How old do muskie get?
Adult muskellunge have no aquatic predators but may become victims to disease, large birds, or people. Muskies live to be about 18 years old on average but can reach up to 30 years old.
On average, musky are about 11 inches long after their first year of life, reach 34” in year 7, reach 40” in year 9, and reach 50 inches by age 17.
Muskellunge are typically 28–48 in (71–122 cm) long and weigh 15–36 lb (6.8–16.3 kg), though some have reached up to 6 ft (1.8 m) and almost 70 lb (32 kg).
It reaches a body length of 11 inches after their first year of life. By age of 7 they reach 34”, 40” by age 9 and 50 inches by age 17.
They continue to grow rapidly during the first five years of life; males mature in four to five years, at 28 to 31 inches and females mature in five to seven years, at 30 to 36 inches. Adult muskies have no aquatic predators, but may fall victim to disease, large birds of prey, or people.
The oldest documented muskie from the Potomac River was a female aged to be 19 years old. Prior to this exceptional fish the oldest muskie was aged to be 13 years old. Females live longer than males and the oldest male muskie on record is 11 years old.
For muskies, the world records for length and weight are held by two different fish. The maximum documented length is 72.04 inches (183 cm), and the heaviest documented weight is 70.10 pounds (31.8 kg), according to FishBase.
| Species | Weight | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Muskellunge | 15 lbs. | 40 “ |
| Northern Pike | 6 lbs. | 30 “ |
| Rainbow Trout | 4 lbs. | 22 “ |
| Redear Sunfish | 1 lbs. | 11 “ |
There's truth to this statement when it comes to fish at the top end of the size spectrum. The three best big-water producers of giant muskies are Green Bay, Lake St. Clair, and the Ottawa River/St. Lawrence River systems.
What lake has the biggest muskie?
The world record was taken from Lake Court Oreilles in Hayward, Wisconsin, on July 24, 1949 by Cal Johnson. The Ontario record Muskie weighed 65 pounds and measured 58 inches in length with 30.5 inches in girth.
Obviously the muskie is not out to bite humans and likely just see the flailing hands or feet as some sort of wounded fish in the water. They are aggressive predator fish and are generally tricked into biting anglers' large, loud moving lures. Gervais hasn't let the incident deter him from swimming in St. Clair.
Fact is, it usually takes a 42-incher to make 20 pounds, a 48- to 49-incher to make 30 pounds, and a 52 to 55-incher to make 40 pounds.
Although growth of older male muskies is slow, and few ever reach 44 inches, females typically reach 36 inches at age 7 and 44 inches at age 12.
Generally, female walleye which are 25 inches long are about 10 years old, and 30 inch females are in the range of 20 years old.
This classic Mepps has always been a great producer of large fish because it's so well suited for water depths of four to 12 feet. Big musky are found in these depths all summer long.
A 40-inch tiger muskie is usually about seven years old and has spent its life serving an important purpose — to control nongame fish while providing anglers an enjoyable challenge.
For fishing techniques where the risk of bite-offs is lower, fashioning an 18-inch long leader from 50- to 80-pound a test fluorocarbon line is a good option. Fluorocarbon is flexible, holds knots well, and has enough abrasion resistance to turn back the teeth of pike and muskie in most situations.
The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame is an American hall of fame in Hayward, Wisconsin, dedicated to promoting freshwater fishing. Approximately 100,000 visitors tour the museum each year. The 143-foot-long (44 m) muskie sculpture is the world's largest muskie.
Wisconsin. If the world record musky is going to be caught within the next five years most believe it will come out of Green Bay. Green Bay is a world class fishery with muskies reaching monstrous sizes. Wisconsin also has a lot of great musky lakes in Vilas County and the Hayward area in Northern Wisconsin.
Why are muskies so rare?
Tiger Muskie Fishing
First, muskie and tiger muskie are rare because they're large apex predators so naturally fewer of them can occupy a body of water. Second, both fish are incredibly wary of bait, which means even if you manage to find one there's a good chance they just won't bite.
The Big Muskie was shut down in 1991 because of the Clean Air Act. It made a lot of money for the coal mine during those 22 years, and provided a lot of fat paychecks for a lot of grateful coal miners.
Despite claims from a number of resort communities in Wisconsin and other mid-west states, Boulder Junction, in Northern Wisconsin's Vilas County is the only official Musky Capitol of the World®.
Nicknames. While many know, muskies are a very sought-after fish due to its sheer size and rarity. This high demand called for several nicknames. To name a few there is Esox, river wolf, ski, lunge, ugly pike, the fish of 10,000 casts, freshwater barracuda, Great pike, and many more.
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What Are the Best Lure Colors for Musky in Clear Water?
If its stripers, (rock fish) you're after, panfish such as bluegill should be enough to get the job done. Catching panfish for bait is quick and easy. Flathead catfish prefer bluegill, goldfish, creek minnows and big gizzard shad. Muskies love big creek shiners, gizzard shad and suckers.
Muskies will also hit smaller lures at this time. Mepps Aglias and Aglia longs are good choices for early-season musky fishing. Try fishing either a #3 or a #4 Aglia with a silver or gold blade. A dressed or even a plain #4 Aglia Long with a goldbo or rainbow scale blade can also be very effective at this time.
The line you use should be based on the size of the fishing rod you use. In open water with a light-to-medium action rod, many people use 10 to 12-pound test line. In areas where there are thicker weeds, 12 to 15-pound test can be used.
Tackle Needs
A stiff, and relatively short, rod is standard, with at least 25- to 40-pound line, though many diehard muskie anglers use thin-diameter microfilament lines from 50- to 80-pound strength. It's hard to set the hook well into a large muskie, so multiple hooksetting and a low-stretch line can be advantageous.
For muskies, the world records for length and weight are held by two different fish. The maximum documented length is 72.04 inches (183 cm), and the heaviest documented weight is 70.10 pounds (31.8 kg), according to FishBase.
What is the largest muskie ever caught?
The largest muskie ever caught weighed 69 pounds, albeit subject to controversy. The largest muskie ever caught weighed 69 pounds 15 ounces. This immense fish was caught in 1957 in the St Lawrence River by Arthur Lawson.
Little is known about the muskie growth through its years, particularly later in their long lives—they live up to 30 years. To estimate the age of fish, scientists typically use scales or bony structures such ear bones that lay down rings like a cross section of a tree.
First, muskie and tiger muskie are rare because they're large apex predators so naturally fewer of them can occupy a body of water. Second, both fish are incredibly wary of bait, which means even if you manage to find one there's a good chance they just won't bite.
There's truth to this statement when it comes to fish at the top end of the size spectrum. The three best big-water producers of giant muskies are Green Bay, Lake St. Clair, and the Ottawa River/St. Lawrence River systems.
Despite claims from a number of resort communities in Wisconsin and other mid-west states, Boulder Junction, in Northern Wisconsin's Vilas County is the only official Musky Capitol of the World®.
People who love eating muskies will tell you that muskie tastes quite similar to bass. Others believe it tastes more like pike. Either way, muskie is more of a bland fish with not as much flavor as other fish species, like salmon or tuna. Much of the taste of the fish depends on how you cook it.
This is a much-debated question, and the answer most anglers will give you is that a trophy muskie is a fish of at least 50 inches. A 50+ incher is undoubtedly a fish that dreams are made of, and to many, it's the ultimate goal in life.
Given the opportunity to choose, Muskies prefer soft rayed, high protein based fish such as Suckers, Tullibee, Ciscoes, Bullheads, Carp, and minnows. In fact, the food sources Muskies prefer most are usually fish species that most people would desire to not have in their lake.
- BLACK MARLIN. ...
- BLUEFIN TUNA. ...
- SWORDFISH. ...
- YELLOWFIN TUNA. ...
- STRIPED MARLIN. ...
- WAHOO. ...
- SAILFISH. ...
- WHITE MARLIN.
How deep do muskies swim?
Most muskies are caught less than 30 feet deep, often from 15 to 25 feet. Sometimes they're much shallower. Most casters lure fish in from 5 to 15 feet deep while trollers usually catch them from 8 to 30.
