Big Water Release

IG WATERS GROW HUGE MUSKIES, BUT THE ABILITY TO RELEASE THEM SUCCESSFULLY CAN BE COMPLICATED

- Spencer Berman

Over the last two decades we have seen the focus of musky fishing move toward big water fisheries. State agencies around the Great Lakes are stocking and promoting their Great Lakes fisheries while also stocking larger waters in many inland areas. Thus, big water is the trend.

These waters provide a lot of new challenges such as boat control, bigger waves, and more water to cover to succeed. However, one such challenge that is rarely talked about is the added difficulty we have releasing fish back into big water lakes, particularly on rough days. In order to make sure we have as close to a 100 percent release rate as possible, there are several things to keep in mind while handling muskies on large waters.

Big Wind & Waves

The greatest difference when fishing big water is the presence of wind and waves that will always be moving your boat and the water around you. Unlike smaller lakes which are typically calm, big water is rarely calm and almost always seems to have a chop, which means your boat and the water are always moving. This movement poses several major problems when handling fish.

Muskies are like most fish in the way their gills work, meaning they pull water through the front of their mouths over the gills to breathe. This process works best with the water moving from front to back.

Be Prepared

This concept of only allowing water to travel through a musky’s mouth from front to back is rather easy in calm water. If the fish is simply sitting in the water when the water is not moving the fish will use its gills to do that all by itself. Therefore, when you are fishing a normal-sized inland lake and you net a fish, typically you set the net yoke on the gunnel of your boat and allow the large bag of the net to be like a cage in the water, which allows the fish to stay in the water and breathe while you get pliers, gloves, camera, etc., ready to unhook and release the fish.