Sk8man

Just a thought but you need to keep waders and rubber products away from natural gas sources (e.g. cellar furnace etc.) and extreme heat sources when storing or rubber products will break down.

Ivan - you cleared it up for me....no offense taken and your point is well taken. The muskie fishery is a very different 'animal" in that sense than most and I fully agree with your second post. Thanks. Les

"No offense intended, but if you aren't a serious, dedicated muskie angler, you probably don't have enough personal investment and experience to understand." Ivan - I'm pretty certain that many if not most of the anglers on this site fish for a variety of species and although exclusive muskie fishermen probably already know how to release fish in general there are many anglers that are new to or perhaps inexperienced in catch and release that frequent this website. My comments/suggestions were directed primarily to them. To infer that because someone does not fish exclusively for muskies they wouldn't "understand" is rather elitist. I know they are relatively uncommon, elusive and difficult to consistently catch and that they require somewhat different "handling" techniques (even just because of their teeth ) but the things I suggested are generally appropriate for ANY freshwater or salt water species.

I think the answer resides in yourself. You do what is best for the fish and its survival given the conditions at hand. As long as you have done your best to accomplish that it doesn't matter what others say. Every situation is different the basic thing is to not handle (or manhandle) fish any more than absolutely necessary and to avoid placing them in known detrimental positions ( e.g. hands or fingers in the gill area, held vertically, or held for inordinate amount of time out of water) and gently allowing the fish to sufficiently recover before releasing them in the water. I try to never actually touch fish unnecessarily if they are small and release them with needle nose pliers applied to single hooks and if holding fish I support them underneath and hold above the tail while keeping them horizontal.

The answer to the first part of your question is a definite YES! I don't fish out of Mexico but it doesn't really matter because whether theFinger Lakes or Lake O the lakers are in shallow water in the early Spring and they can be fished successfully there nearly anywhere they exist. Cowbells with peanuts or wobble trolls (spin n glows) are just the ticket usually. They also go for spoons or sticks and meat rigs especially.. Lakers are bottom oriented fish usually so fish them that way. Flashers or spinneys and fly also work pretty well right through the summer months and into Fall but the lakers will move out deeper in late Spring. Find the bait and you will usually find the lakers nearby. Frequently they like slower trolling speeds than many of the other target species but I've also had them hit at near 3.0 so vary your trolling speed.

Probably more likely stuff being fenced for drug money for meth or heroin

Sean - Chris is100 percent correct and being the good parent you are your priority is exactly where it should be - with your child. These ticks are a very real problem. These dumb azz deer bed down in my backyard and despite being hit in the butt several times with my bb gun they come back for more....even to the extent of looking in my windows sometimes in the early morning hours. Our dog has very dark multicolored fur which makes it virtually impossible to spot the ticks on him so I can't even take him out back anymore. I hope all the deer hunters around here are VERY successful this year. About once per week someone nails one on the road here with their car so that is surely some indication of the population density. As much as I hate to say it I'm almost praying for a severe winter with real deep snow

Should be OK then as long as it isn't off to the side

Yes but you have to make sure the ring closes fully and that it makes a full "circle" (and not off to the side but fully closed)

I'd try replacing the split rings with a size smaller to see if that helps

I'm not sure how what you are describing is happening. I never have any problems with the Mustad siwash salmon hooks. I also orient my hooks with the point facing upward unlike a lot of folks and maybe that is the difference.

It can happen but I've never had it happen any where near that frequently and it is quite a bit easier to release fish without even handling them with singles (long nose pliers twist the hook back through under their weight and they fall off the hook and take off.

I use singles for everything except stick baits and trolling flies and have done so for many many years successfully.

I changed all mine over to Mustad Siwash 2/0 and 3/0 triple or 5 x stainless hooks a long time ago and have never looked back.They penetrate deeply and are verysharp and strong. The advantage of a single in my opinion is that it doesn't work against itself like trebles do when the fish bite down...the singles penetrate right through the mouth or jaw and there is nothing for them to work against with their mouth or jaw. I have never had one bend or break on a fish. I'd use 1/0 or 2/0 for smaller Cleos etc.

"is that 150 to 200 feet of copper out or down." - out When I think of browns in the Spring (regardless of where) I think light line (12 lb test) mainline and a 10 lb fluoro leader about 20 ft long with a very small black ball bearing swivel tied into the leader about 4 ft up from the lure and the lure connected by a very small duo lock snap for spoons and sticks alike. Sometimes a couple large size split shot placed a few inches above the swivel (toward the rod side) above helps to keep things down a bit and also may keep grass from the lure especially with jointed Rapala type lures. Forget the split shot in real shallow (less than 6 or 8 ft.). Run your lines as far away from the boat as practical (e.g. depending on boat traffic etc.) or run on boards out long and constantly move them in and out along the shoreline. Run your stuff right up near the shoreline when conditions permit (light levels, wind direction, boat traffic, or obvious snags etc.)Try to find the warmest water you can. Fish your stuff in and out of any mud lines or "scum lines" and fish the inside edges of any thermal bars you encounter. Look for birds and bait and fish there back and forth. Continually monitor and modify your boat speed and try different things like "s" turns start and stops (when out deeper or using just floating lures), and even rock your boat back and forth if in a smaller one to impart different action to your lures. With downriggers use longer leads than usual when in shallow (e.g. 50 ft or more back)