Tiger musky??

[esox v]

Although I have no doubt whatsoever it's a juvenile pike I agree they usually loose the bars by that size.

How can you reach that conclusion... I would say that looks like a typical small tiger muskie !! You can't base the color patter of that fish.... a fish thats in the 21" range. with a fish thats 4" to 6 ". I would say thats an average tiger... not an abnormal pike.  

[taxid]

How can you reach that conclusion... I would say that looks like a typical small tiger muskie !! You can't base the color patter of that fish.... a fish thats in the 21" range. with a fish thats 4" to 6 ". I would say thats an average tiger... not an abnormal pike.  

No offense but to the trained eye it looks nothing like a tiger musky, but I'm not basing it on color for the most part -- although the caudal fin has the color of a northern. You also won't see those dark lines and swivel markings on a tiger musky's caudal, dorsal, or anal fin either.

Pike have a dark background with light markings. Musky have a light background with darker markings. As different as day and night. Even if a juvenile pike has what appear to be bars, which they do, they are still light bars over a dark background.

But if you really think that means nothing count the mandibular pores, and where the fish is scaled on the cheeks and gill covers.  

Not trying to act arrogant, but I've seen so many of these fish as a fisheries major and fish taxidermist it's a no brainer to me.  If you don't believe me show the picture to any biologist.

[freezerfiller]

look under google images for tiger muskie.  on page 2 three rows down second picture from left, you will find an exact match to your muskie just larger. same markings and color. IT IS A MUSKIE

[iwantone2.4]

taxid is right, to the trained eye you just know its a pike, ive caught so many like that you just instantley know its a pike.

[ugp685]

I have caught MANY tiger muskies.....that is def. a pike.

[outdoorsman]

look under google images for tiger muskie.  on page 2 three rows down second picture from left, you will find an exact match to your muskie just larger. same markings and color. IT IS A MUSKIE

Just so you know, you can't believe everything that some random person who didn't know any better posted on the internet.

With that said, it is a northern pike.  Light stripes and spots on a dark background give it away.  The banding and pattern doesn't have anything to do with it...light on dark.  That is pretty much it.  Tigers have dark stripes and spots, on a light background.

[northernmaddness]

ive only caught 1 true muskie but it has light lines on a dark back

[taxid]

look under google images for tiger muskie.  on page 2 three rows down second picture from left, you will find an exact match to your muskie just larger. same markings and color. IT IS A MUSKIE

Just because someone posts something on Google and says it's a musky doesn't mean it is one.  I've seen a lot of faulty information on the Internet. One common one with fish is they automatically call a crappie a black crappie just because it's dark. Males of both species exhibit sexual dimorphism during spawning time. (Both become quite dark).  

If this is the same one you're talking about... artist illustration page 2 three rows down second from left it looks like a musky but...



Nothing like the  pike on post one page one of this thread:




Notice the musky has a light background with a dark markings and bars while the juvenile pike has a darker background with light bars and spots?

The musky illustration does not have dark lines on the caudal fin or swivel marks on the anal, and dorsal fins. They are spots.

[taxid]

ive only caught 1 true muskie but it has light lines on a dark back

That goes against all the fish identification literature out there.

[taxid]

I'm thinking the problem is some may be having a hard time differentiating between backgrounds and markings. If you have any doubts look at the dorsal surface and upper sides of the musky or pike. Also what color makes up the largest percentage of the fish? That is the background color.

I see the same confusion here with brook trout.




Some call the vermiculations on to back of the fish the dark markings, and some call them the yellow markings. It's pretty much accepted, however the yellow markings are the vermiculations even though it's toss up on which covers more surface area.

Light background with darker markings i.e. bars, spots : Tiger musky  (same goes with musky)



The fish in question which is a juvenile northern pike with a dark background and light bars and spots:

[rainrock]

Besides the light markings on a dark background, the thing that strikes me the most are the caudal fin markings. In every single picture I've seen of a musky, tiger or otherwise, the caudal fin markings are very distinct spots. This fish, however, has a very clear striped pattern like every picture of a northern pike I've seen.

[esox v]

 I'm sold !! Northern pike it is !! Pretty cool it kept its juvenile markings that long !!

[rainrock]

Maybe it's like me and just immature for it's age 

[taxid]

Besides the light markings on a dark background, the thing that strikes me the most are the caudal fin markings. In every single picture I've seen of a musky, tiger or otherwise, the caudal fin markings are very distinct spots. This fish, however, has a very clear striped pattern like every picture of a northern pike I've seen.

Absolutely! And that's how I paint them.

[taxid]

I'm sold !! Northern pike it is !!

Where do I send the bill?