RELEASE IS THE WAY TO GO!

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Ha ! The good old days ! Well thanks to you the good old days are here now. In 1966 some guys got together and created a fishing club called "Muskies, Inc." They had an idea to put the muskie back in the water so someone else would have a chance to catch our greatest sport fish. Their idea spread to all other species...put the largest and strongest fish back so the best genes can be passed on to future generations of fish. Muskie fishing has never looked back. Bass have bene.ted from this thinking as well. Six years ago Northwoods guides started a petition that asked for a ban on taking bass off their spawning beds. Now we have catch and release only fishing for bass while the spawning period is underway. Bass populations are now healthier than they've ever been.

In the old days we had no concerns about genetics. Grandpa just wanted fresh fish to eat. We still enjoy fresh fish but we now know that endless supplies of fish do not exist in our lakes.

Today we have better equipment than Grandpa had and we spend more time fishing than Grandpa did. We also catch more fish than Grandpa did. However, this love for fishing has the potential to ruin our sport. We have to release most of the fish we catch in order to have fish available for future anglers to catch. Keep enough for a meal here and there but put the rest back.

When you catch a fish that you intend to release hold your breath while you remove the hook. Measure the fish, take a picture and then let the fish go. Now you can take a breath. (The fish couldn't breathe either while it was out of the water) Try to get your hands wet before handling the . sh to protect the slime coat of the . sh. Have the proper tools at hand to cut or remove the hooks. If the . sh is a trophy you can have a replica made at many taxidermists. Length and girth measurements and a color photograph of the . sh are all that is needed.

The big PLUS is that the trophy . sh is still out there to . ght another day.

Another item to consider about our . shery is where in our lakes the . sh live. Weeds and rocky gravel shorelines provide food, shelter and spawning areas for many species of . sh. Boat traf. c in weedy and shoreline areas can destroy . sh habitat in short order. Submerged wood and newly fallen trees are likewise important for spawning and shelter for . sh. Please exercise care when operating your boat near these areas.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources does a great job of managing our . sheries but their restocking and management programs are quite expensive. It has been said that a full grown muskie might cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $84,000 to reach adulthood. Anything that we, as anglers, can do to assist in making . sh management successful will be appreciated. I thank you and I know the . sh would thank you if they could!

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