Pure vs Tiger Identification

[Slugo]

A few years ago I asked 1 of our local biologists how to tell the difference between a pure and a tiger. He said that you can make an educated guess but the only way to know for sure is by doing some lab tests on tissue and scale samples. The coloration of a musky varies depending on the water clarity and light penetration. I hear alot of people make statements as if they know for sure. Was the biologist wrong? Do only Tiger musky have vertical stripes? What do you look for to tell the difference?

[MuskieKid]

I fish specifically for Tigers and have seen a lot of them. Right now, I'm look across the room at a mount of a Barred Musky ("Natural"). Generally speaking, if I caught the Barred Musky, I could not tell the difference by looking at it. However, there are differences that you can use: check this out: http://www.geocities.com/toothycritters/ident.html

[Bill]

Tiger muskies display the cheek and gill cover pattern of the northern pike (entire cheek and upper half of the gill cover) and body markings are usually dark vertical stripes and blotches... Pure muskies usually are olive to dark grey with lighter vertical markings that are spread apart more, tiger's are more closer together.

Bill

[dcmusky]

The easyest way I know is to look at the tail, a tiger has rounded tips on fin like a pike & pure muskies have pointed tips.DC