Wow, recieved a reply within a few hours..... here it is...
Hey Billy
Best I can figure it’s a few year old northern pike. We have been getting a lot of emails from anglers with similar looking photos. Seems that it takes about 3 to 4 years for the vertical bars to break out into individual spots. Looks like your fish has started this breakup and most likely by fall will look like a northern. It also looks like that fish has a genetic or nutritional problem going on. A very low percentage of our stocked fish have this look every couple of years.
Thanks for checking in with us and enjoy some more great fishing this summer.
Craig Lemon
Superintendent
Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery
23 Reese Ave
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
908-852-4950
Fax 908-852-6630
hatchery0@verizon.net
**** I did receive another email response from another fish biologist who thinks it may be a Tiger Musky... but he needs more info on where it was caught....
