# Huge Tiger 'Ski



## njsimonson

A buddy of mine, Cody Hansen of Valley City, caught this 23-pound 46.75" Tiger Muskie on the Sheyenne last night (4/14). It was one of the coolest fish I have ever seen. 
It was blind in its right eye, had a broken left lower jaw that had healed over, a host of battle scars, including a chipped upper jaw, and a snaggle-toothed maw with teeth pointing in every direction! 
He hooked it right in the front of the mouth under the upper beak, and after 15 minutes our friends Dusty Nielson and Josh Holm (holmsvc) landed the fish. He was using a jig and minnow on 4-lb test.



















Nice Fish Cody! - I've posted a story on the fish at my website...click the link below.


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## fishhook

SWEET!!!!!


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## Madison

Sweet Fish man! IS he going to mount the fish?


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## bubolc

I'm sure he'll tast delicious :lol: Just kidding! Nice fish, I f'ing love Muskie fishing. Only 50 more days until we can fish'em agian.


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## Boy

Awesome Fish!!! Way to Go!!!


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## Bore.224

WOW


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## The Dogger

CPR!!!


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## Quackkills9

are you allowed to keep them in April? since it said it was caught on the 14th of April... :-?


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## njsimonson

Mad - He's taking it to Kitzman's for mounting.

Quack - Yes, there is no closed fishing season in ND where the fish was caught, so he is allowed to keep it.


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## Madison

Good to hear!!

I hate seeing fish like that pulled from lakes to be ultimately used for fertilizer in someones garden..

Practice CPR not CTR!!!!

(CTR=Catch Torture and Release...)

:lol:

Keep it reeeel
madison


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## Quackkills9

NJ- thanks, I wasnt sure because in MN it is closed season for muskie. By the way nice fish!


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## njsimonson

Quack - Right on man, it is a very nice fish, I just wish I woulda been there to see him land it.

I like the MN fisheries management style, with closed seasons, I think they are doing a very good job on what appears to be a very pressured resource. ND is a bit different though, we don't see nearly the pressure that MN sees on its waters. So I can understand why MN has such heavy regulations, and ND doesn't even have a closed season.


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## Quackkills9

yeah its nice to let the fish have spawning seasons without being chased or kept except for panfish. I was at the dam on the miss. river east of town and saw a 40-45 incher ski fighting the current and moving around like she was showing off her size! That got me pumped up for the upcoming musky season. I went there the next day to snag suckers, these suckers fight with the current but caught 1 walleye (2-3 pounds) and she was dripping alot of white stuff (eggs?). although got alot of suckers, didnt keep to smoke em'.


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## holmsvc

Quackkills9 if it was drippin white stuff it wasn't a she!


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## The Dogger

White stuff = male juices... think about it


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## birddog131

Quackkills: I hope you were fishing for suckers :wink: Snagging or attempting to snag any fish is illegal: 
I assume the ol' powerdam is still producing, just make sure you have a twister tail or a crawler on: :beer:


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## Quackkills9

Ah I guess it was a male then. Well if I was snagging for suckers then that would be illegal :-? .. and the game wardens today didnt do anything about it. They know we all are snagging them because suckers are quite hard to get them in the mouth.And the walleye I caught today and the other day bit the hook. Well today they put out no fishing signs to dam due to net suckers and get their eggs for bait or whatever they do with it. Yeah I use a plastic twister, but I dont think you are allowed to use crawlers, well if you could, it would be waste of money and they will get off easy so go with twister. 10-15 people out there today. a few on the bridge checking it out. 2 game wardens today, there is a fishery hatchery next to it, checking us for license and fish.


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## PSDC

Quackkills9,

Nice to see you admit breaking the law in MN.

You apparently need to go back and get the fish regs
for MN. Just because other people are doing it, doesn't 
make it ok for snagging suckers. Plus, I don't think the
CO didn't care. Question that comment!

Maybe it is time for you and your friends to take an
ethics course at BSU!


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## The Dogger

If there was anything about this thread to get worked up about, although legal, would be not releasing a muskie back into the water. This thread would not have got the support and compliments on a serious (muskie based) muskie forum where CPR is standard issue. Congrats on the nice fish and all, but put it back and get a replica if you really want it mounted (unless it came in dead then take her home). I guess thats just how I see muskie fishing, unless its is a for sure state/world record, its going back in. And i dont think im getting one of those anytime soon, so please lets start supporting the CPR method on muskies here too. This state has very few Z's as it is, so releasing every one is just that more important.


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## Madison

The Dogger said:


> If there was anything about this thread to get worked up about, although legal, would be not releasing a muskie back into the water. This thread would not have got the support and compliments on a serious (muskie based) muskie forum where CPR is standard issue. Congrats on the nice fish and all, but put it back and get a replica if you really want it mounted (unless it came in dead then take her home). I guess thats just how I see muskie fishing, unless its is a for sure state/world record, its going back in. And i dont think im getting one of those anytime soon, so please lets start supporting the CPR method on muskies here too. This state has very few Z's as it is, so releasing every one is just that more important.


Dogger-

Well Said!!!

Keep it reeeel man.


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## Quackkills9

Sorry I dont go to BSU. Well if you said the CO didnt care, well they might care but how come didnt they do anything about it? They were seeing us doing it. I dont care if I broke the law or not, but I just wonder why those two CO didnt do anything about it?


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## The Dogger

Madison- thanks im glad someone agrees.

Do u reside in the twin city area? Where do u chase the Z's?

Im at school at UND but live in the TC area in the summer. Fish the metro, LOTW and @ the cabin near Hayward. Let me know.


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## holmsvc

The Dogger
Its kinda hard to have a replica done when you don't have a camera or a tape alone.


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## cootkiller

Hey,
Layoff, Tiger Muskies are sterile anyway and don't reproduce. They happen either as a result of stocking or accidently in nature.
I would rather see someone take all the pike and other mega predators out of any lake than to leave them and let them eat the walleyes.

cootkiller


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## Boy

Someone catches a truely remarkable trophy fish and he gets hacked for it? What's up with that. I say congrats, buy the guy a beer.


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## Quackkills9

Some fishermen strongly believe in CPR so other anglers can catch it another day and to get bigger. I CPR most of the fish I catch except for some panfish. I have no problem keeping a fish that big if I think I wouldnt get one Bigger. But it sounded like he didnt have a camera or tape measure along so he decided to keep it. I have a friend of mine, his dad has 5 muskies over 50 inches mounted in his trophy room with deer heads, moose head, grayling, salmon and all these animals. For now hes retired from Musky fishing, and focusing on Walleye fishing.


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## Ryan_Todd

> I like the MN fisheries management style, with closed seasons, I think they are doing a very good job on what appears to be a very pressured resource. ND is a bit different though, we don't see nearly the pressure that MN sees on its waters. So I can understand why MN has such heavy regulations, and ND doesn't even have a closed season.


i agree with you complety nick.


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## The Dogger

Holmslice- That is no reason at all to take a mature fish out of the water it has lived in for so long. Be prepared to take a pic and measure it or be prepared to catch a huge fish and only have the memory of it.

CootLover- You support the point even more of why it is sooo important to realease that fish. There are so few tigers in this state as it is plus it is a rarity for it to even get in there and get the big. That was an awsome fish with a ton of history and battle scars to prove it. After being through all that lets just pop her outa the lake and take her home. And on your bonehead comment about taking all the Esox (thats pike and Muskies in case u didnt know) species out of the lake- They play a major role in the Eco-system of nearly every water system in the Midwest. Without them lakes would go to hell, pick up an intro to biology book and read up. Im embarrassed to even have to tell you this.

BOY- I will buy him a beer too, for catching it. I will not buy him a beer for keeping it.

Not trying to attack you guys but know what your talking about, or dont talk. Im not just a waterfowler in this section goofing around. I am an obsessed watefowler and muskie fisherman 365 days a year.

Please guys - promote and support CPR.


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## FishingQuinn

I definately agree with you Dogger. Big fish are taken out of lakes by uneducated anglers around the world and as a result the numbers of large fish have dwindled as a whole. People have and always will keep giant fish, but the concept of catch and release is the key to maintain and hopefully restore many lakes that have been damaged by over harvesting of large fish. I'm sure many of you don't agree with this and your entitled to your opinion, but thats mine. I know a lot of professional anglers in nearly every category of fish, and I know that there isn't a single one that doesn't live and die by catching and releasing large fish. It is a new concept to many anglers and through forums like this and others it is encouraged to preach and practice the best techniques to better our fisheries.

This guy that caught the Tiger Muskie isn't literally being harassed, but being used as an example. Some anglers will always keep large fish and thats how it is, but educated anglers release them to do their part to ensure the fishery. If serious anglers began keeping all of the large fish they kept, lakes across the world would become unbalanced and stop producing large fish. If a lake is over harvested of large Norhtern Pike it will never return back to how it was and will then produce load of small Norhterns. Then anglers complain about cathcing lots of little fish and no large fish, hmmm, I wonder why? It's due to those same anglers keeping all the large fish in years past and that is the result. Catch and release applies to small fish as well, keeping fish to eat is a necessary part of fishing (environmentally and for the sport), but keeping every small fish is just as bad as keeping large ones. If every angler that bought a liscense in MN kept a limit of walleyes in a single season there wouldn't be any left. And buddy, about removing the large predators from lakes, I honest to God hope you were joking because that has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

Anyways, thats enough for me, I feel very passionately about fishing and bettering the environment. I encourage everyone to do their part to ensure good fishing for years to come.


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## Boy

This guy did NOTHING wrong with keeping this fish. If you look at the NDGnF 2004-2006 Fishing Guude, it states that no Muskellunge under 40 inches taken from any waters in the state may be kept. This fish was 46.75 inches. Everyone practices C&R in accordance with their personal beliefs and just becasue you think he should have put it back is no reason to give im a hard time. He CHOSE to keep it, and it was legal so what is the problem???


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## cootkiller

Dogger,
You misconstrue my point to take a cheap shot and if that is what gets you an ego boost, so be it.

I fish Devils lake and its tributaries and there is a reason the limit up here is 5 pike a day and not 3. We have too many. The only problem is not enough people keep pike.

I practice catch and release also, on big female walleyes.

As far as the biology of a fishery, on the lake I fish there is no amount of taking of pike that is going to even make the smallest dent in the overpopulation.
A trophy is in the eye of the beholder and everyone has the right to keep a fish if they perceive it to be a trophy in there book.

Pike have there place as the superpredator and yes a lake needs some, but not the bagillion that prowl the waters of Devils Lake.

cootkiller


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## njsimonson

Quackkills9 - GREAT SIGNATURE! Made me smile, sometimes just seeing a muskie can make your day!

FishingQuinn - Are you QUINNY from the legendary Channel A day on Devils Lake last spring...and would you know something about some particular moron who lost all your nice eater walleyes for you that day? Or am I mistaken?


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## Quackkills9

nj- 1217 casts was just a guess but I do remember fishing one day for 6-6 1/2 hours and had 5 follows, which is my personal best in one day. I had only a few strikes last summer (Late July- mid-Aug) and did not see the fish but it sure did feel alot different from pike. I will be chasin' them all summer long as much possible!!!  good luck this summer everyone!


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## njsimonson

Quackkills9 -

Man, I tell ya, the only two I've ever caught have both been on accident. The first one my buddy was fishing a bucktail in the propwash of the boat on the Wednesday night before WEFest on big DL we had been indulging in PBR with another buddy so we were on our way to party mode. He had to pee, and handed me the rod - not 15 seconds later I yell "got one!" Thinking I was joking, my buddy called BS, but the rod being dang near jerked out of my hand by the fish told him otherwise. My buddy zipped up, climbed back to the front of the boat hugnover the side and barehanded the fish, and passed it up to me. Course, we had NO camera, so no record. :-?

I caught an injured ski on big DL last summer while fishing for bass, I threw a texas-rigged tube in front of her, and she turned on it. I thought it was a pike at first, but then got her up and saw the light coloring. Also saw that someone had snagged a gill feather loose just under her right gill plate. So I unhooked her fast and let her go back...my guess was she wouldn't make it. Her head was bout 12 inches around, but her body was as emaciated as I've ever seen a fish. Both were about 36" in length.

Sometimes, we just see them sitting in front of the docks or Long Bridge just suspended, or slowly cruising the area. Really neat to watch them, esp. the fish over 50 inches! I'd go hardcore after them, but I'm a bass guy first and foremost...I still manage a couple days of muskie hunting a summer though...but it seems I never connect when I TRY to get em


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## Quackkills9

NJ-

It seems that way, when youre not targeting them, you will get one by fishing for walleyes, bass, pike. I have heard my friends catching them while fishing everything else except for muskies. Although it has not happened to me but it did happen once when me and a buddy were out on the opener (it was cold, windy) in 2000 on Cass Lake trolling for northerns with a husky jerk and he had a strike and reeled it in, jumped twice and we knew it was a big fish, not sure what it was N.P. or Musky. I had tried to net it two times and missed it and got it on the 3rd try. but she put up a great fight. we got a picture and measured it at 44 inches.

Last summer I had caught a Northern while musky fishing on Lake Bemidji and I had it in the water on boatside and my buddy (the same one as above) threw me the pilers and I dropped it and tried to reach for it, as my buddy said something, I thought he was telling me the fish got off (as I am deaf and can hear a little bit, my buddy is also deaf but has cochlear implants which helps him hear more) anyways I got up and looked and the Northern was still there but there was this 50+ inch ski just swimming by the small pike, that got my heart pumping seeing the biggest Musky I have seen. Even though I still have a long ways to learn how to catch them. We only brought one 40 incher to the boat last summer, I have pictures but they are to big to post. So I'm hoping for one this summer


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## The Dogger

Boy - calm down, i have not once bad mouthed the guy who caught it. Only those who support what he has done.

CPR please!


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## njsimonson

Quackkills9 - Yeah, big fish like that, especially when they are just a few feet (or inches!) from your hands or face or the boat will really get the blood pumping. There's nothing like a clearwater lake and big predators to really excite you. Then there's all those teeth to think about...yikes. The neighbor girl at the lake (5 years old or so) claims she was swimming in her orange arm-floaties, and a muskie came up and swiped at her hand
and caused her to have to get around 10 stitches in her wrist...and knowing the big muskies that hang in the creek delta where she was swimming, I'm not surprised. You ever hear of any humans attacked by muskie?

The Dogger - So you're saying that instead of badmouthing one person, you've badmouthed many others in an attempt to make your point? Your approach to discussing Catch and Release on this thread has been so combative, I'm surprised people haven't started keeping everything they've caught in the last week just to spite you. :lol: A recent article I wrote will help you work on your rhetoric. I commend you for thinking in the C&R/SH mindset that most all of us here do, but your delivery could use some work. You're preaching to the choir, but when you start getting off key, we're gonna let you know.

Here's my stand on C&R and how I practice and promote it: http://www.times-online.com/articles/2005/04/14/sports/01nick.txt

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.


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## jdpete75

Nice article nick.


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## Quackkills9

NJ- I have not heard many stories about muskies attacking humans but I did read a story that happened in Duluth last summer, in the shallows a 7 year old was bit in the foot or something and then the dad saw the big fish swish away with water splashing, but couldnt tell what it was and they were assuming it was a muskie, caused some stitches on the girl. I dont know, I dont remember everything but it was something like that.Yes it gets my heart pumping when I see one!

this is America, we can do whatever as long its legal.


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## The Dogger

Not going to arue with you on that point at all Nick. This is not the first time and probably wont be the last I get worked up about this situation. Nice article and maybe one day I will be able to better prove my case/point as smoothly as when I use to watch you and Luke in the Moot court championships.


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## FishingQuinn

Nick - This is indeed Quinn from the wild day of giant walleyes on Devils. Yea I remember some guy who lost a stringer of fish, but i can't remember his name, jk. Good to hear from ya, how's fishing been? Catfishing has been better than I have ever seen this spring on the Red, the biggest was a 34.5" 21#, with at least 20 over 14. I actually went to Devils yesterday and it was real slow, we caught 2 around 3#, and one 7.5#, so it wasn't too terrible, but I'm hoping to go back when things get going. I can only pray that it compares to that day last year, we shall see. Have a good one.


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## njsimonson

The Dogger - Yeah man, its all in how you say it. I've been a zealot for C&R since I began fishing hard core in 1998. Then I realized that to make a difference it is necessary to lead by example. When others see you do it and see you feel good about having it on film, or on a disk, they take notice and wonder why, and maybe they ask you why, but eventually they feel things out for themselves. Change comes from learning, not from forcing. 
And as for "smooth" in moot court, were you there for my first year??? - I was described as "bulldozer" and "steamroller" by Lockney and Euren...hahaha. Debating, whether written or oral, just like fishing, takes some finessing too. I got the point when Justice Maring told me to slow down...so it took me a while, but having a member of the NDSCt tell you drives the point home. 

Quinny you walleye-haulin' sonofa, how have you been? I survived another craptastic winter and the smallmouth bass have been on the run the past couple of weeks around VC. Went to Devils Lake yesterday and today...talk about sllllooooow. Channel A, there was virtually no action, I saw two pike caught in about 90 minutes. Opposite of last year, I must have been doing something wrong, or they weren't there...I like to think the latter of the two is the explaination! :lol: Casino wasn't much kinder to me either! :x Did you go anywhere exotic for spring break this year? Weren't you on El Salto last year? Keep me posted on your fishins!

Did you ever get the epicI wrote about that day on Channel A when I practiced involuntary catch and release?!? Ha, it was funny, I got sooo much guff about it when I got back to VC the next weekend...ah well, live and learn. Pop me a PM with your email, I'll fire it off to you. Man that was the Worst Papa Johns Pizza I ever had!!!  Keep in touch. I got a new website http://www.nicksimonson.com, all your hoggies are up in the "Walleye" pic section! Tight lines buddy!


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## ThatGuy

Well, I suppose since I finally had something worthy to put on this site I finally had to get a login. I do firmly support C & R, however at the time this fish was caught, we were sans net and as NJ's post says I was on four pound test. At that time I made a judgement call due to the fact that the only way the fish was coming out was to grab it by the eye sockets (even though I had 2 friends who are probably the best barehanders I will ever know standing there). At that time I had to decide then and there as to whether we would lose it or if it was going to come out and have damaged eyes (23 lbs. of force on eyes tends to do damage). The only way that I could justify taking this fish out of the water was if it was going to be mounted as to the fact that I knew that the eyes would most likely be damaged in the attempt (after the landing, both eye sockets were bleeding). C & R in my book should be bypassed if the fish will not survive the release. This is partly my fault on lack of preparation (and a mild case of selfishness that comes from having the largest fish I have ever hooked on the line). It just goes to show that when you are most unprepaired (first time out this year, flipping jigs, no net, no camera, no tape), that is when something photo-worthy will occur.


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## boondocks

I agree with dogger 100%.I also agree that nice fish like this should be released so that some one else can enjoy the same experience this feller did once twice maybe ten times over.And especailly a musky.Any fish for that matter.In North Dakota its getting to be harder and harder to catch anything of trophy caliber anymore.The only reason that is because North Dakotans dont practice C&R the way they should.


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## Greg_4242

Is it really that bad taking an really old fish out of the water. Old Mares and old women can reproduce, how do you know that 30 year old musky is still pumping out the eggs.


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