Mille Lacs hooking mortality

[Bigfatber]

We all know that the lake suffers a high summer hooking mortality. Not much talk about how to lower these numbers of dead or dying fish. . Look how much of the summer fishing involves trolling , drifting a spinner rig , or just plain lindy rig type set ups , with the ever so used long line leaders of 8-10 or 12 foot or more that Mille Lacs is know for . Open bails, feeding line out situations that more times then not ends up down the gullet and even stomach hooking of fish , and boy oh boy are those set ups expensive some say ,so they are ripped out of the fish in a matter that kills the fish , and then they say , oh he swam away , he’s fine , no problem. . . Not so at all , dead fish , more time then not… The easy answer is to Outlaw theses types of methods that cause hooking mortality in the first place . . The answer , are you ready , only allow “JIGS” . Yup plain and simple . Deep hooking can happen with a jig , BUT usually doesn’t. I myself use jigs all spring ,summer , fall .and winter .. once you master jigs , proper weight sizes , presentations , it’s really all you need anyhow, and easy to enforce the law, your either using one or your not , and if your not , alittle CO educating should follow. I am a jigger from way back , and I love it .. way less mortality with a jig , plain n simple.. it beats not being able to fish the lake. The treaties are not the only issue with this lake. All that long lining that takes place out there is a issue too ..

[fishnpole]

Please……………. This **** just blows me away………………. I caught over 2,000 fish last year and only had 3 floater.s…………..just sayin…..

[otter]

Not all fish die right away. Maybe you should of went out and helped with the DNR hooking mortality study. Actually help, be involved, and maybe learn something rather than just complaining all the time.

[Ripjiggen]

Oh come on you can’t be serious…

[chris63]

Scary isn’t it???????The not so funny thing he probably is!!!!! ” title=”” class=”bbcode_smiley” /> c63

[fishnpole]

otter wrote:
Not all fish die right away. Maybe you should of went out and helped with the DNR hooking mortality study. Actually help, be involved, and maybe learn something rather than just complaining all the time.

Myself and the other launch captains on the lake started providing the MN DNR with log books during our catch and release season. I quit providing them with information when they took the log books, added a 10% mortality to them and closed our season down./
They don’t know ANYTHING I want to learn, otter.

[Bigfatber]

Hey fishnpole ,you say that you caught over 2000 fish during the catch n release season , and stated you only had 3 floaters , just curious as to how many of those 2000 plus fish were deep hooked , before you released them ? I would bet that number would be more than just the three that resulted in producing your floaters. just because you didn’t immediately see a floater , doesn’t mean that the fish didn’t still die… catch and release type fishing aint all it’s cracked up to be . Besides deep hooking mortality , there also is the issue of bringing fish up too fast from deeper water causing air bladder issues.

[Joe Scegura]

If you know how to unhook a fish with the proper sized hemostat you should never have a floater or at the very least very rarely. In fact I can guarantee as a fishing guide I have more fish die from a jig in the roof of the mouth than I do gut hooking everyone. I have no way to prove it but based on floaters in my live well this is what I see.

Think about it. There is more to damage in the roof of the mouth right below the eyes than the stomach skin…

If you go through the gill area with a small hemostat and rotate the small hook out of the gut without touching a gill the fish is going to live. Plain and simple.

[kroger3]

Joe Scegura wrote:

If you go through the gill area with a small hemostat and rotate the small hook out of the gut without touching a gill the fish is going to live. Plain and simple.

BINGO! Someone else with a little common sense!

[JJ]

kroger3 wrote:

Joe Scegura wrote:

If you go through the gill area with a small hemostat and rotate the small hook out of the gut without touching a gill the fish is going to live. Plain and simple.

BINGO! Someone else with a little common sense!

“common sense” is all too uncommon.

All hook and line fishing has some hooking mortality. If you’d like to argue about the actual mortality figure, fine.

But if you are denying hooking mortality exists based on your visual observation, you are ignorant of basic scientific measures and practices. Not all fish who will die, will die immediately.

From a very quick assessment of some of the studies i have read, the 10% number is a fairly universal number. Some are higher, some lower, depending on species, temp, bait etc.

Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus

[Joe Scegura]

JJ I agree with you. Some fish are always going to die.

I just argue that jig fishing will be the solve all to this issue. I’m stating if you use the proper tool and technique then hook line fishing is just as safe or safer than jig fishing.

I’ve talked with people from the MN DNR and they stated that the method I described would go a long way in helping out the hooking mortality numbers. They advised me to teach as many people as I can but the DNR does not have the resources to let the general public know. I would think a short Youtube video would do wonders for those that have no idea how to safely unhook a fish.

[EdgeWater]

How about just cutting the line? It amazes me how many people will rip a 15 cent hook out of the throat of a walleye to save their plain hook. Alot of these guys are in $60k boats – it’s absolutely ridiculous.
I couldn’t agree more there needs to be more education on this and even some crackdowns on fishermen who rip hooks out of throats. It would be very easy for a CO to sit and watch this happen with a pair binos and then go make an example out these idiots.

[JJ]

Joe Scegura wrote:
JJ I agree with you. Some fish are always going to die.

I just argue that jig fishing will be the solve all to this issue. I’m stating if you use the proper tool and technique then hook line fishing is just as safe or safer than jig fishing.

10/4

On the other hand there are those who legitimately believe that they have a 0.15% hooking mortality figure attached to their fishing practices.

This, simply is not reality. Unless every study done has been wrong.

2%? 5%? 10%? What the actual number is, or should be for calculation purposes is outside my pay area of education and expertise. Making any argument that says hooking mortality is less than 1%, no matter how perfect we handle the fish is unrealistic.

Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus

[Joe Scegura]

EdgeWater wrote:
How about just cutting the line? It amazes me how many people will rip a 15 cent hook out of the throat of a walleye to save their plain hook. Alot of these guys are in $60k boats – it’s absolutely ridiculous.
I couldn’t agree more there needs to be more education on this and even some crackdowns on fishermen who rip hooks out of throats. It would be very easy for a CO to sit and watch this happen with a pair binos and then go make an example out these idiots.

I agree with you on the guys that rip a hook out, there’s no sense in that. But to me if you carefully remove a gut hooked fish its going to be a lot better off than if I’m just lazy and cut the line.

This is actually how the conversation with the DNR got started. They say “cut the line”. The DNR officials I’ve talked to say cutting the line is not great but its better than having uneducated people trying to remove a hook. They said it always best to remove the hook but realize some people don’t fish much. They said most anglers already know this and remove gut hooked fish. Clearly by Edgewater’s response not all anglers do.

[weedis99]

Curious, is hooking mortality used on any other body of water besides Mill lacs? I never here of it say on LOW or Red. If so, why doesn’t it matter anywhere else but there. In this day in age I don’t understand how the DNR can say they don’t have the resources to let the public know. How much does it cost/take to make a short clip and post it on Facebook or sites like this for that matter, thIs is free, or publish a page in the yearly reg book that is printed every year.

Walleyes Fear Me, Women Want Me

[Author]

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