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If you ever hear a Midwesterner mention the \u201cfish of 10,000 casts,\u201d you can be sure they\u2019re talking about muskies. Every region in North America has its own fish species that represents the pinnacle of angling prowess, from permit in the Florida Keys to steelhead in the Pacific Northwest. These fish are almost always on the larger and rarer side of the spectrum, which is part of why they\u2019ve become shrouded in mystery and idolized by anglers over the years. This is especially true of muskies, hence the nickname. But why are muskies so hard to catch? <\/p>\n
A team of researchers at the University of Illinois recently came up with some definitive, science-based answers to that age-old question. They did this by studying a group of muskies in a laboratory setting and then fishing for them for 35 days straight in a controlled environment. Their results were published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management<\/a> late last month. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This scientific inquiry into why muskies are known as the fish of 10,000 casts was led by University of Illinois graduate student John Bieber along with Bieber\u2019s advisor, Dr. Cory Suski. Dr. Suski explains that the idea behind the experiment came from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources<\/a>, which raises muskies in hatcheries and releases them in water bodies across the state. The DNR had been conducting netting surveys at one particular lake, and after seeing the sheer number of muskies that lived there, they were curious why catch rates weren\u2019t higher.<\/p>\n So, the agency loaned 68 hatchery-raised muskies to Bieber and Suski, who spent the next several weeks studying these fish in a laboratory setting. Each fish was individually microchipped and placed in a tank, where the researchers ran experiments looking at four main behavioral traits: activity, aggression, boldness, and exploration.<\/p>\n \u201cFish do have personalities,\u201d Suski explains, \u201cjust like other animals and people.\u201d<\/p>\n After gauging and recording each muskie\u2019s personality, the researchers then took the 68 fish and stocked them in an experimental pond. The pond was emptied of other aquatic species beforehand, and they filled it with minnows so that all the muskies were content and equally well-fed.<\/p>\n Then came the fun part. Bieber and Suski fished the experimental pond with conventional gear for 35 days straight. They covered every inch of water using every combination of lure and presentation they could think of. At the end of the 35 days, they had caught seven fish.<\/p>\n Read Next<\/strong>: The Best Musky Lures<\/a><\/p>\n Suski says the biggest takeaway from the experiment was that certain muskies were more \u201cpredisposed to capture\u201d based on their personality traits. He explains that overall, the fish they caught were larger, less exploratory, and less aggressive than the others. This also falls in line with the species\u2019 overall feeding habits. As solitary apex predators, muskies like to patiently lie in wait and then ambush their prey in an instant. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey just prefer to live under a log by themselves,\u201d Suski says. \u201cWe have to basically hunt for them and hit them in the face with a lure. And we tend to only hook them when they\u2019re sitting still and quiet and are ready to clobber something.\u201d<\/p>\nHow Researchers Tested Their Theories<\/h2>\n
Lessons Learned from Muskie Fishing for 35 Days Straight <\/h2>\n