Attention!

Due to the severe weather from Hurricane Sandy, the date of the tournament has been rescheduled to November 11, 2012.

The anglers meetings will be on at 6:30pm on Saturday November 10th at The Sandbar restaurant. Thank you for your understanding.


Lake St. Clair Muskie Challenge
Our Sponsors
Tournament Sponsors

Muskellunge Identification

Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) - 3 Common Patterns


Muskie Outline

Muskie Diagram

Please use the diagram show above with the pictures below, to properly distinguish members of the muskellunge family.


Clear Muskellunge

Clear

  • Paired fins have more pointed tips.
  • Sometimes, a faint indication of marking pattern is present on posterior 1/3 body in “clear” variation of muskellunge.

Spotted Muskellunge

Spotted

  • Caudal fins with pointed tips.

Barred Muskellunge

Barred

  • Coloration with vertical dark markings on a light background.
  • Juvenile pattern similar to adult.
  • Background colors of fish can vary slightly depending on environmental characteristics of the body of water and its geographic location. One marking pattern may dominate in an area, but all 3 can be present.

Hybrid "Tiger" Muskellunge

Hybrid "Tiger" (Esox masquinongy x Esox lucius)

  • Caudal fins with rounded tips.
  • Paired fins having rounded tips.
  • Coloration having irregular narrow vertical dark markings on a light background with stripes merging onto the back in an interlocking pattern.
  • Sometimes the sides exhibit an alternating pattern of stripes and spots, or narrow paired-bars on a light background.
  • Pattern never resembles that of a northern pike.

Northern Pike

Northern Pike (Esox lucius)

  • Paired fins having more rounded tips
  • Caudal fin with more rounded tips
  • Has a coloration pattern of light "round to oval" horizontal rows on a dark background.
  • Some areas may contain "Silver Pike", which is a mutant color variation of a Northern Pike. "Silver Pike" lack the characteristic spots of Northern Pike and have a "dark to light" greyish/blue side. "Silver Pike" have similar fin colorartion as a normal Northern Pike.