Quote:
Originally Posted by Talking moose
No bulging eyes or air bladders? I’ve caught them up to 40’ before and sometimes they blew up. Just bring them up slow?
|
Actually no, none. I do bring them up slow and get them back in fast unless they're keepers once I start pulling them up from below around 20-25'.
Took the same fellow out with me last Sunday that I took Wednesday evening and we had one that died on Sunday. I was VERY unhappy about it. It was definitely slot size but we both already had our limit of 1 each. My friend caught it. He took his time (got him doing what I do, turn the drag way down so the fish and strip line and work it real slow) bringing it in. I'd say about 10 min's bringing him up. Then he reached in the water beside the boat and carefully popped the hook out of it's mouth without ever taking the fish out of the water. It rolled over belly up immediately!
I spent 10 mins or more holding it upright and moving it forwards and back to get water over it's gills but it didn't recover. That was all it took for me so we went home. I haven't lost a fish like that in years and years!
We didn't have any problems on Wednesday evening like that, but we did see one dead pike and maybe 3 dead walleye by the PP boat launch when we went to leave.