What to do if you catch a Canadian or world record fish

[MrSimon]

If I catch it somewhere close to a certification scale and proper freezer .... I'd keep it and have it certified and then mounted.

 

If I'm at an outpost or fly-in, I'd take pics and video and let it go .... wouldn't have the ice or cooler to transport it back.

[lew]

I have zero interest in killing anything so any record fish I caught would be heading back into the water.

[manitoubass2]

I will never catch a record fish so I dont really worry about it lol.

 

now that I said that Ill probably catch a hyyyuge muskie fishing crappie on LOTWs lol

 

and no chance at walleye. over the past 5 years of chasing I seem to catch every 12 lber in the lake. I cant even beat my pb never mind a record haha

Edited November 20, 2014 by manitoubass2

[Gregoire]

I'll chime in again, as I have an opinion about the amount of money an angler could make on a record musky. Don't quit your day job is the best advice I think that has been given. As was already pointed out, a professional angler would stand to cash in, as they probably already have incentives in their contracts that would kick in, and they would get a large amount of publicity. If you are a professional angler and do not bonk a record, then you are making a poor career choice. If you are an amateur angler and you catch a large fish, and publicize it, then you are opening yourself up to a lot of negative kick back. If you keep it, you could potentially make some money off of it, maybe 6 figures or so, but not millions. For me, and in my mind any reasonable person, millions would be what it would take to cash in on a fish. Even to get the sponsors, and other revenue, you would have to change your lifestyle, travelling around to shows and such, that you would have the be pretty unhappy with your life to make it worth while. The other factor is that when you make fishing a profession, it ceases to become a hobby, that usually means that fishing for fun is no longer an option. I know a professional musky fisherman who only fishes when he is getting paid, and although he seems to still enjoy it, especially catching big fish, there seems to be something lost there.

 

For me fishing, especially musky fishing, is one of the few things that I do where I feel a sense of release and exhilaration. I get something from it that I cannot get anywhere else. That is why I do it. I do not want that to change, that is why if I ever catch a record I will take a pic and a measurement, and let it go.

[Freshtrax]

I'd bonk any record and it be on the wall in my man cave. Wouldn't feel the least bit guilty.

[singingdog]

Interesting question. I think that the internet has drastically changed how a world-record fish catching angler would be treated. IF they were specifically targeting large fish of a desirable species (bass, trout, walleye, musky), and had a compelling story to tell, then I think the benefits would be big and long lasting (IF the angler wanted to live that kind of life). An angler that had worked on developing the knowledge and techniques to specifically catch large fish would have a lot to share, and consequently benefit from.

 

IF they caught it "incidentally" (after targetting musky for the past couple of years, I am convinced I will catch my first really big 'ski on a 4" tube while bass fishing), then I think that the benefits would be far less: the story would be far less compelling. "Yea, I was trolling a crawler harness when "wham" my rod bends right over". Each species has it's "tribe" of big fish chasers who are not easily impressed by an incidental big fish catch. I think that the industry knows that and would respond accordingly.

[bigugli]

Getting a record book fish has been on the bucket list since I was a teenager. I'd gladly bonk it and jump through the hoops