Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 23

A folding net takes up little space in the boat but allows for safe
netting and release of Muskellunge.

I often increase the leader material to 20-poundtest line. Admittedly, 20-pound fluorocarbon
line is not going to prevent a hard-fighting
musky from shredding line across its sharp teeth.
However, in cold water, musky battles usually do
not include head shaking violence, but rather a
series of powerful runs that shorten as the fish is
brought boatside.
Another leader option is to use a light wire
leader. I use 20-pound-test single strand titanium.
It is "tie-able" to the extent that it accepts some
simple knots, eliminating the need for crimps. I
use a standard clinch knot. Although it does not
set as neatly as with nylon or fluorocarbon line,
it is strong and will not slip. A barrel swivel on
one end of the wire leader serves as the braid-toleader connection. On the terminal end, the wire
is tied directly to the jig, or in the case of a blade
bait, to a snap. Leader length is 12- to 18-inches.
With either wire or fluorocarbon line the goal
is to achieve a fair degree of protection from biteoffs without hampering the action of the jig/blade.
The other major consideration comes in
handling a musky once it is boatside. This is
not a major issue for properly equipped musky
anglers specifically targeting the species, but it is
for Walleye anglers likely to encounter muskies.
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Walleye-sized nets will not handle a good-sized musky.
If the musky is small enough to fit in a net and if that
net is rubber, the fish can use the springy material to
catapult itself back out. Standard musky nets are huge,
cumbersome devices that take up a significant amount of
space in the boat. This type of net grabs anything it comes
in contact with in the boat.
I found two good alternatives to the classic musky net.
One is a musky cradle, and the other is a folding net.
The cradle wraps up like an oversized minnow seine,
taking up little boat space. When in use, it is held in the
water, parallel to the surface, with the musky led into it.
The downside is that it takes two people to use it. And,
you must be careful when lifting the musky into the boat.
Do not allow the open end of the cradle to dip or the fish
can slide back out into the river.
The hoop of the folding net hinges, so it can fold in half
like a clam. The handle retracts into the hoop. Stowed as
such the entire package takes up little space in the boat
and deploys for service in seconds.
Finally, one should carry some basic release tools. This
includes a jaw spreader to reach a jig or blade down inside
the fish's mouth and long nose pliers for unhooking fish.
While catching river muskies on large baits may bring
a certain sense of accomplishment, there is much to be
said for presenting smaller baits that will consistently take
both muskies and Walleyes.

The author releasing a musky taken on a blade bait while fishing the
Allegheny River.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2020

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020

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