Hey guys,
I saw a musky report on another board, with two muskies that were photographed on a dry boat floor due to a proud angler who really wanted to snap a shot of both fish he caught while fly fishing solo. I really did not want to be a jerk, but I felt compelled to mention on the thread how sensitive these fish can be to mortality from being mishandled...not to mention how dangerous their thrashing jaws can be inside a boat while someone tries to reach for them.
Here's my little contribution from this Friday if you catch one alone.
1) Fight 'em quick and try to keep your composure as you raise the rod, guide the fish, and scoop and raise the oversized musky net under the fish. A big net is just essential in my experiences. If I can fit one in a Coleman Crawdad...it can be done in just about any vessle. The Frabill Conservation Net even floats if you drop it.
2) If you want a hero shot, you best chances are to get the fish to the bank for unhooking and holding him. Keep the net bag deep in the water to calm the fish, and gently glide to a wadeable spot. With the netted fish in the water... you got the chance to get your tools and position a camera on a small tripod for the photo. I found a cheap Targus tripod at Walmart for about 16 bucks. Most autotimers shoot in 10 seconds...giving you a series of red flashes just before the photo is taken. This gives you enough time to grab the tail and pectoral section of the fish for a quick photo raise, then lower him right back into the water. A quick test shot gives you a preview of the photo field of focus.
This fish splashed me with a good tail-kick of water, and quickly sped across the river after very little reviving. So, I am confident that he will be OK after the two 10s raises out of water I took to get a photo. I only wish that I was a bit wiser on my first few muskies landed...cause it always makes you wonder if they made it when you have to revive them for a decent length of time...especially in the warmer months. Also: if you use a Boga, NEVER heave the fish entirely by his lower jaws...you gotta support the lower abdomen or they'll try to thrash like hell.
Just my 2 cents.
Yeah, I know the Image quality on the autotimer is poor with this earlier Pentax Optio...but atleast I got a shot.
Here was the photo-taking setup.
Hooked another slightly larger fish, but she got away. Also had some close calls with a couple much larger fish. Water was super clear, and fish were pretty sluggish.
