Chasing Tigers: Hooking Tiger Musky

While even conventional anglers call the tiger musky a fish of 10,000 casts, the process of hooking a tiger with a fly can be daunting.

Growing up in Wisconsin, musky have been a fish of legendary status. I have always had a deep respect for these apex predators. I can recall catching a smaller pike as a child, only to have it taken away by a musky dockside. As he swam away with his new found lunch, I still remember him winking at me as if to say thanks... an image that will be forever engrained in my memory.

Ti·ger mus·ky (esox masquinongy x lucius)

One of three members of the pike family living in the inland northwest. The other two are grass pickerel and northern pike. Tiger musky are a sterile cross between the northern pike and the true muskellunge.

The muskellunge name derives from the Native American Ojibwa word maashkinoozhe meaning "ugly pike." Adult tiger muskies are intense predators that can live for 15-20 years, but most live an average of less than 9 years. Surveys show that most tigers grow to an average of 40" by their fifth year.

The Washington State record is 37 lb. 14 oz. The Idaho record comes out of Little Payette Lake at an astonishing 44.26 lb. with a 25" girth!

Waiting Near Weeds and Ambushing its Prey

Tiger muskies feed, as the northern pike does, by waiting near weeds and ambushing its prey. They have food preferences similar to those of the true muskies and northern pike. They seem to prefer larger fish during the summer and fall months in preparation for the winter months. During the winter and spring months they prey on smaller, easier targets due to their slow metabolism.

Its varied diet includes, but is not limited to, yellow perch, suckers, golden shiners, walleye, smallmouth bass, crayfish, frogs, ducklings, muskrats, mice, and other small mammals and birds.

Cross-breeding of the true muskellunge and the northern pike occurs naturally where both parent species occur.

Breeders prefer to breed male northern pike and female muskellunge, because the eggs are less adhesive and have less of a tendency to clump. While some tiger do occur naturally, most are bred in hatcheries. Tigers grow more quickly than northern pike and true muskies in the first several years of their life. They can also endure higher water temperatures, making them more useful in the stocking programs.

Give Anglers Better Opportunities

Improvements in fly fishing gear have given anglers better opportunities to pursue them on the fly.

The size and intriguing nature of muskies have created a whole culture dedicated to this fish that requires patience and lots of persistence. As with a few other game fish, good days are measured not in numbers, but in opportunities. Sightings, follows, strikes and encounters are all small victories in the musky game. If you are thinking about trying to hook a musky on the fly, all of these scenarios should be positive experiences out on the water.

There are seven lakes in Washington that are known to contain tigers.

1. Lake Merwin in Clark County
2. Curlew Lake in Ferry County
3. Evergreen Lake in Grant County
4. Mayfield Lake in Lewis County
5. Lake Tapps in Pierce County
6. Newman Lake in Spokane County
7. Silver Lake in Spokane County

 Here in Idaho, we have a couple lakes containing the savage beast.

1. Hauser Lake
2. Shepard Lake

Down south, there’s the Little Payette Lake near McCall.

Some new lines from Rio have given anglers better opportunities to stay pinned up to these toothy critters. The pike/musky "In Touch" series fly line offers ultra-low stretch performance, allowing for less give and the ability to stay buttoned up with these massive head shakes. Any slack or give in the line usually ends up with a spit hook. Rio's connect core technology has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the modern pike and musky fisher. It features a short head and a powerful front taper that has no problem casting large bunny leeches and typical streamers. A range of densities are available to cover a multitude of conditions.

If you have any questions about anything musky or pike, make sure you stop into North 40 Coeur d’Alene and talk to Musky Jake or myself. Jake’s in-depth knowledge of these local lakes is definitely worth stopping into to pick his brain. Growing up here in CDA, he has acquired massive amounts of knowledge pursuing these trophies.

I know I have definitely learned a thing or two from this musky nut. Thanks, Jake.