Description

Esox masquinongy, the muskie, is one of the most revered freshwater fish on the planet. It is among the largest, most elusive freshwater fish in North America. Muskies are known for their crushing bite. An ambush predator, they lurk in shallow weed beds and strike out at fish, ducklings, rodents and even small muskrats. Muskies are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae, and have a similar look as the more common northern pike and American pickerel. (The name Muskellunge comes from the Ojibwa word meaning “ugly pike.”) Muskies have an elongated body, flat head with dark vertical spots along the midsection, which may break into spots on some fish. Typically they weigh between 5 and 40 pounds, but some fish have pushed 60 pounds and more than 6 feet in length. Muskie fishing is not for immediate gratification types. Some anglers don't catch a single muskie in a lifetime of northern lake fishing. They're notoriously elusive, but some muskie specialists have managed to land several in a season. Fishing for them usually involves a combination of trolling and casting into probable muskie habitat like weed beds, rock outcroppings and other structure in cold, clear water.