The above picture with muskie swimming near a tire on a Morristown dock. the tire measures 25 inches across. Photographer Bruce Dana estimates the larger fish is over 40 inches long.

MORRISTOWN -- A local photographer had a nice surprise Thursday when two large muskies visited a dock near his Morristown home.

"I was down on my neighbors Todd Petranchuks dock Thursday when we both spotted something big moving toward us in the shallow water near the edge of the river," Bruce Dana said. "Two large Muskies, over 40 inches long) were swimming side by side possibly spawning in the shallows."

Dana said he grabbed his camera with a circular polarized filter on the lens.

"The polarizer is similar to polarized sunglasses fisherman wear around the water which breaks up the glare on the surface of the water allowing one to see into the depths more clearly," he said. "This was an exciting moment for a fisherman and photographer. I have caught a few muskies over the years, but now days I just as soon photograph them. Hopefully when the water temp warms up in July I'll get in swimming with my underwater camera and find those Musky that looking for their picture taken."

Dana said the smaller fish was turning on its side slightly from time to time as he watched them for a minute or two.

"This is classic spawning behavior for members of the pike family which the muskies is largest member of that fish family," he said.

Dana said he was fortune to snap muskie photos last season as well.

"This is kind of Musky Deja Vu for me. It was Just a year ago about this time I took a picture of Mike and Dave Koscinski landing a large musky out front here on the river which they released at the time."

Dana pointed out that muskie season doesn't open until the third Saturday in June.

"It was pictures like this that used to really get me pumped for muskie hunting. Now I get pumped for more fish pictures," he said.