McKinley Musky

OK, if you haven’t seen it yet here it is. A 48” Musky that was caught off the McKinley Breakwall on Wednesday July 6th. (Photo by Jim La Rose) I got word now that the angler was identified so maybe some information can be collected from it.

It appears to be a Great Lakes Spotted Musky, but where did it come from. Did it migrate from the Green Bay area recently? Did it migrate 10 years ago and live in our harbor all this time. Unless the DNR can make some type of positive ID, we will never know.

But it does make for some interesting speculation. Everything else in our harbor, inner-harbor, and adjoining rivers thrive here. World class brown trout, steelhead, salmon, giant pike, and even bass and walleyes these days. Why not muskies? Plenty of habitat. A warm water sanctuary in the winter. And, more than enough to eat. Alewives, big gobies, loads of suckers, perch, small trout, and all winter long huge gizzard shad. And, thousands of acres of water without leaving the harbor.

A musky is about the only thing that I haven’t caught along our Lake Michigan shoreline in the past 38 years, but maybe it isn’t all that crazy. Back in the late 1970’s I’d have never believed that you could catch a smallmouth bass here in our harbor, and look at that fishery now. The same with Walleyes. You can actually target these species and catch them now. Jeeze, they held the Bassmaster Classic in Chicago’s harbor. That would have been a science fiction story back in 1978.

It isn’t the first I’ve heard about Muskies in the area. Years ago the DNR would find one here and there in the fyke nets they placed out in front of the old Pieces O Eight. That area that the old timers always called Oyster Bay has always been a great Pike spot and even one of the consistent places to hunt them back in the 1980’s. It was always one of the few areas that held weeds. Now weed growth is back and Pike and Bass populations are up. It is possible that a few Muskies could be roaming those weed beds too.

So is it a fluke? Ya, probably. You won’t see me out there chucking a custom painted Baby Brown Trout Suick (although I will have them available at http://www.jacksonlures.com/......... Just kidding, caaalm down!) in hopes that lightning will strike twice, but it sure made people sit up and take notice. There will be a lot of water cooler and tackle shop counter talk about this one. I haven’t seen a photo passed around the internet this fast since Paris Hilton made a home movie.

To the angler who caught it, bravo to you. Yes, he whacked it and could have released it… blah, blah, blah, whatever. I’m not going there. It’s a legendary fish for the pier. Scott Walker should pony up $600 for the guy to get it mounted and hang it in the McKinley pavilion for everyone to see. Just like the meat department at Trigs in Eagle River! Who doesn’t stop to look at a Musky hanging on the wall, right! It’s Wisconsin. We love a stuffed Musky as much as we love rummage sales, cream puffs, the booze paddle game at the church festival, and the chicken dance (Bob Kames, god rest his soul).

So next time you get bit off without a tug, get an alewife back that is shredded to ribbons, or see one of those big gizzard shad float up in the inner-harbor that look like Freddy Krueger went medieval on it, you will just have to wonder now.

Tight lines and smooth drags…….
Marc