Muskie
Common name(s): Muskellunge, Musky or Muskie, maskinonge, leopard muskellunge, lunge Scientific name: Esox masquinongy (Esox comes from the old name for pike in Europe and masquinongy comes from the Cree "mashk" meaning deformed and "kinonge" is a pike. Description: Gray-green with dark vertical bars; scaled upper half of cheek and gill; similar long, sleek shape to pickerel and northern pike; strong, tooth-filled jaws. The most noticeable difference between a muskie and a northern pike is in their markings: the muskie has dark bars (or blotches), while the northern has a series of pale bars and spots.
Wisconsin has produced more record-size muskies than any other region and holds the world record at 69 pounds and 11 ounces. Spawning: Occurs from mid-April to mid-May, with the peak occurring early in the season. Optimum spawning temperature is about 55º F, but may range from 49 to 60º F. Between 10,000 to 265,000 eggs are usually deposited indiscriminantly scattered over several hundred yards of shoreline. It takes about 12 to 15 days for the eggs to hatch. There is no parental care. Adult spawners return to the same spawning ground in consecutive years. Angling: The natural home for the musky is in the northern lakes and rivers. A solitary fish, muskies prefer clear streams, rivers and lakes with plenty of vegetation where they can wait for passing shoal fish or other prey. They prefer shallow water 10 feet deep in and around weed beds, submerged logs, or brush piles. Anglers usually have the best luck fishing during the daytime. Large plugs (surface or diving lures), large spoons, and large bucktail spinners are the best artificial baits. A live fish bait such as perch, suckers or chubs about 10-12 inches long is also good. Some anglers use frogs. Strangely, the size of the fish a muskie eats appears to be related to the ultimate size it can attain. As the fish grows larger, the size of its prey naturally varies more. Even if plenty of small fish are available, a muskie may not be able to grow large without large fish to eat. Muskrats, ducks, shrews, mice, and frogs also appear in the stomachs of muskies from time to time. Habitat: Muskies are solitary and stay close to their home range unless food is in short supply. They usually lurk near drop-offs from rock or sand bars in the middle of lakes, along weed beds or other vegetation, and in shady waters close to shores that are fringed with overhanging trees. They prefer larger lakes with deep and shallow basins and large beds of aquatic plants. They’re most comfortable in cool water temps of 33-78 degrees F (67 degrees is optimal). Voracious Predators: Like the northern pike, the muskie is a solitary, lazy hunter preferring its meal to come to them. The stealthy muskie hunts by lurking in protective cover and waiting motionless. When a fish swims by (any fish, including other muskies) they strike--impaling the prey on their large canine teeth, rotating it, and swallowing it headfirst. Problems: Unlike the northern pike, muskies are not as adaptable to changing conditions or environments, and are very sensitive to the loss of spawning habitat. Once muskies are under stress from changing habitat conditions, they struggle to keep pace with the more adaptable northern pike. Under better conditions the two species can exist peacefully, although they do tend to keep their distance from one another. Suggested Tackle
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