The Midwestern lakes are now encased in a layer of ice and covered with a blanket of snow. As you peer out from your cabin window and watch the ice fishermen work their magic on your favorite lake, you reach for your Musky photo album to reminisce about the past seasons fish that you caught & released. You’ve got plenty of pictures to show & tell the rest of the hardcore musky anglers, but do they really tell the story? Do those pictures really show off that musky the way you want it to? If you’re like me, you’ve got plenty of photos that just don’t do your fish the justice that it deserves!

Here’s a typical scenario. You’ve been fishing for most of the day, with not even a follow. Suddenly a nice musky smacks your lure and the battle is on, the adrenaline rush is huge! As you battle the fish, you are screaming instructions to your partner, "get the net, clear the deck, get the hookouts, I need the bolt cutters, here she comes, get the net ready, don’t blow the net job!" This is truly a 5-alarm fire drill! After all of this, you hoist the fish out of the net for the photo opportunity of a lifetime. Still shaking, you whisper, where’s the camera? Now the search is on. After 15 compartments are opened and a camera is located; a hasty photo is taken, because you are more concerned about the fish than the photo! Days later the developed photos reveal that your partner in his haste, cut off ½ of your head, the camera was crooked resulting in an off centered photo, you have your eyes closed and half the fish is missing! Typical musky photo, right?

You’ve attended countless outdoor Hunting & Fishing shows & seminars that covered everything from live bait sucker fishing for Muskies, to early spring muskies, to fall trolling etc… you name it; you’ve heard it. Not one keynote speaker or big time musky guide has ever taken the time to address photographing your musky. Nope, this is the final consideration. Everything prior to the netting, boating & releasing of a musky has been written & re-written hundreds of times and has taken precedence over the simple snap of a shutter! Once that fish is released to fight again and all of the high fives are finished, what will you have left to remember that fish by? The answer is your photo. That’s why a good photo is so important, and so frequently taken for granted. Sure you’ve got tons of blurry photos, off centered photos, dark photos, photos with ½ a musky in the frame; but do you have photos that are suitable for enlarging or framing? Well if not, don’t worry, this article will help you accomplish just that!

Here are a few tips that I’ve picked up over the years that have really helped me increase the quality of my musky photos. If you can use these tips as a guideline for photographing your next release, you’ll see a dramatic increase in the quality & composition of your photos.

• First of all, keep the fish in the bag (net) and the net in the water, until you are ready for the photo. The fish will continue to get oxygen as long as it is in the water! Remember the fish and its safe release is your main objective, not the photo! Always have your camera(s) within easy reach. I keep 2 cameras out at all times when I’m guiding customers. One camera is a Polaroid Instamatic that I use for viewing photos immediately; the other is a high quality 35mm that I use for prints. I usually take several photos with each camera. If your camera is accessible, you’ll be much more relaxed when it comes time to use it!
• Second, make sure the fish is clean of debris and blood before snapping the shutter. Rinse off the fish with a mug of water if necessary! Contrary to popular belief, bloody fish or anglers do not look good on film.
• Third, make sure your subject does NOT have the sun behind them! If you shoot into the sun, your picture will be black. Turn them or the boat away from the sun before you shoot and before you bring the fish out of the net! If it is shady or you have limited light, use your flash as a "filler" to eliminate shadows or dark spots.
• Fourth, have your subject remove their sunglasses & tilt up their baseball cap or hat so you can see their face. Have them look at the fish and S-M-I-L-E!
• Fifth, and most important, frame the angler & fish. Get the entire frame filled up with your subject. Get yourself as close to the angler & fish as possible. Look at your subject before you shoot to make sure what you are viewing is what you want in your photo. Finally, when all looks good snap the photo. Take several photos & several poses, don’t be cheap; you never know how each photo may turn out. If you take several shots your odds of getting that special one you’re looking for, are greatly increased!

Head cut off. Shot into the sun. Good framing, sunglasses on.

Please keep in mind that the bullet points listed above can be covered in a matter of mere seconds. The whole process once you are familiar with it, becomes second nature to the casual observer. The time that the fish is out of the water is marginal. If you follow these guidelines for better picture taking, you’ll be left with some great photos of some truly memorable moments. Keep these tips in mind on your next musky fishing outing; you’ll be glad you did.

Rich Gallagher is VP of the Fox River Valley Chapter of Muskies, Inc. He also operates the Big Goomba Guide Service. To book a musky trip he can be reached at (847) 741-9771 or visit his website at www.biggoomba.com