[NADO]

My buddy found this yourtube video called musky rescue. He agrees with everyone on the forum saying they rescued the musky, I think the musky would have been able to eat the sheephead if it was left alone. What do you guys think?

**side note - video description says the musky was dying on the surface which leads me to believe they netted the fish while it was struggling to eat the sheephead.

[NADO]

30 views and no opinions???

[Blair]

NADO, on 30 October 2011 - 11:29 AM, said:

30 views and no opinions???

lol.... I saw this elsewhere (thanks for putting here)

It reminds me of a "River Monster Episode" when they came across similiar circumstances.
Anyway, as far as this one:

The guys were trying to do what they thought would be the best thing. (Help the Muskie)
I do not distpute your observation that the Muskie would most likely have succeeded in a "natural swallow".

I'm sure we would all be amazed at what these babies can do!


I did jokingly say this:

Next time I go fishing for Muskie, I know what I'm using for Bait:
6 Lb Sheephead

*SMILES*

[tazrock069]

That was awesome Nado, thanks for putting this one out.

[georgianbaydrifter]

right place at the right time....i think they may have saved that fish it was hardly a giant.

[NADO]

Not a giant but pike and musky go after some pretty big meals

[georgianbaydrifter]

that they do, i have them sniping 2 and half pound walleyes from me every spring on the severn river but that sheepshead was into its rakers by the look of it, just personal opinion but ithink they did that fish a favour.

[NADO]

I have an oscar and a few times when feeding him goldfish he went for more than he could handle. He turned all white and floated on his side at the bottom of the tank for an hour before he recovered. I also saw a video of a pike in a fish tank eating a bass that was probably as wide as it was and it took the pike 6 or 7 minutes to get the fish into its mouth all the way. I guess you cant really tell for sure in the video because they dont show the fish in the water but my thoughts were that they mistook the fish struggling to swallow its meal on the surface for the fish needing help. Pulling a fish out backwards would do alot of damage so the fish would have to be in some serious trouble to justify intervention.

What are rakers?

[georgianbaydrifter]

they are the white cartilage frame that the gills are attatched to........like you saids its hard to tell what condition the fish was in b/c they have it on board when the filming starts.....if it was sitting upright in the water and able to swin somewhat i would have left it... it did look kind of rough they way the extracted the "bait" but the fish appeared not to be bleeding during the release.

[Joel52]

Tend to agree, I would have watched but left it alone. We definitely need to use bigger bait!

[Jim]

Saved a smallmouth with huge sunfish wedged in mouth struggling - twitching - remember they breath through gills mouth full wedged no water movement through gills certain death. We can't tell because we didn't see what state the fish was in but humans did what they thought was best at the time - better they intervene save the fish or watch see it is in trouble but act to late and both die ? Even humans succumb to gluttony and choke on food - LOL - and we are at the top of the food chain ......Think about it as the fish struggles to swallow it uses up oxygen and the can't replenish it with a full mouth blocking water movement - just like humans time runs out quickly and rather see them help then just wait and let nature takes it course - just my 2 cents.

[Fish-on]

actually i read en article on that, and it happens all the time bigger fish eat something that's to big and die because of it.... once the bait is in its mouth and too big to swallow they don't realize until its too late... you can see how much it took for them to take the sheephead out... noway the musky could of spat it out and well fish don't float while eating they go to the bottom or near bottom to relax and focus there energie on there catch and digesting it .... unless there feeding on quantity's of smaller bait... anyways better safe then sorry at least now (if the musky survived) it has a chance too eat something els witch is no problem for musky believe me...

SO my verdict is good job on there part i would of done the same thing!

[NADO]

Here is the video I was talking about. If you look in the description there is a link to a picture of the pike after it finished the meal.