Large Muskies....Male OR fEMALE?

[Hutch]

With walleye males are normaly always 4 to 5 pounds saller than wall hanger females does this hold true with Muskies.
?//

[Jim McCullough]

Hutch,

That usually holds true with Muskies too. You can tell a female because it's anal opening is keyhole/hourglass shaped. Males are more oval.

[Hutch]

Thanks Jim ....Females usually live longer only makes sense they would grow larger..yet I was not sure .Thanks for the reply.
Wonder what the record size male weighed and length??

[Jim McCullough]

Hutch,

I am going purely by memory here so take this for what it's worth, but I seem to remember the famed Muskie Researcher Lebeau documented a male Muskie that was 50" long. From what I have read, most males top out in the low 40's. (Inches that is.)
By the way, welcome to Muskie Central. It's good to see some new blood around here to keep us on our toes. :)

[Hutch]

What a Great site ...and with people like yourself willing to share there experince and knowledge it will continue.
In the past I have used a barrel snap swivel at my lure when trolling Willeys Believers etc. from what I read here this is wrong
I have caught Muskies using my approach
What effect on lure presentation does either system entail
what do you prefer and why?.........................Thanks

[Trophymuskie]

Yes the bigger fish are females but Jim failed is muskie sex education LOL Males when held by the tail have the keyhole and females have the pear shaped anal.

Keep releasing them all
Richard Collin
http://www.trophymuskiecharters.com

[Jim McCullough]

I knew I had something backwards. I better go check the wife and make sure I didn't make a mistake there...:D

[riverrat118]

From what I understand, the largest male documented was caught in the St Lawrence in the late 80's. I believed it measuresd 50 1/2" John Schardt

[Trophymuskie]

The largest ever aboard my boat was a 52 incher, the fish was dying as it had a 20 inch girth in October and the fish had some damage near the tail but 4.5 years before when I caught it in the spring it was 50 X 23. Check out this link you can see in the older picture the broad shoulders of a male fish. I have seen a couple of other males in the 47 inch range but none close to this one, man a 47 inch male will give you the fight of a 54 inch female. ;-)

http://www.trophymuskiecharters.com/Catchandrelease.htm

Keep releasing them all
Richard Collin
http://www.trophymuskiecharters.com

[RoyC]

And you are the moderator? :o

[Marc Thorpe]

Jim,need spawning education,Just happen to have the right crash course starting June 14th.Our specialised spawning classes commence at 4 am.We will cover rituals,for play and action! :+
We will also elaborate in playing with tools of the trade!:+

Our gentil presentations and persuasions will enable you to encounter the opposite gender.Quickly making known differences between both so your key to the futur does not unlock the
WRONG DOOR! :+

[Marc Thorpe]

Jim,quick question,
Does your wife swimm?:+

[Jim McCullough]

You guys are brutal. Make a mistake and you guys start going after the wife. I'm outta here before you bring the kids into it. :P

[Trophymuskie]

I don't know where these idots come from but get a life.

I never said I had any record just a fact that my client caught the same 52 inch male muskie that I caught 4.5 years before at 50 inches. If you were such an expert you would look at the pics on the link I posted and you would know it was a male from the first picture.

Who cares what you think. :-)) Jealousy will get you nowhere fast.

Keep releasing them all
Richard Collin
http://www.trophymuskiecharters.com

[Trophymuskie]

Takes a lot of guts to attack someone under an anon.

My clients are blessed, thank you for inquiring.

Keep releasing them all
Richard Collin
http://www.trophymuskiecharters.com

[riverrat118]

Richard,
A male that size is someting. Did you send in soome scales to Mike Butler for his genetic research? Man,a male that size would really help Mike out with his research. Catch it again, I suggest you do the scale sample.
John Schardt

[Trophymuskie]

John I believe that was his last visit on board anyone's boat. :-( The fish did not put up a fight (to bad as this was my clients first 50 incher but I got him a way fatter one that afternoon) It also had a big open gash just before the tail, you can see it in the picture but naturaly it was the entire side of the tail away from the camera, it looked like we could pull it off. You can see the fishes head was rather large with a skinny body but we still released it. :-) That fish gave me two wonderfull memories and I will never forget him. Now if only I can recapture that fatty I released in Oct 97, she would be over 60#s for sure. :-)

BTW I did send in the scale samples to Mike, the male's scales were very large as compared to the much bigger female ( 52 X 24 ) we caught that afternoon. Another confirmation of it been a male, as it had to be much older to get that big as compared to the female. I left a note on the envelope and hope to get some feedback from it.

Keep releasing them all
Richard Collin
http://www.trophymuskiecharters.com

[riverrat118]

Rich,
Mike Butler did a great job speaking at our Meeting this week-end in Gananoque. He spoke at lenghth regarding his genetic research. I am also very interested in the evaluation of this big male. Let me know what you hear regarding this fish. I will talk with him in the near future and post his results.Rich, looks like you may have landed a word record male. The analysis by Mike should prove it.
John Schardt

[Marc Thorpe]

No No No,Jim you dont blame us for dragging the wife into this.
You are the one who stated you would go and check her out!

Now,either she is pisces or there is something you are not sharing with us!
Come on now,you can tell us,it will only stay amongst us,No one will see it.


Remember,Pears are good to eat but Hour Glasses will rip your LIPS!

Males really fight better than Females?
Glad mines a Quebecian,she puts up a real good battle! :+

[Jim McCullough]

Marc,

The wife check went good. She turned out to be human and of the female gender. I'm just starting to wonder about the girls I dated before her...maybe this explains the facial hair...

[BigUgly]

Jim,

Huh, all this time I thought that women that shaved were just being naughty.

Brad