This article comes to us from Justine Lofton with Michigan Live – You can find the full article HERE!
In Manistique, MI, the Thompson State Fish Hatchery was completely renovated and produced 20,000 muskellunge fingerlings that were stocked in Michigan lakes. The renovation included a new cold water installation and updating of the pond complex. While plans for 2022 are to produce 250,000 walleye fry, they were preparing for just 18,000 Musky fry last year, beating the goal of producing 20,000 healthy, robust fish ready to take to the waters
Inside the cold water facility is a hatchery building with a biosafety room that collects and disinfects the eggs. There is also an egg incubation room and a hatching room with tanks to receive the hatched fish. The complex is also home to two 1-acre ponds and four 1/2-acre ponds that are lined and netted to keep predators at bay. There is also a lined solar pond that heats the water to prevent thermal shock to the fish. The investment included a new generator that will automatically start if the main power source fails or power is lost to the facility.
Here at Musky Hunter Magazine we expect big things, including a lot of new Musky, from this installation. We have our eyes on them and will keep you posted on any information they may share!
How hard is it to catch a musky?
Both are highly predatory fish, built for speed and strength. For this reason, they are prized game fish throughout their range. Muskies are also hard to hook, hence the nickname “thousand-shafted fish.” They are hard to fool and impossible to predict.
Why is muskie more difficult to catch than pike? As you can read in the next section, the fact that muskrat is only found in certain regions of North America also makes it difficult to capture this species. Pike, on the other hand, can be caught quite easily and regularly, both in shallow water when casting from the shore, and in deeper water when trolling.
What is the hardest fish to catch?
The 10 hardest fish to catch in the ocean
- BLACK MARLIN. …
- PINK TUNA …
- SWORD FISH …
- YELLOW FIN TUNA. …
- MARLÍ RIES …
- WOW. …
- SAIL FISH …
- WHITE MARLIN
What is the best bait to catch muskie?
Bucktails â Bucktails are arguably the most popular lure used by muskie anglers. Wagtails produce vibrations in the water that are easily felt by the lateral line of a muskie. Bucktails can be retrieved at any speed, depending on the conditions. The most popular bucktails are double 9 blades and double 10 blades.
What is the best musky bait?
Crankbaits are classic muskie baits, and Musky Mania’s Jake Crankbait has long been a leader in that realm. When this lure returns to the boat, its movement is unmatched. It has a jerk, flash and wobble that combine beautifully to mimic a dying fish – a hungry muskie’s dream!
How hard is it to catch a musky?
Both are highly predatory fish, built for speed and strength. For this reason, they are prized game fish throughout their range. Muskies are also known to be hard to hook, hence the nickname “fish of a thousand pitches†They are hard to fool and impossible to predict.
Why are muskie so rare?
Muskies are rare, but we see a few each season. Pike breed before muskies and young pike will prey on baby muskies, which is a limiting factor for the muskie population. There are three different patterns of pure Muskies (clear, spotted and barred) and the cross between Pike and Muskie (Tiger Muskie).
Why is it so hard to catch a muskie?
Muskies are known as the “fish of 10,000 molds” for a reason. An elusive predator with razor-sharp teeth and a finicky paddle, it takes specific gear to fish for muskellunge—they grow up to five feet long and can put up a tough fight against even the most seasoned anglers, including Animal Planet. Jeremy Wade.
Why are tiger muskie so rare?
A Tiger Muskie is a cross between a Northern Pike and a Muskie. Pike usually spawn first, but occasionally a Pike spawns late enough to match the spawn of Muskie and indeed the Tiger Muskie. Tigers grow faster than either parent of the pure strain and are usually infertile, which is part of what makes them so rare.
Where are the biggest musky?
Around the Great Lakes, state records for muskie range from a low in Illinois of 38 pounds for 8 ounces to a high in New York of 69 pounds for 15 ounces. The process of verifying a world record muskie involves an even higher degree of scrutiny than state record holders.
Where is the best place for muskrats? Muskies especially thrive in and around the Great Lakes, including all five lakes and surrounding rivers. Fishing in and around the Great Lakes gives anglers the best chance to land one of these giant predators. Muskellunge is one of the most sought after freshwater fish in North America.
What state has the most musky?
Wisconsin Muskie State Record So either way, Wisconsin is undoubtedly home to some of the biggest muskies ever caught.
Which state has the best musky fishing?
Minnesota offers many places to fish. Among the largest and most popular muskie lakes in this category are Mille Lacs (130,000 acres), Vermillion (39,277 acres), Bemidji (6,596 acres), Detroit (3,067 acres), and Alexander (2,709 acres).
What states are muskie native to?
Muskellunge are found in oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes and large rivers in northern Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and northern Minnesota through the Great Lakes region, Chautauqua Lake in western New York, northern Canada, in most of the St. Lawrence River drainage and northward. the top…
What is the biggest muskie in the world?
The official world record recognized by most organizations is Louis Spray’s 69-pound, 11-ounce muskie caught in 1949 in the Chippewa Flowage in northwest Wisconsin.
What is the largest muskellunge ever caught?
The largest muskellunge ever caught was 68 pounds and 631â2 inches long. It was caught in the Chippewa Flowage in Sawyer County on October 10, 1949. The tiger muskie is a hybrid offspring of a true muskie and a northern pike.
Where was the largest muskie ever caught?
The official world record recognized by most organizations is Louis Spray’s 69-pound, 11-ounce muskie caught in 1949 in the Chippewa Flowage in northwest Wisconsin. (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press.
What Lake has the most muskies?
Lake of the Woods is also considered by more than a few to be the largest muskie fishery in the world, just in case you need to work up a more intense appetite.
What state has the best musky fishing?
Minnesota offers many places to fish. Among the largest and most popular muskie lakes in this category are Mille Lacs (130,000 acres), Vermillion (39,277 acres), Bemidji (6,596 acres), Detroit (3,067 acres), and Alexander (2,709 acres).
What is the biggest muskie caught in the United States?
LARGEST MOSKIE TIGER PASS CELEBRATES 100TH ANNIVERSARY According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the tiger muskie is the largest on record. The largest muskellunge ever caught was 68 pounds and 631â2 inches long. It was captured in the Chippewa Flowage in Sawyer County on October 10, 1949.
What water temps do muskies bite the most?
It usually starts when the water temperature cools below 70 degrees, but really increases between 65 and about 58 degrees. After that, turnover is about to happen and that particular bite is over.
What month is best for muskie fishing? Early summer – September by number of Muskies and length. Late October – December 15th for your heavy giants. I pull the big trolling boat around the second week of November so it doesn’t freeze.
What water temperature do muskies spawn?
Muskies spawn around 55 degrees, so ideal spawning grounds are in shallow, flat, marshy areas, usually with dams over 3 feet deep. Wind protection and cooler main lake water temperatures make secluded bays, islands and small creek inlets good spawning grounds.
How often do muskies spawn?
Depending on their range, muskie generally spawn between late March and mid-June. They will spawn in water temperatures between 45 and 60 F in areas of lakes or rivers that are shallow and weedy. Muskie tend to spawn at night or during the early morning hours.
What is the best time to fish for muskie?
Some of the highest muskie catch rates are during the summer months when the water is warm and the fish are more active. Fall fishing can also be very productive at times, with many of the biggest being caught during the fall.
What is the best water temperature to catch muskie?
Biologists classify salmon as cold water fish. They are most comfortable in water temperatures between 63 and 67 degrees. In this temperature range, and in even colder water, there is enough oxygen in the water that a muskie can exercise without lasting effects.
What weather is best for musky fishing?
Some of the best weather conditions for fishing include windy days, rainy days, overcast and boggy days, and changing conditions ahead of a front. On clear lakes, especially those with a lot of boat traffic during the day, night fishing can be productive. It has been said that muskies are where you find them!
What depth do muskie swim at?
Muskies generally stay in shallow, slow water and rarely go deeper than 40 feet unless the shallow water gets too warm or there is more food in the deeper areas.
How do you catch muskie in cold water?
What lake has the most musky?
The top three big water producers of giant muskies are Green Bay, Lake St. Clair and the Ottawa River/St. Llorenç river systems. Anglers have a legitimate shot at a 50- to 56-inch muskie almost any day of the season there, and it’s possible for a record fish to swim in at least two of those fisheries.
Which state has the best muskie fishing? Minnesota offers many places to fish. Among the largest and most popular muskie lakes in this category are Mille Lacs (130,000 acres), Vermillion (39,277 acres), Bemidji (6,596 acres), Detroit (3,067 acres), and Alexander (2,709 acres).
What state has the most musky?
Wisconsin Muskie State Record So either way, Wisconsin is undoubtedly home to some of the biggest muskies ever caught.
What states are muskie native to?
Muskellunge are found in oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes and large rivers in northern Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and northern Minnesota through the Great Lakes region, Chautauqua Lake in western New York, northern Canada, in most of the St. Lawrence River drainage and northward. the top…
What lake has the most muskies?
Lake of the Woods is also considered by more than a few to be the largest muskie fishery in the world, just in case you need to work up a more intense appetite.
What is the biggest muskie caught in the United States?
LARGEST MOSKIE TIGER PASS CELEBRATES 100TH ANNIVERSARY According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the tiger muskie is the largest on record. The largest muskellunge ever caught was 68 pounds and 631â2 inches long. It was captured in the Chippewa Flowage in Sawyer County on October 10, 1949.
How old is a 30 inch muskie?
The average is 18-20 inches at two years, 25-30 inches at three years. Mature adults measure 34 to 48 inches and can grow to an excess of 30 pounds.
How old would a 40 inch muskie be? On average, muskrats are about 11 inches long after their first year of life, reach 34â by year 7, reach 40â by year 9, and reach 50 inches by age 17. Females usually grow faster than males.
How old is a 48 inch muskie?
It reaches a body length of 11 inches after the first year of life. At 7 years they reach 34, 40 at 9 and 50 at 17.
How can you tell how old a muskie is?
Little is known about the muskie’s growth throughout its years, especially later in its long life, living up to 30 years. To estimate the age of fish, scientists often use scales or bony structures, such as ear bones, that ring like a cross-section of a tree.
How old is a 30 inch musky?
They continue to grow rapidly during the first five years of life; males mature in four to five years, 28 to 31 inches and females mature in five to seven years, 30 to 36 inches. Adult muskrats have no aquatic predators, but can fall prey to disease, large birds of prey, or people.
How old can a muskie fish get?
Adult muskellunge have no aquatic predators, but may fall prey to disease, large birds, or people. Muskies live up to 18 years on average, but can reach 30 years.
How fast do muskie grow?
Young muskies will reach 7 to 13 inches in late summer. They continue to grow rapidly until the age of five. The male muskellunge matures in about four to five years at 28 to 31 inches. Females mature between five and seven years at 30 to 36 inches in length.
How old is a 50 in muskie?
On average, muskrats are about 11 inches long after their first year of life, reach 34â by year 7, reach 40â by year 9, and reach 50 inches by age 17.
How long does it take for a musky to get to 50 inches?
Growth and final size can vary between water bodies, depending on factors such as lake productivity, forage and genetics. Depending on the body of water, muskellunge in Minnesota could take 13 to 21 years to reach 50 inches. Younk is a fisheries research biologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.