I was practiced at). It was the smoothest land-unhook-photo-release I've had so far. By the way, both times were using a gander mtn "lady angler" medium 7' 2 piece rod.

You learn fast if you just do it a few times.

On the subject of gloves, I prefer to not use gloves. Feeling the fish is necessary for me to do it quickly, and for the most part I keep my fingers out of the gill rakers and teeth. A few tiny cuts are a small price to pay for a successful release.

The biggest danger is not commiting and a fish thrashing. A loose grip + thrashing fish will tear ligaments and possibly break fingers. A strong grip will provide surprising safety even with a 40lb fish.

The second biggest danger is hooks. Sometimes hook placement makes hand-landing impossible until you do some in-water de-hooking.

[Huntin&Fishin]

Wats the minumum width an opening should a net be?

[delmuts]

I just bought a "big fish" net from cablelas for $50. Not as big of a hoop as the muskie nets ( they are huge!), but should handle a good size fish with no problem. Telescoping handle, very solid( my wife had three of her grand kids in it!). The net isn't as deep as i would like, but will do for now.

Have the net ready so you can grab it and net the fish. As for holding the net while you unhook a fish, you can sit on the handle,place it under your arm, or wedge it under something in the boat.

[Stringerless!]

I have to play devils advocate here. I was with my Dad and he got his first muskie, a 39.5 " tiger. I had just bought a big net and we netted the fish. Tried to get the hooks out in the water with no luck so we brought her in the boat and she rolled when we got her on the floor. Big mess ! Hooks through the mesh and she was rolled up tight. To expedite things I cut the net to shreds with a filet knife. Cut the hooks. Still took too long. I spent 45 minutes on my knees on the gunhales {sp ?) trying to bring her back. She would be ok till a wake came and then rollover. White belly to the sky. I got her to stay upright and had to drive away. Made me sick ! I quit musky fishing for the rest of that year. After that deal I will never use a net again. I don't care if it is the new world record. If I am by myself and I usually am, Take a cell phone pic with the fish in the water. No measurement. A guess is good enough for me. Just saying be ready to cut the net quickly !

[mroyten]

there is no great answer to that or one way it's always done best, but if you hook the corner of wet towel to a bucktail and practice dragging it in and netting a few times out on the lake you'll get the hang of it.

LOL, that is a good one Marc. You gotta get some video of that.

As for handling fish, I'd recommend getting the Bass Pro Shops Grip Master II http://tinyurl.com/2e3uwzv - Cheap and does the job, just got one myself and so far very satisfied. I used it this past weekend on a good sized fish and it worked wonderfully. You can keep the fish in the net partially under the water and have control of the fish thorough the outside of the net and remove the hooks. No gloves required!

[propster]

I have to disagree with the above post, though to each his own. A net will allow you to remove hooks better than the fish being loose at the side of the boat 99 times out of 100, unless it's lightly hooked and you can easily get at the hooks and just pop them out. And though I'm having difficulty imagining a scenario where you'd be better off bringing the fish into the boat and laying it on the floor, I suppose there is the chance. But I would still never recommend bringing the net with fish, or fish, into the boat and laying it on the floor. That can often be a death sentence. Sounds like the perfect situation for a good hook cutter. As for gloves, there are several options available that are thin and allow you to retain the feel you need, yet still allow you to avoid cuts from gill rakers.

[kyleharty]

Can anyone fill in the finer points of grabbing an esox by the gill plate area? This has always scared me as I've never really known the proper technique and don't want to hurt myself or the fish. I mostly fish from shore so it's a little easier to handle the fish but I'd like to know all I can just in case it's ever necessary.

[10,000 Casts]

BOCA Grips are NOT neccesary. If the fish decides to roll or shake, it tears the hell out of their mouth..

As far as the Gill plate, just be gentle and don't jam your hand all the way in, just move it to the font of the gill plate and when you pick up the fish, try to support the belly when you pick her up (which if done right makes the fish look fatter!

A Muskie net is worth every penny, when I was a poor College student, I fished without one for 2 years, I never lost a fish but I didn't catch that many either..

$150 is a small price to pay if your first 50 gets away and even worse if you kill her.. It's like the guy above said, he didn't fish for the rest of that year..