Musky/Pike ID

[skeelunker1]

Was out after work today bass fishin in a local abandoned quarry hidden deep in the woods (Chi suburbs). Ended up cathing 2 juveniles that were definately of the esox family. Rational thought would tell me that they were pike. Problem is they were brown, and looked very musky like, didn't have any typical pike markings at all. I would think, in this particular area a rogue pike would be more likely to show up than a musky. This lake has crystal clear water, and is very deep. All species of fish I have caught out of here have been very bright in color, as you'd expect w/the water clarity. So my question is: Have any of you ever seen a brown pike? Keep in mind these were both juvenile fish (12-13")


skeelunker1

[esoxanator]

I have caught small pike in a nearby river, that looked like muskies. I was told by a DNR officer that small northerns are often mistaken as muskies. Basically because of water clarity, the fish don't get there spots and markings on there tail until there longer. But the river that I fish is really muddy, not crystal clear like your quarry.

Also they maybe a differnt kind of pike. Possibly silver pike or blue pike. There both very rare. If you have the In-fisherman video, (trolling video 1) there is a blue pike on there. Siler pike look like spotted muskies without spots and blue pike have a blue tent with white speckles. They're both pretty fish.

Keep the place a secret, because in a quarry there is plenty of cold water to grow hugh pike! A friend of mine fishes a quarry by his house and has seen 45-50" pike caught.

[esoxcpr]

I have also been told that up until the 10" - 12" size it is virtually impossible to tell muskies and northerns apart. For a college class we had to net and shock a small lake and we were told to just put the musky / pike fingerlings we caught down as only "Esox" because they are impossible to positively identify at that size.

[divani]

I've caught northerns in all colors from silver to pure yellow with white dots, silver with pink sides (no, I hadn't been drinking!!) like a rainbow trout, dark grey ones, even green/gold ones and very pale white with dark black spots. Nature's unlimited and I guess with these small fish, it's very hard to tell whether you've got amusky or a pike because they aren't fully grown yet. Pike fingerlings have bars of white dots which usually disappear after a certain age, some keep them though (I've caught one of 69cm that was still barred). I've sen pictures of large muskies that looked like pike at first (after a closer lok I could make out the red fins and forked tail).