Tiger Muskie

[ColdSteel]

I heard that a plunker caught a tiger muskie saturday at the fish hatchery on the North Lewis. Anyone else here about this? I don't know the person that told me this so it could be a lie. If this is true how big of problem could this pose to the river.

[Flying Roast Beef]

I think they are in an upper resaviore (sp.) to control the squaws. I also believe they are sterile so not much threat. I hope I'm not wrong though.

[timinthegorge]

Yup FRB.....

That's my understanding as well. They have 'em in Lake Merwin, and they're not spawners, but will give ya' quite a ride when you hook up with them toothy monsters.... :grin:

[Born to Fish]

I'm not an expert on the subject, but here's what I've heard in relation to Tiger Musky being stocked in Idaho's Lake Cascade.

The state F&G folks had a brain fart regarding trying to control squawfish populations that they thought were the reason for loss of the perch fishery. The idea was to put a bigger predator [tiger musky] into the picture to prey on the suspected predator on the perch [squawfish]. Their hypothesis apparently was that the Tiger Musky, being a hybrid, could not, or would not reproduce to a large enough extent that the population would really expand and thus become a threat to the Lake's overall fishery. What I've heard from other sources is that while hybrids aren't considered a viable self-sustaining population they do never-the-less have the potential to have some reproduction [believe it was 6% success].

Then, to make matters worse, after a few years of the musky's being in the lake, I have heard on occasion reports of folks catching fairly good sized trout that had scars indicating that they'd been hammered by these toothy muskies that besides being "hybrids", were too dumb to tell the difference between trout, and the preferred target squawfish, Go figure! graemlins/stupid.gif

Like I said, I'm not an expert - I got my degree in wildlife management, not fisheries. And this is all heresay. But it's worth giving some thought or consideration to the situation you described.

Oh yeh, and from what I hear, The Lake Cascade perch are yet to show up in any good numbers, and the squawfish are fat and happy and still in good numbers. God, I love it when a plan comes together! :wink:

[timinthegorge]

Hmmm..... I thought they were non-reproducing since I think they're a cross between a northern pike and a musky, but that's just what I've heard.

I've got a fishin' buddy who's a lurker on this board (You know who you are ED) and he's gone up there to tackle 'em along the shore with surface gear.... with some success..... or so he says...... :grin: :wink:

[nerta]

:shocked: I know there good eating, one of the lakes ( name with held) we used to fish when mom live in Bayview Idaho had them. They fight hard and have teeth so grab them right behind the eye's (seems to paralize them )before you whack'm. fillet roll in flour and fry hot um um good. :grin: :cheers:

[Born to Fish]

Yup, that's what I used to think was the case with "hybrids" - that hybrids don't reproduce. But then again, like I said "i heard" from other sources that they can, to a very limited degree reproduce [the figure I was told was potential 6% success]. I believe you're right, they are a cross between the northern piky and musky.

I never bothered researching this. Perhaps there's someone out there in "Ifish" land who has a more educated take on this.

Any musky is a terrific fish to catch, and even though they're an aggressive predator, musky are not known to be easy to catch - ya gotta work hard for them.

[Hawgwash]

Click here. Looks like a squawfish to me.....

http://store.stcroixrods.com/display.asp?sku=84&rP=searching,cat@Posters,cR@default,rqOrder@1

[CATCH AND EAT]

One was caught two years ago in the Willamette. Interesting how they can escape Merwin. Dangerous predator as far as I am concerned. not good for salmon.

[timinthegorge]

Makes me wonder too C&E...... :whazzup:

Couldn't be that the WDFW could have made a mistake..... could it? :rolleyes:

[Born to Fish]

Update on Idaho's Cascade Lake, in the news the other day they were saying that the state was going to draw down the lake this fall and chemically treat it "to get rid of the tiger muskies and squawfish."

This apparently is their new game plan for trying to restore the trout and perch populations that once made this lake a great fishery. Here's hoping!

[DJFISHS2XS]

A tiny bit off topic, fish eat every few days, did you know that commorants eat there weight in fish every day....just "food" for thought...DJ

[reeldick]

Hawgwash,
That little item on the hook is call "Muskie Bait."
In Minnesota and Wisconsin big baits are the rule for muskies. One of the classics is a baby duck with a large treble hook hanging underneath.

[Hoosier Daddy]

:rolleyes: :shrug:

[DJFISHS2XS]

I grew up in the UP of Michigan and have seen musky's eat baby ducks, what I was pointing out is the fact that normal preditation depends on alot of things including the health of the pray, smolt are kind of easy pickings for any/all preditors they tend to be the swim in circles and the winner makes it to the salt, where they also might get picked off my otters,sea lions, seagulls, herons, other salmon, all the fish that live in the ocaen.....But I have see huge numbers of commorants in the great lakes of michigan. and I often see (not as many) sitting on the rocks in the middle of the river (Skagit) and why would they sit there during december, january, march etc if they wernt eating smolt by the dozen's...A 3 pound bird would eat what 100 a day....just dont like the $h1# birds....DJ