By John
The Tiger Muskie was introduced to Utah in the 90s and is a highbred of a Pike and Muskielunger.
Pike and Muskie are aggressive fish-eating machines. The reason the DWR plants Tigers instead of their parent fish is threefold. One, they are just as aggressive as their parents 2nd, they grow faster than their parents; and 3, because they can't reproduce, the state can maintain population much easier.
Fishing for Tigers is what I call trophy fishing because those who fish them understand you're out there for a long time casting for hours for a fish you will get a picture of and then release. You can fish for days without hooking up on a Tiger. Many will not land a fish big enough to keep, and even then, many fishermen, me included, let them go to fight another day.
I've landed many of these monsters, and it is much easier in warmer weather, but they can be caught in the cooler spring.
Tigers spawn in spring; even without any fry coming from it they still follow the action. Tigers breed in 45-60 deg water which in Utah, Idaho, and other western mountain states is late spring. They spawn in shallow areas just off where the weed beds will be, and they focus on spawning late evening and early morning. Right before spawning and directly after, they are often off the beds in about 10-15 feet of water.
Pre-spawn focus on 10-15 feet of water just off the beds or over ledges where baitfish congregate. The Tigers are feeding pre-spawn but are more sluggish in the cooler water. The keys to spring Tigers are to put away your summer lures and go smaller. Drop down to a 3" instead of 5 or 7" lures. I dive into my smaller Walleye lures. 3" deep divers like Rapala deep diver, Rapala DT, or Yo Zuri Deep Diver. When working, your bait retrieve a tad slower than you would in summer. If your trolling, stay at 2-2.5 MPH posed to your summer 3 MPH. If you’re pitching, slow it down with a stall and bounce once in a while to trigger a strike.
I usually don't hit fish on the spawn, but as tigers don't reproduce, it feels more ethical; however, you still don't want to stress the fish out before releasing them. Net the Tiger, then keep it in the water; while you remove the hook. Get the Tiger out and hold vertically with one hand in front of the tail and the other on the head just under the gill plate near the front of the head without getting your hand in the gills. Take pictures, then gently place the Tiger back in the water, holding on to its tail and keeping him in the upright position. Wash him back and forth slowly to get oxygen in his gills until he can swim off on his own.
When hitting beds at 60 deg, you will see them up on the beds in the early morning and late evening. Throw a smaller spin bait; I'll put away the Tiger box and throw some of the buzz baits from my bass box or 3-4" shallow diver like a 3.5" Rapala RipStop or similar swim bait.
Color will vary on depth, water clarity, and weather but a good rule of thumb is darker water darker color.
Some of the bodies of water in Utah with Tigers are Pineview Reservoir, Joes Valley Reservoir, Fish Lake, and Johnson Reservoir. Newton Reservoir in northern Cache Valley has been good over the years; however, last year's drought has killed off most of the Tigers. I expect DWR to replant Newton after this year. Idaho has many reservoirs with Tigers, including Lake Cascade, Little Payette Lake, and some mountain lakes. Idaho is also looking into more lakes throughout the state. Always check the regulations on every body of water you are fighting.
Good luck, and keep it tight!
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