The Muskallunge 



The muskallunge is native to all the Great Lakes, the upper 

 St. Lawrence River, certain streams and lakes tributary to the 

 Great Lakes, and in a few lakes in the upper Mississippi Valley. 

 It also occurs in Canada north of the Great Lakes. It does not 

 seem to be at all abundant anywhere, as the number taken each 

 year in any one of the lakes is small. It is perhaps most com- 

 mon in Lakes Michigan and Erie, and among the Thousand 

 Islands. 



This species is known by many different common names, 

 most of them being variant spellings of the Indian name " nos- 

 cononge. " Among those which deserve mention are: muskallunge, 

 muscalonge, muscallonge, muscallunge, muskellunge, musquellunge, 

 masquinongy, maskinongy and great pike. Muskallunge is the spel- 

 ling which now seems to be most usually followed. 



The muskallunge reaches a length of 8 feet, and is a mag- 

 nificent fish, by far the largest of its family, reaching a weight 

 of loo pounds or more. "A long, slim, strong and swift fish, 

 in every way fitted to the life it leads, that of a dauntless 

 marauder." 



As a game-fish the muskallunge is regarded as one of the 

 greatest, though the interest in catching a fish of this species is 

 doubtless due more to its immense size than to any extraordinary 

 game qualities. Nevertheless, it is a good fighter, and able to 

 try the skill of the most expert angler. It is an extremely vora- 

 cious fish, and 80 pounds of muskallunge represents several tons 

 of minnows, whitefish and the like. 



The usual method of taking the muskallunge is, of course, by 

 trolling, a stout line, heavy hook and large minnow being used. 

 The best live bait species are the fall-fish, river chub and creek 

 chub; medium-sized suckers are also frequently used. 



Br. 17 to 19; D. 17; A. 15; scales 150. General form that of 

 the common pike, the head a little larger; cheek and opercle scaled 

 above, but both naked on their lower half; scaly part of cheek 

 variable, usually about as wide as eye, scales on cheek and opercle 

 in about 8 rows; eye midway between tip of lower jaw and 

 posterior margin of opercle. Colour, dark gray, side with round 

 o r squarish blackish spots of varying size OP a ground colour of 

 grayish snveiy 



238 



