Dead 40lber

[Red Childress]

A reliable source told me yesterday that a big musky was found dead about 3 miles south of the Kinzua outflow. The guy (who is an avid fisherman) was curious of the weight so he dragged it back to his river home and weighed it........she topped out at just over 40 pounds. There was no length measurement. The fish was pretty fresh as there was little bruising or decomposition when she was found.

[RapRunR]

WOW that would be a sight to see !! Old age possibly ? Can you get any pics Red ?

[Red Childress]

Charlie is working on that question as we speak.........

[RapRunR]

That would be great !!

[allegheny river kid]

Boy thats a shame. That would probably be a good fish for PFBC biologist to check out and determine the age of the fish

[Joe M]

That sucks. I hope it had a natural death and no foul play.

[Red Childress]

No luck on the photos yet.

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I am trying to track down the guy who actually weighed it in to see if he noticed any unusual markings on her body.

[Red Childress]

The fish was clean and appeared healthy. The guy who found it thinks she was hooked by a person fishing for walleye/bass/trout person (at the tailrace), broken off and then later died eventually floating downriver until washing on shore in front of his house.

That is all the info I have.

[RapRunR]

That's too bad that such a trophy will be unable to keep reproducing. It is however nice to know that such fish are around these parts and we have a healthy population of them. Any guess to how old a fish that size would be ?

[Red Childress]

That fish is likely between 12 and 16 years old. Other strains could get that big in 10-14 years or 14-20 years. We have to remember that only about 2-3 percent of the total population actually reach 48-50 inches so to harvest a freakish fish like that might boost the angler's ego but also makes it impossible for someone else to catch her (or her offspring) ever again....I ain't preachin', just sayin'.

Just about every client I have spoken with who has gotten a musky mounted (or any fish for that matter) wishes they had released it and settled for a graphite replica but that option has not been available forever.


On a side note, I was talking to my partner today and he said the "40lb. story" has evolved into a 73-inch fish being found dead and her weight far surpassing the current world record.............gotta love how fish can grow even when they are dead. :)

[fish N ski]

I know it's a long shot - But- please tell me the " 72" " was from Kinzua. Just wishing thats all. I will deal with a 72" later. I want a 50" this year, or next year, or the following. No later than 2015. Keep us posted on that HUGE MUSKIE.

[ttabaleulb]

I'll tell ya Red, that fish Jeff and I saw cruisin up through the rapids just below the outflow was a BEAST. The more I get to see some of these fish close up the more it makes me realize just how big that thing was. Not quite 73, but hell, maybe only 20" smaller!! :)

[Red Childress]

Jay,

Back in June, I lost a fish that was a little longer and at least as wide as the fish Jim and I caught this week........could very well be the one you guys saw because I was very close to that area when I hooked her. The hook was in her bottom jaw and evidently never got past the barb so during the "long" 20 seconds of thrashing, she came unbuttoned. Talk about a sick feeling but unfortunately, not the only time it has happened to me or a client.