# Northern Pike or Muskie?



## Moduspwnens (Sep 7, 2011)

I caught this guy at WB. Never thought I'd ever land a pike of any kind off shore. So what is he? He looks kind of red but I'm not sure. Can anyone tell me how exactly to differentiate between them when they are smaller (though this is HUGE for me).

http://imgur.com/ml1Th


----------



## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

It's a pike, white spots on dark body. Musky would be dark spots on light body.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## promag (Aug 21, 2011)

Northern pike. Nice fish. You can tell by the spots and also the number of pits under the jaw. I caught a small muskie a couple weeks ago thought it was a pike at first but noticed it was more silvery in color and there were noticable lines down the side. Northerns are more olive colored with blotches. I will have to look up the amount of pits under the jaw that will determine which species it is but thats another way to tell. Anyways nice fish once again. Now that you caught one of those toothy critters I bet you are hooked. Found it to be pike have six or fewer pores/pits and musky have six.or more pores/ pits on the under side of the jaw. I also agree the spots are dark on musky with lighter backround and vise versa for pike.

promag


----------



## Moduspwnens (Sep 7, 2011)

Body and mug shot. He appears to have a lighter body.


----------



## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

2nd fish is a baby muskie


----------



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Yep, first photo is a pike, 2nd is a musky.


----------



## Blorgus (Aug 11, 2011)

Dude, are these two different fishing trips?

The Pike in your first post is a Pike, and then all of a sudden a Muskie appears in your next post.


----------



## ralph8814 (Apr 3, 2012)

pike the musky arent they fun


----------



## Moduspwnens (Sep 7, 2011)

I caught these today in around 20 minutes of each other, from shore.


----------



## ralph8814 (Apr 3, 2012)

wb has huge musky its awesome i got a 37" on a ultra light 6lb test on a #7 rapala best fight i have ever had


----------



## mike2190 (Mar 10, 2012)

congrats to ya man.... the most i seen out of them is a pike fry out at nimi yesterday


----------



## crappieslayer77 (Feb 20, 2012)

where exactly is west branch lake? ive heard alot about nit and would like to make a trip there. im not asking for anyones fishing spots just directions how to get to the lake. and congrats on the pike n muskie!


----------



## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

Where will you be going to WB from? It's off of 14... but different ways to get there. I take I-80 to the Twinsburg 14 exit, follow 14 to 5... then turn right onto Rock Springs Rd... and take that down to the ramp. There are signs from 5 to guide you.


----------



## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

I posted a similar pic with the same question last summer... I'm from the South and we don't have these down there. LOL.... I caught mine on a lipless Sexy Shad Red Eye crank during a bass tourney.










Edited to add pic


----------



## crappieslayer77 (Feb 20, 2012)

thats a beautie of a pike! is west branch have many shore fishing spots or is it all around better to have a boat? and thank you for the directions


----------



## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

there are plenty of shore fishing areas around wb, park at ramps and walk or any place there is a pull off along the side roads,plus the campground area,more places than you will ever cover. but yes having a boat makes it easier to get to different spots..good luck..


----------



## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

crappieslayer77 said:


> thats a beautie of a pike! is west branch have many shore fishing spots or is it all around better to have a boat? and thank you for the directions


It's usually all around better to have a boat, but that doesn't mean shore fishing can't be productive either. I have a boat, but I shore fish too. The ramp at Rock Springs Rd has a good area of shore fishing space (and it won't interfere with boat traffic at the dock/ramp), there is a little parking area after you cross the bridge, there is a little gravel area where smaller boats launch that has some shore fishing, and the rip rap around the bridge is accessible on both sides, and holds fish. You can get at the shoreline in the entire bay to the right after you cross the bridge. I think you can fish in the campground areas too, but I haven't so I hesitate to give advice.


----------



## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

Great Northern Pike.


----------



## Moduspwnens (Sep 7, 2011)

Wow that one is huge!


----------



## mishmosh (Jul 22, 2007)

I got to get to WB!!! I've never caught a pike or a muskie before.


----------



## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

LoL he hit like a Volkswagen... before I ever saw it I told the wife... "I don't know what it is but it ain't a Bass!!" Fight was ferocious but didn't last as long as I thought it would for a fish his size. I was using 12lb Mono on my 7' med-hvy St Croix and Quantum caster... I was scared I'd hurt him if I brought him in the boat with him being so long and skinny, so I held him at the side of the boat and unhooked him (while avoiding a MOUTHFUL of teeth) with my pliers. I wasn't quite sure how to pick him up since it's the first time I ever saw one of these.

Edited to add: Our fish in the South DO NOT HAVE teeth unless we're in the Ocean... LoL


----------



## Moduspwnens (Sep 7, 2011)

I didn't have any luck this weekend, mostly going for bass. Not having a boat probably lowers my chances, and really I am pretty new to fishing, this is my first year.


----------



## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

Moduspwnens said:


> I didn't have any luck this weekend, mostly going for bass. Not having a boat probably lowers my chances, and really I am pretty new to fishing, this is my first year.


This is maybe my 5th year fishing up here... 2nd year where it's not just "I think I'm gonna go cast a lure today." Fishing is a different world up here compared to NC. It's usually smaller fish, I think because of the extreme cold during the winter months. Yeah, I know some native-Ohioans are laughing, but consider that this year's "mild winter" would have been a "harsh winter" for NC, the time the seasons change, and so on makes a world of difference for "the pattern." 

I'm slowly figuring it out (I think!!!), but I've had days on WB where they were practically jumping in the boat, and then have days where I couldn't put a fish in the boat if I bought them at the market.


----------



## Moduspwnens (Sep 7, 2011)

I made two goals for this year, 100 bass and I want to get a topwater catch (any lure, any fish). Only two weeks in I got 21, so I think I can make it. I've never had anything jump out of a topwater lure, but I want it.


----------



## crappieslayer77 (Feb 20, 2012)

thanks for the tips guys i appreciate it, im gonna be going out there this week at least one time to try my luck at catchin me a northern or a muskie ill let ya know how it goes


----------

