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Posts: 242
| I have always been under the impression that musky are very opportunistic and eat anything nearby (as long as they don't have to work too hard to get it). However, I recently discovered a video that shows musky and walleye cohabitating like an old married couple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRIE5nCdES8
In digging a little further into some other of underwater videos, the videographer (Jim) mentions that walleye and musky seem very comfortable together, but the Smallmouth bass get pretty skittish when a musky comes near. Also, if musky hang out with walleye so much, that could explain why walleye fisherman catch a lot of musky accidentally. However, if the musky and walleye are corgidial to each other vs. the musky hunting down the walleye, then the claims of some walleye fisherman that musky are decimating the walleye population are unfound (with the most famous example being that guy who was filmed killing that musky on Lake St. Clair and then when confronted, he claimed he did that to all the musky he caught, because they eat all his walleye).
What do you guys think? |
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Posts: 612
| Have had both musky and pike rake a good sized walleye while reeling one in. I think for esox anything is food if the fish is active. As for lazy, not sure I agree sometimes I can only produce a strike by burning a bait. (Which is a pain, since I'm getting older and burning those big baits burns my shoulders -arms.)
However, I don't think either species presents a treat to a resident walleye population. The preferred bait are fish like perch, alewives, etc..
Edited by NPike 8/11/2017 1:07 PM
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | I know little to nothing about the Muskie to prey relations but here's my opinion with general predator to prey relations. If a fish is full then it's not going to eat anymore it's just that simple. If it can't fit more food in it it's not going to eat even if there is endless prey surrounding them. And I'm sure a Muskie will eat the occasional smallmouth or walleye. I watch big largemouth 3lbs and more hang out with little sunfish all the time. And I've even been able to catch some of them, that means they would rather eat my lure vs the bluegill. I think that's because my bait is doing something erratic and/or different than the perfectly healthy bluegill that are all around it. And in a lake that there is a main forage base that has a good population predators (whatever they may be) are going to prefer the sucker, shad, Cisco, or other easily available fish. That's probaly why it's harder to catch fish and especially big ones in a lake where there is a actual forage base and fish aren't just preying on each other. Also if there wasn't a forage fish and the Muskie were eating walleye or bass it would probaly take only one average size walleye or bass to fill up a 40" pike or Muskie. Same goes for bass and bluegill it will probaly only take 1 average bluegill to fill up a 4lb bass. And after they eat they don't do anything until they are hungry again.
You can call this an experiment if you want, I've had multiple fish species in a aquarium at some point. Everything from pike to bluegill. I noticed that when they had a empty tank (just the fish no baitfish) and I went to feed them they would eat until there bellies looked like they would explode. But if I kept a constant supply of food in the tank never letting there be less than 5 extra minnows they seemed to not stuff themselves they would eat much slower and there bellies wouldn't be fat with food. They would eat one or 2 a day and sometimes none. |
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Posts: 612
| Musky_Mo16 - 8/11/2017 2:28 PM
I know little to nothing about the Muskie to prey relations but here's my opinion with general predator to prey relations. If a fish is full then it's not going to eat anymore it's just that simple.
Exception I've seen both pike and musky with the tail of a > than 3 lp fish still hanging out it's mouth and it took my bait? |
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Posts: 20179
Location: oswego, il | I have seen muskies and walleyes sitting in the same weed pockets on lake waubesa. Imho, behavior is a big part of the underwater world. The walleye that is grabbed by a musky while being caught is displaying distress which is vulnerability. Vulnerability is a very important part of fish survival. Musky eat very few predators. They eat prey. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | when someone tells me a certain island, hump, or point, has walleyes on it/around it... I make sure to fish it!  muskies might not be targeting the walleyes, but where there is food, there are muskies.
Edited by BNelson 8/11/2017 3:39 PM
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | NPike - 8/11/2017 2:32 PM
Musky_Mo16 - 8/11/2017 2:28 PM
I know little to nothing about the Muskie to prey relations but here's my opinion with general predator to prey relations. If a fish is full then it's not going to eat anymore it's just that simple.
Exception I've seen both pike and musky with the tail of a > than 3 lp fish still hanging out it's mouth and it took my bait?
Good point, I'll admit I've caught bass with fish and crayfish still down their throat but I've noticed it's mostly with reaction baits.
And the whole thing about the Muskie and walleye being on the same spot, I would they are most likely targeting the same baitfish. The Muskie probaly didn't follow the walleye, the Muskie were probaly following the bait and the walleye just happen to be doing the same thing |
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Posts: 1209
| I have seen seven 44+" muskies hanging out with 20 or so good 20-27" walleyes all hanging out nearly feet apart from each other on "the imfomas" pelican lake MN. An area about the size between two neighbors docks... we were the only thing that scared either species. |
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Posts: 293
Location: Sakatchewan,Canada | There are certain times of year on a lake I fish that pike will often attack walleye that I'm reeling in. These walleye are generally 14-20" in length but I also was able to land a 4lb 3oz walleye that was still t-boned by a 46" pike(was able to net them both). I have also found 12-14" walleye in 6-9lb pike stomachs(fish kept to eat) these same times of year. I don't believe they are the preferred forage, but at certain times they definitely are forage in that system. |
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Posts: 12
| I have heard that muskie like to snack on small mouth bass, but don't have any "proof" of that. I DO know that I have raised/boated muskie where I also fish pickerel, more than once. |
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Posts: 32786
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | We have literally hundreds of hours of Aqua-Vu video with gamefish hanging together, but panfish? POOF...gone... when an Esox shows up. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | using the underwater cam bluegill fishing in the winter we allllways know when a Pike or Musky is nearby... |
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Posts: 431
| We sight fish perch on st clair in the winter. when the school scatters, pull your bait out of the water and stare down the hole because your about to get to see a musky going about his business. Its pretty cool to see them when they are relaxed or just cruising. I wish it was legal to drop a bait down and watch them chow it. |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | tackleaddict - 8/15/2017 1:39 PM
We sight fish perch on st clair in the winter. when the school scatters, pull your bait out of the water and stare down the hole because your about to get to see a musky going about his business. Its pretty cool to see them when they are relaxed or just cruising. I wish it was legal to drop a bait down and watch them chow it.
Drop one of your dead perch in the hole and see if it would take it. Not with a line, just drop it in. |
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