Muskie Novice Question?

[Hawker]

Ok, I'm an old Okie who only gets to Canada once a year to get the chance at a muskie or two when I go. Usually am there for the smallmouth, but will not turn down the chance to hook up with a muskie either. Limited success so far, but then again am not what you'd call an avid dyed in the wool muskie hunter, though if I lived closer to waters that held them, I could be turned!! Am heading to central Illinois tomorrow to help folks celebrate their 50th, and will once again get to fish one of my old walleye haunts below the dam at Lake Shelbyville. Last time I was there was Christmas evening of 2001, and while plying the waters below the dam there, caught four Tiger Muskies which looked like they were poured out of the same mold. All four were 42 inchers, took pics and released them to fight again and all were in great shape. Please, and I do mean please, don't think bad of me for asking the next couple of questions but I but I ask because I have very limited knowledge of the great muskie. Is the Tiger Muskie a "hybrid"?? And here is the killer question, are they any good at all to eat? I'm really hoping that going at this time of year I can hook into the Walleye for eating, but if this trip turns out like the last one, and all I can catch are the Tiger's, I'd like to bring "one" home to eat only if they make good table fare, and only if that is an acceptable practice. I do not mean to offend anyone, I truly don't, that is the reason for asking. Thanks in advance for your understanding and help.
Steve King aka the "Hawker"

[Hawker]

Ok, I'm an old Okie who only gets to Canada once a year to get the chance at a muskie or two when I go. Usually am there for the smallmouth, but will not turn down the chance to hook up with a muskie either. Limited success so far, but then again am not what you'd call an avid dyed in the wool muskie hunter, though if I lived closer to waters that held them, I could be turned!! Am heading to central Illinois tomorrow to help folks celebrate their 50th, and will once again get to fish one of my old walleye haunts below the dam at Lake Shelbyville. Last time I was there was Christmas evening of 2001, and while plying the waters below the dam there, caught four Tiger Muskies which looked like they were poured out of the same mold. All four were 42 inchers, took pics and released them to fight again and all were in great shape. Please, and I do mean please, don't think bad of me for asking the next couple of questions but I but I ask because I have very limited knowledge of the great muskie. Is the Tiger Muskie a "hybrid"?? And here is the killer question, are they any good at all to eat? I'm really hoping that going at this time of year I can hook into the Walleye for eating, but if this trip turns out like the last one, and all I can catch are the Tiger's, I'd like to bring "one" home to eat only if they make good table fare, and only if that is an acceptable practice. I do not mean to offend anyone, I truly don't, that is the reason for asking. Thanks in advance for your understanding and help.
Steve King aka the "Hawker"

[Musk Rat]

Yes tigers are hybred between pike and muskie. I have heard that they aren`t very good table fare. Killing a stocked tiger prolly isn`t the end of the world however places to muskie fish can be few and far between. In Ill. muskie fishing is very popular and there aren`t a ton of places to go for them. Haveing said that it`s prolly best to let all of them go so someone else has a shot at them. The only time most consider keeping a fish is if they accidentaly die or if they are some kind of record. This sport realy isn`t about food. Plenty of other fish for that. Of course the law says you can eat one. It`s more of a courtsy to just let them go. Andy

[Musk Rat]

Yes tigers are hybred between pike and muskie. I have heard that they aren`t very good table fare. Killing a stocked tiger prolly isn`t the end of the world however places to muskie fish can be few and far between. In Ill. muskie fishing is very popular and there aren`t a ton of places to go for them. Haveing said that it`s prolly best to let all of them go so someone else has a shot at them. The only time most consider keeping a fish is if they accidentaly die or if they are some kind of record. This sport realy isn`t about food. Plenty of other fish for that. Of course the law says you can eat one. It`s more of a courtsy to just let them go. Andy

[Hawker]

Thank you very much for your reply!! I have very limited exposure to the great fighting muskies. I'd much much rather come back from the trip with the better tasting table fare of the walleye I can promise you, but just didn't have any idea if the Tigers were considered table fare or not. Don't know where your from, but sure appreciate your kind response.
Tight Lines
Steve King aka the "Hawker"

[Hawker]

Thank you very much for your reply!! I have very limited exposure to the great fighting muskies. I'd much much rather come back from the trip with the better tasting table fare of the walleye I can promise you, but just didn't have any idea if the Tigers were considered table fare or not. Don't know where your from, but sure appreciate your kind response.
Tight Lines
Steve King aka the "Hawker"

[Musky Mike]

Steve,
As Andy related, tiger muskies are a hybrid fish and as such are thought to be sterile so killing one isn't considered to have any affect on future populations. But to many, the fact that they don't reproduce is all the more reason for not removing them from the population.

I have eaten musky (years ago before CPR became fashionable) and it doesn't taste all that bad, but it will never compare with walleye, perch, or any of the other pan fish. The musky is truly a sport and trophy fish and I can tell you from personal experience, it's a lot more rewarding to release them to fight another day than it is to keep, kill, and eat them. I haven't kept a musky since 1972 and haven't regretted letting a single one of them go, including the largest musky I have ever caught to this very day. Sadly, I can't say the same about the ones kept in the early days of my musky addiction.

Cheers, tight lines, hope your trip to IL is safe and rewarding,

MLK

[Musky Mike]

Steve,
As Andy related, tiger muskies are a hybrid fish and as such are thought to be sterile so killing one isn't considered to have any affect on future populations. But to many, the fact that they don't reproduce is all the more reason for not removing them from the population.

I have eaten musky (years ago before CPR became fashionable) and it doesn't taste all that bad, but it will never compare with walleye, perch, or any of the other pan fish. The musky is truly a sport and trophy fish and I can tell you from personal experience, it's a lot more rewarding to release them to fight another day than it is to keep, kill, and eat them. I haven't kept a musky since 1972 and haven't regretted letting a single one of them go, including the largest musky I have ever caught to this very day. Sadly, I can't say the same about the ones kept in the early days of my musky addiction.

Cheers, tight lines, hope your trip to IL is safe and rewarding,

MLK

[Hawker]

MLK:
Appreciate the info, though I didn't get it until I got back which was just within this past hour. Drove in rain all across Missouri, it's the pits!! Did not catch any Walleye again this trip to Ill., but once again, the Tiger's were there below the dam of Lake Shelbyville. Caught four, all of which were poured out of the same mold, all caught on a #9 Rapala Shallow Shad Rap fished O'so slow after dark. They'd come up and just inhale the bait off the surface, turn down stream, and the battle was on. Had quite the good time, didn't take any pics, was drizzling rain and cold so didn't break out the good camera but sure had fun. They were all right at 43"'s so they were well worth the trip, and all four were released in good shape to fight for someone else. Thanks for the heads up on the Tiger Muskie, they are truly great fun!!
Steve King

[Musk Rat]

Are you sure they are tigers i know there are true strains in that lake but never knew about the tigers. I know Ill. stocks them so i don`t dought you just wondering. Andy

[Hawker]

Actually no, I am not 100% sure. I'm only going on what I was told by an off duty policeman last time I was there. Way back when (when I used to live on that lake and worked for the Ill Dept of Conservation at Wolf & Eagle Creek State Parks) the only non native fish to the area and stocked into Shelbyville, were the Walleye. Sometime after I'd moved to Oklahoma, I'd heard that they stocked both Shelbyville and Caryle with muskies, but I can't say that I'd heard they were Tigers or pure strain. On both occasions these past two years that I've had the chance to make the trip and fish below the dam there at Shelbyville, the only thing I've managed to catch were the muskies. If you can tell what they are by pics, I could have the bride scan the pics I took on my last trip, email them to ya and you could maybe tell if they are tigers or not. Believe me, I am a true muskie novice. Now, so far, the ones I've caught in Canada on Lake of the Woods I have no problem telling the difference between the pike or the muskie, but as to the ones below Shelbyville, I'm just going on what I was told by a local cop. If ya want me to scan the pics and email them, send me an email so's I can do that. Thanks!!
Steve King aka the "Hawker"

[Musk Rat]

It`s not that important but i`m good at telling the difference. You can e mail me at muskyrat@optonline.net if you feel like it. Also i didn`t realize you caught them below the dam and not in shelbyville. That is pretty common wherever they are stocked. Fish tend to go over the dam and if they are too big to make it down to the next large body of water they get trapped. People sometimes net these fish and return them to the lake in certain areas. Never even been to Ill. but muskies are the same everywhere pretty much. andy

[Schuler]

They are most likely natural muskies. Tigers do not do well in Illinois because they are half pike which can not take the heat as well as a muskie. Lots of people call all muskies "tigers"
-Zach Schuler