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Montana => Ice Fishing Montana => Topic started by: Riverb8 on Dec 11, 2007, 01:30 PM

Title: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: Riverb8 on Dec 11, 2007, 01:30 PM
Has anyone ever caught a Tiger Muskie thru the ice?  Someone told me that for some reason its difficult to catch them in the winter.  Why wouldn't they act more like a pike?  My thought was to try to target them at Deadmans Basin.  It seems like they have been catching quite a few in the summer. 

What do you guys think?
Title: Re: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: Walltrout on Dec 11, 2007, 01:38 PM
Give it a shot, you never know. I have heard of people catching ling in the middle of summer so anything is possible.  The fish still have to eat.  I think if you do a search of this site, you will find quite a bit of info on catching them through the ice.
Title: Re: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: Pittsfield Pike Preditor on Dec 11, 2007, 01:44 PM
I live in the berkshires. The Mass state record Muskie came through the ice and the WORLD record for the largest muskie through the ice was caught 10 minutes from my house.(Both the same fish) The guys name is Jim Lambert. 27 pounds 46 inches.....check out the link. He wrote an artical entitled "Hunting for tigers". Hope you enjoy.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfwpdf/dfw_tigerfishing.pdf
Title: Re: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: Riverb8 on Dec 11, 2007, 02:05 PM
Pittsfield,

Thanks for the info.  I guess the information I heard about muskies thru the ice was incorrect. 

I think I am going to give it a try once Deadmans gets iced over.  Has anyone else tried to catch muskies thru the ice at Deadmans?
Title: Re: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: MrMarty51 on Jan 03, 2008, 09:12 PM
I did`nt know there was any Muskies in the state.Always wanted to get to some place where there might be a chance of getting one but just never made it there.Deadmans on My list for this winter.
Have the Muskies always been there or were they planted in?
Title: Re: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: Riverb8 on Jan 04, 2008, 09:12 AM
I'm pretty sure FWP has transplanted them in there.  My biology is a little rusty, but I thought the Tiger Muskies they trasplanted can't reproduce.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong.  According to the fish stocking plans, they put about 7000 of them in there between 1998-2000, and another 500 in 2006. 

There are also a couple of small lakes in Billings (Lake Elmo and Lake Josephine) that they have transplanted them into.  I think FWP is trying to clean up some of the trash fish.  Don't know how well it will work.
Title: Re: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: GAMBELL on Jan 04, 2008, 09:19 AM
Here are a couple that I caught a couple of years ago in New York.  The lake they were caught in does have a healthy population and they are caught on a regular basis during the ice season.

(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c278/GAMBELL/Brian-TigerMusky4.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c278/GAMBELL/Brian-TigerMusky1.jpg)

Title: Re: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: Walltrout on Jan 04, 2008, 09:33 AM
The FWP have been stocking pike muskie crosses in several areas in the state.  I checked their stocking report and did not see any pure muskies being stocked.

http://fwp.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=27716 (http://fwp.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=27716)
Title: Re: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: wingnutty on Jan 04, 2008, 12:05 PM
I spent 3 years in Wisconsin (the land of the muskie) and you never really heard about people icing them too often.  Pike, yes, muskie, no.  Don't know why.  You might ask your question on another board, like the Wisconsin board because folks would most certainly know why.  I'm kinda curious myself?  But they seem to shut down in the winter for some reason.  Not saying folks didn't occassionally catch them, but they weren't iced nearly as much as pike and not nearly as many caught through the ice as during the summer.

Same thing with both LM and SM bass ya know.  You'll occassionally catch them on the ice, but not too often.


You are correct, tigers can't breed.
Title: Re: Tiger Muskies thru the Ice?
Post by: JCaughtem on Jan 04, 2008, 12:34 PM
Has anyone ever caught a Tiger Muskie thru the ice?  Someone told me that for some reason its difficult to catch them in the winter.  Why wouldn't they act more like a pike?  My thought was to try to target them at Deadmans Basin.  It seems like they have been catching quite a few in the summer. 

What do you guys think?
over the years i have landed them i fish more often than most people usually at least one tiger a year by nature muskies prefer warmer water than pike by 15 20 degrees but they do have to eat.