MUSKELLUNGE

COMMON NAMES: Muskellunge, Muskie

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Esox masquinongy

IDENTIFICATION: Muskellunge are long, slender fish with a large duckbill shaped mouth and needle sharp teeth. The dorsal fin is soft and located near the tail. In contrast to Northern pike and chain pickerel, only the upper half of the cheek and ear flap, or opercle, have scales.

RANGE AND HABITAT: The muskellunge can be found in tributaries, streams and lakes. Prime muskellunge habitat is found in heavily vegetated lakes with lots of tree stumps and bays. Prime stream muskellunge habitat is generally considered to be long pools (at least 0.2 miles in length) with a minimum depth of at least 3 to 4 feet and an abundance of submerged woody structure.

LIFE HISTORY: Muskellunge usually spawn in April and early May when water temperatures are in the low to mid-50s. Females will drop as many as 200,000 eggs on soft shallow substrate where they adhere to vegetation and other objects. After hatching, young muskellunge feed on microscopic animals. Adult muskellunge prefer soft-rayed fish such as suckers and gizzard shad as prey.

ADULT SIZE: Typically, male muskellunge range from 22 to 39 inches long and weigh from 3 to 21 pounds. Females can range from 22 to 50 inches in length and weigh from 3 to 40 pounds. Trophy fish have been recorded at 50.25 inches long and weighed 55 pounds, 2 ounces.

FISHING METHODS: Bait casting and trolling are the most popular ways to catch muskies. A great variety of lures are used successfully, including pikie minnows, bombers, daredevils, spoons and various spinners and artificial worms. Casting to the edge of vegetation beds and submerged cover and using a fast retrieve is often productive. Trolling with deep running lures, like the bomber, during the summer months takes numerous muskies. Muskies are strong fighters and provide a great thrill to anyone lucky enough to hook one.

The muskellunge is one of the largest and most elusive fish that swims. A muskie will eat fish and sometimes ducklings and even small muskrats. It waits in weed beds and then lunges forward, clamping its large, tooth-lined jaws onto the prey. The muskie then gulps down the stunned or dead victim head first.

Muskies are light colored and usually have dark bars running up and down their long bodies. That's the opposite of northern pike, which have light markings on a dark body. Muskies are silver, light green, or light brown. The foolproof way to tell a muskie from a northern is to count the pores on the underside of the jaw: A muskie has six or more. A northern has five or fewer.