Our latest rescue

We did manage to accomplish an unusual rescue. This occurred in Don’s boat. Paul had told us the DNR people were returning trapped muskies and walleyes to the main lake. Lake Evergreen has a catch area below the dam. Fish that swim or are washed over the spillway, land in this area which is fenced so they cannot escape down the creek.

Paul said they were being returned right off the dam and several had exceeded 36 inches.  This sounded like a great place to catch a trophy. Paul had to work, so Don and left for the lake.

We started fishing around the dam area, but had no luck. As we approached the dam, we saw a truck pull up on the road nearby and several DNR personnel and multiple volunteers began carrying fish out onto the dam and setting them in the water. The fish were quite large and Don and I figured they would be hungry and biting.

As we watched the people put the fish in the water we saw that a number of the fish were in distress. They were floating on their backs and people were trying to revive them by turning them over and moving water through their gills. Unfortunately some of the fish floated too far out for the people to help them.

We looked at each other and realized we should not be fishing. We put up our poles and Don drove us in towards the dam near the floating muskies. We asked if we could help.

By this time several of the muskies were more than 20 ft. out from the dam. Don moved us slowly in alongside two of the big girls. I snapped these pictures from a distance before putting down my phone.

It was quite a thrill to see such an enormous fish up close. Muskies are  powerful predators. They have multiple rows of razor sharp teeth. Muskie fishermen use steel leaders to keep the fish from cutting the line. They have wide flat heads and eyes that are set back like a hawk. A muskie is a killing machine.

In spite of their huge head and ferocious jaws, these fish were not a danger. I slipped my hand under one’s back and turned her over. As I supported her belly, I began to move her forward to get water moving over her gills. Slowly she began to pump water through her gills. A few moments later, she slowly dove into the deep water. Don was doing the same thing off the bow.

Don and I repeated this two more times before the rest of the muskies recovered and moved down. The DNR volunteers thanked us as we pulled away to go back to the dock.

We never caught fish that day, but it was a truly satisfying morning.  At least Don and I can say we caught several trophy muskies with our bare hands.