Thornapple was pushing 80 before the rain yesterday, at what point do you start to think about the survival of the fish? I've heard guys talk about water temps and shutting down the hunt for musky as a result of very high water temps in the past.
I'm a newbie when it comes to musky fishing so forgive me if it's a dumb question
80 degrees is a good guideline but the danger is greater when 5-8' below the surface, it's 80. Then, even though the fish is submerged a foot or two under the water during release, it's still in low oxygen water. I think in general you're safe until the next extended heat wave hits, and then you may want to consider fishing for muskies.
If my assessment is incorrect, someone more knowledgeable then me will give more precise info.
I think 80 degrees is a good guideline however, there is an article in April/May Muskyhunter that was about this very topic and was in the Research Corner. It basically stated that water has the capacity to hold plenty of dissolved oxygen at & above 80 degrees at that picking 80 degrees isn't necessarily a mistake, however, it is also not based on scientific fact-it's probably closer to 85-86 degrees. The author basically states that the fish will "tell" you when to stop and will stop biting if they get too hot. I have fished for muskies when surface temperatures were at 80 or hotter, but I always used an in-water release. Much hotter than that and I will spend my time chasing bass or traveling north where the temps are generally cooler.
"Joel A" said:
Can't you keep musky in a livewell to let them recover before releasing?
Legally… probably not, as any muskellunge in possession should have a tag. However, with the change in harvest tags in the future it should be more legal.
That said lots of guys do it, and it definitely helps out the fish to get oxygenated.
There's certainly lots to be said about all of it, and you could discuss until blue in the face.
Hers is JP's random thoughts of the day…
-Muskies like DO levels around 8 mg/L or higher, especially when stressed
-Water holds a DO level of about 8 mg/L at 100% saturation at 80 degrees
-water isn't always at 100% saturation, but occasionally can be higher
-surface temps tell a CNN quality story of important current events
-DO levels below the thermocline are extremely low, and not habitable by most fish
-when the water column stratifies, and the upper oxygenated level gets hotter, the thermolcline can get much closer to the surface, leaving fish very little room in a lake to go recover
-A lot of the first temp readings over 80 are after long hot periods of stable weather, a little storm fixes the problem
-It's when the temps after a bunch of boat traffic, or a storm, or windy day are still over 80 that I get really worried
-I too read the article in Musky Hunter, and I don't disagree with it in a closed setting talking among friends, however I think maybe publishing it to the variety of readers was a little reckless.
"Scott Williams" said:
[quote="Joel A"]Can't you keep musky in a livewell to let them recover before releasing?
Legally… probably not, as any muskellunge in possession should have a tag. However, with the change in harvest tags in the future it should be more legal.
That said lots of guys do it, and it definitely helps out the fish to get oxygenated.
Posession doesn't change without the tag, if you're holding it in a live well it's still possession. Also consider that in a live well you're still pumping in warm surface water so there's really no benefit. They need to get down to cooler more oxygenated water, if available.
"Will Schultz" said:
[quote="Scott Williams"][quote="Joel A"]Can't you keep musky in a livewell to let them recover before releasing?
Legally… probably not, as any muskellunge in possession should have a tag. However, with the change in harvest tags in the future it should be more legal.
That said lots of guys do it, and it definitely helps out the fish to get oxygenated.
Posession doesn't change without the tag, if you're holding it in a live well it's still possession. Also consider that in a live well you're still pumping in warm surface water so there's really no benefit. They need to get down to cooler more oxygenated water, if available.
I guess my thought for the future (after the tag goes away) is if the yearly possession is 1, that you could have one in the live well (if meets MSL) and since no tag will be required you wouldn't have to tag a fish to keep it in the livewell.
Also, don't livewells oxygenate the water due to oxygen transfer from the current (pumping water/aeration). Similar to fish tanks creating their own oxygen.
I don't, and won't ever use a live well to help release a fish. However, I can see a benefit.
"Scott Williams" said:
[quote="Will Schultz"][quote="Scott Williams"]Legally… probably not, as any muskellunge in possession should have a tag. However, with the change in harvest tags in the future it should be more legal.
That said lots of guys do it, and it definitely helps out the fish to get oxygenated.
Posession doesn't change without the tag, if you're holding it in a live well it's still possession. Also consider that in a live well you're still pumping in warm surface water so there's really no benefit. They need to get down to cooler more oxygenated water, if available.
I guess my thought for the future (after the tag goes away) is if the yearly possession is 1, that you could have one in the live well (if meets MSL) and since no tag will be required you wouldn't have to tag a fish to keep it in the livewell.
Also, don't livewells oxygenate the water due to oxygen transfer from the current (pumping water/aeration). Similar to fish tanks creating their own oxygen.
I don't, and won't ever use a live well to help release a fish. However, I can see a benefit.
My system fans the water over the surface as it sprays into the livewell, i think its pretty common, and that does increase the oxygen level in the livewell, but the point is that water at a specific temp only has the potential to hold a certain amount of dissolved oxygen. If the water is too warm that is going in, just because you spray it in doesn't mean you are increasing the oxygen level, it just means you are probably replacing what the fish is consuming… Now to cool the water going in…
"vano397" said:
[quote="Scott Williams"][quote="Will Schultz"]
Posession doesn't change without the tag, if you're holding it in a live well it's still possession. Also consider that in a live well you're still pumping in warm surface water so there's really no benefit. They need to get down to cooler more oxygenated water, if available.
I guess my thought for the future (after the tag goes away) is if the yearly possession is 1, that you could have one in the live well (if meets MSL) and since no tag will be required you wouldn't have to tag a fish to keep it in the livewell.
Also, don't livewells oxygenate the water due to oxygen transfer from the current (pumping water/aeration). Similar to fish tanks creating their own oxygen.
I don't, and won't ever use a live well to help release a fish. However, I can see a benefit.
My system fans the water over the surface as it sprays into the livewell, i think its pretty common, and that does increase the oxygen level in the livewell, but the point is that water at a specific temp only has the potential to hold a certain amount of dissolved oxygen. If the water is too warm that is going in, just because you spray it in doesn't mean you are increasing the oxygen level, it just means you are probably replacing what the fish is consuming… Now to cool the water going in…
Good points… thanks guys!
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