Sharp gill plates?

[Jeff Shrek]

Larry,

I've heard from some people that pike and muskie have a certain area around their gills ( i think they mentioned the gill plate) that is razor sharp? (excluding their teeth haha) I've only caught a few pike before and they were pretty small so i just cradled them around the belly area. Just wondering what is the best way to handle these beasts so as not to harm them? Thank you very much for your time,

Jeff Shrek

[dahlberg]

Hi Jeff
When I'm fishing alone, I just reach down and unhook, or cut the hooks out. That's the best way.
On camera people want to see the fish, and if you have plenty of experience there's a technique called the leech lake lip lock where you carefully slide 4 fingers under their jaw bone. Right hand for right jaw, left hand for left jaw or you could loose a thumb in their rear canines. Obviously you also control the fish by supporting its belly, or with a glove grabbing ahead of its' tail.
If you don't grab the right spot and touch thier gills you get lots of little lacerations. They don't have sharp gill plates on their cheeks, like walleye, snook, nile perch etc. but do have gill rakers on their actual gills, that are like little razor blades.

The DNR uses something called a cradle which has soft quarter inch mesh, but you need a partner with you to operate it.
Most of the musky guys use nets, which are fine, but you often wind up with some split fins, and might loose some slime which is a fishes protective layer against bacteria. They are quite vulnerable to fungus, especially in low water temps.
What I've noticed is if you get them back in the water quickly they, on the average, swim away with much more vigor than if you take the time to flop them on a board and measure them; even if the process only takes a half a minute.
best,
L