Pike or Muskie?

1312 Views 20 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Eric C., Jun 30, 2009

ErnieT

Discussion Starter · Jun 30, 2009

OK, so us West coast, California guys can't tell the difference. Went out last Friday with Shagnasty in Anchor Bay and caught this fish. We thought it might be a Pike, but some of you seem pretty knowledgable and can distinguish the difference from a photo. Can anyone educate me and tell me if it is a Pike or small Muskie? No comments about the hair, what little there is, I forgot my ballcap.

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Muskie_Addict

· #2 · Jun 30, 2009

QUOTE(ErnieT @ Jun 30 2009, 08:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>OK, so us West coast, California guys can't tell the difference. Went out last Friday with Shagnasty in Anchor Bay and caught this fish. We thought it might be a Pike, but some of you seem pretty knowledgable and can distinguish the difference from a photo. Can anyone educate me and tell me if it is a Pike or small Muskie? No comments about the hair, what little there is, I forgot my ballcap. View attachment 63275

PIKE!

snowman

· #3 · Jun 30, 2009

Pike no question.

Big Dog

· #4 · Jun 30, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

Definately a pike

http://www.freshwater-fishing-canada.com/p...uskellunge.html

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esoxfly

· #5 · Jun 30, 2009

Look for these signs around the north side of the lake at DNR launches....I know because I hung them.

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2

scottp

· #6 · Jun 30, 2009

I'm no expert, but I hear they can be distinguished most easily by the spot pattern. Musky spots with vertical pattern and pike spots have a horizontal pattern. Can any of you hard core musky guys verify??

stick em

· #7 · Jun 30, 2009

I love the look of the clear muskys when they get big. I just think the color and bronzy shine on them are awesome.

Contender

· #8 · Jun 30, 2009

White spots - Pike

stick em

· #9 · Jun 30, 2009

yeah pike obviously just commenting on that musky/pike chart

Chefnutz

· #10 · Jun 30, 2009

Piker lookin at the tail and color

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gimmeteeth

· #11 · Jun 30, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

It's easy: pike have light, bean-shaped spots on a dark body, whereas muskies have dark spots or bars on a lighter body, which could be very faint or even absent, but not usually in LSC, where the great lakes spotted strain predominates.

Hybrid "tiger muskies" (very rare in LSC, only common where they're stocked) have bold, jagged stripes, and musky laws apply to them.

Skip Johnsons GuideService

· #12 · Jun 30, 2009

hey now be carefull when generalizing "west coast" and "California guys" not being able to tell the difference between a pike and a musky, Im from cali and thats a Musky for sure

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schram

· #13 · Jun 30, 2009

QUOTE(ErnieT @ Jun 30 2009, 08:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>OK, so us West coast, California guys can't tell the difference. Went out last Friday with Shagnasty in Anchor Bay and caught this fish. We thought it might be a Pike, but some of you seem pretty knowledgable and can distinguish the difference from a photo. Can anyone educate me and tell me if it is a Pike or small Muskie? No comments about the hair, what little there is, I forgot my ballcap. View attachment 63275

no doubt a pike. Take a minute and find some pics of both on the internet. Before too long you will know the difference very quickly. just a few ways are

Color difference
Markings are quite a bit different
Muskie have a pointed tail (unless it's a hybrid) vs pike with a round tail
best and most accurate way is the sensory pours under the bottom jaw. Muskie have more than a pike 6 to 9 of them. Pike 5 or less........nice pike

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schram

· #14 · Jun 30, 2009

QUOTE(cast n blast @ Jun 30 2009, 10:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>hey now be carefull when generalizing "west coast" and "California guys" not being able to tell the difference between a pike and a musky, Im from cali and thats a Musky for sure

I think you have caught enough, BASS fishing to know the difference "California guy"

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Large Mouth Peks

· #15 · Jun 30, 2009

Nice Pike though !

makowish

· #16 · Jun 30, 2009

Agree with the nice pike comment

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Eric C.

· #17 · Jun 30, 2009

I caught this pike near the Firecracker a couple of summers ago fishing with a tube and 8 pound line. Got lucky and hooked it in the corner of the mouth. My buddy Bababoey helped land it.

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Greenhornet

· #18 · Jun 30, 2009

Pike -- Nice fish!!!
QUOTE(ErnieT @ Jun 30 2009, 08:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>OK, so us West coast, California guys can't tell the difference. Went out last Friday with Shagnasty in Anchor Bay and caught this fish. We thought it might be a Pike, but some of you seem pretty knowledgable and can distinguish the difference from a photo. Can anyone educate me and tell me if it is a Pike or small Muskie? No comments about the hair, what little there is, I forgot my ballcap. View attachment 63275

little guy

· #19 · Jun 30, 2009

QUOTE(Eric C. @ Jun 30 2009, 04:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I caught this pike near the Firecracker a couple of summers ago fishing with a tube and 8 pound line. Got lucky and hooked it in the corner of the mouth. My buddy Bababoey helped land it.

That's one of the biggest LSC pike I have seen.

b_radici

· #20 · Jun 30, 2009

I get confused by color variations sometimes, so easiest way is to count the pores on the bottom, pike will have no more than 8 usually.

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