How long can fish stay above ice in cold weather?

[PFUNK]

I just got to thinking and am wondering how long everyone feels a fish can remain above ice without doing it any harm? I ask because I caught my personal best walleye this year at 29.5" while fishing outside and it was COLD. I rushed to get the tape on it and get two quick pictures snapped before I sent her back down. I know the law states that the fish needs to be "immediately released" but surely they don't mean you can't take a quick picture right? I would hate to do any harm to a fish like that, so I did my best to get it back right away. Just was curious how extreme cold can affect things like the fish's eyes, especially in the case of a walleye. Does anyone know how long they can be up without getting hurt?

[Northlander]

Of course it depends on the temps but if the fins start getting frosted its been out too long.

[DTro]

The law CLEARLY states you can take a quick picture.

Like Northlander mentioned though, those fins freeze up fast. If it's really cold out, do it double time.

Best advice is always be prepared for a trophy to come through the hole. Have tools/camera ready to go at all times.

[smeese]

How long would a human last under water? Not long.....make it quick but enjoy yourself as you did choose to go out there for that reason in the cold yourself

[OnAFly]

Yep, just get that picture as quick as possible. Nice catch by the way.

[theicehooker]

I just got to thinking and am wondering how long everyone feels a fish can remain above ice without doing it any harm? I ask because I caught my personal best walleye this year at 29.5" while fishing outside and it was COLD. I rushed to get the tape on it and get two quick pictures snapped before I sent her back down. I know the law states that the fish needs to be "immediately released" but surely they don't mean you can't take a quick picture right? I would hate to do any harm to a fish like that, so I did my best to get it back right away. Just was curious how extreme cold can affect things like the fish's eyes, especially in the case of a walleye. Does anyone know how long they can be up without getting hurt?

I am sure they will stay there until a bird eats them or the ice melts. Tee he he

[Stick in Mud]

DTro, I vehemently object to your advice. EVERYONE knows that when you're prepared for a big fish, they don't bite. It's when you're reaching for a drink after you've left your net and/or ruler in the truck that you get them. Duh.

[DTro]

That's a great point carmike, and I tend to agree with you.

I'm a little anal about that type of thing, but as a bonus I can think of about a dozen personal best fish I've been able to capture on video/pics for both myself and those I've fished with and able to get the fish back in nice and healthy.

But yeah, the very best way to get a bite is to make or receive a phone call. We sometimes call each other on purpose to make the fish bite.

[Sherpa]

I think it's important to keep them off of the ice as much as possible when temps are really low. It can't be very good for an eyeball or other parts to freeze to the ice and then get peeled off of it.

[Knoc]

DTro, I vehemently object to your advice. EVERYONE knows that when you're prepared for a big fish, they don't bite. It's when you're reaching for a drink after you've left your net and/or ruler in the truck that you get them. Duh.

I was convinced a couple days ago that fish would only bite for me when my cig smoke got in my eyes. It was like clockwork. Smoke in the eye, the bites would start.

[Stick in Mud]

Yeah, knoc, sometimes these things are uncanny. I've been to a seminar where the "pro" advised people to pretend they were reaching for a drink or taking a pee in order to get the fish to bite. His theory was that the line/lure did somethign different from normal, and that's why they bite. Maybe there's some wisdom there....

[randallt]

Congrats on the catch and release.

Please share the pic. Love seeing big fish. Keeps me hopeful of finally catching that 10lb+

[CrewJones]

I C&R'ed my 31" walleye i caught "in wright county" and went to an online auction site and purchased someone else's 30" walleye mount for 150 bucks, had it on the wall 6 days later with my story to tell. I will never keep another fish to mount it. It takes way to long and your really not getting anything of value IMO

[Jim Uran]

Everyone is tentative to give out a certain "time" or a length a fish can be out of the water in the cold.

Just depends on HOW cold it is outside.

[Northlander]

I C&R'ed my 31" walleye i caught "in wright county" and went to an online auction site and purchased someone else's 30" walleye mount for 150 bucks, had it on the wall 6 days later with my story to tell. I will never keep another fish to mount it. It takes way to long and your really not getting anything of value IMO

What a story about how you purchased someone elses trophy fish on a auction site? Not much of a story if you ask me. I have 3 fish mounts. All fish I caught myself. I cant understand why you would want to tel a story about a fish you caught and have people looking at someone elses trophy that you got online.

[PFUNK]

^^^

Yeah I have to agree with that. I don't mind forking out the dough and waiting awhile to get a fish mounted. I think you get a lifetime worth of value out of it and can tell the story about YOUR fish... not someone elses that is the same size and species as yours. But to each his own... if that's the way you prefer to do it and you are happy with that, then that's awesome and I sure won't tell you it is the wrong way. Just not my preference. Anyway... here is the picture of my walleye... if she wasn't so ugly and a little bigger I may have put it on the wall. Not the best picture as I am bundled up trying to stay warm. My girlfriend also had her best ever... a 25 incher and she caught a tagged fish as well. I've never done that and I was jealous as she is very new to ice fishing.

[DTro]

I just gotta say, it's a fish hanging on the wall. Especially if it's a replica where does it matter where it came from? I think it's a great idea to buy it used somewhere. After all it's just a decoration anyways.

Different strokes for different folks.

If I want to tell a story I tell people to go to YouTube and watch me catch it themselves!

[DTro]

Sorry to ramble off topic though. Thats a great fish PFunk!!

[morepower02]

Yeah, knoc, sometimes these things are uncanny. I've been to a seminar where the "pro" advised people to pretend they were reaching for a drink or taking a pee in order to get the fish to bite. His theory was that the line/lure did somethign different from normal, and that's why they bite. Maybe there's some wisdom there....

Seems funny but never seems to fail. Vex screen empty for the last five minutes, switch rod to left hand reach over for something and bam.. Fish on

[harvey lee]

As far as how long it can be out of water, I try to get them back as fast as I can.

I am sure it all depends on how deep the fish was and the battle. I am sure the colder temps have an ill effect on them also.

I have personally never caught a trophy knowing I was going to catch it. I have the camera in the boat or in a coat pocket when I do catch one I want to photo but I take very few pictures of fish.

Catch them and keep them or down the hole they go. I am sure the longer they are out of the water, the less likely they will survive. I think that depends on the specie also as some fish do seem tougher than others.

To each there own but all the game and fish I have on my walls are ones I have harvested. I do not know that I want anothers fish to look at knowing it was not one I caught. They are all different in some way in size and unique shapes or wierd fins.

[dougger222]

I C&R'ed my 31" walleye i caught "in wright county" and went to an online auction site and purchased someone else's 30" walleye mount for 150 bucks, had it on the wall 6 days later with my story to tell. I will never keep another fish to mount it. It takes way to long and your really not getting anything of value IMO

X2, really I did the same thing but got mine for $100!!!

[hookncook]

"What a story about how you purchased someone elses trophy fish on a auction site? Not much of a story if you ask me. I have 3 fish mounts. All fish I caught myself. I cant understand why you would want to tel a story about a fish you caught and have people looking at someone elses trophy that you got online. "

Truth is, it's the story you're mounting not the fish. I have noticed more and more people are getting away from live mounts as technology becomes available to save your moment without taking the fish out of the water: There are companies that will take a picture and put it on canvas, one can take their picture to an artist and have the fish created in any environment, and of course plaster mounts.

To get back on topic, when handling fish in the winter; be consciousness of the fish's protective slime, as well as the eyes. Once that protective slime freezes or the eyes freeze over, chances are the fish will die.

[dougger222]

From first hand experiance I'd venture to say as much as 2 hours. True story, pike caught on a lake near Lindstrom near dark then put in the box of the pick up and driven to New Prague (1hr15min+). It was cold that day and when we got home to clean the pike it was froze a bit. When we got to the last fish caught we noticed it moving around a little bit. My Dad talked my Mom into putting it in the bathtub and 3 days later it was pretty alert. We were instructed to cut a hole in the pond and let her loose. The fish took off the down the hole and we caught it open water twice in the next two years.

Many have doubted this story but it really happened!!! BTW, my brother and I were under 16 at the time and was informed we could legaly transoport a limit of fish for transplant into another body of water not public. Of course we only put the one pike in!!! Also the lake we took the fish from didn't have a public access.

[dougger222]

"What a story about how you purchased someone elses trophy fish on a auction site? Not much of a story if you ask me. I have 3 fish mounts. All fish I caught myself. I cant understand why you would want to tel a story about a fish you caught and have people looking at someone elses trophy that you got online. "

Truth is, it's the story you're mounting not the fish. I have noticed more and more people are getting away from live mounts as technology becomes available to save your moment without taking the fish out of the water: There are companies that will take a picture and put it on canvas, one can take their picture to an artist and have the fish created in any environment, and of course plaster mounts.

To get back on topic, when handling fish in the winter; be consciousness of the fish's protective slime, as well as the eyes. Once that protective slime freezes or the eyes freeze over, chances are the fish will die.

My reason? I had two trophy (30in) walleye mounts stolen from a property I had for sale. I told myself I'd never mount another fish as long as I lived and if the oppurtunity every presented itself to aquire a similiar sized fish I'd buy it if reasonable. I had over $600 in the two mounts. Prior to my two mounts getting stolen I ate and I released a 30.5in walleye. My magic number is 32 inches or 13+ pounds. If ever caught one plan to snap pics and do a fiberglass replica. For my 30th birthday my wife framed a bunch of fish pics which line the wall in my office. It was one of the coolest gifts I've ever been given. The pics span 17 years.

BTW, never told one person I caught the 30in mount that sits in my house. If they want to press onto the story they get the truth.

[hookncook]

"My reason? I had two trophy (30in) walleye mounts stolen from a property I had for sale. I told myself I'd never mount another fish as long as I lived and if the oppurtunity every presented itself to aquire a similiar sized fish I'd buy it if reasonable"

15 years ago, I caught a 29.5 inch walleye, I was 25 and didn't have the money for a mount. I took good pictures of the fish, as I grew older, and developed friends in the fishing industry.

Recently, I found a skin mount at a taxidermist's shop that's a "buyer's remorse" situation sitting in his shop. It caught my eye, and looked just like the one I caught (and released) 15 years ago. I was able to purchase it for a fraction of what the original mount would have cost me.

Apparently, when someone pays a deposit on a mount, and they don't claim it, the taxidermist can sell it at fair rate minus the security deposit. Taxidermist has to get rid of mounts because too many invades on his commercial bag limit.