Fish ID

[vngpc]

Hi all!

Looking for ID on fish from Lake Nipissing. About 40 cm long.

Could it be a juvenile musky? Tail shape is rounded though.

Attaching two quick snaps, released it back right away.

[vngpc]

Jaw

[$teve]

Yup it's a musky, and very cool markings on it!!

[sabmgb]

I have trouble telling the two apart. I been told that musky have vent holes along the bottom jaw. Then was told musky have pointed tails. So really don't know, so just let them all go.

[vngpc]

Thanks for ID!

I'm OK telling bigger fish apart but this one doesn't have the usual musky or pike markings.

Googling juvenile musky spits out different-marked fish also.

This one has round spots, a little like a pike in negative. Attaching pic of similar size pike from same area.

Is this juvenile musky what most of them look like in Nipissing?

[Fozzy47]

To me your last pic looks like a juvie Pike, not a Muskie.

Cheers,

[vngpc]

Sorry, the last pic is a pike to compare with muskie shown at the beginning of the thread.

[JungleJim]

Easiest way to tell is, they are opposite colours. Pike are dark background with light marks. Musky are light background with dark marks.

[vngpc]

Thank you all for chiming in.

I guess my question now is whether the young muskie's pattern is standard for Nipissing waters.
As mentioned, the fish is spotted differently from anything I was able to find as sample images on google.
Adult muskie from Nipissing seem to have muted barring or spots that aren't regularly shaped and this is what threw me off.

[metalbuckle]

Nice fish! I am inclined to think, this may be a muskie and pike hybrid. However, it does not look like a typical Tiger Muskie, but the tail and fins do show some pike traits. Overall the physical traits and coloration are more weighted towards a juvi muskie.

Here are pics of a couple of true tigers

[metalbuckle]

Tiger muskie

[BillM]

Voting Tiger as well, really nice looking fish.

[crappeeeman]

Cool hybrid maybe you have discovered a new species of muskie crossed with this fish. But these are only in Eastern Europe and Russia. But you never know. LOL. It's a super fish...Muskie, pike, speckled trout hybrid that eats everything and anything.

[vngpc]

An experienced angler did suggest this could be a hybrid of some sort but wanted to check with more people.
I'm also leaning towards a cross with pike as spotting is similar to young pike in those waters. I understand that would make the fish a tiger muskellunge.
I'd be beyond excited if this was the case.

Comparison with the European fish is also interesting. Spotting does look similar!

Please chime in if anyone can say more about this fish. Even if it's just loose thoughts.

From context of answers it seems it has an unusual pattern for muskellunge. Still would be nice to have a definitive confirmation from people that frequent those waters (West Bay).

[crappeeeman]

Oh, it's definitely a Canadian northern pike and muskie hybrid. There is a possibility it is a second generation hybrid or just has more of a dominant pike percentage in it's make up. Mother nature paints some beautiful fish and animals as well as trees and landscapes for us to marvel at. It's like those blue/green crappie I have caught a bunch of in one area. I am hoping to catch more that's why I let them go. I am wondering if the colour will fade as they grow.