The importance of Catch and Release (C&R) for Muskie fisherman cannot be overstated. Hard to imagine nearly 30 years ago C&R was rarely (if ever) practiced and even frowned down upon by many as “elitist”. Fortunately, the times have changed and so have the attitudes of anglers in the U.S. For a species like Esox, with all of its power and majesty, practicing C&R is directly responsible for the current boom in both 50+ inch catches and numbers of fish being caught. To me, catch and release is a science, and as with any meticulous act, the proper tools make all of the difference. You wouldn’t try to frame a house with a horseshoe, would you?


Muskie on the Fly (Masters on the Fly series)
Gold Captain’s Pak Electric Downrigger – Big Jon
Pro Tactics: Muskie: Use the Secrets of the Pros to Catch More and Bigger Muskies


Below are some must-have itmes for any Muskie fisherman. If you have any suggestions or think I missed something, feel free to leave a comment and let me know.


Bolt Cutters – These are essential for disengaging a Muskie from a well buried hook. I would rather release the fish with a portion of hook in its mouth than wrestle with it in the net or on my boat for an extended period of time, raising the stress level of the fish.


Hook Pliers – Crucial for removing hooks from Muskie that have taken the bottom end of a swim bait deep down.


Lineman’s Pliers – Due to their more hefty nature, these pliers provide great leverage in removing hooks.

Hook Pick – Another great tool for when a fish takes a big gulp of your Mepps or gets its mouth pinned shut.


Boga Grip – Does have a purpose for releasing smaller fish. DO NOT attempt to hold a Muskie up with this tool, it can be very damaging to the fish.


Gloves – If you have ever seen a Muskie or fought one, this one is a no brainer. These are powerful fish, so any additional grip you can get is much needed.
Scales / Tape Measures – If you must know the weight of your particular Muskie (in my opinion, there are very few situations that warrant this) get a scale that you can hook on to the net and lift up the fish, net and all. Never attempt to weigh a Muskie by hooking into its jaw or gill plate. There are several types of tapes, I purchased a folding wood measuring plattform. It folds in half for easy storage and has enough size to measure even the largest of fish.


Barbless Hooks – These are wonderful for easier releases with less tissue damage than barbed hooks. This is a point of contention for many anglers for obvious reasons so a little trick is to rotate the hook point off-center a little which provides a little more pressure upon hooking a fish, but still releases much easier than a barbed hook.

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