I compared the data from yesterday's 43.25 inch muskie to other muskies of similar size (43-45 inches). Just to compare...
Yesterday's muskie caught in 11.5C (52.7F): angling time = 3:40, glucose = 3.0 mmol/l, lactate = 7.2 mmol/l
43 inch muskie caught in 22.5C (72.5F): angling time = 0:55, glucose = 3.7 mmol/l, lactate = 11.1 mmol/l
45 inch muskie caught 18.5C (65.3F): angling time = 0:35, glucose = 2.6 mmol/l, lactate = 6.9 mmol/l
Let's compare one more fish that was given the gentle treatment...
44 inch muskie caught in 20.5C (68.9F): angling time = 0:54, glucose = 3.1 mmol/l, lactate = 7.1 mmol/l
It would appear that cooler water temperatures serve to suppress the stress response (despite long angling durations) given that fish angled in 1/3 or less the time show similar or even heightened levels. This may also be a finding that is independent of air exposure as evidenced by comparing yesterday's fish given air exposure and the above fish without air exposure).
Pretty interesting and some insight into how water temperature may influence your catch's chances at surviving an angling event. Hopefully next summer we will be able to compare stress levels in fish caught from 80+F water. However, my hypothesis would be that we would observe the opposite trend with fish caught from hot water: stress levels would be EXTREMELY elevated when fish are subject to long angling durations rather than seemingly suppressed as shown above.
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I'm guessing that you don't have enough evidence to draw any serious conclusions ... yet, BUT, do you have a feel for what is the most important factor in a successful release? Would it be water temp, length of fight or air exposure?
ReplyDeleteBTW great to see the blog continuing ... and sorry to hear about the frayed line.
Don't have enough conclusive evidence as we haven't really done enough "digging" to determine what is the critical element to a successful release. It is probably a combination though and not just one factor.
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