Angling for muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) is a specialized endeavor involving species-specific equipment and handling procedures. The latter were developed by anglers with little influence from fisheries managers or the scientific community. Today, release rates approach 100% for specialized anglers; therefore, a formal evaluation of these procedures was warranted. Using two handling treatments – one toRead More >

Muskellunge researchers in Wisconsin use scientific experiments to find ways to improve muskellunge populations, and as a result improve the quality of muskellunge angling. A good research program forms a solid foundation that enables biologists to manage and protect muskellunge for future generations. Research studies take on a variety of shapes and forms from evaluationRead More >

The muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), also known as muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge (and often abbreviated “muskie” or “musky”), is a species of large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. The muskellunge is the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae. The common name comes from the Ojibwa word maashkinoozhe, meaning “ugly pike”, by wayRead More >

This long, jut-jawed fish has an image problem. In some regions of Lake Superior, fishermen prize it as a tough and worthy game fish. In other areas, they disdain it as a “slimy snake” and a destroyer of worthier fish. Without a doubt, the northern pike is a voracious predator — consuming three to fourRead More >

The musky was named the official Wisconsin state fish in 1955 and remains one of the most desired trophy fish in the Great Lakes region. It takes the average angler 20-80 hours to catch a legal musky, but that doesn’t stop hundreds from trying each year. To contine reading this article, follow the link: http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/musky.html

The senses that animals possess help them survive in their particular environment, and, in most vertebrates, these comprise sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. Fish gain an additional advantage from the lines of specialised scales on each of their flanks – their lateral lines – which can provide them with information about objects moving inRead More >

Water is a substance which is 800 times denser than air. As soon as light enters the water, it interacts with the water molecules and suspended particles to cause loss of light, colour changes, diffusion, loss of contrast and other effects. A photo taken under water at one metre distance is not unlike a telephotoRead More >

What is visible light? The entire range of different kinds of light including the ones the human eye can see is called the electromagnetic spectrum.  What we can see is called visible light. A rainbow shows the colors of visible light. Visible light has wavelengths that range between 400 and 700 nanometers (one billionth ofRead More >