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| Howdy folks, I am new here. I've had rolling around in my head for awhile the question of what does the average muskie angler consider to be a "nice one" or a "big fish" ? What's the benchmark in your opinion ?
With the advent of the internet coming along in widespread use about ten years ago or so and with television and magazines covering our favorite fish more and more it is easy to get lost in all the glam and glossy 50+ inchers splashed all over the place.
My experience is more rooted in reality I think and even with the sport growing all the time I think the reality is that the majority of muskie anglers, out of the tens of thousands out there have never actually laid eyes on a real live 50 incher personally.
I've never had one in my boat, my PB is 46", my average (honestly I am having a good year if I boat ten is about 35").
O.K. so this is reality here, you're out fishing muskies with your pals and what size is deemed "a big fish" ? One a bit better than what is most often seen ? |
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Posts: 802
| even tho there have been record numbers of 50" plus fish over the last few (5?) years including those beasts from 'the larry', in my book a mid forty inch fish is a big'un.
steve |
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Posts: 8828
| "big" is a realtive term. The only way to judge what a "big" fish really is is to base that on the lake you are fishing, and what the average size fish is in that body of water. There are places where 50" fish happen once every other year, and places where they happen every WEEK. You have to judge your catches on what you can reasonably expect to encounter on whatever lake you are on. There are lakes where a 45" fish is huge. There are others where a 50" fish is not.
To me? 52" is big. But if I caught that fish in Canada I'd know that there are many bigger fish to be had. If I caught that fish on the Fox Chain? I'd walk away knowing that the fish I caught might be the biggest fish in the whole system.
You also have to consider your own experiences. "big" is... Well, bigger than your biggest fish, whatever that may be.
Again, you are a product of the waters you fish. To me, "big" might be 40#. Where you fish, there may not be, nor has there ever BEEN a 40# muskie. "big" for your region might be 47" and 25#...
One thing is for sure. You caertainly can't take other people's catches and compare them to your own unless you are fishing in the same place. |
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Posts: 105
| The one I just lost!! |
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Posts: 50
| I fish LOTW. Most of the muskies on lotw are fat, so I would say 48" is a big fish. |
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Posts: 717
Location: Grand Rapids, MI | I try to picture myself in the boat with the fish coming towards the net before I answer a question like this. So here goes:
Nice fish: - 42-44
Big fish: 45-48
Nice,Big *&%^ Fish: 49+
Giant. Just a Giant.: Anything over 53
I mean, are you going to tell me if your buddy is reeling in a 46"er and you are poised with the net that you are just going to say,"Yeah, it looks like an ok fish. Not a big one, though". I'm sure there will be giggles and high fives all around...
Edited by JimtenHaaf 12/14/2010 11:24 PM
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Posts: 366
| A wise old muskie veteran used to tell me that "evil" started at 46". So I always used that as a benchmark for a "big" fish, but of course I only catch small fish and don't go out expecting to see or catch 55"+ fish. |
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Posts: 1530
| big muskies are big for the water body there in. some systems have 45 inchers that are trophys for that water system.. the musky hiearchy wants folks to believe its not big unless its over 50. most never figure the reel deel. the fun, stories and enjoyment of being outdoors. after 50 years chasing muskies and every other critter you see things in different perspectives.
enjoy your outdoors. |
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Posts: 720
| Woodieb8,
Very well written. You just saved me five minutes writing a response.
A big fish like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've always said that a quality size fish started at 40" fish. Anything before and after that mark is just super fun to catch. I'm a firm believer in having fun out on the water. The muskies are just icing on the cake. But to answer the question I would say the following:
40" to 45" is a quality size fish.
46" to 49" is a big size fish.
50" and up is in a legal of their own. Cool.
Any fish with stripes and its name starts with an M. Fun to catch. |
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Posts: 38
Location: Iowa City, Iowa | I read where a 45" fish is in the top 2% of the population and 50" and over is in the top 0.2%. Are these percentages still valid today? Is there any relationship between the percentage of the total population and whether a musky is big? Call into the Dennis Miller show and see what he says. |
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Posts: 22
Location: Minnesota | Big to me is anything over 30 lbs. Nice is something around 25 or so. Length doesn't always constitute for a big fish for me. For example this Nov. we put two 45.5" fish in the boat and hour apart. My buddies had an average girth if that, maybe 24 lbs. Mine was a slob with a 24" girth probably over 30lbs. I like fat heavy fish more than i like length. I'd take an obese 48 over a slimmer 50 any day. Then again I'm not all that right in the head. ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! |
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Posts: 785
| I "count" anything 40 and over. I'm very pleased with 45's and super pleased with 48's. That said I rarely fish water anymore that doesn't have a very good shot at a 50+. That's what I consider a trophy but in the waters I fish it's realistically gotta be more like 53-55. |
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | A truly big muskie is completely described by the area one fishes. 50" here in Oneida. |
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Posts: 393
Location: Hopefully on the water | The first one of the season is always big. Mainly because it has been a while since fishing them even thought it might only be 33" jsut nice to be back in the saddle again. Overall we consider nice fish 40-45, big fish 45-48 and great big fish above 48. However if you throw in a tiger all rules are out on that. They are just a thing of beauty. For my son they are all great big fish and doesn't matter what size they are to him or me at that point as long as he is having a good time and got him on fish. Mom did put the bench mark for him at 40" to get a repo for him until he gets a few more under his belt.
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | I consider a big fish 45-48". I think it depends on the water you fish as well. |
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Location: MN | As stated, really depends on the waters you are fishing and the density of year classes present. I grew up fishing shoepack lakes where anything hitting mid 30" range was a monster. Today, I spend most of my time on "trophy-waters" where high 40s are "common" and cracking at least one 50+ per year is the norm for the those who put in their time on these lakes. This fall I had the pleasure to fish with a great angler on one of these trophy lakes and watched him put an honest mid-40lb fish in the boat. His fish was amazing; any fish hitting the 40lb+ range is truely unique!
Edited by Mak51 12/15/2010 12:04 PM
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | In my area (Oneida County), and I know I am disagreeing slightly with Mr. Worrall, a big musky is anything over 45". Over 50 is a true trophy. |
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Posts: 1146
| I agree with Norm. I fish the small lakes in Langlade County more often than Oneida and around here anything over 40" is a nice fish, mid 40s" is big, and I think even a 48" is a trophy.
Edited by MartinTD 12/15/2010 1:10 PM
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Not really, Norm, a 'big' one is 44 far as I'm concerned, and a truly big one 50". |
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| So Norm,
How big does a beaver need to be, to be considered "big" or a true trophy? |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | no matter where i fish wisconsin, minnesota or canada i still consider a 45" plus fish a big fish and the ones that are the most memorable. give me as many shots at those as possible and i'm a happy guy. looks like the future is going to take me to montreal quite a bit so hopefully i'll find the time to change that paradigm on the St. Lawrence. first thought on my first biz trip was that it's time to line up a "customer outing" in the near future!! |
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Posts: 7
| It would probably depend on the lake you are fishing but I would definately say that a mid to upper 40s would be a big muskie.. and once you get into the 50's it would definately be a trophy!! |
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Posts: 67
| A Trophy to me is all in the eyes of the beholder , to a novice a 36 " looks huge the first time , the question should be what is considered a Trophy smile ! |
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| Great responses ! I think the last one by trophyhunter1958 really sums it up nicely.
Any muskie in my boat puts that big idiot grin on my face but when they start pushing the 40" mark that's big fish !
Very refreshing to see that most guys feel anything over 36" is a nice fish and I feel it's an indicator of how few and far between genuine 50's really are.
Kinda funny how there don't seem to be any 49 1/2" muskies out there !? |
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Posts: 2376
Location: Chisholm, MN | I'm really happy when I catch a 40 or so. Even 39 is cool. I don't consider that big though. I think big for my area is 44 or better. When I see something that is 48 to 50, I say it was really big. Anything bigger than 50 is a giant. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | For my local waters over 40 a decent fish, mid /upper 40's nice, 48+ a big one over 50 trophy. Good chance at any every day out. |
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Posts: 556
| I have to agree with most--45" up I would say is BIG---48" and above I would consider a trophy on most waters----There are a few waters where that # might stretch to 50" and above. I can't think of to many fisherman that I know who would shake off a 45 incher--that puts a mile on most anyone's face. |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Stinky Finger - 12/15/2010 4:42 PM
Great responses ! I think the last one by trophyhunter1958 really sums it up nicely.
Any muskie in my boat puts that big idiot grin on my face but when they start pushing the 40" mark that's big fish !
Very refreshing to see that most guys feel anything over 36" is a nice fish and I feel it's an indicator of how few and far between genuine 50's really are.
Kinda funny how there don't seem to be any 49 1/2" muskies out there !?
This is similar to asking wife/girl friend; What is big? Hard to find 7"er' as an answer. It's all relative, especially based on personal perspective. For me a big muskie is +50", but any muskie is fun, and a + 60" would be a true monster.
I have seen two fish that had those kind of shoulder's, and I still remember every second of each of those encounters. Does size matter? Sometimes!
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 23
Location: Indiana | shaley - 12/15/2010 6:27 PM
For my local waters over 40 a decent fish, mid /upper 40's nice, 48+ a big one over 50 trophy. Good chance at any every day out.
Same on my home waters |
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Posts: 559
| every fish has given me a good time. I can still prol tell you the date and time I caught the little ones and lost the big ones. It is just fun and disapionting at the same time that is what keeps me coming back. |
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | For me it depends on the tackle I catch them on . A 36 is huge when you,re bass fishing ha ha ha . But like most of you I think 50 is the benchmark most of us shoot at. However they are all fun and Ill catch 40 inch fish all day and like it. Mike |
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Posts: 35
| A big fish is a fish you would be proud to catch and have a picture with. Whether it's your biggest, your first, or just a great fish you caught in limited time or during a tough year. The great thing about musky fishing is that your "big" fish, under any definition, can get bigger if you release it and keep fishing. To put it in perspective, a "big" whitetail can be 150" or 115" only a county away depending on lakes, nutrition, management, etc. Although not many of us consider a 32" fish a bigg'n many people kill basket rack 10 p bucks and they are bigg'ns at their camp or their state. The catch and release aspect of this sport, unlike hunting, will only continue to allow fish to grow and keep growing if they aren't killed. The passion and effort put into the sport should be more cherished than the size. I'm lucky to hunt in good whitetail country and my biggest is a 158" 6 yr old, one of my friends has 4 bigger than that, and I have seen much bigger, but haven't gotten a shot at one. But being it was 6.5 and we had years of trail-cam photos of it know what deer it was makes it HUGE.. to ME. Limitations apply everywhere, just keep fishing and you'll find your "BIG". |
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | A really big fish is anything bigger than what I've already caught. A nice fish is any fish I catch that isn't a really big fish.
I temper my excitement based on what water I'm fishing. If I'm on a lake that regularly puts up a cetain size fish, no matter what size that may be, when you catch one, it's nothing special, fun, but again, nothing special. If you catch the biggest fish the lake has put up in many a year, then you've done something to brag about no matter what the actual size. For example, the 30# fish we catch in Canada would be giants in some of the lakes I have fished in WI, but there, they are just nice fish. |
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Posts: 222
Location: c.wis | avg. 35-40, nice 40-45, big 45+, 50+ is a slob.............. but I mostly go by weight, anything over 30lbs. is a trophy, really depends on where you fish but this is my benchmark. |
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Posts: 743
| 30-40 Just a musky but a musky nonetheless
41-45 A nice fish
46-47 A pretty big fish
48-49 Alright ,we're getting there,but not quite there yet
50-53 Now that's a big one
54- Now that's a REAL BIG fish
No matter what the size,they are all fun to catch
Edited by KSauers 12/16/2010 9:23 AM
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Posts: 1
| I just started Musky fishing last year but have fished for bass all my life. So it's all in your perception cuz the 40 incher I caught this October was HUGE! |
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Posts: 8828
| Interesting to note the discrepancy between the size of the average muskie and what people consider to be a big fish...
My average year to year runs about 38", which would lead me to believe that even my own interpretation of "big" might just be skewed. |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Like some have said, it depends on where you are at. It depends on the water you're fishing, how many you have caught, and what your personal best is. Sometimes, when the fish are hard to catch, even a 40 incher can seem big. But, if one has just released two 48 inchers in the past week and then hook a 49, it may not seem all that big. But if one has never caught a 49 incher or anything close to that, then it would be really big if not huge.
My ten year old daughter caught her first Muskie, a 45 incher, this year. To her it wasn't just big, it was absolutely huge. My personal best is 54 inches and so, for me, something similar or maybe even larger than that would be "huge".
But isn't it fun just fishing whether they are big or not? For me, just being on the water is so much fun. Chasing Muskies makes it much better and catching a Muskie, no matter what size, is a blast. |
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Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | It is crazy how over the last couple of years the bench mark has been set so high. I had a couple of days this year that we boated three 50 inch fish in one day. On one of those trips, We had been out for about 10 hours and my client was getting cold. I remarked to him that I wanted stay out another hour because I wanted to catch a huge fish. He looked at me and laughed, He said hey I have already caught 3 50 inch fish today. I don't know about you but those are huge fish in my book.
That really made me take a step back and appreciate the great fisheries we have here in Minnesota.
Thank you CPR and MNDNR |
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| Today that bench mark for a Big Muskie for me personaly is 55 inches or longer,with girth of 28 inches or more! |
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Posts: 1207
Location: Pigeon Forge TN. | For me it is anything bigger than the last one I caught, etc, etc. |
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Posts: 32
Location: Tower, Lake Vermilion | I never met a Muskie I didn't like, some are just better than others....
Any fish over 40 is a good fish, Anything over 50 is a giant in my book.
I think as you get older(like me) the time on the water becomes far more valuable to you. With that said, any muskie makes my day.
"Ace"" |
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Posts: 53
Location: Victor, ID | The muskies we land are never as BIG as the ones that get away.
That's what keeps us coming back.
Cheers! |
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Posts: 253
Location: On the water | The one that's on the end of my line!
Happy Holidays to all, Tom |
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| I think "big" is what a person makes it.
For me in Minnesota big is 48" plus and huge is 55 or more.
In Wisconsin I would go 45" plus big and huge is 50 or more.
In Ontario I would say 48" plus is big and 56/57" plus is huge.
I guess it is all relevant to past catches and the locations that people fish IMO. |
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Posts: 909
| Muskie03 - 12/15/2010 10:07 AM
Big to me is anything over 30 lbs. Nice is something around 25 or so. Length doesn't always constitute for a big fish for me. For example this Nov. we put two 45.5" fish in the boat and hour apart. My buddies had an average girth if that, maybe 24 lbs. Mine was a slob with a 24" girth probably over 30lbs. I like fat heavy fish more than i like length. I'd take an obese 48 over a slimmer 50 any day. Then again I'm not all that right in the head. ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
My thoughts exactly! Big and fat with a dinner plate head is a "Good one"
Brian  |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | a big fish is whatever the angler thinks is big,could be 35 to a new muskie fisherman,and then you have those guys who will shake off a 45 like it`s a 22 incher. |
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Posts: 9
| Any musky is a good musky in my opinion. |
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| it's all relative to your years of experience, what size fish you have caught up to the current point in time, where you fish and what size fish you encounter.
my first hour of musky fishing in 1993 I caught a 37" incher, at that point, fish #1, hour #1, that was BIG to me. now 17 years later and ~700 fish later, I still fish the same lake and I now consider 45"ers big on that lake. When I'm in MN, four footers or better are big. 52 or better might be called beasts, 54+ and fat are reserved for Giant status.
all boils down to your experience level and lakes you fish or are fishing.
my 2 cents
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Posts: 17
Location: northeast ohio | i would love to someday be able to land a 55 incher. but for now a musky is a musky. My last musky this year was right around 30, and i was just as excited as i was with my other fish. This was only my first year though, so just catchin em was awesome. ...and besides, "a small musky is better than a huge bass" |
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Posts: 240
| I fish Lake of the Woods. My goal is to put as many 50's in the boat as possible during the season. To me though 38 to 43 is average so a big fish is anything over 45 inches and I am real happy
Cory |
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What do you consider is a big muskie?