While on the Kawishiwi river last week I saw this fry washed up on shore. It was no bigger than my small finger but had the distinctive striping of a musky. What is your opinion and has anyone ever caught muskies on the Kawishiwi.

Suggest Panko and peanut oil in a cast iron pan.
My guess is that it's a Northern.

I agree.....vertical stripes look musky-ish.

quote gutmon: "Suggest Panko and peanut oil in a cast iron pan.
My guess is that it's a Northern."

No known Muskies in the Kawishawi drainage.Suggest Panko and peanut oil in a cast iron pan.

Musky and Pike are nearly indistinguishable at that size. The only chance you would have would be to count the pores on the under side of the jaw - though I'm not sure how easy that is on a fish that size.

Pike do not develop the classic white spots until the fish gets a little larger. To some degree pike even up to 12" or so still appear to kind of have stripes.

Given the location I'd call it a pike fry.

I agree that it is probably pike fry...many fish are indistinguishable when in the fry stage. Markings come later in life.

Fishguts (I believe) posted a pic of his wife holding a northern that had the same vertical striping a little while back.

It looks like a pike fry to me too.
Typically pike have a dark background with white coloring or spots. Muskies typically have a lighter background color with darker markings.

??

That's what little northerns look like. Went thru the same thing some years ago after seining one. Definitely a pike.

EAT A MUSKIE? PANKO AND PEANUT OIL IN A CAST IRON SKILLET????

Gentlemen don't even joke about such things (the fishing GOD's can hear you!)!

FG- I think it was a older picture, but perhaps posted recently. Started looking at musky pictures after I saw it. May have been from someone else.