Would you keep a 52-inch muskie?

[wareagle]

I'm sure most of you have read Doug Smith's column in Sunday's Star Tribune about the guy that was luckily (for him)just given a warning and had his 52-inch muskie from Lake Minnetonka confiscated for being out of season. New rules were in enacted on Dec 10 that closed the muskie season Dec 15,2007 and then Dec 1 there after. A buddy of mine was mad that the guy kept it. Personally, I don't mind if it were in season.

My question is if it was during the muskie season, would you keep a 52-inch muskie?

Personally, I wouldn't keep it for two reasons, first you can get a good replica made if you take good measurements and second for the amount that it would cost to mount the fish I could go on a couple of more fishing trips (I've actually released a 50 incher two years ago).

I'm just curious as to how many would keep it. I have pictures of the fish, but forgot how to post them, but would send to someone that would.

Again, I don't fault the guy for keeping it if it were in season.

WAR EAGLE!!!

[RuKiddingMe]

I have no reason to keep a 52" musky, I honestly have no reason to keep any musky.

let'em go let'em grow.

RU

[Rebel9921]

Nope I wouldnt unless it had no chance of survival during the season...

I agree with RU... Let them go and let them grow...

[Whopper Stopper]

Last Summer I had my personal best, a 54.5". I felt nothing but delight watching that hog swim off. I could do a replica but who knows? This might be the Summer for the real monster!

WS

[Nick Kuhn]

Replicas look better than real mounts IMO. But even those are pretty pricy. Pictures are downright cheap, I think I'll stick to those. Every fish I caught swam away this year (OK, so there was an incident with a 4 inch gill that hit my popper. That small of a fish at the surface vs a 10 foot flyrod = flying fish on hookset (maybe I was a little over-zealous). Poor little guy crashed into the side of the dock and was an instant floater. I think I put it over the fire for a while and fed it to the dog.)

[Fish Monger]

In the case of the recent Tonka 52 incher, I think he had to keep it. As the story goes, the fish was dead. They drilled extra holes to release it horizontally, but the fish would not swim away.

If he did not keep it, it would have become northern food.

Also, he may have been afraid to leave a dead fish on the ice, because he could have been charged with wanton waste of a game animal. He had a permanent fish house that was easy to identify - at least by the DNR, because they traced the photos online to the fisherman.

And with the lack of notification on the regulation change, he thought he could legally keep it.

Since these statements are true, I don't think he had a reasonable alternative other than bringing the fish home with him. Moreover, he should get to keep it also.

[Scoot]

I have and I really enjoyed watching her swim away.

Fish Monger- I disagree. The fish was out of season. Dead, alive, or only mostly dead (Princess Bride reference)-- it has to be returned. Even if it's going to become northern food (what northern is going to eat a 52" muskie, BTW???), it has to be returned.

You suggest that he had "no choice". I'd say he had a choice- abide by the law or don't. I'd say he made the wrong choice.

[wareagle]

Fish Monger - Because of what you stated, I'm guessing that is why the CO gave him the warning instead of the fine, but it would be unprecedented for the CO to let him keep the fish. I'm guessing for legal reasons.

Unfortunately, I don't make the rule changes, but if I did I might have made them effective starting May 10, 2008 (new fishing season) maybe that would have been less confusing. I do think that we (DNR) publicized the rule change pretty well though. They were in the Star Trib, Pioneer Press and Outdoor News as well as other small town papers. They were also posted on the DNR HSOforum and I believe this site even had a thread on the issue as well.

WAR EAGLE!!!

[art321]

Personally, I'll never keep a trophy fish. Better to let them go, keep a pic and maybeget a replica made. They look good, last longer and are just a representative of the fish you caught, which is essentially what an actual mount is too.

As to him getting a warning. I think that is fine. This law was new and slipped in late if I'm not mistaken. It's not even in the regs, is it? As a musky fisherman, I'm OK with the law. But again it's just too many special regs. What is the deal with the DNR not allowing the import of shiners now? That just plain sucks that you can't get any and the season still goes for another month. Too many rules and regs. My head hurts.

[setterguy]

I would have no reason to keep a 52" fish, and think our limits should reflect the current state or our Muskie fisheries. Back when the 48" limit was proposed, that was a monster. Now with CPR, stocking and management our fish are bigger than ever, I think our slot limits should reflect that. I think 54 would be a perfect number.

[MuskyBrian]

Rules are rules, I can't believe anyone can justify this.

Also, how could the fish be completely dead? They don't just come out of the water and go into cardiac arrest guys. Even a poorly mishandled fish will temporarily stay alive long enough to at least breathe in the water. Wheather it dies soon after that or not is irrelevant, this was out of season and there was no choice. I have heard this excuse one too many times in the past year.

[musky_tail05]

Considering the first muskie I ever caught was 53" and I released it, I wouldn't ever consider keeping any muskie. With the quality of digital photos and graphite replicas out there, I don't understand why you need to keep one. That's why I'm getting the replica of my 53" next month.

[wareagle]

MuskyBrian - I agree rules are rules and that ignorance is no excuse, but I understand why the CO gave him a warning. I'm sure if this happened at this time next year the guy would be getting a nice fat ticket.

WAR EAGLE!!!

[dfricke1010]

It makes no sense to keep a fish when you can get a replica made. Release it so it can grow then catch it again

[jjohnson5150]

If the season was open, I would keep it. Everyone has the right to make their own decision as long as it falls within the laws. I put many fish back, but once I have that trophy, I want it on my wall.

Flame on.

[50inchpig]

I'm not elitist, I 100% respect an anglers right to keep a fish, kind of sick of hearing the old 'deep hooked' excuse though. Instant hooking mortality hardly, hardly ever happens. nobody knows how to handle a fish until they catch one, I realize that, wish I could catch my first again and be nicer to her.

If this fish died, it was because of the vertical hold and time out of the water, not being hooked badly. where was the fish when those 5 holes were being drilled to revive her? being passed around or laying on the ice? gill rakers freezing? if she had been unhooked and returned to the water right away, she wouldn't have needed reviving. doesn't sound the angler knew about the regs, don't blame him, but the taxidermist who received the fish should have known. let's just stop using the 'deep hooked' out as an excuse for bad handling

[Nick Kuhn]

I agree, I've never had a muskie that was deep hooked, but quite a few pike that have inhaled small inline spinners. Even those if treated carefully will still swim off strong. On a study of muskies on the Chip. Flowage they had one fish caught on a live sucker that they surgically removed part of the gills for because of a deep hook. They tagged it and released it to see how long it would take to die. The fish survived at least 6 months after that. I agree it's more how the angler handles the fish.

[ole matty]

o yea sure i wld keep it.

[SnipeZilla]

I know I wouldnt keep it, even if it was in season. But I cant really blame the guy for not knowing the reg since i myself didnt know. Then again, I dont musky fish through the ice and didnt think i would need to know. But I would have grabbed my regs book that i always have with me, saw the old season date, and would have thought i wasnt doing anything wrong. Regardless of that though, if you aint eatin it, why are you keeping it?

[fishgutz77]

If the guy was after muskies it's up to him not the DNR to keep himself informed as to the speices your after and the laws that apply. I have deep hooked several muskies on one bait in particular, muskie candy.Big fish just inhale it and a couple of fish have torn their gills up during the fight or in the net it's hard to say when. both of the fish I did release and they did swim off and that was summer conditions. I would think that a fish would have a better chance of release in the winter. I know of a resort owner up north that took a fish off the hands of an uninformed angler after bringing it back to the resort so the guy wouldn't get caught, later he and his dad cleaned the fish and ate it over the next month or so and said it was great. that fish was 37 ". at least it didn't go to waste and I learned that muskies do make good table fare. like the rest of you I would just bite the bullet and get a graphite replica made when I break the magic 53". this fish you can take down and rinse off and clean and put right back up with no special care.

[cjac]

Hey guys,

Several good points going around here, let's just keep the post from going the wrong way.......

Few thoughts:

The DNR does not enact the laws, they work to represent the resources and anglers as well as possible. This particular issue was bundled with several others and spent a fair amount of time waiting on the Governor's desk. It was the result of Muskies Inc and many DNR roundtable discussions. So, it wasn't the DNR in particular that waited until the last minute.

In the 2007 regs future changes that may come are listed on page 5, and the proposed muskie season close was listed. So, it was not totally omitted. For example, I drive thru Wisconsin.....do I know every state law, of course not, but simply put..."rules are rules".

The reason behind the law was to protect muskies from winter harvest. A particular southern MN lake gets hit hard through the ice, and muskies are caught. This helps to protect them from harvest, regardless of being targeted or accidentally caught. Also, metro tigers are succeptable to early ice, this also had the tigers in mind.

The 'tonka fish.......I look it as one fish that launched a lot of communication and awareness. Both Twin City papers, ON, and all over here. It will result in more people knowing what to do going forward. One fish lost, and now how many released properly as a result? Let's also keep the angler's privacy in mind........

One point not made.....how about the girth of a Minnetonka fish! Wow! I fish there a bit and have not seen a fish with girth like that! Sign of good things to come I hope.

To the initial question: Still waiting on a 52, when I do I'm going to have my partner or if alone I'll get trigger happy on the camera at the time of release. Personally, a sweet release pic tops a wall mount, just my opinion.....

Chris

[Muskiefool]

Always be prepared, always know the law, if in doubt dont test it, Why Keep a 52???, yes it's a nice fish but whats the point other than it's your right, with the Quality reproductions out there I see no point but thats me, if I catch a fish I want to give you a shot at it next week, next year or in 10 years, I'm not selfish enough to deprive another muskie Angler of that thrill.

[Jameson]

 Originally Posted By: wareagle

My question is if it was during the muskie season, would you keep a 52-inch muskie?

Yes, I would keep a 52 inch muskie caught in season. I fish for trophies and fun. I have plenty of fun releasing 99.99% of the fish I catch. If I catch what I consider a trophy, it's going on my wall. Replicas just don't do it for me.

[crazyice]

I agree with the majority here, I would photo the heck out of it, measure it up quickly, and release it. If I wanted a mount made, a replica would be fine with me. I would rather know that she is still swimming than see the actual fish on my wall, knowing that she will never grace anothers line again. Don't get me wrong, I do have some crappies and some gills on the wall that are the actual fish, but in my opinion big crappies and big gills are much easier replenished than a huge muskie.

BTW where can one see a picture of this fish?

[wareagle]

I can email it to you if you post your email. Otherwise, I also found it on the KQRS HSOforum. Of all places.