Catch and release fishing, unhooking the toothy angry ones

I have been fortunate to have caught musky, pike, sharks and barracuda. It’s rare to keep this type of fish for table fare. There are ways to release fish without hurting them or yourself. I speak from experience when I tell you that without a doubt these fish have one thing in common, they want to hurt you bad!  They have a very aggressive attitude about being hooked and coming into the boat. You have to forgive them for having such a bad attitude because that’s precisely why we like to catch them so much. Fish, especially predators do not like to be drug around by a hook caught in their mouth and they absolutely intend to fight back in any way they can. They would truly love an opportunity chew up your hand or shove a treble hook into you. So here lies the conundrum, how to get this crazy critter off the hook without injuring it and keeping yourself from needing a trip to the emergency room.

Respect the fish, especially their big gnarly teeth, but don’t fear them.  Danger zones on fish vary but if you avoid the head and tips of the fins you’ll be ok. Fish are in a weakened state right after you catch them. Predator fish really fight hard so its best let them rest for a couple of minutes before removal from the water. If you bring fish into the boat too soon they’ll still be oxygen starved. They must to be revived for a few minutes before bringing them in. If you do it wrong, some could die, especially the older ones. While they’re recovering is the best time to remove the hooks, more about this later in the article. Get familiar with techniques for reviving and releasing fish. There are “how to” videos and books available on the internet. In a nutshell, to get oxygen they have to have water moving across their gill plates. A good policy is if you don’t need to bring fish into the boat, then don’t. For instance, if you already have pictures of similar fish or aren’t interested in the exact length, don’t take it out of the water at all. Release them outside the boat whenever possible. The less you handle them the happier you’ll both be.

There are several ways to unhook the big one but it depends on the situation. I have been fishing on a couple of occasions when we weren’t expecting to catch any big fish and only brought a small net. Well, sure enough that’s when I caught a great big predator. Then what do you do? Try this, bring them in the normal swimming position, parallel and close to the side of the boat. Don’t let them touch the boat or they’ll go tearing off again. Reach in from behind the eyes of the fish, sort of sneak up behind it. From above the top side of the fish. Thumb on one side and all the other fingers on the other side of the fish and grab it just behind where the gills end. Don’t hesitate you just gotta go for it. As soon as you get a hold of the top of it reach under the belly with your other hand and lift. If all goes well you will have a good grip and be ready to bring it into the boat. Once you lift it in the boat most of time you can release the hand underneath it. You’re going to need that hand free to get the hook out.

A couple of helpful tools for handling and controlling fish are jaw spreaders and game grabbers. Open it in or attach one to the fish’s mouth before lifting it into the boat. These tools make great handles. Using tools makes the job easier and hurts the fish less in the long run.

Be careful not to drop the fish in the boat. If that happens, all sorts of mayhem will ensue. It’s going to go flopping all over the place, causing all kinds of trouble. If you’re not careful this might be the occasion with the trip to the ER.

For fish you don’t or can’t bring it into the boat, just lift the head up a little and take out the hooks. If you’re using a leader you may not need to grab the fish at all. Control the fish with the leader and use the other hand to get the hooks out. When I say the other hand I mean to use a hook remover of some sort, not your fingers. I’ve watched many people, even professional fisherman, try to get hooks out with just their fingers. As my grandpa would say, “What, are ya’, stupid?”

There are all sorts of hook removing tools available. Needle nose pliers, forceps and hook disgorgers are most common. None of them are particularly expensive, five to ten dollars will get what you need. Even a small stick with a V cut in the end will work.

The big picture here is that the less time spent releasing, the less chance there will be of hurting the fish and yourself.

Meals ready to eat (MRE)

Packing meals ready to eat (MRE) on outdoor adventures is a quick, easy and light weight way to stay out there a little longer. When they first became available to the public I tried a couple entrees. To say they tasted like crap is an understatement. To many carbs, way to much salt or just a big mushy mess. They were originally designed for soldiers in the field. The soldiers were just glad to get something to eat and didn’t have time to be picky. The manufactures have improved some of the meals and are now marketing to the outdoor recreation type person. The meals are still not as good as home cookin’, but are enjoyable if you don’t have to eat them every day. There is a time and a place to use them now.

I was sitting in my deer blind this year and like most hunters, would like to stay on stand all day. It’s only possible to stay for so long because at some point you have to eat. As soon as you go moving around to walk out for lunch that trophy you’ve been waiting for sees or hears you and goes running off. MREs may not be fine cuisine but are better than the usual soggy sandwich, they are a hearty warm meal that will get you through the rest of the day. Everything’s a lot more fun if you have a full belly.

Time available for enjoying the outdoors is limited. Think about how much is spent cooking and cleaning up. Use them while you’re fishing or camping. No need to stop fishing for two hours for shore lunch or cut a hiking trip short because you’re out of energy. These meals are an easy alternative and in the past few years have come down in price and the selection has increased. Take a look on the internet sometime you’ll be surprised what’s available. The lower cost meals need to have boiling water added which can be a problem on some occasions. There are others that you add water and start the self-contained heater, eliminating the need to boil the water on a secondary source. I put a link to Amazon (MRE) on the site to use if you want to check it out.

My disclaimer: I don’t work for any of these companies and don’t care if you buy anything. I just think it’s a great Idea.

Fishing tip #1

When you’re driving a boat always watch where you’re going or you hit stuff. If you feel that this needs to be explained further please don’t ever drive a boat.

Lower Wisconsin River 1/29/2014





1/26/2014

The Wisconsin River below the railroad bridge at Sauk City is frozen over and is not navigable at least down to Spring Green. There are still some areas above the bridge that have open water but if the cold keeps coming most that will be ice covered too. A few people with far more courage than me are catching small walleyes (males) and pike on the golf course side of the river right near the dam and at the wing dam just below the boat landing at the veterans’ park in Prairie Du Sac.



1/26/2014

There are pan fish biting in the section of river that flows behind the island that the railroad bridge crosses. Locals call it the second river. The fish are below where Roxbury Creek joins the Wisconsin River. Just before the 1^st of the year the DNR started pumping a significant amount of water from Crystal Lake into Roxbury Creek, so there’s decent flow of fresh water in the second river. That area seems to be holding more fish than other years. The walk in is a little difficult because there’s a couple of feet of snow on the ground right now.

YOU KNOW IT'S COLD WHEN

 

 Here's my thoughts what's yours ? 




-35F

*You throw a pan of boiling water in the air and it vaporizes;


*Your skin gets burned from 10 minutes of exposure;

*A pets feet get wet and they freeze to the ground instantly;

That river is frozen

*Starting a car sounds like an angry dog fight;

*A fast moving river freezes like a rock;

*Moving to Iran sounds like a good idea;

*Liquid propane from the outside storage tank is to cold for a furnace to burn;

*You use snow for insulation and it works.


Temporary camping tables

Most people go to public campgrounds. Campgrounds will generally supply a picnic table. Camping in remote areas is a whole different experience. Most of the time no one has ever have camped there before so there’s nothing to use for a table. If you’re traveling by foot, boat or 4 wheeler there is a weight limit and/or not enough space for all of the things that you want to take along. One of the first things to get cut form the take along list is a table. There are plenty of camping tables available to buy but they’re either to heavy or bulky. No worries, make a table or two at the campsite. One to use for the kitchen stuff and maybe another for by the campfire or tent. It’s kind of fun and you don’t need to be an engineer to make something that will last for a few days. Temporary tables don’t need to be any exact shape but do need to be sturdy enough to hold the weight you’re about to put on them. Also a table for the kitchen needs to be fairly close to level for cooking purposes.  To level a table put some water in a cup or pan and set it in the center of the top shelf. Then raise or lower the corners or the table until the water level is equal distance to the top edge of the container. You can almost always get it close enough by pushing one or two of the legs into the ground.

Building and assembling one of these magnificent works of functional art is simple. It’s a square or rectangle with legs and made from sticks. Build the square, attach the legs, put on a countertop, level it and you’re done. Build the square for the top any size you want but leave the ends a couple inches long so that it forms a V at the corners. Use that V for attaching the legs into. After attaching the legs, if it’s still to wobbly tighten it up by attaching some horizontal cross members to the legs about half way between the ground and top. For a countertop lay a bunch of straight, uniform sized sticks the long or short way across the square top piece. This step will also add some sturdiness to the table. Try to make sure that the countertop surface is as smooth as you can make it. That helps keep things from tipping over and pissing you off. Fasten everything together with string, wire, fishing line or even vines. Start to finish it will take an hour or so depending on what resources are available. Even if it takes a little longer it’s time well spent because your supplies are away from the dirt and critters plus cooking on the ground is a pain.

Ice fishing the midwest in December

You want to have a pile of fun and bring home some good meat, go Ice fishing in December in the Midwest. I know, I know, most people think I’m crazy and they may be right but I can’t get enough of it. We go so often that even my dog is hooked (pun intended). She stares at the bobber waiting for it move like some kind of psychopath. I’ve learned how to catch’em and have the right gear to stay warm. My goal is always to catch at least one meal of fish per trip. Some days are diamonds and some days are duds. If they’re not biting or I get cold, I leave

Ice fishing tackle is pretty reasonably priced and you don’t need much to be successful.  For an initial investment of around $20.00 it’s possible to buy all the gear you’ll need and it can last a life time. The list is short. Get a couple of jig poles like the one in the picture, half a dozen different colored jigs, 2 or 3 bobbers, an ice auger (for cutting holes), ice scooper (for cleaning holes) and a 5 gallon bucket. However, fishing in less than 10F is pretty tough without an Ice shanty. So if you’re going to get hard core about getting out there I’d suggest buying one. There’s a number of really good new portable shanties on the market or get one used off the internet. Craigslist and Amazon usually have lots of selection to pick from. Also you can get everything you need at garage sales for pennies on the dollar.

The more often you go fishing the better you’ll get at catchin’em. Ignoring the entertainment value any investment you make in tackle and equipment will eventually pay for itself in meals. Fresh water fish caught in cold water are arguably the best tasting on earth. Just remember to take only what you need, leave the rest for seed and eat what you kill.

Fishin Dog

Beaver Dam Tip Up