Northwest Fishing Reports

Hi kids,
There was a huge discussion on Merwin report about nets. I think its important to have the discussion raised and talked about some more. And not in a beat the dead horse way. Theres always been opinions about nets Vs cradles. Now how about the old fashion salmon nets which are made of nylon and knotted. And the newer coated knotless nets. Lets have some open conversation about this. I know they are pricey but sometimes you gotta just buy the right gear for what you are fishing for..no? I know all three clubs reccommend the non knotted coated nets for use in musky fishing. They protect the fish. Nothing for their tails or fins or gills to get caught up in. The salmon nets are what they are nylon, knotted deep nets. Good for catching and keeping the salmon. In most cases to catch and eat. By the way there was talk of salmon fishermen having to go with coated nets too. Havent heard if its still being pursued or knot..lol..
The muskies are primarily to catch and release and the coated nets are better for the fish's survival rate. Less chance for injuring or killing the fish unintentionally. The choice has been pretty much for all musky fisherman..the coated knotless. Lotsa guys pros and amatuers back east use the coated ones too. I would ask the club in this forum to educate some of the newbies on a good net choice. Reccommend a good coated net. Or heres an idea..maybe buy a couple extras and loan them out to a new guy who cannot afford one at the moment. Charge em a few bucks and when they are done with them get them back? Then maybe you could turn around and sell them the used net for a discounted rate? Then they'd have a good quality net to use? eh? huh? Its an idea..its in your rules for open and member tournements. A "good quality net" it states, what is your definition of a "quality net". I dig the Frabill Big Game coated knotless net. 48 " inches deep and just about as big around.. just sayin.
Thanks and looking for forward to the interaction.. See ya on the water..Todd

Okay Musky Hunter, I will "bite" on this one. I will do a write-up in the next few days or so to address this issue. I would right now, but i am busy at work. Look for it in the next couple of days. I agree, nets are one of our most important tools for safe CPR. So let's get some quality discussion going on this. Whether it is beating a dead horse or not, I think the MOST important thing we as muskie anglers can do is keep from alienating new anglers. Yes education is important, but if we alienate all the newbies, we will have but a handful of support for the fishery we very religiously support and love. In an area like this where most of the support goes to Salmon, we can't afford to lose support for our beloved tigers.

Yes, Good nets are very important to not hurt the fish. And as important as it is to have support for the fishery from more people, it is also just as important to not hurt or kill the few fish we already have. It is unfortunate that one person was offended by a suggestion of a knotless net, but it shouldn't stop anybody from pointing out the facts in the future. Really, nobody should be offended by the suggestion of a different kind of net, and all 3 clubs need to do their part in the education of the "newbies". I know Chuck does a great job with Chapter 60 in his "how to kill a muskie" presentation. The idea of chapters getting nets for anglers is good. Maybe even give or raffle away release tools instead of so many lures?

So in regards to nets, I think a great place to start with explaining the education part of releasing Muskie is to have great examples. A really good tool is to find shows that break it down that are interesting and reliable sources. I know that the "The Next Bite" as well as Larry Dahlberg "The Hunt for Big Fish" are both great avenue. Both of these shows, as well as many others do an amazing job of really breaking down the details on the effects of how fish can be damaged by not being properly released with proper tools. I would also say that it isn't just the net that makes all the difference in the proper release of any fish. Another big tool is hook cutters and a really good set of proper pliers. Sometimes a fish can get a hook deep down in its throat at which point it doesn't matter what kind of net you have if the hook cannot be taken out without damaging the fish it really won't matter. This is another reason why I prefer to not use trebles and instead go with Single hooks with a Single Trailer. A lot less damage is usually done by using single hooks, but the risk is greater of possibly losing a fish too. Another option is to use one Treble with maybe a Single Trailer, which I also like to use as well. So it is a double edge sword, some would rather not risk losing fish by using treble hooks, while others would prefer single hooks with a single trailer. It is honestly total preference from the angler standpoint. The biggest keys are certainly a good net, proper tools and the knowledge of how to release fish in the right way. Good luck out there, tight lines.

Nate

All of us started as newbies,rookies or fng's. It's important to educate anyone that even has a remote curiosity in the fishery or anglers that frequent stocked lakes looking for other species,such as the incidental musky. I was very fortunate to have very knowledgeable musky anglers point me down the right path such as Todd Reis,Mike Floyd,Pete Maina,Mark Wells and Bill Green. These folks made an investment with their knowledge and time to better educate me on the fundamentals. I think its an obligation for all of us to promote the enrichment and of the tiger musky fishery. As for cradle vs. net? Hard to say,I've only used a cradle a few times but if someone was fishing solo,I would think a cradle would be much more difficult. On another note,keep spreading the word about the 50inch rule,its amazing and shocking how many anglers are unaware of the size limit in regards to the muskies. Excellent topic!

Natebg1 wrote:So in regards to nets, I think a great place to start with explaining the education part of releasing Muskie is to have great examples. A really good tool is to find shows that break it down that are interesting and reliable sources. I know that the "The Next Bite" as well as Larry Dahlberg "The Hunt for Big Fish" are both great avenue. Both of these shows, as well as many others do an amazing job of really breaking down the details on the effects of how fish can be damaged by not being properly released with proper tools. I would also say that it isn't just the net that makes all the difference in the proper release of any fish. Another big tool is hook cutters and a really good set of proper pliers. Sometimes a fish can get a hook deep down in its throat at which point it doesn't matter what kind of net you have if the hook cannot be taken out without damaging the fish it really won't matter. This is another reason why I prefer to not use trebles and instead go with Single hooks with a Single Trailer. A lot less damage is usually done by using single hooks, but the risk is greater of possibly losing a fish too. Another option is to use one Treble with maybe a Single Trailer, which I also like to use as well. So it is a double edge sword, some would rather not risk losing fish by using treble hooks, while others would prefer single hooks with a single trailer. It is honestly total preference from the angler standpoint. The biggest keys are certainly a good net, proper tools and the knowledge of how to release fish in the right way. Good luck out there, tight lines.

Nate

Nate,
What kind of net do you use?

I currently use a Frabill, not sure on the exact dimensions but I am getting ready to switch out anyway. I am in the process of making my own custom floating cradle so that even if I don't have help I can still bring the fish into it on my own. What will be even better is that this cradle will be attached to the side of my boat with a measurement built in it and will have a net that goes across the top so that if the fish gets squirrley I can ensure it doesn't gator roll itself around the line. The idea will be to keep it in the water the entire time, until I have the camera ready and then I can pull it out for shots and then get her back to her home safe and sound. Trust me I have done a lot of thinking and planning into this cradle and it certainly won't be any cheaply done one. I am using many years of experience and plenty of advise from a few guys back in good ole Wisconsin to build it. Hopefully I will have it done by September if everything goes as planned. It should be just around 60 inches in length and about 2 feet in width, giving the fish plenty of room to relax and be comfortable. I can't wait to be finished with this cradle, it will be one of a kind for sure. I will post pictures when I have it done.

Nate

That sounds awes om Nate! Looking forward to the pics. Hopefully pics with a big ol fish in it!

Nate, I have thought of doing the same thing! Great minds think alike.

Yes Sir,

I would agree Doug and Yes Mark I too am hoping to have a nice Pic to share of a Giant 50 + inch gal sitting in her soon, although I will be plenty satisfied with a 40 + incher. I am hoping to finish off the trifecta this year by getting a 40 + inch Tiger and my First King Salmon. That would give me a 42.5 inch Northern Pike, a 40 something inch Tiger and what I hope will be a Monster King Salmon all in the same year. Now that would be a banner year for me. We will have to wait and see. See you all in a few days, can't wait!

Nate

Nate,
That sounds like a great idea. So your probably gonna have a partner with ya to open that cradle up while your fishing the fish eh? Or do you have a scheme for fishing/cradling the fish by yourself? When i fish by myself I' ve got my system down pretty good. Took some practice and haven't lost a fish yet. I extend the hadle and lay the basket at the back of the boat. I then leave the handle sitting on my middle seat. It lays parrallel with the length of the back end of the boat. I leave enough room on each side in case I get ran around either side of the back end. When the fish is ready, grab the handle, dip the basket in the water and pull the fish into the net. I can then snap the seat button lanyard and holds the handle secure enough to do my thing with the fishy. Its a science that I have figured out and it works pretty darn well. See ya, Todd

This thread is a good one but I don't believe the member that was offended was out of line. In fact, I think he had a right to be offended. Go back and look at the comments he received.

"Congratulations on the tiger but get a knotless net"
"The fish looks pretty ripped up"
"I gotta jump on" "You gotta get a better net for sure. You can get a good one for $100 or less"
"Lets handle them a little better "

Telling a guy, "I'm not giving you grief" or "I'm not busting your chops" might make you feel better but it's still going to piss the guy off.
The last time I looked at the regs there was no mention of having to have a knotless net if you are Tiger Musky fishing. The guy was fishing legally, he caught a nice fish, and he wanted to share his excitement with the people on this website. Isn't that why we are all here in the first place?

If you feel it's necessary to reprimand a fellow fisherman, or enlighten them a little bit, I suggest sending him or her an email or a PM instead of raking them over the coals in a public forum. You might even start it off by saying "Nice Fish" but let me share a little friendly information with you, then give him your advice.

There is a lot information out there about the Tiger Muskies and I agree that you guys that fish for them regularly are a great avenue to learn that information from, but at least use a little tact when you pass out your "Free advice"

For what it's worth.

Happy Fishing"

Right on AJ's Dad!!

Well said Aj's dad

AJ's Dad wrote:This thread is a good one but I don't believe the member that was offended was out of line. In fact, I think he had a right to be offended. Go back and look at the comments he received.

"Congratulations on the tiger but get a knotless net"
"The fish looks pretty ripped up"
"I gotta jump on" "You gotta get a better net for sure. You can get a good one for $100 or less"
"Lets handle them a little better "

Telling a guy, "I'm not giving you grief" or "I'm not busting your chops" might make you feel better but it's still going to piss the guy off.
The last time I looked at the regs there was no mention of having to have a knotless net if you are Tiger Musky fishing. The guy was fishing legally, he caught a nice fish, and he wanted to share his excitement with the people on this website. Isn't that why we are all here in the first place?

If you feel it's necessary to reprimand a fellow fisherman, or enlighten them a little bit, I suggest sending him or her an email or a PM instead of raking them over the coals in a public forum. You might even start it off by saying "Nice Fish" but let me share a little friendly information with you, then give him your advice.

There is a lot information out there about the Tiger Muskies and I agree that you guys that fish for them regularly are a great avenue to learn that information from, but at least use a little tact when you pass out your "Free advice"

For what it's worth.

Happy Fishing"

Good point Mark, but in my opinion that whole discussion should be in the past. It happened, and it probably would have been better in a PM instead of in a public forum. It was just people chiming in on something they are passionate about. The same as our feelings on the POR Pike.

The topic is probably better off being discussed in here without bringing up the other thread like I did, and I'm sorry about that. We can't fix anything, but we can use this forum to talk about nets and why we should or shouldn't use particular kinds.

I just don't think it's worth another fight, or derailing the topic.

Soooo, on a lighter note. I need a new net. Thanks for that Doug Your fish made short work of it