Dr. Landsman has working on fishery studies for more than 15 years, when he asked if I could help him catch and add a radio transmitter to study musky movements, how could I turn that down?
Late fall fishing has picked up, the bite has been great, but the severe cold late fall weather can test any angler’s patience and will. We dropped his car-topper boat and supplies into the Rideau River and began casting to attempt to land a specimen to track. The ideal size was 36” to 40” as our surgery trough was only capable of holding fish up to about 43”. Also Dr. Landsman needs to tag a fish that aren’t too old (big) because the transmitters have a 6-8 year battery life and he wants to ensure that the fish are alive for as long as the batteries are.
Fishing was tough as the NCC were raising water levels to get some extra water in the Canal to make sure the winter skating levels were up to par. We tried a variety of techniques and were able to hook 2 muskies landing a beautiful fat 37.5” specimen.
Sean went to work cutting a small hole and inserting the transmitter and then had to stitch up the small wound. I held the fish in place with special gloves that direct a small amount of electricity into the fish to help keep it calm.
The fish was successfully released back into the Rideau where Carleton University students will learn all about the seasonal behaviors and movements of the mighty muskellunge.
