Some useless, trivial, but interesting facts from Muskies 101:

Latin Name

Esox Masquinongy, from the Ojibwa muskinonje "big fish".


Other Names

Muskellunge: mus-kel-lunge
Muskelunge: mus-kel-lunge
Maskinonge: mas-ki-nonge
Masquinongy: mas-qui-non-gy
Muskie, Edmund Sixtus: (governor of Maine 1955-1957)
Muskallonge: mus-kal-longe
Muskie: mus-ky
Muskie: mus-kie

No matter how you spell it or how you pronounce it, it all means the same thing (with the exception of Edmund Muskie of course). Muskie, a large freshwater fish in the pike family. The Muskie is the largest member of the pike family. It is native to the Great Lakes region, and known as a fierce predator. This fish is sought after for reasons that only the fisherman can truly explain.


More AKA's

"The fish of 10,000 casts", "The fish of 1,000 casts", "The elusive one", "Fish with teeth", "The Beast", "The Barracuda of the North", "Ole beedy eyes", "Toothy King", "Hawg", "The King of Freshwater", "Gator",


World Record Muskie

Wisconsin holds the current World Record Muskie of 69 pounds, 11 ounces caught by Louis Spray on October 20, 1949 on the Chippewa Flowage, Hayward.


What?!

A 102-pound monster Muskie is said to have been caught out of Lake Superior in the early 1900's, this report has never been authenticated.


World Record Pike

Caught in the Sacandaga Reservoir, New York. This tremendous pike weighed in at 46 pounds 2 ounces. Many larger northerns have been caught in Europe, but never verified as official records. There is claim that one weighing 90 pounds 8 ounces was caught in Loch Deigh, Ireland in 1862.
Do you think you have a record fish? Visit either International Game Fish Association (I.G.F.A) (http://www.igfa.org) or the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame (N.F.F.H.F) (http://www.freshwater-fishing.org/instructions.html) for instructions on how to register it.


Wisconsin State Fish

Muskie (Muskellunge) established in 1955. (Their state dance is the polka)


Misconceptions

1. Muskie hooks dissolve if swallowed by a Muskie. This is not always the case.
2. Only one Muskie will lurk in any given area. Hawg wash!
3. Muskie and northern pike will not co-habitate.
4. Large and small-mouthed bass push Muskies off bars.
5. Muskies loose their teeth every year during the "dog days" of summer. Muskies commonly loose their teeth to lures, not dog days.
6. Size doesn't matter. I've never heard a Muskie fisherman say anything like, "Hey, nice fish, that's about 45 inches. Mine was WAY smaller than that, wanna see a picture?"