Tiger Muskies coming to Oklahoma - 10/12/14
I'm pretty excited about this and looking forward to driving up to the panhandle to wet a hook.
Tiger muskies are coming to Panhandle
By Ed Godfrey
October 12, 2014
![[Linked Image]](http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/ipad_gallery-n_1faf63a726f35f3a5928ce5b85fdea99.jpg)
Oklahoma anglers are getting a new species to fish for as the state Wildlife Department plans to introduce tiger muskies in Lake Carl Etling in the Panhandle.
The tiger muskies � a cross between a northern pike and a muskie � will be added to Lake Carl Etling as an experiment, said Ken Cunningham, assistant chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
�We think we have the potential to develop a trophy tiger muskie fishery in that lake, something we don't have in Oklahoma,� Cunningham said.
The Wildlife Department traded with Wyoming for 200 10-inch tiger muskies that will be put in Lake Carl Etling later this month, Cunningham said.
The lake has been low, but has risen enough to allow for the addition of the fish, he said.
In the beginning, the fishing for tiger muskies will be catch-and-release only to protect the population and allow the fish to grow to trophy-size. Tiger muskies can get as large as 30 inches in length and weigh 30 pounds or more.
�We are not really sure how fast it will take them to get up to that size (in Lake Carl Etling), but we are thinking four to five years, depending on the growth rate,� Cunningham said.
Tiger muskies are primarily found in Canada and the Great Lakes, but many states stock the fish, including New Mexico, where two reservoirs have become trophy tiger muskie destinations in recent years: Quemado and Blue Water.
Cunningham said New Mexico introduced tiger muskies, a carnivorous fish, in those reservoirs to control the goldfish and white sucker populations. As a bonus, the tiger muskies became a fish that anglers like to pursue.
�The fish have gotten really big and a following has developed in the last five years,� Cunningham said.
�It generated some excitement over there and we hope to do the same thing here.�
Lake Carl Etling was chosen for the tiger muskie experiment because the lake has an overpopulation of large shad.
Lake Carl Etling also used to be stocked with northern pike in the 1960s and 1970s, he said.
�The northern pike traditionally have done pretty well there, so we think it is a good candidate to try it out,� Cunningham said.
State wildlife officials want to see how well the tiger muskie does in Lake Carl Etling before considering adding the fish to other Oklahoma lakes, Cunningham said.
�We may end up identifying other Oklahoma lakes that might be viable candidates,� he said.
State wildlife officials still plan to add trout to Lake Carl Etling this winter as usual, even though tiger muskies are known as voracious eaters that will devour almost anything in the water.
The main diet of tiger muskies is fish and small birds.
Because there are so many shad in Lake Carl Etling, state wildlife officials think the baitfish will become the primary food item for tiger muskies, Cunningham said.
Tiger muskies are coming to Panhandle
By Ed Godfrey
October 12, 2014
Oklahoma anglers are getting a new species to fish for as the state Wildlife Department plans to introduce tiger muskies in Lake Carl Etling in the Panhandle.
The tiger muskies � a cross between a northern pike and a muskie � will be added to Lake Carl Etling as an experiment, said Ken Cunningham, assistant chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
�We think we have the potential to develop a trophy tiger muskie fishery in that lake, something we don't have in Oklahoma,� Cunningham said.
The Wildlife Department traded with Wyoming for 200 10-inch tiger muskies that will be put in Lake Carl Etling later this month, Cunningham said.
The lake has been low, but has risen enough to allow for the addition of the fish, he said.
In the beginning, the fishing for tiger muskies will be catch-and-release only to protect the population and allow the fish to grow to trophy-size. Tiger muskies can get as large as 30 inches in length and weigh 30 pounds or more.
�We are not really sure how fast it will take them to get up to that size (in Lake Carl Etling), but we are thinking four to five years, depending on the growth rate,� Cunningham said.
Tiger muskies are primarily found in Canada and the Great Lakes, but many states stock the fish, including New Mexico, where two reservoirs have become trophy tiger muskie destinations in recent years: Quemado and Blue Water.
Cunningham said New Mexico introduced tiger muskies, a carnivorous fish, in those reservoirs to control the goldfish and white sucker populations. As a bonus, the tiger muskies became a fish that anglers like to pursue.
�The fish have gotten really big and a following has developed in the last five years,� Cunningham said.
�It generated some excitement over there and we hope to do the same thing here.�
Lake Carl Etling was chosen for the tiger muskie experiment because the lake has an overpopulation of large shad.
Lake Carl Etling also used to be stocked with northern pike in the 1960s and 1970s, he said.
�The northern pike traditionally have done pretty well there, so we think it is a good candidate to try it out,� Cunningham said.
State wildlife officials want to see how well the tiger muskie does in Lake Carl Etling before considering adding the fish to other Oklahoma lakes, Cunningham said.
�We may end up identifying other Oklahoma lakes that might be viable candidates,� he said.
State wildlife officials still plan to add trout to Lake Carl Etling this winter as usual, even though tiger muskies are known as voracious eaters that will devour almost anything in the water.
The main diet of tiger muskies is fish and small birds.
Because there are so many shad in Lake Carl Etling, state wildlife officials think the baitfish will become the primary food item for tiger muskies, Cunningham said.
...get her done... 
. 
those are eating machines.
