THE NET

Before you even think about starting the motor and heading out, assume you will catch the biggest muskie of your life today (go ahead, it’s good to always begin with a positive attitude), then ask one question: Do you have everything you need to perform a release safely with minimum stress on the fish and risk of injury to you? You wouldn’t leave without the lifejackets and there are other items you should also never leave shore without.

Skipping past hand landing (or water release) for obvious reasons – no one in their right mind intentionally grabs a four-foot long fish with razor sharp teeth knowing full well there is a lure with three 5.0 treble hooks embedded in the jaw. For this only one bit of advice will do: know where the nearest medical attention can be found. A typical water release is performed by first playing a fish out to total exhaustion – not recommended. After twenty years of experience, I now have occasion to actually pop hooks with the long pliers at boatside, foregoing pictures (and without ever actually touching the fish), for the sake of the fish. But then there’s reality.

After that enormous strike and fierce battle with jumps and power dives and the occasional awesome tail-walk, you’re going to need a solid muskie net with a coated bag. Each fight is unique and it takes experience to know when a muskie is ready to be bagged. Always expect the unexpected and be prepared for that last power dive to throw the lure – you don’t want it stuck in your forehead.

Beckman makes one of the best nets on the market, with a tough treated hookless bag that won’t leave you with a tangled mess if the fish decides to “barrel roll” and a handle tough enough to lift the weight of a big muskie. The stiff bag easily serves as a “pen” that you can use to corral the muskie in order to LEAVE IT IN THE WATER while you remove the hooks and get your camera ready. Time out of the water is the key to survival and it cannot be over-emphasized to keep the fish in the water as much as possible while you work.

A Cradle works even better as it supports the muskie in the water and when closed around the fish, it immobilizes your catch for the duration. A Cradle has a very soft muskie friendly mesh that won’t remove the protective slime coating on the skin. Be advised: a Muskie Cradle may not be effective for bigger fish in the low-fifty-inch range or larger (I’ve had big fish escape and a couple that didn’t fit because the Cradle wouldn’t close around them – not that I’d brag).