A Fish Guaranteed To Rock Your Boat

How would you like to hook a fish that will hit a lure so hard it might jerk the rod out of your hand, jump like a berserk steelhead and fight as hard as a Kamloops trout?

Pack up your spinnerbaits, crankbaits, plugs and spoons, make sure you’ve got wire or tough braided leaders, jaw spreaders and long-nosed pliers, and head for lakes where there are fast-growing tiger muskies.

The tigers are growing to trophy size in two Washington and five North Idaho lakes. You’ll likely see other tiger muskie hunters, for the Northwest’s newest game fish surely will attract the attention of scores of anglers who want to hook big predator fish that attack lures so close to boats that they splash water on fishermen and make spectacular jumps.

The long, slim tiger muskie, a cross between male northern pike and a female muskellunge, will start foraging actively this month and in June. In fact, June could be the most productive month to fish for the muskies.

The Washington lakes where tiger muskies are prowling the weed beds for prey are Newman in Spokane County and Mayfield in Lewis County.

Idaho Panhandle lakes where muskies have been released are Hauser, a 550-acre lake near Rathdrum; Blue, 100 acres, six miles northeast of Priest River; Dawson, 35 acres, near Moyie Springs; Freeman, 30 acres, near Priest River; Gamble, 130 acres, 20 miles southeast of Priest River, and Shepherd, 120 acres, about seven miles southeast of Sandpoint.

Also, six Montana reservoirs have been stocked with tiger muskies. A new state record, a 27-pounder, was caught last year at Lebo Lake.

Tiger muskies are sterile. Consequently, there’s no danger of them multiplying and decimating other game fish populations.

Tiger muskies have been in Mayfield since 1988. They’ve grown fast on a diet of squawfish, and some now weigh more than 20 pounds. A 19-pound 13-ounce musky, the current Washington record, came from Mayfield.

Fisheries biologist Jack Tipping, in charge of Washington’s tiger muskie program, set out to create a trophy fishery and rebuild the coho salmon population at Mayfield. He has succeeded.

The predatory squawfish had been eating juvenile cohos by the thousands. Muskies dined on the squawfish and the survival rate of young cohos jumped dramatically. Furthermore, fishing for the muskies has become popular.

Spokane district fisheries biologist Bob Peck said the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department began releasing tiger muskies in Newman nearly three years ago. A total of 3,131 has been planted.

Numbers, sizes and dates of the releases: 697, 6 to 7 inches, Sept, 1992; 2,252, 12 inches, April, 1994, and 200, 14 inches, May, 1994.

Peck said that tiger muskies in Newman are 15 to about 25 inches long.

“The survival rate of the muskies released last year should have been high,” he said. “The fish were large enough to escape other predator fish, such as bass, and to start feeding soon after they were released. And water temperatures were ideal.”

The muskies’ preferred food in Newman is carp fry. The lake is loaded with carp. The muskies also will feed on young bluegills and perch. The lake is full of stunted bluegills and perch. By feeding on those species, Peck said, sizes likely will increase.

By feeding on carp fry, tiger muskies could reduce Newman’s carp population. They’ll also provide some thrills for anglers.

Washington has been getting tiger muskie eggs from Minnesota and rearing the fish in the Cowlitz and Mossyrock trout hatcheries.

The Idaho Fish and Game Department has released tiger muskies into North Idaho lakes since 1989.

Idaho fisheries biologist Jim Davis of Coeur d’Alene said that tiger muskies have been caught at Hauser, Shepherd and Dawson lakes.

Idaho’s current tiger muskie record, taken at Hauser last year, is 12 pounds 1 ounce.

Washington’s daily limit is one tiger muskie 36 inches or longer; possession limit is two daily limits. Idaho’s possession limit is two; minimum size, 30 inches.

Because tiger muskies have been raised in hatcheries for only 13 years, techniques for catching them are relatively new. Guides and veteran anglers say that tigers are more aggressive than pike and that they’re not as active as pike between November and March.

Tiger muskies seem to prefer lures smaller than those pike will take. Good choices are the Five of Diamonds, Johnson Silver Minnow, No. 5 Blue Fox Vibrax, No. 18 Floating Rapala, Lindy Shadling and Zara Spook. In fact, many standard bass plugs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits are effective.

When tiger muskies are feeding, veteran anglers say, fish shallow water near weeds where there are prey fish.

If a big tiger musky hits your lure, brace your legs, swallow your stomach and hold on.

You can contact Fenton Roskelley by voice mail at 459-5577, extension 3814.