In July 2017, I was guiding a group of kayak bass fishermen Lake WanahueA flood control reservoir in southeast Nebraska that was built in 2012. The lake is stocked with bass, panfish, blue catfish, walleye, and northern pike, which flourished in the years after the lake opened. At that time, I had caught more than 25 northern lakers longer than 40 inches from Wanahu, rivaling some of the best I have caught on Canadian and Minnesota border waters lakes famous for holding giant pike.
There was a creek that fed into a lake surrounded by heavy vegetation, which was ideal for frog fishing for large bass. The bay was about 10 degrees cooler than the mainland, which had a high of 90 degrees. As we moved towards the big water, a foul smell startled us. Then I saw the first dead fish.
It was 40 inches long, belly up and bloated – a trophy pike. As I looked across the bay and saw three more dead Northerners my stomach began to knot. As we headed up the creek, I counted 16 dead pike. The die-off continued over the next few years until the bottom fell out of the trophy pike fishery in Lake Wanahue.
Muskie and pike need cold water to survive
The Pike and Musky look like lean, mean fighting machines, but esox The genus is one of the more delicate freshwater fishes. Pike, and especially muskies, are known to not only prefer, but depend on cold water temperatures to survive. Therefore, you will not find them in the southern part of the US because they cannot survive – the water is too warm.
In Lake Wanahue, pike seek refuge in bays where water temperatures hover around 80 to 85 degrees during the hottest months of the year. This made them highly suspicious of being caught by fishermen, many of whom caught them on light tackle while fishing for other species. This only increased their fatigue and reduced their chances of survival.
In the last few years, esox Experts have done studies (mostly on oysters) Like it’s from West Virginia UniversityOn delayed mortality in these hot temperatures. Although results vary, most studies agree that a good rule of thumb is not to target pike and muskie when water temperatures exceed 75 degrees. Some people would say fishing is safe esox in 80-degree water, but this applies more to larger reservoirs that have cooler water just above the thermocline (transition water between warmer surface water and cooler deeper water) in which muskies can recuperate.
Furthermore, other studies, Like a 2011 report from Carleton University, Muskies Canada and the University of Illinoishave found that just because a fish swims, doesn’t mean it survives. delayed mortality This is a real problem and tracking fish over the years has shown that fish caught in warm water can die a day or two after being caught, even if some do not swim to the surface like the pike in a Nebraska creek.
Read further: A Tournament Angler’s Case for Safely Fizzing Bass Before Release
What happens if you hook a summer muskie or pike?
Muskie and pike conservationists urge anglers to consider this information before targeting either species during the summer months. However, at times muskies eat less in the summer, resulting in many accidental skirmishes with bass, walleye and pan-fish anglers. If this happens to you, here’s what to do.
- If the hook or bait is small and non-intrusive, consider cutting the line as close to the bait as possible while still close enough to the boat, giving the fish the best chance of survival.
- Try not to “mess with the fish.” Muskies use a lot of energy when trapped, and with less oxygen in warm water, the longer and harder they fight, the harder it is to revive them. Try to get them to the side of the boat as quickly as possible.
- Keep the fish in water as much as possible. Try to avoid taking measurements or moving the fish around in the boat. If you want to take photos, ask someone to have a camera ready while the fish are in the water. The less time spent out of the water, the greater the chance of reviving.
- Revive the fish. Hold the fish with the tail meat right side up. Don’t push the fish back and forth, their gills are not designed to filter water that way. Instead, help support him and stay with him until you feel he is trying to swim. Make sure it is able to float firmly.
Implementing such measures ensures the best possible future for these freshwater predatory fishes. It is not uncommon for the average fisherman to know that pike and muskie are delicate creatures. As I said, they look mean and aggressive, but they also need the right habitat conditions to survive. If you see someone harvesting oysters when the water temperature is too high, politely inform them that this is unhealthy for the fishery. If they don’t believe it, tell them the story of Lake Wanahue.
