MUSKIE

[nightrunner06]

For a fish like a muskie, you need to support its body weight. Holding it with the gills puts massive strain on it, and its internal organs can be damaged. They are designed to be horizontal.

JAZII

huh! I never knew that. That does make alot of sense! Thanks JAZ

[JAZII]

ESOX and HARDWATER,

Just to keep this on the friendly side.
If you wanted to contact me, I could probably put you guys on some great untapped muskie fishing. I would love to go with someone that specializes in fishing for them.
I do not target them just for some of the reasons you guys stated.
Like netting and handling, I do not have the equipment to do it properly.
IT WOULD BE FOR CATCH, PHOTO, and RELEASE ONLY!

Joseph A. Zombek II
 

[caddy084]

NOT ACTUALLY ICE FISHING, BUT I WAS STANDING ON ICE.

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JAZII

Nice Muskie neighbor, a catch of a lifetime, Congratulations!

[esox_magnum]

I wish I had know there were muskies when I lived out there, not sure where you fish but I lived West of Uniontown. My muskie friends I had out there all went to Canada to fish.

 BTW we are not holier than thou types we just work hard to improve the fisherys and in the education end of it. I do release all I catch for muskies but know someday I'll get one that won't swim away. We put 6 back last year alone off our waters at or over 50", biggest was a 52 1/4 and there was never once a thought about keeping it. We have spent 40 years getting our waters to trophy potential and working hard on improving and protecting what we have.

 I do fish for about anything else except trout, done it, caught them and just no interest there. I love walleye fishing, chase about anything that bites through the ice but once muskie season opens 99.9% of my times hunting them. I'll so called bash anyone mistreating/mishandeling any fish if portrayed in an indecent manner.

[GDominy12]

i love the first picture in the dark, im finding myself opening this thread again and again waiting for musky season to open in new york! 

[northernnyice]

ok ok ok this might sound stupid, BUT i've seen too many people tell other people not to hold a fish verticle. WHY. I'm not trying to be a d***. I've just never heard of that before.

When you hold large fish vertically it can and will seperate ligaments and tear muscles in their neck/head area...Yeah they'll swim off but your just prolonging their death. Nice musky by the way!!! I dont blame you at all for taking this one out of the system for the wall...Just wait till you get it back.. Youll love it, they look gorgeous!

[Klimshack]

I doubt any true muskie guy is jealous he caught that, I'm not. What burns us is the public mishandling from someone who claims to be somewhat of a muskie guy, kept or not. We treat our fish better than that even in the event they die on the hookset.

 As far as age, we net fish every spring and find many in the 15-20 year old class and muskies do have up to a 30 year life span. If you have so many summer floaters I would think your DNR would realize it's wasting money ( and lots of it) missmanaging a non or under utilized fishery. I also know from living in PA the attitude I found was, if it's not trout its trash.

Man you guys are tools.  That is a very nice fish and if he chooses to kill it and mount it, you have no right to give him *rap.  If everything was done legally, that's his prerogative...you can't make that decision for him.

If I caught a 6lb landlocked salmon out of any Maine waters, you better believe that it would go on my wall.....and that would be my decision only.  I can't believe how many people out there think that they should be personally enforcing their own fishing standards on the rest of us.  If I were him, I'd tell you to go pound sand and mind your own business. 

Nice fish buddy

[tsmith17]

Nice Muskie.

[Chevelle]

Nice muskie but in the first pic when you cought it there is way to much blood kinda makes me have a weak stomach hahaha

[Roncarr]

KILLER FISH congrats on a true cow

[Timber]

HARDWATER347,

I was trying to stay out of this rant, but I just could not!

I was not targeting Muskies, I was casting stick baits for walleyes, after dark none the less.
1ST off the muskie was bleeding allot.
2ND I did not have a measuring tape with me to take measurements for a replica. I did know that it was the biggest that I had ever caught. In my 25 years of fishing THE RIVER, I have caught 25 to 30 muskies that all have been released.

Did you ever hear the saying? "If you do not have anything nice to say, say nothing at all."

By the way, I'm Northeast Hawg Haulers bass club president and tournament director. I fish local, regional, and national bass tournaments. I would never post negative things about people posting pics of harvested bass, that is their right.

HAVE A NICE DAY!
Joseph A. Zombek II

Well said and congrats on a great catch !

[amazinmoose]

not much color to them fish, good catch nontheless  -moose

[hardwater603]

GREAT fish brotha most definately a trophy, any tips on targeting musky or walleye for that matter I have only fished for them a few times mostly with live bait sittin on the bottom only got 1 under my belt so far

[shantysitter]

Jaz11 You are the man.Not only do I druel over the pictures of the perch you catch now you pull this out. You obviously put in your time and have alot of knowledge .What is even more impressive is that you catch such quality  fish on public waters. I hope to one day meet you out on the ice ,shake your hand and say congrats.

[Whitefish Whisperer]

JAZII did you ever hear the saying " in one ear out the other"? Nevermind  Hardwater, he's jelous! It's in season!!! End of story!!! Personally I would have kept it too, IT'S A FISH OF A LIFE TIME!!!!!! With that said...... CONGRADULATIONS!!! 

Amen to that i cant belive some of the people on here if it was that big of a deal to keep a fish like that it wouldnt be legal

[ICEROGUE]

they look a little white for muskie. is there acidic h2o there?

[Bassfishin1983]

Very Nice fish. I have only cuaght a couple through out the years ice fishing. I am sure this one fish will not effect the fishery in the river. I can name dozens of time though where i have seen them cuaght and kept out of season . These are the people that dont get on these sites and even care what regs say or do for fisheries. It is nothing to see a group of minoritys catching everything under the sun and throwing it in the bucket every spring. So if you feel like running your mouth, why dont you go find some one that deserves it. They might enjoy a leason in fishing regs.

[eyesfishing]

That's weird that you caught it off the ice but not out of it.

[Captain1978]

And here I go. BEAUTIFUL fish. That would be on my wall as well. I we don't have Muskies here. Tigers and Pike though. I release all my Pike and Tigers because I don't eat them. And I like to see them get bigger. I don't get on other people for keeping them.  Get the runts out so the big ones can get bigger. Helps with overpopulation. My biggest is 41" I'll tell you what, I get one 45" in season and it'll be on my wall. I understand and respect the replicas to save the fish. But then it's not really "your fish" on the wall. You respected the laws and no one can give you stuff about that. The only thing that chaps my cheeks is when an angler has to keep everything they catch. If you keep going to the same spot day after day and taking everything you catch that will hurt the fishery. Take all the fish today, no fish left for tomorrow. I know the laws state what they state, but have a little common sense.  Ok. There's my piece. Great fish buddy. You did nothing wrong.

[JigginRon]

What a joke you are JAZII. Why lie about the fish and say it was bleeding so bad I just had to keep it. Why don't you just say "I wanted to put it on my wall". People would have more respect for you if you didn't lie. The fish is laying on the snow without a drop of blood anywhere near it, and the lure is still in it's mouth. Where's all the blood?  The proof is in the picture, you can't even find a fishing partner who would go with you because you're such a tool. It's funny, all of your pictures are from a tripod mounted camera. It must be an enjoying experience to catch such a large fish and have to post it all over the internet because you don't have any friends that even care to look, or better yet go fishing with you. By the way, very nice muskie! They always said it's lonely at the top. It's too bad you didn't have a fishing buddy to share the catch with.

[bryan62]

Very Nice Fish!! Sorry that you got caught in the crossfire. You caught the fish legally, the state DNR set the size and bag limits and you followed them. END OF STORY. Congratulations!!

[JAZII]

What a joke you are JAZII. Why lie about the fish and say it was bleeding so bad I just had to keep it. Why don't you just say "I wanted to put it on my wall". People would have more respect for you if you didn't lie. The fish is laying on the snow without a drop of blood anywhere near it, and the lure is still in it's mouth. Where's all the blood?  The proof is in the picture, you can't even find a fishing partner who would go with you because you're such a tool. It's funny, all of your pictures are from a tripod mounted camera. It must be an enjoying experience to catch such a large fish and have to post it all over the internet because you don't have any friends that even care to look, or better yet go fishing with you. By the way, very nice muskie! They always said it's lonely at the top. It's too bad you didn't have a fishing buddy to share the catch with.

Dude, GET REAL. I have more fishing buddies than you could ever dream of.
Pics from a tripod? Most of my pics have been taken by the people fishing with me.
Did you ever think that I might have moved the MUSKIE from the spot where it bleed, to take a CLEAN looking pic?

Anytime you would like to see what it looks like from the top, give me a call. My phone number is in the book. You just might be able to learn something.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

JAZII

[BIGCREW]

I just cant seem to understand why some here think that keeping that fish was a bad thing,first of all none of you guys were there, second the fish comm. puts the size limit and season on the fish for a reason. but somehow people think that keeping a fish like that is wrong,well I have to say you guys are wrong. just because you got a fishin pole and licence dont make you a bioligist.you guys need to chip in some cash and buy yourselfs a lake of your own because after all the susky is open to the public. and jaz congrats on that fish. Im still trying for my slammer muski and if I ever do get one Im not telling anyone  HA HA..  might bump into to you down the someday jaz. hit the point if you know where that is

[Flag!!Man]

Great fish JAZZ    I see no foul!?   I can't believe these guys coming at you like that. Being nasty never gets a point across.

[combsey]

no matter were you go people have issues with people keeping big fish    maybe i should of put back the ones i had mounted? 

[TEAM RECOIL]

great fish

[river_scum]

woooooooooweeeeeeeee now thats a ski!!!!

[c.r.rick]

hey jazz don't stoop to the level of childish rants of those who cant respect a fellow fishermen who caught a fish of a lifetime.  just ignore those who cant respect a man who wants to LEGALLY keep the fish he catches.  Now if you would of said you just keep it to eat it i could see a problem but the fact that you mounted that hawg and will enjoy that fish for many years to come makes it a priceless memory that no immature hater can take from you.

CONGRADULATIONS nice fish my friend!!!!!!!

[RodandBobber]

The bottom line is that you managed to be lucky enough to catch a beautiful specimen. Regardless of what you chose to do with it( I would have had it mounted as well) I do support replicas but if you don't have a tape measure with you take the fish home. I also respect the fact that you didn't release a mortally wounded fish that would have just died anyway. But opinions are like buttholes, we all have them. Just congratulate the man and keep yours to yourself. Heck of a fish man. I am jealous.

[Goatskin]

pretty sad you had to kill it....