Local Fish Makes Good

[Don Wittenberger]

A photo of a 48-incher Mike Nielsen caught and released at Merwin Lake on July 31, 2006 appears on page 84 of the June/July '08 issue of Musky Hunter Magazine.

[muskyhunter]

Cool, come on Don get em' to join the Chapter!! That fish was 28 lbs? Really?

[Riverman]

Boy that poor fish sure is beat up...........

RM

[Don Wittenberger]

It weighed 29 lbs. on my tacklebox scale, but after some debate, we decided it was a 28-pounder. My scale weighs a bit high in that range, and the length x girth formula gave a weight of 28.71 lbs. This was the third fish over 28 lbs. that Mike has caught at Merwin since 2005.

It's very common for Merwin fish to have split fins like this one. My guess is it happens in the hatchery. We catch a few with deformed upper lips, too, which Steve Jackson says is caused by the fingerlings bumping into the concrete walls of the hatchery tanks.

[Gone Fishin]

That fish looks like one rough customer! Nice fish and that is awesome to hear about the magazine! So what is the length x girth formula? I found it one time but don't remember it.

[Don Wittenberger]

Length x girth x girth (in inches) / 800 = weight (in lbs.)

E.g., a 45 inch fish with a 20 inch girth would weigh 22 1/2 lbs.: 45 x 20 x 20 = 18000 / 800 = 22.5

[PDXFisher]

It's very common for Merwin fish to have split fins like this one. My guess is it happens in the hatchery. We catch a few with deformed upper lips, too, which Steve Jackson says is caused by the fingerlings bumping into the concrete walls of the hatchery tanks.

Probably because the majority of the people fishing Muskies down here use salmon nets that split the fins pretty bad (my father, for instance, but not for long). I hear they heal eventually, but I imagine if they are caught and released a few times they could end up looking like that.

[muskyhunter]

Just sayin' its a nice heavy fish....with no direspect to you or your buddy but the 2, 45 " fish I put in the net this weekend looked a heckof a lot heavier than your pal's fish..

[Don Wittenberger]

Well I guess Mike will just have to catch a fatter one this year. I'll let him know.

[kevinb]

It's very common for Merwin fish to have split fins like this one. My guess is it happens in the hatchery. We catch a few with deformed upper lips, too, which Steve Jackson says is caused by the fingerlings bumping into the concrete walls of the hatchery tanks.

Probably because the majority of the people fishing Muskies down here use salmon nets that split the fins pretty bad (my father, for instance, but not for long). I hear they heal eventually, but I imagine if they are caught and released a few times they could end up looking like that.

Good to know.
More reasons to use the knotless nets.
Hey Mark..if I mention Frabill nets over and over, do I get a free one or a cool T-shirt?:-"

[Don Wittenberger]

Without a doubt, some kinds of nets are hard on fish, but I'm not so sure it's just nets. I've seen split fins on fish under 30" that probably haven't been caught before, and I saw split fins on Merwin fish back when when no one was fishing for them and I was catching virgin fish (i.e., not previously caught and released). I certainly don't rule out nets, but I'm inclined to believe hatchery damage and collisions with underwater wood also are significant factors.

[Gone Fishin]

I'll agree with Don, I have caught some pretty small muskies and they had fins like that. These were silver lake fish. I do believe that I have seen much the same from a few out at Newman. I think it must be a hatchery deal because they seem be found like that in all the lakes.

[kevinb]

Maybe its a combo thingy. I've heard about muskies in the hatcheries...makes sense. They're packed in there pretty tight. I can raise a few in my pool and bathtub:-" I wish.....

[PDXFisher]

I'll agree with Don, I have caught some pretty small muskies and they had fins like that. These were silver lake fish. I do believe that I have seen much the same from a few out at Newman. I think it must be a hatchery deal because they seem be found like that in all the lakes.

Then what the heck are they doing in these hatcheries that they're not doing in the hatcheries in Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin? Fish in those states have even more reason to be like that, since they're not hybrids and get beat up from spawning. I've seen em with tails that look like they've been ground down from spawning, but not looking like the petals of an Iris.

[tmusky1]

I don't know guys, all the tigers we've caught out of Mayfield all were in good shape. Do they all come from the same hatchery?

[Don Wittenberger]

Yes, they all come from the same hatchery.

[Gone Fishin]

Yeah after looking at some more pics I definately think some lakes muskies end up chewed more than others! One of the many mysteries of the tiger muskie!

[Deadeyemark]

I don't think it's the lake that has the effects on tails or jaws. I think it's from over crowding in the hatchery. It would also be core confined to certain year classes, those that were very crowded.