How fat is a musky?

[Rizzo]

Although I will take a quick measurement of a fish's length, I have never measured girth. We got a real good one a few weeks back (sorry for the crappy airbrushing....my first attempt). It was 52 inches long but no clue what the girth is. It was super fat, but of course these things are hard to tell in photos. What would the "normal" girth of a 52 inch musky be? Is it 24 inches? 22 inches? And if that is "normal" what would a thick fish have as a girth at that length...25? 27?. This one was clearly eating some fatty oily fish (ie trout) not surviving on a meal of perch! Reason for asking is a mount is being considered, but don't want to underestimate it or overestimate it.

 

**sorry guys pic now deleted. I wasn't aware someone can "un blurr" the photo to see the background. For the sake of guys that fish that area regularly I did not want to reveal the spot**

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Rizzo

[lew]

Beauty Roger, really nice.

I'm the same as you though, I never measured the girth of a fish.

[Terry]

I don’t know but it’s big. Real big

[AKRISONER]

the best part of this photo is the boat you landed the bloody thing in holy cow. it almost looks like the boat cant contain it. 

Well done!

[Rizzo]

9 minutes ago, AKRISONER said:

the best part of this photo is the boat you landed the bloody thing in holy cow. it almost looks like the boat cant contain it. 

Well done!

haha so true. We were up at a cottage and only had access to a tinny. Debated whether we should bother going out or not...good thing we did! It was a drizzly gross day in a crappy little boat. We decided to stay close to shore fishing a drop off and it worked. Funny thing is probably my 2 biggest muskies have come in same condition...gross fall day, in a tin can boat rather than the comforts of a "proper" vessel! Currently considering selling my current boat and fishing from a tinny all the time.

[lew]

10 minutes ago, Rizzo said:

 Currently considering selling my current boat and fishing from a tinny all the time.

Only a fool thinks it takes a big fancy boat to land big fancy fish  LOL

[LostAnotherOne]

1 hour ago, Rizzo said:

Although I will take a quick measurement of a fish's length, I have never measured girth. We got a real good one a few weeks back (sorry for the crappy airbrushing....my first attempt). It was 52 inches long but no clue what the girth is. It was super fat, but of course these things are hard to tell in photos. What would the "normal" girth of a 52 inch musky be? Is it 24 inches? 22 inches? And if that is "normal" what would a thick fish have as a girth at that length...25? 27?. This one was clearly eating some fatty oily fish (ie trout) not surviving on a meal of perch! Reason for asking is a mount is being considered, but don't want to underestimate it or overestimate it.

I see what looks like a castle in the background.  I don’t know any castles that are located along the shore in Ontario.  

[BillM]

The wide angle lens isn't helping trying to determining the girth of that thing.   I'd guess low 20s for girth.

[Fisherman]

1 hour ago, AKRISONER said:

the best part of this photo is the boat you landed the bloody thing in holy cow. it almost looks like the boat cant contain it. 

Well done!

No he hopped into another smaller boat, makes the fish look bigger, lol.

[OhioFisherman]

LOL, I wouldn't even want to hold a fish that big! It might make fishing seem like more work!

[Rizzo]

27 minutes ago, OhioFisherman said:

LOL, I wouldn't even want to hold a fish that big! It might make fishing seem like more work!

It literally was work. It was so heavy I could not hold it. Never experienced that before 

[Rizzo]

1 hour ago, BillM said:

The wide angle lens isn't helping trying to determining the girth of that thing.   I'd guess low 20s for girth.

so I don't know anything about lenses, but this was just taken on a phone, no adjustments made. I am not the most techy guy. Even posting it here and blurring out the background was a real challenge! If a 52 inch Kawartha fish would be  15 or 16 then I suppose low 20's could be accurate. This thing was far fatter than any Kawartha fish or Lake St Clair fish that I have ever seen (have caught a few hundred personally).  No contest. Wish at some point I had measured a girth once or twice, then I would at least have something to compare to! We were pretty much laughing and shaking at the sight of it, absolutely beside ourselves. I now understand the passion for GB muskies, this was a totally different kind of beast. 

[Rizzo]

2 hours ago, LostAnotherOne said:

I see what looks like a castle in the background.  I don’t know any castles that are located along the shore in Ontario.  

...maybe try fishing the ponds at Canada's Wonderland....you never know!

[misfish]

Beauty Roger . No idea on the girth, but that is a pig . Grats .

[Pigeontroller]

21-22 ''

I wish people would just take a pic that doesn't show where their 'secret' spot is....(camera angle, boat direction...) I really hate those pics...

 

 

[Terry]

Nice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Terry

[dave524]

5 hours ago, LostAnotherOne said:

I see what looks like a castle in the background.  I don’t know any castles that are located along the shore in Ontario.  

Isn't there one in the St. Lawrence near Gananoque

[Rizzo]

2 hours ago, Terry said:

Just download the photo put it in photoshop and hit the undo button and your an see the background 

I did but still don’t know where he was 

Terry I didn't know that was possible. Thanks for the update, but I have removed the photo for the sake of the guys that fish that area regularly. Thank you all for the congrats and the guesses. From now on I will carry a small tape measure for girth in addition to the bump board just in case I am fortunate enough to get one like this again. Only fish that even remotely compared was a fall fatty I got on Nipissing about 20 years ago.

[Terry]

.

Edited December 24, 2020 by Terry

[captpierre]

My 52 out of Scugog 15 yrs ago had a girth if 19”. I knew I’d get a replica. That’s why I measured. Was not a fat fish. Big head. 

[Rizzo]

haha that was funny Terry. I totally fell for it (shows what I know about computers)

[Rizzo]

12 hours ago, captpierre said:

My 52 out of Scugog 15 yrs ago had a girth if 19”. I knew I’d get a replica. That’s why I measured. Was not a fat fish. Big head. 

thanks capt! That is what I was hoping for...someone who had actually taken a measurement. Man that thing does have a big head but you are right, not very thick at all. Beauty fish though

[Fish Farmer]

Nice fish Rizzo found this if it helps.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Fish Farmer

[Rizzo]

thanks farmer very handy!