Nicole King covers a few simple tips you should know for properly handling and releasing a musky.
A few key tips:
- When getting ready to release a musky, don’t move the fish back and forth in the water. Just hold it upright until it kicks off good on its own. Muskies will move water over their gills as they need. If it’s a windy day, you can try to face the fish into the wind so the water blows over its gills.
- Make sure you have your camera and release tools ready before you take the fish out of the net. This will really minimize the time that it’s out of the water.
- Be sure to have a solid grip on the fish before handling them to assure you don’t drop them.
- Consider taking a knee in the boat so that, if you do lose your grip, it won’t fall from such a far height.
- Never hold a large musky vertically.
- Always try to hold them horizontally and support the weight of the belly.
Proper fish handling is key in protecting and managing these incredible fish for years to come.
