Melton Hill Musky

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[center] (2004) [/center]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"]Scientific name: Esox masquinongy (Esox comes from the old name for pike in Europe and masquinongy comes from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian name for this fish –“mas,” meaning “ugly,” and “kinononge,” meaning “fish.”) [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Common names: Muskellunge, Musky, Muskie, Lunge, Maskinonge, Blue Pike, Great Pike, Jack, Spotted Muskellunge, Barred Muskellunge, Leopard Muskellunge… [/font] [center] [/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]Musky collected by electrofishing on Melton Hill in 2003[/font][font "Comic Sans MS"] [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 5]Species Overview[/size][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"] [/font][/center]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Musky are voracious predators and one of our largest and fastest-growing fish. The 42 lb. 8 oz. Tennessee state record was caught from Norris Reservoir in 1983. The world record 69 lb. 11 oz. musky came from Chippewa Flowage, Wisconsin in 1949. [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Musky are native to Tennessee, the Ohio River drainage, upper Mississippi River drainage, Great Lakes, southern Hudson Bay tributaries, and some northern Atlantic Coastal drainages (Etnier and Starnes, 1993). They have been widely propagated and stocked elsewhere in the US for sport fishing. [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Native Tennessee musky occurred in both the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers of east and middle Tennessee until recently. These native populations are virtually extinct and are treated as Endangered by both the TWRA and the Heritage Program (Starnes and Etnier, 1980). Impoundments have destroyed most of our native populations, but small populations persist in streams of the Big South Fork and Obed River systems. [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]The TWRA has stocked 18,849 musky into Melton Hill since 1998. These fish originated from either the Pymatuning fish hatchery in Pennsylvania or the Minor Clark fish hatchery in Kentucky. Some small musky fingerlings were stocked prior to 1998 (1965-1990), but not on a consistent basis as they are now. [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Anglers have begun to catch musky and the TWRA has collected several while electrofishing throughout the reservoir. Since the population is limited and no natural spawning has been documented, anglers are encouraged to practice catch and release when possible. Substantial harvest of this species would negatively impact the quality of the fishery as it develops. [/font] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 5]Identification[/size][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"] [/font][/center]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Musky are streamlined with bodies about six times as long as they are deep. The dorsal and anal fins are set far back toward the tail which allows them to swim swiftly through the water. They have flat, duckbill snouts with many strong, sharp teeth. They do not have scales on the lower half of the cheek or lower half of the gill cover. Six to nine sensory pores are located on each side of the jaw.[/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]The back and sides are light greenish-gray or yellow-green to olive-brown with vertical rows of darker spotting, or indistinct bars. The vertical “striping” is more pronounced on younger fish. The stripes may fade in older musky, giving the fish a uniform color. Their bellies are white and their fins are greenish-cream to brownish-orange, with dark blotches. A black, horizontal streak runs through the eye.[/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]It is possible to determine the sex of mature musky by the shape of the urogenital region. The urogenital region of an adult female resembles the shape of a pear and resembles a keyhole on the adult male. (Lebeau and Pageau, 1989). Females reach larger ultimate sizes than males. [/font]

[center][font "Comic Sans MS"][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]47-inch 25 lb musky taken from Melton Hill in 2003[/font] [/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 5]Habits[/size][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"] [/font][/center]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Musky are solitary fish that generally stay close to their home range, but roam when food is in short supply. They prefer larger rivers that have both deep and shallow basins and large beds of aquatic plants. They can also be found in medium to large rivers with deep pools and slow-moving water or occasionally in clear lakes with few weeds like Melton Hill Reservoir. They prefer cool water temperatures (33-78 F), but can withstand temperatures up to 90 F for brief periods.[/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Newly hatched fry eat primarily plankton, but quickly shift to invertebrates and fish. Their feeding peaks at water temperatures in the mid-60s and drops off as temperatures reach the mid-80s. This sedentary fish waits patiently for any prey to swim into view then attacks, impaling it sideways on its large canines. It rotates the prey and swallows it head first. Musky are very aggressive and will even eat one another. Their main diet is fish, but muskrats, ducks, shrews, mice, frogs, and water birds are taken from time to time. Their feeding habits are generally unpredictable.[/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]There appears to be a direct relation between size of musky and the size of the fish they eat. The growth of larger individuals may be hindered if food of adequate size is not available. This predator depends primarily on sight to capture prey and has more difficulty feeding in murky waters. Musky can reach speeds of near 30 mph in short bursts and have earned the reputation of being the “fish of 10,000 casts” (Sternberg 1992). [/font] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 5]Life Cycle[/size][/font][/center]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Musky spawn in the spring when water temperatures are 49–59 F and individual females can produce up to 180,000 eggs. They generally spawn twice, the second time about 14 days after the first. Spawning occurs at night in shallow water, often just 6- to 12-inches deep. Relatively long-distance spawning migrations have been documented and adults tend to return to the same spawning locations every year. The male and female swim over the spawning site, which usually features underwater stumps and logs on a muck bottom, and release eggs and milt indiscriminately. The adhesive eggs hatch in 8-14 days and the fry attach themselves to sunken debris as they absorb their egg sacs. [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Mortality of fry is high, because fish eat the vulnerable musky young. When musky are about four days old, they turn the tables, and begin eating fish. They can grow to one foot long in only four months if adequate food is available. Musky become sexually mature after three years and slightly greater than 20-inches. Females grow faster than males, and all musky grow best in the early summer and fall. The usual age of a musky that is caught is three to six years, but some have reached nearly 30 years old. [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Musky naturally hybridize with northern pike when present and produce the “tiger musky”. Tiger musky are sometimes bred artificially in fish hatcheries and stocked for sport in other states. [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Very young musky are preyed upon by many fish species, certain aquatic insects, birds, and occasionally, other musky. Older fish have no aquatic predators, but may fall victim to disease or birds of prey. While young musky acquire the stealth of adults early on, it doesn't always work to their advantage. Young fish may neglect the presence of predators while concentrating motionlessly on potential prey. [/font] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"] [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]49-inch Melton Hill musky caught in 2002[/font] [/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 5]Fishing Techniques [/size][/font][/center]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Traditional musky tackle includes a heavy bait casting rod equipped with a substantial level-wind reel. Most anglers use 20- to 35-pound test line with a variety of large artificial lures such as plugs, bucktail spinners, and spoons. Some anglers prefer to cast or drift live bait and usually have the best luck fishing during the daytime. [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]Musky lurk near rock drop-offs or sand bars in the middle of lakes. They can be found along weed beds, in small weed-covered bays or in shady waters close to shores fringed with overhanging trees. They strike at bait that has considerable action, so keep the bait moving and don't let it rest. When a musky hits, set the hook immediately and hold on! [/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]To catch and release, don't land the fish. Instead, reel it in next to the boat and remove the hook with pliers, or cut the hook off with wire cutters. Musky are resilient and survive well if handled carefully. Anyone who releases a musky should give top priority to the fish's well-being. The following techniques have been recommended to help ensure the survival of the musky that are released: [/font] [ul] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"]Don't play the fish to complete exhaustion. [/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"]Keep the fish in the water if at all possible and remove the hook while it is held horizontally in the water. The fish will remain calmer than if it is bought into the boat or on land. [/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"]If hook removal might injure the fish, cut the hook with wire cutters. The imbedded portion can then be more easily removed with long-nosed pliers. [/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"]If you want to take a picture, do it quickly, and do not hold the fish vertically by the gill covers. Always support its weight horizontally to avoid possible injury to the spine. [/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"]When the fish is ready for release, hold it upright in the water and allow it to regain its strength. [/font][/li][/ul]

[center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 5]Mean Length and Weight at Age[/size][/font] [/center]

[font "Comic Sans MS"]We do not yet have any good mean length at age data specific to musky in Tennessee. The following derived from Scott and Crossman (1973) can be used as a general reference to how old a musky is when compared to its length and weight. [/font] [center] [/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]Age [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]Mean Fork Length [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]Mean Weight [/font][/center] [center] [/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"](inch) [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"](pound) [/font][/center] [center] [/center] [center] [/center] [center] [/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]2 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]18.7 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]1.4 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]3 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]23.1 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]3.2 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]4 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]27.2 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]5.8 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]5 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]31.4 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]8.7 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]6 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]32.4 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]9.9 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]7 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]34.5 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]11.8 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]8 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]37.6 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]15.8 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]9 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]41.6 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]21.3 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]10 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]44.8 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]25.3 [/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]11 [/font][/center] [center] [/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"]28.0 [/font][/center]

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