# New Mexico Tiger Muskies!



## fishingfoolBG (Oct 30, 2007)

Howdy OGF,

Thought I'd stop by and share some pics and videos from some crazy tiger muskie fishing we are having this year. 

Some of you might know about the tiger muskies fisheries here in New Mexico. Well the Department of Game and Fish began stocking tiger muskie fry and fingerlings in Bluewater and Quemado lakes in May, 2003, with hopes the tigers would help control overpopulations of goldfish and white suckers. Since then, almost 267,000 muskies have been stocked in Bluewater Lake. More than 120,000 have been stocked in Quemado Lake. We are seeing a great population of fish between 25''-35" with a healthy population of fish over 40''. 

This spring we were having 10-30 fish days, to say the least we are pretty spoiled..

Few on the fly!




Here are a few videos of fast action muskie fishing, we got the footage from the first video last month. The second video is a collection of bigger fish from last year. 

[ame]http://youtu.be/9jL2kDxFQAk[/ame]

[ame]http://youtu.be/KDj6kf6lk6A[/ame]

On a side note- Since we are in a severe drought, our water levels are hurting. Our lakes out here depend on snow pack to fill them back up, we didn't receive any run off this year. If we don't get the snow pack in the next few winters we have a great chance of losing this great fishery. All our ramps are out of the water and the lake is down 40 feet from its normal pool. Max depth right now in the tiger muskie lake in the video is about 20 feet.

Like most muskie anglers we have stopped targeting them until Sept when the water temps cool off, with this low water and high temps we are losing a lot of quality fish due to people mishandling them.

Also, we are having trouble with people keeping short fish, the limit is 1 tiger muskie 40'' and over. Thankfully we have a great park ranger that gave out his personal cell number to a bunch of the muskie guys. He told us to call him any time and he would be down there to write them a ticket! I have his number on speed dial and I have had to call him on multiple occasions. 

I'll report back this fall with some updates and hopefully a picture of a big girl...

Thanks for stopping by, tight lines and screaming reels to you all!
FFBG


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

Great post, I really like the pattern on that fish in the first video.


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## Ol'Bassman (Sep 9, 2008)

Awesome post!


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

Glad to see you are still at it.... Nothing like those in Bowling Green!


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## fishingfoolBG (Oct 30, 2007)

SConner said:


> Glad to see you are still at it.... Nothing like those in Bowling Green!


Thanks SConner! I'm still at it just had to change my fishing style, less water out here but big open country. Glad to see your still catching big eyes and smallies out of the GMR!


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## dacrawdaddy (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks for a great report!!! Wish we could send you some of this rain, every day for weeks now.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

I love the markings on the tigers, beautiful fish.


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## fish_nm (Jul 21, 2013)

So have you been hitting the Pike in Eagle's Nest too? Moved to NM from WI and missing my river Pike & Smallies not to mention steelhead & salmon.

bill


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

That's incredible! Great video and great fish


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## fishingfoolBG (Oct 30, 2007)

fish_nm said:


> So have you been hitting the Pike in Eagle's Nest too? Moved to NM from WI and missing my river Pike & Smallies not to mention steelhead & salmon.
> 
> bill


You know what I haven't not had a chance to get up there, I do ice fish Eagle Nest a lot but haven't got a pike through the ice yet. I fish the Rio Grande for pike, there's some pigs in there!


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## fish_nm (Jul 21, 2013)

fishingfoolBG said:


> You know what I haven't not had a chance to get up there, I do ice fish Eagle Nest a lot but haven't got a pike through the ice yet. I fish the Rio Grande for pike, there's some pigs in there!


Around Pilar? That's the only pike area I've heard of.

bill


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