Tommy Speed caught it this past March. 53" long and 27" girth. Weighed 46 2/3 pounds. State record is 47 pounds. Fish was 18+ years old, traced to a state stocking of the Green River Lake back in 1997.

 

Caught it while he was smallmouth fishing using a Zebco 202 with the original 10-lb line that came on the reel!!!!

 

I've never caught a muskie. Can't even imagine what it would be like to hook into something like this when you're expecting a smallmouth on the end of your line!!!!

 

 

 

I've caught several. I caught a big one on 6-lb. test line way back when. That one is hanging in my garage right now. I also caught it while smallmouth fishing.

Congratulations on landing the fish. A fish that size is huge beyond words. Pictures don't do them justice. People don't realize how thick they are. They don't fit in dip nets, and have to be landed by reaching under the gill plate and hoisting them aboard.

 

I am long an advocate of fish don't break lines - fishermen do. This kind of proves that out. Hats off to these guys who were able to land the fish on 10 pound test line with a Zebco 202 reel - I'll bet those plastic gears were doing some screaming!!!

They really need to get belt buckle a shirt that fits.

How good will that fish be to eat? And does size matter in this case?

How good will that fish be to eat? And does size matter in this case?

 

Musky is really good to eat

Musky is really good to eat

 

What about the size of the fish say vs. a 15lb Musky?

Good question. I've never cleaned or eaten Muskie so I'm no authority on that species.

 

However, the smaller ones are preferred for the skillet. I know this is true with walleye. A 16 inch walleye is perfect eating size. You will get more meat off of a 25 inch fish, but it will contain a bit of red meat.

Ditto, Northern Pike, a cousin of the Muskie. A 24 to 26 inch fish eats much better that a 35 inch fish. Northern Pike is pure "white meat" much like the fish served at Frisches (cod). Bones are the issue with pike, while a 35 inch fish will contain a lot of red meat. Red meat transcribes into the nasty brown meat that you sometimes run into while eating fish - fishey and extremely strong.

Smaller catfish are also much better eating that their older, larger, counterparts.

 

To answer your question, I'm guessing a younger muskie would make much better table fare that the older, larger ones.

Is the size limit on musky still 30"?

 

I have never eaten Musky, but I agree with Mustang's logic. It is true for all other species, seems like, so it stands to reason that a smaller fish would be better table fare than a monster like that.

They really need to get belt buckle a shirt that fits.

 

And a bra for the one on the left.

What about the size of the fish say vs. a 15lb Musky?

 

I have always heard that the smaller ones are better to eat. Ones that are just over the legal size limit. I personally wouldn't kill a fish like the one in this picture unless it was injured.

I have always heard that the smaller ones are better to eat. Ones that are just over the legal size limit. I personally wouldn't kill a fish like the one in this picture unless it was injured.

Same, I'd have weighed and measured it, taken pics and returned it to the lake. I've never eaten muskie either.

The size limit is still 30" by the way

And a bra for the one on the left.

 

I'm still laughing after 15 minutes.

And a bra for the one on the left.

That's who I was talking about. That tank is almost a sports bra.