Also keep in mind that fish of a certain size are old fish. A 50-inch musky could be as old as 19 or 20 years. This means that the fish has only two or three more years to live. Also keep in mind that fish that big and that old are more likely not to spawn. It is a fact that all female muskies will not live to be 50 inches long. No male musky will live to be 50 inches long. Very few Tiger muskies ever live to be 50 inches long. I'm not a fish biologist but I've spent over 32,000 hours on the water, and I will tell you the best spawners are female fish of 44 to 47 inches, larger fish are no longer in their prime. That simple fact is why I have always supported a slot limit for Musky. It is a fact that a female Musky will begin to spawn at 5 years of age (26-30 inches). So if you say that you can keep Musky between 39 and 43 inches and any Musky over 48 inches, you protect Musky that are in their spawning prime. You also have the opportunity to remove male Musky which if not removed will only decimate the forage base. But don’t take my word for it…the DNR has all the facts in their 1993 publication "Casting Light Upon The waters". Not long ago I guided a friend to a 52-inch musky. The fish was only 23 pounds. I told my friends he caught a trophy fish that was past her prime and going downhill fast. I told him I didn't believe the fish would make it until spring. People that tell you to throw back that 30-to-40-pound musky in the hope that it will live to be 50 pounds or maybe even a world record are just chasing a pipe dream. Don't let anyone give you
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