Why Aren’t We Catching World Record Musky?
By Craig Sandell © 2013

Musky fishing is an enjoyable sporting endeavor,
not to mention obsession.

Like you, I am looking forward to the excitement of being on the water with the potential for a great Musky excursion; that is a feeling that all Musky anglers share. What could possibly throw a wet blanket over that anticipation?

Well, for the past few years, we Musky anglers have been assaulted with articles and so called "analysis" that have sought to de-bunk the existing Musky World Records as recognized by the only two established and credible record keeping organizations.

When you remove all of the personal attacks and "chest pounding" by Pete Maina and Larry Ramsell from what should have been an adult discussion about the issue, the basic argument put forward by them and fringe organizations can be distilled down to this:

Since we are not catching World Record Class Musky today…The catches of the past must have all been fake…(That is a foolish pronouncement of absolutism!).

I present for your consideration the following observations;

  • Musky fishing back in the late 1940’s has little or no relationship to the Musky fishing that we do today.

  • Back then Musky fishing pressure was non-existent when compared to the fishing pressure of today.

  • Back then boats were powered by motors with limited horse power…today we see everything from 50 to 220 horse power.

  • Back then guiding meant that someone would be on the oars quietly working a spot until someone caught a fish and then the person who caught the fish would assume the oars while his boat mates tried their hand at raising and catching a Musky…Today we use comparatively noisy electric trolling motors.

  • Back then, due to the lack of pressure and a quieter fishing approach, Musky patterns were less likely to be disturbed…Not so today.

  • Back then natural strains of Musky inhabited Musky waters…Today, thanks to short sighted fishery policy in Wisconsin, fish with the potential for world record size have been bred out of the population.

  • Add to these factors, the fact that most every fish caught was kept until around 1969 when catch and release began to take hold.

Given all of this, it should not be a surprise that Muskies of world class size are not prominent among today’s Musky catches.

Forward thinking DNR’s, like that in Minnesota, have worked hard to re-establish the larger strain of Musky in the  waters of the state and the results of that effort are increasingly evident each Musky season.

As can be seen from the table below of average Musky growth, good fishery management is a long term investment that requires a long term commitment.

Average Length (inches) of Muskellunge by Age and Sex

Age (years)

Immature

Male

Female

1

12

-

-

2

17

-

-

3

24

-

-

4

26

-

-

5

-

29

30

6

-

31

33

7

-

32

35

8

-

34

37

9

-

35

39

10

-

36

42

11

-

37

45

The table demonstrates that it takes 11 years on average for a fish to get to 45 inches.

The table below lists 763 actual catches and indicates that at 45 inches
a Musky is likely to be between 23 and 26 pounds.

Inches from left to right – Pounds from top to bottom.

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

6

6

7

19

9

1

8

9

13

10

1

9

8

16

9

2

10

19

20

3

11

1

22

26

8

12

1

30

17

9

1

13

1

3

7

25

13

2

14

1

1

2

17

16

6

6

15

1

4

23

19

7

4

1

16

1

6

16

16

3

17

1

9

22

14

2

18

1

25

22

9

19

1

3

18

12

4

20

1

6

24

11

1

21

1

7

11

22

3

5

8

1

1

23

6

12

4

3

24

2

3

5

25

4

3

1

1

26

1

6

3

2

27

1

2

1

28

1

1

1

29

2

1

30

1

2

2

32

1

1

33

1

34

2

2

35

1

1

38

1

39

1

40

1

There is no published data regarding the length to weight relationship for Musky older than 11 years however the average growth per year is about 1 inch per year. That would appear to indicate that a 60+ inch musky would likely be around 25-29 years old.

When you consider that predation, disease, forage base and catch related death are all factors that affect whether a Musky will live 29 years, it is not hard to conclude, by anyone without a personal agenda like Pete Maina and Larry Ramsell, that only a small number of Musky will ever attain world class size.

The larger the body of water the less likely it is that an angler will tie into a world class Musky, assuming that one actually exists in that body of water, little less being able to successfully land a fish of that size.

Given all of the aforementioned, it is no surprise that a world class size Musky is as elusive as winning big in Las Vegas.

Pete Maina and Larry Ramsell, in their print articles and books, are obsessed with the events surrounding the exploits and successes of days long past that have nothing to do with YOUR success on the water. They appear to be more interested in selling their literary tripe and "picking your pocket" than giving you meaningful information that will translate to your success TODAY.

In my opinion, we Musky anglers of today are better served by concentrating on doing the things that will make us better Musky anglers.  Having the right tackle and competent tactics will go a long way toward achieving success on the water. Forget about World Records…chase your personal best...enjoy your time on the water.

We Are All In This Together!
 (Unless You Are Pete Maina Or Larry Ramsell)