New York May Have a New State Record Tiger Muskie

Articles on Premier Angler may contain affiliate links. Please see our Affiliate Disclosure for more information.

So, here’s a little trinket of wisdom we’ve gathered over the years. If you are going to fish for muskie of any kind, be sure to pack a scale! You never know when you might land a state record…

In 2018, Zack Hall caught what many believed could be the new Ohio state record muskie on Piedmont Lake. Alas, he didn’t have a scale, so Joe Lykins’ record catch (landed in 1972) stands firm.

A similar fate has befallen an angler in central New York.

On October 12th, Demetrio Ascioti, 33, of Fairmount, New York (near Syracuse), was having a slow day on Otisco Lake. He had been casting along with his friend Todd Woytan, but then opted for wind trolling. Ascioti also switched to a Storm black and white stickbait, which he typically reserves for salmon fishing.

Then it happened…

A Series of (Almost) Unfortunate Events

What Ascioti thought was his lure scraping bottom turned out to be the fish of a lifetime!

After a ten minute fight, Ascioti initially believed he was going to lose the fish after noticing only one hook was lodged in the muskie’s lip. Also fearing that he was going to fall head-first into the water, Ascioti’s fight with the massive tiger muskie almost got much worse.

“When I got the fish into the net, the freakin’ net handle almost broke,” he told Penn Live.

Demetrio Ascioti_Tiger Muskie
Massive New York Tiger Muskie (Photo via Demetrio Ascioti)

While the net appears to have held up long enough to land this monster, unfortunately Ascioti didn’t have a scale on board.

The current New York state record tiger muskie belongs to Brett Gofgosky, who caught a 50 inch, 35 lb, 8 oz monster on Tioughnioga River in 1990.

Judging by the photos Ascioti and Woytan snapped before releasing the fish, this one may have been a real contender for that record.

The duo measured the tiger muskie’s length at 50 inches. As for weight, Ascioti was quick to claim that it weighed significantly more than his 34 lb dog.

The Monster is Still Lurking

While Demetrio Ascioti may have missed his chance at the record books, there’s still hope for the rest of us! Seeing as he was adamant about releasing his catch, that means the potential New York state record tiger muskie is still swimming in the waters of Otisco Lake.

We’ll be keeping an eye out to see if this beauty reemerges next season.

Know of any other almost-record catches? Let us know in the comments section below. Also, be sure to check out our beginner’s guide to catching muskie!

Comments are closed.