# Big Pike or tiger musky?



## jcdeboever (Apr 19, 2017)

Shot from 50 ft off bridge, 100-400 & 1.4 tc






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## Gary A. (Apr 19, 2017)

You gotta be loving the 100-400. (A touch more contrast and a bit darker.)


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## SuzukiGS750EZ (Apr 19, 2017)

It actually looks to me like a spotted gar... musky, pike and pickerel don't have that type of mouth.


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## jcdeboever (Apr 19, 2017)

SuzukiGS750EZ said:


> It actually looks to me like a spotted gar... musky, pike and pickerel don't have that type of mouth.


It was big, real big.


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## jcdeboever (Apr 19, 2017)

Gary A. said:


> You gotta be loving the 100-400. (A touch more contrast and a bit darker.)


Thanks, no editing software. Sooc jpeg


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## DarkShadow (Apr 19, 2017)

Agree on the Gar Fish.


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## ZombiesniperJr (Apr 19, 2017)

Yeah you got a spotted gar heres a link to the wiki for it Spotted gar - Wikipedia
and this is a link to photos of it spotted gar


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## DarkShadow (Apr 19, 2017)

Glad you didn't fall over 50ft doing a fishy


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## jcdeboever (Apr 19, 2017)

ZombiesniperJr said:


> Yeah you got a spotted gar heres a link to the wiki for it Spotted gar - Wikipedia
> and this is a link to photos of it spotted gar


I'm not sure that's it. This thing was longer than 3 ft.


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## smoke665 (Apr 19, 2017)

Thought Gar were freshwater. Were you over fresh water or salt?


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## ZombiesniperJr (Apr 19, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> ZombiesniperJr said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah you got a spotted gar heres a link to the wiki for it Spotted gar - Wikipedia
> ...


around five feet then? even though it says they only get up to 3 feet it can get longer


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## jcdeboever (Apr 19, 2017)

ZombiesniperJr said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> > ZombiesniperJr said:
> ...


Sure looks like one but it was longer than 3 ft.


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## ZombiesniperJr (Apr 19, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> ZombiesniperJr said:
> 
> 
> > jcdeboever said:
> ...


yeah i think it might have just been one that was larger then normal but also keep in mind water makes everything look bigger then it actualy is


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## snowbear (Apr 19, 2017)

smoke665 said:


> Thought Gar were freshwater. Were you over fresh water or salt?


They are, like pike & muskies,  Pike and tigers have caudal fins with rounded tips while Muskies have pointed tips.  I can't tell on that one.  The markings look wrong for tigers and pike and there is a spotted phase for muskies.

You'll have to go back and look at the underside of the jaw: if there are six or more pores on each side, it's a musky; five or less on each side and it's a pike; five to seven and it's a tiger.  Remember - it's the underside of that toothy jaw . . . wear gloves.


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## snowbear (Apr 19, 2017)

I'm also leaning towards gar - the caudal does not appear to be forked like the pikes - gars have rounded, unforked caudals.


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## jcdeboever (Apr 19, 2017)

snowbear said:


> smoke665 said:
> 
> 
> > Thought Gar were freshwater. Were you over fresh water or salt?
> ...


I'll jumb off the bridge tomorrow and check.


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## snowbear (Apr 19, 2017)

Cool - I want to see video.  Maybe I'll put your name in the Coffee House footnotes if it doesn't go well.


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## ZombiesniperJr (Apr 19, 2017)

Anyone who has lots of experience with fish on here? or has already replied to this thread?


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## jcdeboever (Apr 19, 2017)

ZombiesniperJr said:


> Anyone who has lots of experience with fish on here? or has already replied to this thread?


I am happy with spotted gar with wife's sense of measurement.


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## snowbear (Apr 19, 2017)

. . . and for those that come upon this thread and have no knowledge of fish biology, the caudal (fin) is commonly known as the tail fin.  I don't want anyone leaving here being confused,


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## ZombiesniperJr (Apr 19, 2017)

snowbear said:


> . . . and for those that come upon this thread and have no knowledge of fish biology, the caudal (fin) is commonly known as the tail fin.  I don't want anyone leaving here being confused,


Thanks for clarifying what that is as i was confused as to what it meant


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## ZombiesniperJr (Apr 19, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> ZombiesniperJr said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone who has lots of experience with fish on here? or has already replied to this thread?
> ...


Ok


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## EIngerson (Apr 19, 2017)

Its a Gar.

"I think you're going to need a bigger boat."


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## snowbear (Apr 19, 2017)

ZombiesniperJr said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> > . . . and for those that come upon this thread and have no knowledge of fish biology, the caudal (fin) is commonly known as the tail fin.  I don't want anyone leaving here being confused,
> ...


No problem, my brother.


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## snowbear (Apr 19, 2017)

EIngerson said:


> Its a Gar.
> 
> "I think you're going to need a bigger boat."


duh-DUM-duh-DUM-duh-DUM


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## lundrog (Apr 19, 2017)

Gar, example Redirect Notice


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## jcdeboever (Apr 19, 2017)

It official,  a gar

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## jcdeboever (Apr 19, 2017)

smoke665 said:


> Thought Gar were freshwater. Were you over fresh water or salt?


Not sure. I assume salt, it's Florida. Hence my hesitation other than size.


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## EIngerson (Apr 19, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> smoke665 said:
> 
> 
> > Thought Gar were freshwater. Were you over fresh water or salt?
> ...



Gar can live in brackish water. and very close to main salt water bodies.


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## SuzukiGS750EZ (Apr 22, 2017)

Here's a large pickerel I caught today. See the difference? Pike and muskie look similar, but not identical


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## DarkShadow (Apr 22, 2017)

I caught a pretty big Pike out off CT River right next to a Nuclear Plant,I was surprised it wasn't glowing. Catch and release.


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