Articles : Release Rage

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Release Rage
By: Steven James Rusteberg

Some of the “elders” in this industry remember a day when all muskies captured while angling became shore lunch or even the main course at a fancy northwoods lodge banquet. Many muskie were landed by shooting or even clubbed into submission by talented muskie hunters. That day has gone now, and another era of fisherman has set precedence. All fish will be released regardless of size. It has now become a taboo to even think about keeping a muskie. Many anglers who keep a personal record go to great lengths to keep their trophy catch quiet, so that they are not shunned by the masses. In most “muskie circles” killing a muskie is just not acceptable practice anymore unless it is a State or World Record. Some muskie anglers are even taking this to the next level, having certified scales near a launch sight in order to release a record fish.

Muskie hunters have an unusual gift given to them. Unlike conventional game hunters we have the ability to capture and carefully release our prey unharmed to tangle with another day. Over the years of the “total release mentality” anglers have developed many opinions about just how a proper release should take place. Hand-landing, gaffing, cradling or netting have now become the rage in muskie chat rooms, at muskie organization meetings, and general bar room discussion. Which release method is best and safest not only for the fish but the fisherman? The discussions get heated at times. I have seen arguments and nasty words exchanged over this topic alone. How should we release a muskie?

I remember an incident of what I call “release rage” several years ago. I was fishing Pewaukee Lake back in the summer of 1993. It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and best of all the muskie were biting. I had a young friend of mine in the boat that day. Bobby was fourteen years old and had very little experience with muskies. He was excited about the trip and even more excited about the inevitability that he was bound to hook into the king of fresh water game fish that day. His first fish was a 41 incher he caught with his father in Northern Wisconsin. Bobby, at this young age, was dreaming of buying a boat even before his first car. He had muskies in is blood. Many of you can relate to this story. That day on Pewaukee was the best of conditions, but one angler decided to ruin it for us.

Bobby hooked into a 38 incher and fought the fish to the boat. I was instructing him that the water temperature was in the low seventies and we would have to attempt to net the fish as soon as we got it close enough. I was concerned about exhausting the fish in the warmer water period. This puts undo stress on the fish and can create release problems. Bobby successfully fought the fish and after a brief battle. I landed the fish for him in a net on the side of the boat. As we were getting the hooks out, I hear an angry voice off in the distance. Keeping the muskies head in the water while I removed the hooks I heard a boat rapidly approaching us. Seconds later a boat came screaming up to the side of us, seemingly upset. The fellow angler began yelling at us for landing the fish in the net. He cussed us up and down about our release method, and proceeded to tell Bobby that his fish was good as dead. According to this angler we should have fought the fish to the boat and hand-landed the fish because, according to him, the fishes slime coat was gone and the fish would surely dye.

The opinionated angler ruined our day. We thought we were handling the fish with tender loving care. I have been tagging fish for years in order to study growth, movement, and overall health of release methods. Although my work is not credited as “scientific works” I was pretty confinident my release methods were one of the best. Only two fish out of over five hundred releases were found floating dead, and hundreds have been recaptured as many as five separate times. I am convinced my release methods work, but my purpose of this article is not to sway your opinion that a net is the only way to release a muskie. I simply want to list the benefits of different release methods. I want to encourage fellow anglers to help each other learn proper handling of muskie. The days of laying the fish in the bottom of the boat regardless of landing method are over. A thrashing fish can likely be an internally damaged fish, and most educated anglers have come to realize this.

Coincidentally, I think we give muskies too much credit for being fragile. Although, I would never abuse a fish, treating it like breakable fine china is a little ridiculous. I have seen even the most mishandled fish live to fight another day. Again, I would never encourage the mistreatment of a fish, but they are not as breakable as one might think. Muskies are tough! I think that the Department of Natural Resources would agree with me, however, probably not publicly because they want everyone to treat the resource with “TLC”.

Lets look at some different release methods pros and cons:

Water Release (Hand-Landing):

In my opinion I have never been a proponent of water releasing muskie. There are several advantages to this method, but the overall technique has many drawbacks. I feel that the effort it takes to get a fish to the boat in order to get the hooks removed, many times, exhausts the muskie. This is especially troublesome when water temperatures exceed seventy degrees as it often does where I live. An exhausted muksie is a disadvantaged fish. The muskies overall chance of survival has been lowered the more energy it expenses during a fight. I find this to be the biggest drawback. Also, it often takes longer to water release a fish than other methods giving the fish the advantage of time in order to throw the hooks. Some advantages of a water released fish are that it never leaves its natural environment. No slime coat is removed, and typically no split fins or physical damage occurs. However, sometimes angler’s hands are very venerable to hooks and injury. It is an excellent method if the angler can minimize the length of the fight (especially in warmer water).

Gaffing:

Gaffing muskie has gained popularity, especially in Canada. Many anglers feel that it is the only safe way to land a fish (when done properly). Advantages include not having to ever physically handle the fish. Most of the time the slime coat remains intact and split fins are not an issue. A gaff takes up very little room in the boat, and can be stored away in a safe place where the angler is not likely to poke themselves. Disadvantages include permanent scarring, holes in the jaw membrane, and risk to the fish of infection. The body of the fish is vertical not horizontal in the water which can be abnormal for the fishes torso. When gaffing, a fishes head is often times above the water for long periods of time while the angler removes the hooks. The fish often times has the advantage of time in the water in order to throw the hooks. Gaffing is defiantly a learned technique. Practice is necessary in order to properly gaff in the lower jaw of the muskie.

Cradling:

Cradling is an excellent way of landing a muksie. Cradles come in many different sizes and styles, and can be generally found in most sport shops and tackle catalogs. The cradles popularity has gained momentum in the last ten years. A muskie is totally supported throughout it entire body length in a cradle. A fish in a cradle has restricted movement so it is uncommon for it to cause bodily harm to itself. A cradel is bulkier than a gaff, but less bulky than a net. Many cradles come with a measuring tape printed on them, making measuring your catch convient. Some of the disadvantages of a cradle include the loss of slime on the fish. Typically it removes more of the slime coat on a muskie than any other method. Cradling a fish is generally a two-person operation. This limits the angler whom fishes alone. Cradles are difficult to use when trying to avoid getting hooks stuck in the netting, and also often mean fighting a fish longer than many other methods.

Netting:

Netting fish is my landing technique of choice. I feel that I can cut down on the time a fish expends its energy in the water considerably. Netting a “green fish” is the easiest way to cut down on energy expensed in a warm water situation. This can ensure your catch will have the energy to “reposition itself” in order to feed and recover from any trauma experience. Fish can be keep in the water beside the boat and never leave its natural environment. Hooks can be removed in the net in a restricted area where the fish’s head never comes above the water level. The muskie generally spends the least amount of time out of the water with this method, but the technique is not without flaws. Netting can remove significant amounts of slime coat. Fins can be damaged and often bleed when the harsh netting contacts the fish. Nets tend to be one of the most bulky landing methods available and take up a great deal of space in the boat.

Fisherman’s attitudes have taken a dramatic change over the last 50 years. At one time killing a muskie was the norm. Now anglers look into the future for a new World Record. The majority of fisherman have realized that without catch and release the vision of a seventy-pound fish will dramatically decrease over time. Release methods are under scrutiny as fisherman become more alarmed about how a proper release method should be preformed. What we all need to remember is that we are all working for the same outcome, a healthy release. We all want every muskie we catch to fight again another day and possibly live long enough to reach gigantic proportions. There is nothing wrong with discussing a muskie fisherman’s options when it comes to healthy releasing a muskie, but experiencing “release rage” over a person making an effort to put a fish back into the lake is not “ healthy” for our sport. Use the technique that works best for you, and never criticize another angler for his style. Teach each other proper conservation.