Young pike or Tiger Musky

[Zubris21]

Hey guys.... I was taking a look at some friends photos and came across this picture... My initial thought was that it was a pike due to the dark greenish colour, then I started to look at the markings and they look pretty banded, especially at the tail, and I started to wonder if it might be a young tiger musky, altough it does seem like a few spots were developing. I'm not sure how the colouring of young pike develops, but the banding on this fish almost make it look like a young Tiger musky. As I've never fished for musky the only way I know how to identify them is by their markings/colour/size. Two questions are there any other ways to distinguish a pike from a musky ie. fin location/shape or anything else, and second which species is this?

 

Edited July 5, 2008 by freshwaterfanatic

[Sandbag]

I would say Pike

 

 

Cheers

 

Craig

[bucktail]

Pike!

[highdrifter]

esox lucius.

 

or.. northern pike. Also acceptable are snot rocket, dink, and wee pike.

 

HD

[Tdel]

The musky is light-colored with dark vertical bars, no scales on the lower part of its gill plate, and has 6 or more sensory pores on each side of its lower jaw. Muskies also have pointed caudal, pelvic, and pectoral fins.

 

The northern pike is dark-colored with light spots, has scales on the lower part of its gill plate, and has 6 or less pores on each side of its lower jaw. Pikes also have rounded caudal, pelvic, and pectoral fins.

 

The tiger musky has irregular light vertical markings on a dark background, 5-7 pores on each side of its lower jaw, and scales on the lower part of the gill plate.

 

The picture that you have posted makes me think it is a pike also.

 

Tom

[Muskieman]

100 % pike..

 

:Gonefishing:

[HTHM]

Pretty blonde

[Mike the Pike]

Yes 100 percent Pike and the lady is 100% blond

[Greencoachdog]

I say Pike too, but I really like the pattern thing it has going there!!!

[Zubris21]

Thanks guys, I was thinking it was a pike, but I just wanted to make sure.... The pattern just looked a lot more organized than most pike I've seen.

[jediangler]

That's a hammer handle pike. When they are little their markings are a bit strange.

[Burning Babies]

Man, you guys do a lot better than the guys on the big Ohio fishing message board. People would be calling that everything from a grass pickerel to a barracuda over there.

[Greencoachdog]

Man, you guys do a lot better than the guys on the big Ohio fishing message board. People would be calling that everything from a grass pickerel to a barracuda over there.

 

What do you expect from a Buckeye?

[modny]

there's a pike in that picture? All i see is hot babe