Fox 9 Muskie story

[Corey Bechtold]

I saw this interesting clip on the news last night. I even saw Fishing Minnesota's HSOforum!

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/MyF...=1&locale=EN-US

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

[Jakesbuds]

Wow so they did give it back, I heard different stories on that. Good Deal, and like they stated in the video, Everyone now knows the season ends on Dec. 1st lol!

[PHD]

Maybe its time the state lawmakers and DNR hire some professional writers to write laws before publishing rule books to make the laws more easily understandable. Its very odd to see the DNR admite fault and give something back!

[sticknstring]

Nice to hear he got his fish back... very rare indeed to have a ruling rescinded like that...

[icehousebob]

That's great that he got it back. Now he can fillet it and invite all his neighbors to a fish fry...... Sorry guys, the devil made me write that.

[tisosy11]

That [PoorWordUsage] thing would feed me, my neighbors, my neighbors neighbors and so on!

He could filet that puppy and just get a head mount!!!hehe

[wasssit]

very nice muskie, it must of been a battle to capture that.

[50inchpig]

I thought a warning was fair and never advocated ticketing the angler, but I'm extrememly disappointed that the fish was given back.

1. It was in the rulebook since the beginning of season that MN was considering ending the musky season on Dec 1st.

2. Fish could have been used to educate, and education would have avoided this whole mess in the first place.

And I'll stop now

[metrojoe]

I still don't see how knowing the rule change would have prevented him from catching this fish.

[JigginIsLife]

 Originally Posted By: 50inchpig

I thought a warning was fair and never advocated ticketing the angler, but I'm extrememly disappointed that the fish was given back.

1. It was in the rulebook since the beginning of season that MN was considering ending the musky season on Dec 1st.

2. Fish could have been used to educate, and education would have avoided this whole mess in the first place.

And I'll stop now

Ya im sure that if you caught that thing you would be singing a little bit different tune...

[Sandmannd]

That's a heck of a fish. But why not snap a photo and throw it back anyway, just get a rep made of a fish that size? I don't like laws changing mid season, confuses people and there are enough confusing laws out there for outdoor sports already.

[Dean Schellinger]

Let the big girl go! Make a replica! Enormous fish though.

[icehousebob]

From what I heard, he tried to release it and it wouldn't have made it. I don't know enough of the details to pass a judgement.

[ironman]

I personally am not a fan of the "just get a replica made" mentality. I'm sure this has been covered but some people cant afford reps...also some people also like having the actual fish. What?! God forbid. Musky fisherman have done a good job educating people that keeping a musky of any size is a sin...the eleventh commandment I believe. The truth of the matter is not that many muskies are harvested per year and I wouldn't be suprised if more muskies died after release. The casual angler who might get lucky is more apt to keep a fish...this might only happen once in a lifetime. However fanatic musky fisherman release multiple fish every year...I dont care how careful you are...at some point a fish is just going to be fataly hooked. Musky fishing is growing every year, which means more uneducated fisherman with poor releases. I guess the point I'm trying to make however long winded is this: We need to think before we offer opinions and lay down judgment. We are not all in the same boat...no pun intended. I'm a musky fisherman and I have a personall standard...I'm not going to get a mount or a replica of a fish until I catch one over 50" but that's just me. Theres a good chance that may never happen. But if it does and I get it mounted someone will be right there to wag a finger at me and scowl dissaprovingly. I say knock your self out dude.

[blackdog1101]

 Originally Posted By: Sandmannd

That's a heck of a fish. But why not snap a photo and throw it back anyway, just get a rep made of a fish that size? I don't like laws changing mid season, confuses people and there are enough confusing laws out there for outdoor sports already.

If you go back through the various threads about this fish, you will see that he did attempt to release the fish, even going so far as to drill connecting holes making a "pool" to try to revive the fish. It simply became evident that the fish would not survive.

[Sandmannd]

I do remember seeing that now. Sorry, didn't mean to step on anyone's toes. I have no problem with people mounting fish. It's nice to see he at least tried to release it though. In that case I don't think he should have gotten a penalty at all. What are you suppposed to do if it won't swim off?

[metrojoe]

I saw a pic of them trying to revive the fish. They had drilled 6 or 7 connecting holes.

[Burnham]

personally i think it is stupid to change the law in the middle of the season in the first place

[tisosy11]

Blackdog - thanks for posting the pic...people just to too many conclusion without knowing the whole story.

Its evident in this case he was not targeting a hog like that...just happened to catch it. He obviously tried to save the fish.

It would have been a different story with different circumstances but the person in question was not at fault of anything.

Other than a great catch!

ps - did he then use the holes he drilled for a mini trolling location???

[blackdog1101]

 Originally Posted By: tisosy11

ps - did he then use the holes he drilled for a mini trolling location???

I like to fly fish. Maybe I should drill about 50 holes in a row?

[rockman]

I may open up the proverbial can of worms, or Pandora's box, by even suggesting this, but what if the DNR proposed to prohibit tip up fishing on designated musky waters after the musky season closes?I don't agree with this at all, and am not saying it is even on anyone's agenda right now,but what if?

[Pyrex]

I would think before they do that the dnr would take a survey of how many muskies are in fact harvested during the ice fishing season, I would be willing to bet the numbers would be pretty low, even though the news said they are most vulnerable, of course I could be wrong, (I think I was wrong once, Oh, never mind I was just mistaken).

[rockman]

Well, sure, you would think that is the right way to go about it.My 'what if' is based on if the muskie season is closed, then why have fishing equipment in the water that will take 'em? Now can a guy take a muskie on a walleye jigging rod,or a panfish set up? Absolutely.But is the possibilty,in the mind of a clueless person,of a muskie to be caught on tackle more likely on a a big minnow under a tip up? Who cares if the northern pike can't be caught on tip ups, right? WRONG. My 'what if' is as ridiculous as giving the guy who caught this fish a warning ticket.Not trying to plant any seeds here,but stay tuned.

[robbo17]

Sorry, but I may have to pat myself on the back for this or maybe I had nothing to do with this. After ready the story I emailed my state senator and told him how stupid it was that the DNR changed the rules after the reg. book was written and then this guy has his fish taken away. I told him that is not right, and that the DNR must go by the rules written in the reg. book. I'm sure I had nothing to do with the guy getting his fish back, But i'm glad the DNR thought about it and did the right thing.

Great Catch!!

Robbo