help posting a picture of a straaange looking pike/burbot/musky???

[ran7ger]

 hello all, i received an incredible picture of a northern/musky/burbot....something!  caught out of waskesui lake, saskatchewan canada.

 the fisn & game guys were there when it was caught, and could not identify it, but were leaning toward a musky.  this is highly unlikely as they've never been stocked in this lake, but upon counting the spots under the gills they were leaning toward a musky! Undecided  figured i'd post it on here, as we all know more about fish than they do anyways Wink Grin

 if someone would be kind enough to let me email this picture to them, and then post it over on the northern pike thread i'd be most appreciative.

 ran7ger

[shawno]

Hi ran7ger,

If you send me the pic...I'll have a look it and post it for you!!

[email protected]

[jimmyclaude]

Posting to see the pic. when it comes up

[shawno]

??
I haven't received the photo yet...

[flagup#1]

Posting to see the pic. when it comes up

same here

[shawno]

 hello all, i received an incredible picture of a northern/musky/burbot....something!  caught out of Waskesui Lake, Saskatchewan Canada.

 the fisn & game guys were there when it was caught, and could not identify it, but were leaning toward a musky.  this is highly unlikely as they've never been stocked in this lake, but upon counting the spots under the gills they were leaning toward a musky! Undecided  figured i'd post it on here, as we all know more about fish than they do anyways Wink Grin

 if someone would be kind enough to let me email this picture to them, and then post it over on the northern pike thread i'd be most appreciative.

 ran7ger

I am posting this picture on behalf of ran7ger....



I have never seen patterns on a Northern Pike in our area like this before.  In my opinion, I would say that it is a Northern Pike, but it is possible that it is some sort of hybrid species.

[Tombo]

same here

Me too, will be interesting to see what comes of this

[MPM]

  :tipup:That fish looks like a Tiger Muskie which someone probably stocked illegally. We have some Hybrid Tiger Muskies here in New York that were stocked in some of the Watershed Lakes by the state and it sure looks like one of those that we have here.

[spoxick]

could it be just some kinda of wierd pattern mutation or defect or maybe the fish got a little to close to some toxic dumping lol    i would think maybe it is just a fluke and his pattern is messed up kinda like albinos type thing i unno though thats a strange but nice looking fish

[WPT]

If the number of holes under the jaw were in fact consistent with a muskie and not a northern, you'd have to assume it's a tiger musky in my opinion.  One thing that every pike family expert seems to point out is that those holes under the jaw don't lie.

[walleyekelly]

Yah- does look like a tiger muskie

[PeteTown]

what an interesting picture

[jimmyclaude]

Lookin at it I would say pike. Any way you want to go, what a COOL lookin fish!

[Spicoli]

that looks like a pike to me

[fish boy]

just a really colorful pike...they come in lots of different varieties...ever see a white one...they're really cool

[SK Justin]

It's just a very uniquely marked pike. I've seen pictures of pike like this from Europe as well, and even in other species.

I very highly doubt that anybody would have tried to stock muskies or hybrids in Saskatchewan, and the chance of it being a natural occurrence is even less (especially given the location). Besides, the fish looks like a pike. Take a look at the fins - they are orange and have the same markings that all pike do. I wish that we could see the rest of the tail.

I wouldn't trust identification by a CO. They make mistakes, and I've seen them stumped by a mooneye (first thinking it was a tullibee, and then having to pull their books out).

[slough shark savvy]

That is cool...Looks like a Northern to me too. Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Chain Pickerel, Grass Pickerel and Redfin Pickerel are all species within the pike family. And they all look quite similar. Its hard to say from a pic but, it looks like a Northern Pike with some distinctive color variations. Perhaps a rare recesive genetic throw back? Or maybe its the only one. I once caught two perch out of Island lake (central Sask). They both had a body shape more like bluegill than perch. But they were definatly perch. Lake trout seem to really vary alot. There are few different strains, with some distinct colour variations.  All pretty cool. I hope that fish made its way to an expert. I'd like to hear more.
Anyone else catch any weird looking fish?

[Water Wolf]

Now that's the neatest looking pike I have seen yet. 
They can sure vary in coloration. 8)

I caught a unusual pike last summer.


It also had a transmitter embedded in its abdomen just in front of it's pelvic fins.


WW

[Luffy]

That looks like a yellow perch!

[ran7ger]

That looks like a yellow perch!

wow, seriously?

[4cator]

Both of them are very neat looking critters for sure.

[Luffy]

wow, seriously?

No, of course not...   

[Bailbuster]

Looks like you have caught a spy!!!!

[Tombo]

Looks like you have caught a spy!!!!

I bet it's some type of Russian spy pike 
Seriously Water Wolf, Did you ever check with a CO to see what that's about?

[jimmyclaude]

Did you ever check with a CO to see what that's about?

Gee, finish the story!

[ran7ger]

 just stumbled across this again, figured i'd give this picture a bump.  anyone seen any other pike like this before?

[Water Wolf]

I bet it's some type of Russian spy pike 
Seriously Water Wolf, Did you ever check with a CO to see what that's about?

Tombo,
I did sent the transmitter to the Department of Fisheries and Ocean in Regina.
They thanked me for returning the Passive Integrated Transponder {PIT} tag to them.

They also sent me a Len Thompson Spoon and pen with Fisheries and Oceans on them as a thank you gift along with a bit of info on when this fish was tagged.

They said this fish was first captured by the DFO on April 9th 2005 at the mouth of the South creek at Fishing Lake.
It was determined that the fish was a male getting ready to spawn.

They found it interesting that the fish moved to a new lake rather than returning to the one it came from, but they were not sure why the fish had that coloration.
I don't think it was like that when they caught it.

One theory was the tag some how bothered the fish and the radio transmissions through it may have made the color change, another was it many have been in too warm a water for it's like for quite some time before it finally found it's way to the cooler lake where I caught it.

There were only 12 pike tagged with the PIT tags and between my uncle and I we caught 3.
Two of which were in a totally different lake from the tagging area.
I caught 2 tagged fish and my uncle caught 1. 8)

WW

[Layne]

There were only 12 pike tagged with the PIT tags and between my uncle and I we caught 3.
Two of which were in a totally different lake from the tagging area.
I caught 2 tagged fish and my uncle caught 1. 8)

WW

Keep it up this winter and you'll be into some serious derby money haha.

[Pants]

Hey Aquafuge,
From what I understand, in Canada, we used the term Pickerel and the Americans used the term Walleye to designate the fish species Sander Vitreus.  When I was younger we always called them Yellow Pickerel or just Pickerel and it wasn't until the mid 80's that the outfitters started changing over and using the american term to avoid confusion when talking to clients.  I know the the MNR in Ontario started using it in their fishing guides because of the large numbers of american fishermen that were coming into the province.  I think it just sort of changed slowly over time and now most people will fight you tooth and nail that the Yellow Pickerel and the Walleye are 2 different species.  It is even a debate between CO's, so I think the choice is yours.

I personally still call them Pickerel or Yellow Pickerel but when I talk to my friends from the States, it is always Walleye.

[engineman]

Grew up calling them pickerel in Ontario. When I started guiding the clients mostly called them Walleye so I just automatically changed over. Same fish...even taste as good!!