The author prepares to release a beautiful tiger muskie. Photo courtesy of Ron Hustvedt Jr.

There are some big tigers prowling Minnesota, and most of them are smack dab in the middle of the bustling Twin Cities. But these tigers aren't of the feline variety, but rather the finned persuasion, and they are being hunted.

"Minnesota has a world-class tiger fishery and nowhere else in the world can you find as many lakes with the potential for a trophy fish as you can here," said Paul Hartman, president of the Minnesota Muskie Guide Association.

When the Department of Natural Resources first stocked hybrids -- also known as tiger muskies -- in the early 1980s, they were looking to provide a fast-growing trophy fishery for metro anglers because of a depleted northern pike fishery. This hybrid, which is sterile, features dark vertical stripes on its side, hence the name tiger.

The DNR decided to go with tigers because they grow faster than pure-strain muskies, reach sizes larger than northern pike and are relatively easy to raise in a hatchery. The tiger is also very hearty and resilient to a variety of water conditions, noted Dirk Peterson, DNR Central Region fisheries manager for the DNR. Peterson's duties include overseeing the stocking program of tiger muskies, which is done exclusively within the seven-county metropolitan area. In most lakes, tigers are stocked every three years at a rate of one to two fish per littoral acre (the amount of a lake less than 15 feet of water).

Anglers who go after tigers know of the dual nature of the fish and can fish for them using a variety of techniques. Tigers that take after their northern pike fathers tend to like the cooler water. Tigers that take after their muskie mothers tend to roam the entire water column. Their size is more like the muskie while their willingness to bite is more like that of a northern. Choosing to hit closer to the splash of your cast rather than follow to the side of the boat means tigers tend to give more of a fight over a longer distance. Hartman has caught plenty of tigers and loves the spirit of their fight as well as their tendency for jumping.

Another feature of the tiger Hartman loves is that an angler can use heavy bass tackle instead of the massive tackle requirements pure-strain muskie generally require. "Tigers tend to like smaller lures, meaning you don't need a super heavy-duty rod and reel," he said. Leaders in the 50-pound-test range and a heavy-duty superline are also recommended.

Tony Grant is a tiger muskie guide who has almost exclusively fished the species the last 15 years. He was recently at the Extreme Muskie Expo in the Twin Cities speaking about tactics for catching tigers. Grant believes that big tigers go shallow in the heat of the summer seeking baitfish in the submerged cabbage. He admits that there are some good-sized fish out deep but that the big feeders are up shallow, especially in lowlight periods such as dusk and dawn as well as on cloudy days. Grant said tigers in the shallows tend to be caught the most on spinnerbaits and bucktails, but surface lures worked in a walk-the-dog approach are also effective. Lures in the 5- to 7-inch range matching the predominant baitfish of the lake are a good rule of thumb for these shallow fish.

Hartman said the shallows can be good for tigers, but that a quick examination of the record books show the biggest fish coming from the depths. Hartman uses similar methods, though he prefers to have his lure 10 to 12 feet below the surface. "Use a steady retrieve with occasional pulls to allow the bait to rise and fall. If they are shallower than that they'll go down to that depth, and if they are deeper they are more than willing to come up for it," he said.