How many here have landed a Muskie over 54″ ( Legal size in MN. )

The PB post got me to thinking. How many here on IDO have ever landed a Muskie over 54″? If none over 54″, What is your largest landed ?

PB pure strain is 44 inches.

PB tiger muskie is 41 inches.

The tigers don’t grow nearly as big. They are more on par with northern pike size.

54 is my pb, it was on forest lake while bass fishing. 2nd biggest was on rush 52inch also while bass fishing.

54 hit a blacked out spinner bait ripping down the Lilly pads. Only evidence of this, my picture on Mike’s bait on 8.
52 was a wacky worm in the pads.

I do not target musky. At least not very often

I got a 49.75″ without a tail pinch, but that is the biggest in my boat.

Bearcat89 wrote:

52 was a wacky worm in the pads.

Wow I bet that was quite a surprise.

gimruis wrote:

PB pure strain is 44 inches.

PB tiger <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>muskie is 41 inches.

The tigers don’t grow nearly as big. They are more on par with northern pike size.

When I first moved to the metro area in the late 1980’s they were stocking a fair # of Tiger’s as well as some Shoepack Strain in a fair amount of Metro lakes. Both Grew rather fast and were rather aggressive. This aggressiveness lead to a rather high catch ratio and thus not many of them survived long to grow to full size. I remember days where it was not uncommon to catch 6-8 in a single morning of fishing them on some lakes. If I remember correctly the Shoepack strain maxed out at about 40″ of growth with few of them ever reaching that size. It ended up being a rather failed attempt and they ended up changing over to more pure Muskie strains in future stockings.

I believe my Largest also came while Bass fishing. It was caught on a Dropshot rig on lake Minnetonka. Didn’t get a exact size on it, but feel like it was well in the upper 40’s. My guess would be 48-49″.
I would almost bet as many or more BIG muskies are caught by Bass or Walleye fishermen, than by actual Muskie fishermen each year.

fishthumper wrote:

If I remember correctly the Shoepack strain maxed out at about 40″ of growth with few of them ever reaching that size.

I saw a thing on MN Bound once about the Shoepack Strain. There is a wilderness lake in far northern MN that still has them and it requires a special permit to access the lake. They also limit the number of entries to the lake as well. Its nothing but Shoepack strain muskies.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
If I remember correctly the Shoepack strain maxed out at about 40″ of growth with few of them ever reaching that size.

I saw a thing on MN Bound once about the Shoepack Strain. There is a wilderness lake in far northern MN that still has them and it requires a special permit to access the lake. They also limit the number of entries to the lake as well. Its nothing but Shoepack strain muskies.

Cuz it’s Shoepack Lake….

Biggest for me was 47″ in Ontario. Also my first muskie ever.

I caught this one that was 55-57ish” on a 20” walleye I was reeling in on Mille Lacs. We only had a 30” bump board, so that’s why the range on size. And this was before the new regs and before I knew anything about musky.

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blank wrote:

Cuz it’s Shoepack Lake….

Haha. That makes perfect sense then.

BigWerm wrote:

I caught this one that was 55-57ish” on a 20” <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye I was reeling in on Mille Lacs. We only had a 30” bump board, so that’s why the range on size. And this was before the new regs and before I knew anything about musky.

I’ve had several big ones latch onto both Bass and Walleyes on several different lakes. I have never managed to land one this way yet. Came real close on a big one on Tonka once. Had it almost into the net several times and it would let go of the bass just before we could get it into the net. Had we had a Muskie Sized net with, I think we could have landed it. It didn’t end well for the Bass. It was ripped up rather bad.

fishthumper wrote:

’ve had several big ones latch onto both Bass and Walleyes on several different lakes. I have never managed to land one this way yet.

That was the only time I’ve had it happen, and it was crazy. Went on a couple runs and spit the walleye twice before attacking it again. Buddy made the net job of a lifetime with his Beckman extended handle walleye net fully extended, and netted about 75″ of fish at once. Pretty sure there was a thread started somewhere on here about it at the time, but I couldn’t find it after some googling.

54.5″ caught on Mille Lacs lake using a pear bulldog.

And yes….I released it.

WS

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
52 was a wacky worm in the pads.

Wow I bet that was quite a surprise.

They were both shocking. The big one on a spinner bait I thought i was snagged on a pad, so I was trying to whip the rod and un snag it before it all of a sudden toook a run.

The wacky worm was just a complete explosion the second my bait touched the water. I though for a second I had the state record bass until it got boat side.
The few times I’ve actually tried targeting musky, I didn’t see or move any. So I just keep bass fishing musky lakes lol.
Last year on vermillion my son had a upper 40ish one hit a walleye as I was about to net it. We ended up buying a few musky baits in tower and dragging them the rest of the weekend with no luck

I have netted a 55 and two 53’s. My PB is 50.

The majority of 50+ were November fish too so they were chunks. Crapped all over the boat. All the big ones seem to do this to us.

50-1/2” and 50-1/8” are my two biggest. (without tail pinching) Many, many in between 46”-49”. I get bass and walleye guys picking some up here and there. You don’t always have room for another 16oz steak but I bet you will grab that mint. As those muskies have. What amazes me more was a 22” walleye taking on a 10” crank bait. One day I hope to hit the 54”+ mark. PB tiger is 42-1/2″

I think my chance of getting a 47’+ pike before getting a 54″+ muskie is rather good. Then again, I fish for Big pike several times each year. I don’t even remember the last time I fished for Muskie. I do think I may have to chase them a few times this next season, Got all the gear for it, so I might as well get more use out of it.

My PB is 50”. Lots of high 30”s low 40”s fish. Few mid to high 40”s as well. I primarily fish metro lakes. Have had some big follows but cannot confirm if they were over 54”.

48.5″ fishing from shore below the dam in Brainerd. No net. Guy in a boat came to shore to help land it with his net.

Now this is gonna sound like I’m lying, but it’s the God honest truth(I do fish, so I guess I’m predisposed).
I have netted a quite a few, maybe a dozen, over 60. . . . . . . .

centimeters. ooops, I guess I didn’t read that right……but again I fish…
Truth be told, I’ve boated more trophy walleyes while pitching for muskys than muskys. There’s something about those monster spinnerbaits that appeal to them. If I ever start entering walleye tourneys, I’ll be spending a certain amount of time pitching musky spinnerbaits.

My PBs are both 50″. First was out of the Croix and 2nd was up on Vermilion. Unfortunately, I’ve missed several that would have been bigger. 54 inches is very very big.

bzzsaw wrote:

My PBs are both 50″. First was out of the Croix and 2nd was up on Vermilion. Unfortunately, I’ve missed several that would have been bigger. 54 inches is very very big.

Huge.

50″ on ML pulling a #6 husky jersey for walleyes in the fall. I thought I was snagged.

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Yep.
The quality of the fishery and others’ willingness to release carefully are absolutely the biggest factors, as you can only catch fish that are present.

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buschman wrote:

I have netted a 55 and two 53’s. My PB is 50.

The majority of 50+ were November fish too so they were chunks. Crapped all over the boat. All the big ones seem to do this to us.

That’s funny. Didn’t know this was a thing. Mine from the other thread made a mess of the house we were in.

I don’t muskie fish. My biggest is only 47”. It was caught casting a crank for smallies to an undercut bank on a river. I’ve never heard another IDO poster mention catching a Muskie on that river whatsoever..and I’ve been around here a long time (10+ years)

I’ve landed a 57 (double 10’s) and a 55 (8” reef Hawg). My buddy also put a 55 in the back of my boat (pounder). All from Vermilion. Biggest tiger was a fat 45” – from Tonka of all places. These fish were released of course.

Not my boat and not my catch, but did have an assist on a massive out-of-season fish from Mille Lacs caught incidentally by my buddy while we were fishing for bass…landed by hand as we were without a musky net. We didn’t have a measuring device but this fish was the biggest either of us had ever seen.

A 54”+ is a rather special and rare fish for sure.

Got one boated so far.
46.5 on Waconia – Double Cowgirl.

But I hear there’s some 50+ on Roosie. Ain’t that right glenn

BrianF wrote:

Biggest tiger was a fat 45” – from Tonka of all places.

That’s a rare fish because they aren’t stocked there. So it was a naturally produced one in your case. That’s a massive tiger too. A 40+ incher is like a 50+ inch pure strain.