MUSKIE Magazine
Transcription
MUSKIE Magazine
PLEASE HELP BY CONTRIBUTING* TO OUR YOUTH...FISHERIES...RESEARCH PROGRAMS! Our goal is to raise $20,000. Your new or continued support is critical to the success of these programs. See all the program details in your 2008 Muskies, Inc. Calendar package. *Your contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. MUSKIE is published monthly and is the Official Publication of Muskies, Inc. International Office: Ron Groeschl, International Sec., 14257 Waters Edge Trail, New Berlin, WI 53151. Ph: 888-710-8286. © Copyright 2007 by Muskies, Inc. All rights reserved. Contents MUSKIE • VOL. 41, NO. 11 Departments 2 President’s Message, David Cates Features 3 Magazine Notes, Staff 4 International News 12 From the Muskie Biologists, Mark Boone 6 Figure 8, Kevin Richards 7 FCIS Boat Safety, Dave Solberg 14 Frank Schneider Jr. Memorial Tournament, Juris Ozols [ with Centerfold Collage ] 8 Lunge Log, Jim Bunch 20 Are You A Versatile Muskie Angler?, Erik Jacobson 11 Index of Advertisers 19 Photo Contest, Gordon Campbell 22 Controversy on Pelican Lake, Jim Radford and John Kubisiak 24 Book Review, Jim Smith 25 Chapter News and Views 32 Muskie Tales, Bob Jennings 33 Member Photos, Gordon Campbell Join Muskies, Inc. ... or give a membership as a gift. 28 Pitchin’ Tactics for Muskie, Colby Simms 30 Row Trolling – The Bob Ellis Classic, Patricia Strutz [ photos by Juris Ozols ] Regular Membership: ❑ 1 Year-$35.00 ❑ 2 Years-$65.00 ❑ 3 Years- $95.00 Family Membership: ❑ 1 Year-$47.50 ❑ 2 Years-$90.00 ❑ 3 Years-$132.50 Junior Membership (Under 18): ❑ $20.00 ❑ For Muskie Research $________ ❑ Automatic Renewal Name _______________________________ Phone ________________ Name of Spouse _____________________________________________ Address____________________________________________________ Chapter Affiliation Choice Number _______________________________ City & State_____________________________ Zip_________________ Date of Birth (DOB) Junior Member(s) Name ___________________________________ DOB ___________ (to find the number of the Chapter you wish to join, see the Chapter News & Views section) Chapter Affiliation Choice Number _______________________________ (to find the number of the Chapter you wish to join, see the Chapter News & Views section) Old Address (for address change only) ___________________________ Name ___________________________________ DOB ___________ City & State ____________________________ Zip_________ Name ___________________________________ DOB ___________ My Membership # ______________ Expiration Date _______ Chapter Affiliation Choice Number _______________________________ Check One: ❑ New Member ❑ Renewal ❑ Address Change ❑ Gift MAIL TO MUSKIES, INC. 14257 Waters Edge Trail, New Berlin, WI, 53151 Email ________________________ Payment: ❑ Check or ❑ Credit Card: ❑ VISA ❑ AmEx www.muskiesinc.org ❑ Discover ❑ MasterCard 1-888-710-8286 Card # __ __ __ __- __ __ __ __- __ __ __ __- __ __ __ __ Exp. Date ____ /____ Signature ____________________________________________ November 2007.....MUSKIE 1 International Officers President, David Cates Phone: 574-457-3222 Email: president@muskiesinc.org Vice President / Fundraising, Jim Shannon Phone: 763-434-9729 Email: vp-finance@muskiesinc.org Vice President / Fisheries, Research & Youth, Brad Waldera Phone: 701-642-1952 Email: vp-research@muskiesinc.org Vice President/Internal Affairs, Vince Weirick Phone: 574-834-4445 Email: vp-internal-affairs@muskiesinc.org Vice President / Membership, Dan Narsete Phone: 720-938-4109 Email: vp-membership@muskiesinc.org Vice President/Communications, Jack Moga Phone: 440-886-3926 Email: vp-communications@muskiesinc.org Treasurer, Pete Barber Phone: 847-726-7267 Email: mitreasurer@yahoo.com Members Only Fishing Contest, Jim Bunch Phone: 715-723-8343 • Fax: 715-723-8354 Email: lungelog@muskiesinc.org Web Master, Ron Groeschl Phone: 262-271-1002 Email: secretary@muskiesinc.org Int. Administrative Secretary, Ron Groeschl 14257 Waters Edge Trail, New Berlin, WI 53151 Phone: 888-710-8286 or 262-271-1002 Email: secretary@muskiesinc.org At Large Directors Term Expires Don Jahnke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008 David Cates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008 Brett Knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008 Rory Potter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008 Karl Scherer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008 Dick McPike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009 Dan Narsete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009 Diana Mindar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009 Jack Moga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009 Brad Waldera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009 Fred Brogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010 Jim Shannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010 Bob Timme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010 Vince Weirick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010 2 MUSKIE.....November 2007 M orson, Ontario, on the shores of famed Lake of the Woods, was the site of the Fall 2007 Muskies, Inc. Board Meeting. Paul Framsted and Frank Walter co-hosted the meeting and did their normal, excellent job. Whenever either of these two takes on a task I know it will be done well. They did not disappoint. The Morson Women’s Institute provided logistical support for the banquet and the meeting, and most events were hosted at the Morson Community Center. I availed myself of the opportunity to review some of the historical photographs and artifacts displayed there. As a first time visitor, I was impressed with the local history. As I mentioned last month, one of the most important aspects of the meeting was the 2008 Muskies, Inc. budget. The budget passed with minimal amendment, although we were able to move some funds from internal operations to marketing. The budget, as presented and passed, provides over $14,000 for youth, fisheries and research projects. Your chapter needs to contact Bard Waldera, Vice President of Fisheries, Research and Youth, if you have a proposal for utilizing some of those funds. For those of you, who like me, believe MI needs to spend more time and effort getting our message out, know that we took a huge step forward by electing Dan Narsete as President (Elect). It will be my honor to hand him Gil Hamm’s Gavel at the Spring 2008 Board Meeting in Green Bay. For those of you who don’t know Dan, he is an intelligent young man, extremely driven, successful, and possessing a strong marketing background. I am proud of Dan’s accomplishments and am confident in the future of Muskies, Inc. While Dan will undoubtedly have success as Muskies, Inc. President, the extent of that success is in no small part up to you. Each member of Muskies, Inc. has the ability and responsibility to act on Perry Smith’s goal of making Muskies, Inc. the best it can be. Dan has been elected as our next president. We need to support him. Of course, the entire week was not spent in a board room. After all, we are muskie fishermen. I am happy to report that my fiancée, Kimberly Miller, caught her personal best ever, a 44.5 inch fatty, which t-boned a top water bait at boat side. What a thrill. Amazingly, I truly believe that I received as much joy from the catch and release of that fish as did she. I look forward to returning to Red Wing Lodge, the host lodge for many of our activities. The cabins were neat and clean and the scenery was breathtaking. Deer, loons, eagles, and of course, muskies were each spectacular. Our return trip involved stops at long-time Muskies, Inc, supporters Pastika’s and Rollie and Helen’s. I wished I could have stopped at Crazy Ds, Smokey’s, and Guides Choice Bait Shop, but there was only so much time before I had to return to work. We did find time to stop and see Bob and Barb Timme at Dow’s Corner Bar east of Hayward. Bob and Barb are long-time Muskies, Inc. officers, supporters and volunteers, and I look forward to seeing them at the sport shows this winter and at the spring meeting in Green Bay. All for now, see you on the water. Muskies, Inc. Past Presidents Gil Hamm Edward T. Peterka Robert Hill Robert Shoop Frank Schneider Peter Hadley DuWayne Bakke Lou Cook Peter Hadley Bob Schmidt Larry Ramsell Lou Cook Keith Ogden Bill Davis Steve Statland John Hotle Jim Blaubach Steve Budnik Jim Smith Paul Framsted Perry Smith Greg Wells This month we feature the 40th annual “Frank Schneider Jr. Memorial International Tournament,” sponsored by the Twin Cities Chapter. It was held on the usual complement of twenty lakes in the Walker, Cass, and Longville, MN area during September 7 - 9. The pictures on the cover: Top: That’s Christina Smith in the center, twelve years old, helped out by her sister Julia. Christina pulled in that 50.5-incher which won the Juniors division. Furthermore, her fish was the biggest caught by a female in the tournament, so she also got the Mary Vilnow award presented by Paul Vilnow in memory of his wife. Right: First Place in the tournament was taken by Travis Hultgren who fished hard every single minute of the tournament and brought in four Muskies ranging from 49 to 41 inches. He beat out Mark Tietjen who had three fish topping out at 47 inches. Center: Doug Ackley won the grand prize drawing, a Triton 202 boat with a 115 Suzuki motor. Doug caught only one fish, a 48-incher which put him in 25th place among the 95 fish that were registered, but his name was drawn from the hat. Left: Dobber Stott got the Big One this year, a 51-incher out of Cass Lake. Bottom: The wind blew fiercely all three days and it rained most of Saturday. This shot shows Bob Landreville’s boat fighting the wind and waves Friday morning. Centerfold Collage: Various photos from the three days of fishing, the Saturday night feed, and the awards ceremony. Note in particular the picture of Harlan Fierstine of the Minnesota DNR being presented the $3000 check that Muskies Inc. donates every year from the proceeds of the tournament. And also, that’s Frank Schneider in the bottom right hand corner, still fishing the tournament with us in spirit if not in body. ❖ Coming Next Month: Lac Seul Re-visited Intercepting Muskie Movements Great Gifts for Muskie Maniacs From the Muskie Biologists www.muskiesinc.org MUSKIE Magazine Staff EDITOR Kevin Richards 7618 Sunrise Ridge Road Henley, MO 65040 Phone: (573) 280-2300 Email: muskiemag@yahoo.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Juris Ozols Phone: (952) 921-6311 Email: assistanteditor@muskiesinc.org PHOTO EDITOR Gordon Campbell Phone: (973) 208-8297 Email: gordonc@optonline.net ADVERTISING MANAGER Jim Beaty 2933 Bridle Lane Swansea, IL 62226-5993 Office: (618) 235-6370 Fax: (618) 235-6393 Email: advertising@muskiesinc.org PUBLICATIONS TECHNICAL MANAGER Sunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - Brenda Kirchner 25123 22nd Avenue • St. Cloud, MN 56301-9189 Phone: 888-253-8808, ext. 133 MAGAZINE DESIGN Sunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - John Windschitl ILLUSTRATOR/CARTOONIST Richard Gross FIELD EDITORS Steve Budnik, Bob Chochola, James W. Colgan, Elizabeth Cratty, Adam Glickman, Robert Jennings, Mike Kanaval, Colby Simms, Patricia Strutz, Vincent P. Trotta EMERITUS EDITORS Rod Ramsell, Keith Ogden, Jim Smith MUSKIE is published exclusively for the membership of Muskies, Inc. and subscriptions come with a paid membership. Muskies, Inc. is a non-profit organization. Membership classes and associated annual dues are listed on the form at the bottom of page one. Copies of MUSKIE magazine are available at $3.00 each from the Muskies, Inc. International Office. Contributors grant rights for M.I. to publish once in MUSKIE Magazine, both the print and on-line versions, including archives and on the M.I. Web site. Submissions to MUSKIE Magazine Persons interested in submitting articles for publication are directed to our website www.muskiesinc.org for a link to MUSKIE Magazine, where you will find links on the left side of the page providing information necessary for submissions to MUSKIE Magazine. Further questions will be answered by Kevin Richards, Editor. Submissions may be sent to: 7618 Sunrise Ridge Road, Henley, MO 65040 or email: muskiemag@yahoo.com. Phone: (573) 280-2300. November 2007.....MUSKIE 3 M AGA Z I N E N OT E S ◆ M AGA Z I N E N OT E S ◆ M AGA Z I N E N OT E S ◆ M AGA Z I N E N OT E S ABOUT THE COVER I N T E R N AT I O N A L NEWS ◆ I N T E R N AT I O N A L NEWS ◆ I N T E R N AT I O N A L NEWS Annual At Large Director Elections MI Fall Board Meeting The Fall Board Meeting was held on September 21st, 2007 at the Morson Community Center in Morson, Ontario. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Morson, it is the primary access point for the Sabaskong Bay area of Lake of the Woods. Paul Framsted and Frank Walter did a fine job on arrangements. Morson takes a lot of pride in their Community Center, it’s a very nice facility. Very special thanks to the ladies of the Morson Women’s Institute who provided outstanding meals and hospitality! President Cates started the meeting by having all members introduce themselves and highlight a couple of chapter accomplishments. What an impressive list of MI activities at the chapter level. The most important business items at this meeting included the review and approval of the MI budget for 2008 and the selection of Dan Narsete as our President Elect. Dan will take over as President at the Spring 2008 Board meeting. Pete Barber did a fine job guiding the Board through the budget process. There was a thorough discussion of the MI reorganization plan. More details will be going out to members and chapters in preparation for a vote on this proposal at the Spring 2007 Board Meeting in Green Bay. Two other important action items were the official acceptance of MI Chapter 57, NW Tiger Pac, as the newest MI chapter (welcome!), and the unanimous approval by the Board to honor Jim Smith as Editor Emeritus for MUSKIE Magazine (CONGRATS!). Many Board members arrived early to fish a few days. There was even an International Board Tournament won by our President, who released a nice 46 1/2 inch muskie. Many members enjoyed the accommodations, hospitality, and WiFi provided by Red Wing Lodge and Buena Vista Resort. It was interesting to see and hear of Board members continuing to do MI business via WiFi from the shores of Lake of the Woods! Who could have imagined that just 20 years ago? It is time to proceed with our annual At Large Director elections. All members of Muskies, Inc. in good standing for three years are eligible to run for the International Board. We have six positions open, winners will be sworn in at the spring board meeting in Green Bay and the term is for three years. If you have an interest in serving on the board of Muskies, Inc. please compose a resume in 500 words or less and submit to me by November 30, 2007. You can email your resume to me at framsted.paul@den.sysco.com or you can mail it to me at 20676 East Eastman Ave, Aurora, CO, 80013. At Large Directors are required to attend our spring and fall International Board meetings, held at different locations around the country and hosted by our local chapters. The meetings are usually held on a Saturday in late March/early April and in October for the fall. You will also be expected to take an active roll in the leadership of Muskies, Inc. and if possible, chair a committee. As an At Large Director you would be looking out for the best interests of Muskies, Inc. in the large picture in contrast with an RVP whose job it is to represent a specific chapter. We have exciting times approaching our organization in the near future as we address reorganization and we need board members who can contribute good, sound ideas. If you have any questions or concerns about running for At Large Director please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send an email. The election will take place in December and January with successful candidates announced Feb 1, 2008. – Paul Framsted Caring and Sharing Employers’ Payroll Deduction and Matching Charitable Plans Muskies, Inc. needs you help. Each chapter and the International are looking to 2008. Budgets remain tight. For the International, magazine, website, postage and operating costs keep rising. Most members look to Muskies, Inc. to provide camaraderie and knowledge of muskie fishing while conserving the habitat and expanding the fishery. Each year, as expenses increase, our ability to do this becomes ever more challenging. Our budgeted expenses for 2008 are 33.7% less than 2004. In 2008, we are planning on having as much as $14,000 available for youth, fisheries and research projects. For the first time, the International is helping chapters with the cost of highway billboards promoting the fishery and Muskies, Inc. Each month, we are grateful to those members making additional donations when they renew their memberships. As important as these donations are, they do not cover the increased costs. We do need your help during this holiday season and throughout the year. Your donation can be to MI’s general fund with one-half going back to your chapter or to the Youth Fund, Perry Smith Fisheries Fund, Research Fund, or the Kermit Benson Scholarship Fund. Many employers offer payroll deduction plans for their employees’ charitable donations. Often, employers match your donation. Muskies, Inc. is a non-profit organMuskies, Inc. board members pause for a photo at the fall meeting held in ization (IRC 501(c)(3)) eligible to receive these funds. Morson, Ontario. 4 MUSKIE.....November 2007 2008 Gil Hamm Chapter Challunge Sam Flood, Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources emailed a link to a letter which outlines the steps IDNR is taking to protect their waterways and manage the continuing Asian carp problem. Please take a look at the letter at: http://dnr.state.il.us/news.html Michigan Inland Treaty Rights Agreement www.muskiesinc.org NEWS Jon Olstadt 715-579-1300 jonolstadt@muskiesinc.org I N T E R N AT I O N A L More details to come, please contact me with any questions by phone or email. ◆ Break on the Lake Resort 218-335-2422 www.breakonthelake.com NEWS Here is the contact information: I N T E R N AT I O N A L The 2008 Gil Hamm Chapter Challunge will be held September 24-26. The Challunge will be hosted by the First WI Chapter of Muskies Inc. Registration is $25 per team. Be sure to include your contact information, chapter name and the names of your team members with the registration fee. Make your check out to “First WI Muskies Inc.” and send it to: First WI Chapter of Muskies Inc., P.O. Box 122, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 Like last year, there will be a variety of lakes to choose from including: Cass, Andrusia, Pike Bay, Big, Bemidji and Plant. This will give everyone an opportunity to fish waters they are comfortable with. Tournament hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 7 a.m. to Noon on Friday. There will be one Notice Re: Advertising in MUSKIE Magazine free meal at the awards ceremony on Friday. Until further notice please direct all advertising inquiries to Jim Beaty, Advertising Details for something Thursday night are Manager. Please be further advised that effective with the January 2008 issue being worked on as well. MUSKIE Magazine changed their rates. A new rate card can be sent electronically via Challunge Headquarters will be the the Internet or mailed to interested advertisers with our media kit. Our rate sheet is Break on the Lake Resort, Cass Lake, MN. also available on our website www.muskiesinc.org see Magazine tab at top of openCost will be $25 per person per day and ing page, then click on Advertising Opportunities on the left. reservations can be made directly with the ADVERTISING MANAGER resort. To keep it simple, it would be nice if Jim Beaty • 2933 Bridle Lane • Swansea, IL 62226-5993 you could form your teams then have one Office: (618) 235-6370 • Fax: (618) 235-6393 representative call the resort to make the Email: advertising@muskiesinc.org reservations. You are more than welcome to come and stay for more than just the tournament. This is a great value in the heart of MN muskie country! ◆ On September 26, 2007 the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the United States and five Michigan Indian tribes jointly announced that they have reached an agreement on tribal inland hunting, fishing, and gathering rights in the 1836 Treaty area of Michigan . The agreement resolves a long-standing dispute with respect to federal and tribal claims vs. state law. “This agreement is especially significant in that all of the parties were able to work together to resolve this difficult and complex issue without risking the uncertainties of litigation,” Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca Humphries said. “This allowed a more acceptable resolution that protects Michigan ‘s unique resources and addresses tribal needs. This agreement is a fair compromise and will provide stability and predictability in an area of former legal uncertainty.” For more detailed information, including the consent decree in its entirety, go to the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr ❖ NEWS P.S. I would like to thank member Shawn Schaefer (Chapter 35) for reminding me about employer matching funds programs. IL DNR Letter I N T E R N AT I O N A L Further, when you make a donation through payroll deduction, it is tax deductible for you. We ask that if your employer offers a payroll deduction plan, please consider listing Muskies, Inc. as a recipient. Your tax deductible donation of $5 or $10 per week or more would greatly help us give you a better Muskies, Inc. Further, if your employer offers it, matching funds could double your help. We appreciate your consideration this holiday season. If you have any questions or need to provide information or documentation to your employer, please e-mail me at treasurer@muskiesinc.org or call me at (847)726-7267. You may, also, call our toll free number (888)710-8286 and leave a message for me to call you back. Again, thank you for including Muskies, Inc. in your thoughts. – Pete Barber, Treasurer November 2007.....MUSKIE 5 8 figur e ◆ 8 figur e ◆ 8 figur e ◆ 8 figur e ◆ 8 figur e ◆ 8 figur e 8 Figure 8 by Kevin Richards muskiemag@yahoo.com 8 W ow – this is my first issue as editor of MUSKIE. I am thankful that I got to work closely with Jim Smith on the October issue and that Jim has been available to answer questions and assist me with this issue. Special thanks Jim! I attended my first complete Muskies, Inc. Board Meeting in September. I had attended portions of a few previous meetings over the years as a non-voting member, but this time I attended the full meeting, as your editor. One of the really neat things that happened was unanimous approval by the Board to honor Jim Smith as Editor Emeritus for MUSKIE Magazine. With this honor Jim becomes just our third Emeritus Editor, joining Rod Ramsell and Keith Ogden. These are men who helped enhance communication throughout Muskies, Inc. and who have served our club in many other ways. Each has already offered to help me during my tenure. I’ll share a bit more about Jim Smith next month. While on the subject of the Fall Board Meeting I’ll give you a quick perspective from the new guy. We are blessed with many volunteers who donate their time and energy to Muskies, Inc. They are passionate, dedicated, and have a long-term grasp of where MI has been and where we are headed in the future. Our International Officers, ALDs, and RVPs do a nice job of voicing and discussing concerns and ideas that are brought forth from individual members and chapters. This is essential as our members are the life blood of our club. It is also essential that members continue to step up and assume leadership roles at the Chapter, RVP, and International level. If you love Muskies, Inc. - get involved! If you’re frustrated with Muskies, Inc. – get involved! If you want a stronger Muskies, Inc. – get involved! All this is a pretty good set-up for the focus of my column this month, which is: ~ It’s your MUSKIE Magazine! ~ 6 MUSKIE.....November 2007 MUSKIE is not like any other fishing magazine, not even any other muskie fishing magazine. MUSKIE started out as the Muskies, Inc. newsletter and that function is still important to our members. Several years ago Jim Smith conducted a reader survey which gives some great insight as to what our members want. Members rate the Lunge Log, by Jim Bunch, and the Member Photos, by Gordon Campbell (and previously by Juris Ozols), as regular departments of high interest. Each month about one-third of MUSKIE Magazine is devoted to communicating material found in columns like these, plus other important organization and chapter information, to our members. To maintain the quality of MUSKIE and to keep the cost at a reasonable level our Advertising Managers like Jim Smith, and now Jim Beaty, have done a good job of building relationships with quality advertisers. Income from our advertisers equals about half the cost of the magazine each month. Our advertisers are typically businesses which have a vested interest in muskie fishing and muskie anglers. This makes for ads which are interesting to our readers and profitable for our advertisers. If you know any potential new advertisers please direct them to Jim Beaty. If you know any existing advertisers thank them for their support. I had the opportunity to do this up on Sabaskong Bay. Leo Kofoot (Chapter 29 RVP) and I got to Lake of the Woods a couple days early to fish. One afternoon we stopped to talk to three muskie anglers who were fixing fresh walleye for shore lunch. We had a nice visit, got a few muskie tips, and found out the guide was also one of the owners of Young’s Wilderness Camp, a long-time advertiser in MUSKIE! Hmmm, maybe I could strive to thank all our advertisers while on the water. Another important component of our advertising includes inhouse ads for Muskies, Inc. business. This includes ads for items like our commemorative lures, year-end fundraising, and our always outstanding MI Calendar. Depending on the month, all forms of advertising could account for up to another one-third of MUSKIE. The other third of MUSKIE Magazine each month is devoted to bringing our readers quality features, much like you would find in other quality fishing magazines, but much more muskie specific. Here again, our previous reader survey gives us some good insight. Readers were given 15 categories of subject matter to rank. I lumped the most popular 7 responses into these 4 categories: – Advanced and Intermediate Muskie Fishing Techniques – Specific Lake and Destination Information/Where and When to Fish – Interviews with the Experts – Research Studies/Fisheries Science I’d like to share some of my thoughts on how to keep bringing you quality monthly features that address these 4 categories, but please keep in mind that it’s your MUSKIE Magazine! If you think I’m missing the mark, let me know. If you have good ideas for articles or constructive criticism please email them to me. Next month I will publish a list of monthly themes for MUSKIE for 2008. These won’t be cast in stone, but will help us pull together ideas for the months ahead. As a 30-year member of MI I’ve been pretty pleased with the diversity of muskie fishing technique articles provided by our contributing authors and field editors. I hope they all keep submitting great articles with strong photo support. At the same time I will encourage new writers to consider MUSKIE as an outlet. I’d like to see more diversity in the category of specific lakes and destinations we cover; hopefully bringing a wider range of “where and when to fish” stories. Boat Safety Program by Dave Solberg Produced by Farm and City Insurance Services The Angler’s Choice Insurance Boat Safety – Tire Maintenance In our last article we discussed proper tire inflation. Here are a few more tips to maintain proper inflation: • Always use an accurate gauge and have it checked against a calibrated gauge at a major tire store. • Don’t “eyeball” your tires for proper inflation; you can’t always see the difference. In just one month, a tire can lose several pounds of air pressure under normal conditions! • Temperature affects tire pressure. For every 10 degree drop in temperature, your tire pressure can drop one PSI. It’s a good idea to check pressure at the beginning of every traveling day. Tires do not last forever! Since rubber ages and deteriorates, it’s important to keep track of the age of your tires. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires a code to be molded into all tires. This code tells us when the tire was made, or more specifically, when it was molded. The first two numbers are the calendar week the tire was in the mold, beginning with the week 01 for January, and so on through the year. Since January 2000, the last two digits tell us what year the tire was made. Prior to this, only three digits were used to show week and year, two for the calendar week and one for the year. Tread life is easy to measure. What’s also important is the useful carcass life of a tire, which is more difficult to determine as it depends to a great degree on how the tire is utilized and maintained. For instance, a tire exposed to the rays of the sun for extended periods of time, or stored in the presence of high levels of ozone, may have a relatively short life. Tires operated on a regular basis will generally have a longer carcass life than tires which sit for a high percentage of time. This is because tires contain compounds that keep the rubber supple. Flexing and heat activate these compounds. If the tire is not used regularly, it dries out. Tire manufacturers do not recommend the use of aftermarket tire dressing as they may increase the drying effect and cause premature deterioration. When storing your trailer, it is recommended that you support the weight of the trailer and boat with jack stands to relieve the pressure on the tires and reduce the bend or “kink” that is applied to steel cords within the tire. Sustained uneven pressure can cause a weak spot on the tire. Always use a valve stem cap to prevent dirt, moisture, or other objects from depressing the valve stem. Always match like tires, do not mix sizes or tread styles. www.fcisanglerschoice.com – Kevin This article is provided as a public service to our membership. Not intended as an advertisement. www.muskiesinc.org November 2007.....MUSKIE 7 F C I S B OAT SA F E T Y ◆ F C I S B OAT SA F E T Y ◆ F C I S B OAT SA F E T Y ◆ F C I S B OAT SA F E T Y In that same light I want to broaden the number of experts who contribute to MUSKIE. One of my thoughts is that some of the best muskie experts are some of our MI members who haven’t shared their expertise with others in written format. What I said earlier about MI also applies to MUSKIE Magazine, if you want a better MUSKIE Magazine – get involved! I’m going to try a couple of ideas to entice our members to contribute more to these first 3 categories. I will be initiating a somewhat regular column called “My Secret Spot”. I’d like members to submit articles that describe how and when they fish one of their secret hot spots. Please describe the habitat, your technique, and your success. You don’t have to pinpoint the spot, but I would like you to specify the state or province and hopefully the water body, just as you would in the Lunge Log. Soon I am going to reprint one of my favorite “secret spot” stories from about 25 years ago – it was called “Dad’s Rock” and was written by Keith Ogden. It will give you a good idea of what I’ll be looking for. Another column I’d like to try will be called “The Truth As I Remember It.” This will include mostly true short stories (500 to 1,000 words) of unusual or humorous muskie adventures from MI members. I know you have one – please send it my way! The fourth feature category, Research Studies/Fisheries Science, comes most naturally to me. I’ve spent the past 30 years working in the field of fisheries science and have been a muskie nut the entire time. I’ve added a column in this issue titled “From the Muskie Biologists.” I also invited John Kubisiak to contribute to the Pelican Lake article. MUSKIE Magazine can be a great forum to enhance communication between MI members and our muskie managers. I hope the state and provincial muskie biologists take advantage of this MUSKIE opportunity. MUSKIE Magazine is a team effort. There are many team members I will not be able to name in this brief column, but I want to say thanks to everyone involved. Take a good look at the last few issues of MUSKIE. Specifically look at the magazine covers, the photos, and the layout. Two guys get the lion’s share (or perhaps the muskie’s share) of the credit for the artistic design of MUSKIE Magazine. John Windschitl at Sunray Printing spearheads magazine design and layout. Our very own Assistant Editor, Juris Ozols, produces the awesome covers for MUSKIE. Juris also designs many of our in-house ads, and touches-up almost every photo you see. By the way, in our reader survey our MUSKIE Magazine covers received the highest percent of excellent ratings from our readers! I’ll tell you one last time that it’s your MUSKIE Magazine! You are an essential part of this magazine team. Without you there would be no reason or funds to produce MUSKIE. It’s an honor for me to be part of the MUSKIE Magazine team. I look forward to working with many of you to make MUSKIE the best it can be! ❖ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g g nge L u L e o h t by Ji m B u n c h 50 Inch Muskies in 2007! I went to Big Detroit last fall. I was excited because of its building history. I am going back this October as the humble guest of Brian Grote. This body of water is fast becoming one of the most awesome bodies of water in the United States. It is not that big, it is right in town and it is teaming with big muskies. I write about this lake with tongue in cheek because I have great access to it because of a friend. Naturally any member with any computer savvy can figure this out. The numbers are totally scary. So yes I will speak. Detroit Lakes! In 2007, from January 1 until September 24, there have been 335 muskies entered at 50 inches or more. These are entries received at the Lunge Log by September 24; there may be more that have not made it to the Lunge Log yet. At this point the massive acreage of Lake of the Woods has produced 33 fifty inchers. The huge waters of Lake St. Clair have produced 29 fifty inchers. The state of Wisconsin has produced 6 fifty inches. The combined waters of Michigan, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Tennessee and West Virginia have only produced 21 fifty inchers. Detroit Lakes has 60 fifty inchers. What is going on here? Your data you send us is very revealing. In the last 5 or 6 years the data has been shocking. It is not just Detroit Lakes but the entire state of Minnesota. Yes Detroit Lakes has 60 this year, but Mille Lacs has 54, and Vermilion has 54. Consequently the state of Minnesota has 216 fifty inchers so far in 2007. The world has 335. That is 64.8% by the gopher state, what is going on here? I think we are waking up to the fact this is great fishing. Maybe this is why my chapter after winning the Chapter Challenge this year has put the 2008 Chapter Challenge right in the middle of Minnesota. Its neat, no Passport needed, no $5.00 gas, and plenty of big muskies. 8 MUSKIE.....November 2007 Kris Astorp, Chapter 1, 54.5 Inches, 7/22/07, Vermilion, MN, Cowgirl, Fish I.D. 241354 Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ✯ NEWS FLASH ✯ 60 incher with 28.5 inch girth (estimated 60.9 lbs) by Mark Podobinski (Chicagoland Chapter)! Lac Seul, 10-4-07, black/orange Eagle Tail. Photos will be posted on the MI website and in the December issue of MUSKIE. Now I have mentioned Detroit Lakes, Big Detroit and Little Detroit. Actually it is a line on a map right on the water to define the three of them. According to Shawn Early the Chapter Contest Chairman for the Fargo Moorhead Chapter, Detroit Lakes is just 3,100 acres. He is not sure but this may include Little Detroit and Dead Shot Bay. On the internet the Minnesota DNR says 3,068 acres but makes no definition between the 2 or 3 names. Never-the-less it is not that big of a body of water. It is about 45 miles from Fargo. The Fargo Moorhead chapter thinks the first stocking of muskies was in 1987, give or take a year. According to Shawn Early, 50-inch muskies did not show up very much until the fall of 2006. Up to that the club would get 1 or 2 a year. Then in late 2006 the fifties went up drastically and in 2007 they’ve gone nuts. He thinks this is because a couple of their chapter members who do not have to work started pounding the lake real hard. They developed some patterns and shared them with the rest of their chapter. The rest is history. Also the first stocked muskies are now 17 to 20 years old. This combination has set Detroit Lakes in the fast lane. In Muskies, Inc. angling history there is always a new frontier isn’t there? Amazing! Detroit Lakes is not the only muskie lake in this region, many others are booming, a little computer savvy and you will figure it out. Thanks a bunch Jim www.muskiesinc.org November 2007.....MUSKIE 9 Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g ◆ Lu n g e L o g Will Schultz, Chapter 47, 55 Inches, 6/30/07, Lake St. Clair, ON, Bull Dawg Jerk, Fish I.D. 241692 10 MUSKIE.....November 2007 Tim Scruggs, Chapter 32, 54 Inches, 7/19/07, Lake Of The Woods, ON, Dougle Cowgirl, Fish I.D. 243539 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS FITTANTE REPLICAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 JUST BIG MUSKIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 LAKE ST. CLAIR MUSKIE SHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 LAX REPRODUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 LEECH LAKE BOARD OF TOURISM . . . . . . . . . . 15 MUSKIES, INC. 2007 YEAR-END FUNDRAISER . . ii MUSKIES, INC. - 2008 CALENDARS . . . . . . . . . . 18 MUSKIES, INC. - COMMEMORATIVE LURES . . . 18 POMME MUSKIE GUIDE SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . 29 RED WING LODGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Over s ie 7,000 Musk d Release On Sabaskong Bay Six-time Muskies, Inc., Chapter Challunge Headquarters 1983, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2004 • Ultra-modern one, two, three, or four bedroom cabins • American plan, housekeeping or camping • Floating docks, electricity for charging batteries, Lund Boats with swivel seats and depth finders, Honda motors with electric start • Dining room with food and liquor available for registered guests only ROLLIE & HELEN’S MUSKY SHOP . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Call or write for data on musky catches: TAYLOR COUNTY TOURIST COMMISSION . . . . 24 1 (888) 488-5601 or (807) 488-5601 Red Wing Lodge, Box 1008, Baudette, MN 56623 TUFFY BOATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 YOUNG'S WILDERNESS CAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 www.muskiesinc.org www.redwinglodge.net • www.redwinglodge.on.ca Family owned and operated for 40 years November 2007.....MUSKIE 11 T he American Fisheries Society or “AFS” was formed 137 years ago and has various divisions, chapters, sections, and committees, much like Muskies, Inc. The mission of the AFS is to “improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals”. The Esocid Technical Committee or “ETC”, as we’ll call it, was formed in 1991. The ETC is a committee of the North Central Division of the AFS. The primary esocid species this group deals with are muskie and pike. The ETC is composed of scientists from all of the chapters within the states and provinces of the North Central Division of AFS. These include chapter members from the Dakotas, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Ontario, and Wisconsin. The mission of the Esocid Technical Committee (ETC) is to: Encourage and coordinate research leading to the development of functional management strategies for the wise use of esocid stocks to advance the knowledge of esocid ecology to improve culture techniques to provide a forum in which pertinent data and technologies can be exchanged within the scientific community and among user groups. 12 MUSKIE.....November 2007 Editor’s note: By “user groups” the ETC is thinking about groups like Muskies, Inc. and anglers like us. Communication is the key to success in all we hope to do for our fisheries. Working together we can navigate through many of the foggy controversies and fisheries issues we will face in the years ahead. Since its inception, the ETC has sponsored or participated in five symposia. Most recently they were partners with Muskies, Inc. for the October 2005 Dr. Ed Crossman Muskellunge Symposium. Proceedings of the symposium were published in Environmental Biology of Fishes. Additional copies will be available soon through Muskies, Inc. The ETC generally meets twice annually, once in mid-summer and again in December in conjunction with the annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference. The meetings typically include informal technical presentations on current research and management topics from biologists active in muskie and pike studies. The ETC held its summer 2007 meeting in Minocqua, Wisconsin in August. Some of the muskie-related discussions are highlighted here: Kregg Smith indicated that because of the increasing distribution of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHS) in Michigan waters the DNR placed a one-year moratorium on walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge production and stocking to ensure the disease is not inadvertently spread by DNR activities, and to protect the state’s fish hatchery system. Experiments were conducted this spring on eggs collected from muskellunge populations in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair that are likely infected with VHS to determine if standard iodine disinfection techniques will work for coolwater fish. If the experiments demonstrate that the standard techniques are effective, then normal coolwater fish production will resume in 2008. Tim Simonson reported that the VHS virus was discovered in freshwater drum from Little Lake Butte Des Morts in spring 2007, and subsequently showed up in Lake Winnebago (in drum) and Lake Michigan (in low numbers of smallmouth bass, brown trout, and alewife). Ten to twenty dead muskellunge were observed on Green Bay this spring, but no large die-offs have been seen and all the tested muskellunge have come back negative so far. Wisconsin DNR tested many inland waters this past spring and all have come back negative. WDNR enacted rules that prohibit transport of live fish and water from infected waters. The Great Lakes spotted musky program, active since 1989, is beginning to produce tremendous fishing on the Lower Fox River. However, this program, like others, could be impacted by VHS concerns. WDNR hopes to have approval for egg-disinfection procedures by next spring. WDNR also plans to draft a brood stock management plan for the Great Lakes spotted program. Tim Simonson and Terry Margeneau updated members on other muskie activities in Wisconsin and provided this link to the WDNR Muskellunge Home Page: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/fhp/fish/musky/index.htm The “Pike/Muskellunge Work Group” has consisted of leaders of groups like the Muskie Alliance, Muskies, Inc., Northerns Inc., Anglers for Responsible Muskie Management, The Minnesota Darkhouse and Anglers Association, outdoor writers, and fishing guides as well as several DNR staff. A goal for this fall is a long-range plan for large esocids. Steve Kerr from Ontario MNR discussed efforts to re-introduce muskellunge into Lake Simcoe. This has involved wild egg collections and muskellunge culture. This will be a multi-year project. Earlier stocking efforts to re-introduce muskellunge to the Spanish River delta, North Channel of Lake Huron, are being monitored. For the past several years, Ontario MNR has been developing a new ecological framework for fisheries management which involves four components: New Fisheries Management Zones; Regulation Streamlining; State of the Resource Monitoring and Reporting; and Increased Public Involvement. In conjunction with Muskies Canada Inc., the Ontario Competitive Fishing Council, and academia (Dr. John Casselman and Dr. Bruce Tufts), guidelines have been developed for organizers of competitive fishing events for muskellunge in Ontario. Guidelines were developed to outline best management practices for conducting tournaments for muskellunge. Components of the draft guidelines include tournament rules and administration, tournament dates, gear and angling techniques, holding/retention of fish and other considerations. ❖ Rod Pierce noted that the Minnesota DNR began an important dialogue with pike/muskellunge constituent groups last November. Editor’s note: We hope to hear more about these and other topics in future issues of MUSKIE. In the good news department the Wisconsin DNR issued the following VHS update on September 20, 2007: Wild Rose Fish Hatchery got the green light this week to stock brown trout after meeting all the new requirements imposed to reduce the risk of accidentally spreading viral hemorrhagic septicemia. No DNR-raised fish or hatchery water supply in Wisconsin has tested positive for VHS, but DNR and the state agriculture department are requiring VHS testing before fish can be stocked from any DNR hatchery. The old Wild Rose hatchery, like two other state hatcheries, must meet additional requirements. They were quarantined by the agriculture department because they had received fish or eggs from the Lake Winnebago system, where VHS was unexpectedly detected in early May. When you get a chance, spend some time on the WDNR VHS website – it’s very informative: http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhs.html www.muskiesinc.org November 2007.....MUSKIE 13 40th Annual Frank Schneider Jr. Memorial International Tournament By Juris Ozols A n interesting experience, a first for me, during the 40th annual International Tournament. We were out on Leech Lake Saturday, September 8, the second day of fishing. And you know what, by mid-afternoon as best we could tell we were apparently the only boat on the lake! Usually there are boats everywhere, tournament hats in great profusion, contestants casting and trolling. But here, in the middle of the competition, boats were nowhere to be seen. Now of course, visibility was limited to a couple of hundred feet or so. The wind-driven horizontal rain didn’t let us see very far over the six-foot waves. Even so, Muskie folks are hardy souls and we should have had lots of company. But there we were, seemingly alone on Leech Lake. Could that miserable weather have driven everybody else off the lake? Well, not quite. At least two other boats were out fishing. Travis Hultgren was out there somewhere on Leech in the rain and fog. The next day at the awards ceremony I talked to him after he accepted the first place winner’s plaque. His secret in getting the four fish (49, 44.5, 41.5, 41) he caught? “I fished it hard. I fished from 7 am to 7 pm Friday and Saturday. And 7 to 10 Sunday. I didn’t go in, I didn’t take breaks. I trolled from spot to spot instead of running around.” said Travis. So his lure was in the water continuously, and he got the fish and won it. Travis has fished the tournament every year since 1998 and has entered fish all but one year. His previous best finish was third last year, with a 5th and 7th place finish also to his credit. Another boat out there on Big Lake had twelve year-old Christina Smith, sister Julia, and brother Steven riding with their father Dan. Christina pulled in a 50.5-incher and her brother got a 41-incher. Look at that great picture in the centerfold collage of Christina and Julia with the Christina’s fish (and on this month’s cover). The raincoats and the rain-spattered windshield show you the conditions that Saturday. Christina had been throwing jerk baits and bucktails without much success when she decided to switch to a topwater. First cast, and there it was! She brought that 50-incher in after a 10-minute fight, father Dan netted it, and she’s our Junior winner for 2007. And not only that, her fish was the biggest caught by a female in the tournament, so she also got the Mary Vilnow award presented by Paul Vilnow in memory of his wife. Incidentally, that’s quite a fishing family, the Smiths. Although Julia was skunked this time, she owns the family record for “Big Fish” with a 63-inch sturgeon. And Steve won the Junior Division in the tournament last year. We’ll certainly hear more from them in coming years. Speaking of “Big Fish,” Dobber Stott got the “Big One” this year, a 51-incher out of Cass. For that he got a Fiber Tech replica of his prize-winning fish. He also came up with a very nice shot of the fish, shown in the collage. 14 MUSKIE.....November 2007 Editor’s note: Don’t miss the centerspread of this month’s MUSKIE magazine – a collage of photos taken at this year’s tournament (with one notable exception). Some 600 anglers fished the tournament this year on the usual complement of twenty lakes in the Walker, Cass, and Longville, MN area. A total of 95 fish were registered, including six fish over 50 inches. Big Lake was the hot spot this year, producing five anglers in the top ten and the first and third place junior. Leech Lake had three of the top ten finishers including first place, Travis Hultgren, and second place, Mark Tietjen. Cass Lake rounded out the top ten with two places including third place winner Jack Shriver, Jr. Conspicuously missing this year was Lake Bemidji, which has produced many fish during the last few years including a number of 50-inchers. Only one fish came out of Bemidji this year. Not sure why, but you can bet Bemidji will be back – a lot of big fish there. A few lakes that had not shown any fish in the recent past, Inguadona, Wabedo and Woman, produced fish this year. And the Grand Prize, a Triton 202 with 115 Suzuki went to Doug Akely from Bemidji. Doug entered one fish, a 48-incher caught on Big Lake, which put him in 25th place. But he was in first place for the Grand Prize when Harlan Husky from Triton boats drew his name out of the barrel. Abu Garcia presented certificates to the three anglers with the three biggest fish caught using Abu Garcia reels during the tournament. Lindy Little Joe awarded a certificate to the angler who caught the biggest using an M/G Buck-A-Boo or other M/G bait. A complete listing of all the fish caught during the tournament is at www.twincitiesmuskiesinc.org – click on TOURNAMENT then RESULTS. As usual, the Twin Cities Chapter presented a donation of a $3,000 check to Harlan Fierstine of the Minnesota DNR from the proceeds of the tournament. I distinctly remember that ceremony during numerous past tournaments, when Frank Schneider would hand over the check to Harlan and invariably make the comment “It comes right off the top.” ❖ Check out the picture collage one more time. That’s Frank in the bottom right-hand corner, still fishing the tournament with us in spirit if not in body. www.muskiesinc.org November 2007.....MUSKIE 15 Looking for gifts for your special fishing friends? Get them... 2008 Muskies, Inc. Calendars Order today and send your order with a check for $12.95* for each calendar ordered to: Muskies, Inc. 14257 Waters Edge Trail New Berlin, WI 53151 *Includes shipping & handling Name: _________________________ Address: _______________________ City: __________________________ State: _______ Zip: _____________ Need a great Christmas or holiday gift idea? Want to strengthen Muskies, Inc? Order a Gift MI membership now! Use the Membership Form on page 1. Make it a Muskie New Year for someone special! 18 MUSKIE.....November 2007 Photo Contest – November Winners by Gordon Campbell ▲ Winner #1: 'Jaws'- Brandon Schorle of Chapter 39 held this 44.5' Ottawa River beauty for a perfect portrait. A great example of a 'different perspective'. ▲ Winner #2: 'Success'- Jason Aleshire trolled this Mille Lacs 52 on a double bucktail back in August. The big colorful Muskie & close to the camera hold make it a winner. Congrats Jason. Photo Tip of the Month A Different Perspective This year we received some great photos depicting folks and their muskies taken from unique angles. To both add to your photo collection and be in real contention for a winning image here in MUSKIE Magazine, consider things from " a different perspective". We've seen good release shots taken from water level and with the muskie facing the camera, big fish held up for a portrait showing just the faces of the fish and the fisherman plus great close-ups revealing the jaw structure and facial patterns of muskies (see Brandon Schorle's great shot this month). Those who venture out after dark have submitted bright, sharp photos where the subject is shrouded by the blackness of night. If you find that all your fish photos are starting to look the same, try some of these techniques. Good luck and submit your best shots to: pictures@muskiesinc.org. Gordon Campbell, Photo Editor www.muskiesinc.org November 2007.....MUSKIE 19 I you troll at times during the season? f you can answer ‘yes’ to all these ques- Do This can be a sensitive subject to some, but if you want to put and bigger fish in your boat each season trolling is a method you tions, you are a versatile muskie angler, more should be trying at times. Trolling is something you can do all season. and probably catch quite a few fish. But if you answer no to even one of them, you’re probably missing out on some fish each season, maybe some of the biggest! Obviously there are many more facets of muskie fishing then what I’ve written here, but the following tactics have definitely produced a number of big muskies for me and my friends when regular tactics were not working very well. When you fish a spot, do you throw multiple lures on it? Throwing multiple lures on a spot can be necessary to trigger the fish and I’m not just talking about two anglers in the boat throwing different lures. I’m talking about going thru the area a second time with different lures, especially if it’s a high confidence area. Have you ever had a boat behind you catch a fish after you just went thru an area? Chances are they were throwing a different lure than you were and that’s what triggered the fish. If you just go through an area with one or two lures, they may not be the type that will actually trigger the fish - especially if the fish are not in an active mood. You will usually go away thinking there were no fish on the spot, when in actuality there may have been, you just did not throw the type of lure to trigger it at that time. It’s also possible that you couldn’t get the lures you were throwing close enough to the fish. By fishing multiple lures on a spot, you can cover the water more thoroughly and up your seasonal catch. 20 MUSKIE.....November 2007 Trolling wind blown areas can be dynamite in summer and fall, whether it’s a point, an inside turn, or a shoreline break. If it’s too windy to control the boat effectively while casting, troll. If you’re not seeing any fish casting due to a weather change or fishing pressure, troll. The fish will move off the edge in either case, and you will simply have to fish deeper to catch them. Casting just does not keep the bait in the zone as long as trolling does. Trolling main lake points can be especially effective for big fish. Whether they are visible land masses, or underwater bars off humps that point into the main lake basin, troll them in the summer when they are wind blown or in the fall cool down period. Also, making contact with structure can be a great trigger. Trolling at specific times can up your seasonal catch. After a cold front do you use smaller baits, fish slower and a little deeper? These are times when the next couple of tactics really shine. Do you jig at times during the season? Jigging is still an underrated tactic for muskies. With the new rubber baits on the market today, it makes it even easier to try this effective method. Traditional jigging is still done with a lead head jig and a rubber body. These methods shine when the water is cooler than summer levels. Whether you’re fishing a weed line, a point, or some mid-lake structure, making contact with whatever structures you’re fishing is critical. In the summer, use them to go after a following fish that won’t hit a traditional lure, or suspending fish. Some days it seems like jigs are the only type of bait they will eat. Jigging at specific times can up your seasonal catch. Do you use crank baits when it‘s calm and clear, or on heavily pressured lakes? Calm, clear conditions mean high barometric pressure; this will usually put the fish a little deeper, and so will heavy fishing pressure and recreational traffic. These are great times to throw a crank bait, especially in clear water. Once again, making contact with whatever structure you’re fishing can be a great trigger. Using crank baits at specific times can up your seasonal catch. Do you approach your fishing spots with stealth, and keep the boat off the area you want to fish? A beautiful night-time muskie caught on a crankbait fishing a shal- There have been a ton of articles in the past about boat control, low rock reef”. but I cannot stress this enough - get to know the spots you’re fishing. There is no map that will be as accurate as the image in your mind once you get to know a particular area. If it’s a complex “All of these patterns spot, it is going to take some mental notes of have produced large how it really maps out on your electronics. Make long casts when you first approach the muskies for me or my area, then dissect it with proper positioning of fishing partners over your boat. If you are fishing a weed bed, try to keep the boat outside the weeds and cast into the years.” them. If it is a large weed bed, be sure to fish the outside edge before going in. The same goes for humps and bars. Try not to put the boat on top of any spots where you want to put your lure. Simply put, the boat will alert fish to your presence, and will ultimately make it harder for you to catch muskies. Accurate boat control can up your seasonal catch dramatically. in mind and consider going back later to give follows another opportunity. If the fish are moving faster, change to a more aggressive presentation, and keep moving. If you don’t take a fast moving fish seriously, you’re missing out in a big way. Fast moving fish will eat if you trigger them correctly. Trigger the fish on the figure eight by moving the bait faster and faster, keeping the rod tip deep on the inside pass and sweep it shallow on the outside (Continued on page 23) Have you tried night fishing your favorite day spots? Night fishing is easier than you may think; just don’t plan on doing it seriously if you’ve already been out all day. Be on the water about an hour or so before sunset so you can get your bearings. Then go fish the same areas you fish during the day and see if there’s a night bite. My guess is you won’t find many lakes that don’t have one. A few things to keep in mind, figure eight on every cast, have an organized boat, a good headlight/spotlight, and keep your tools handy. Use both your running and anchor lights when the sun goes down, believe me, they’re not going to spook the fish. It’s always better to be safe then sorry. Night fishing can up your seasonal catch dramatically. Do you take your follows seriously? Follows are a very important factor in muskie fishing. Follows are your clue to what is going on that day. If the fish are coming in slow, slow down your presentation. Keep every follow www.muskiesinc.org November 2007.....MUSKIE 21 Muskie Food Habits Controversy On Pelican Lake and Fisheries Management Perspective By Jim Radford and John Kubisiak with an Introduction by Jim Smith and Kevin Richards Introduction Jim Radford, Chapter 49 member from Crown Point, Indiana shared this story. While it is disturbing, it points out the continuing need for Muskies, Inc. and other muskie enthusiasts to work with fisheries management agencies to educate the broader fishing community. To this end we asked John Kubisiak, Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Biologist who manages Pelican Lake and other Oneida County waters, to share his perspective. We should also point out that a couple of MI members have produced educational pamphlets to be used at their local lakes to get the word out about muskie food habits. If you are interested in a pamphlet which gives a northern perspective you can email Brad Waldera at: bradwaldera@yahoo.com. For a more southern perspective email Todd Hardin at: ToddH@missourimuskies.org. Jim Radford, Brad Waldera, and Todd Hardin are MI members working to make a difference – thanks guys! We all need to do more. Sounds like its time for Muskies, Inc. to capitalize on their good efforts and make one color pamphlet, which could be shared with all our members and with other anglers Totally shocked by this tirade, I asked him if the DNR was aware of this activity, he laughed and responded, “They know what we are doing.” In the evening I related the story to our resort owner and a couple of other local people. As I was unfolding this horror story and By Jim Radford y son-in-law and I have been fishing Pelican Lake twice a before I was finished, they informed me they knew this was occuryear for the last six years. This past spring our four-day ring around the lake and they did not approve of it either. “Some fishing trip was not one of our best. Lousy weather, sup- people just want the musky tournaments to go away and then they ported by high winds really put a damper on the musky hunt, so we will try to get rid of the bass tournaments as well.” Twenty-five years ago I fished a bass tournament on Lake decided to try some walleye fishing. Webster in Indiana. The weigh-in was a joke even with a twelve-inch We were coming out of the bait shop in the town of Pelican size limit. A half a dozen fish were brought in and none of them Lake when a young man approached us and said, “Going walleye inches. This spring I fished another bass tournafourteen exceeded fishing?” ment on Webster. I was shocked at weigh-in with the numbers and My son-in-law responded that we had purchased chubs and the sizes. There were some “chunk” largemouth bass at weigh in. were giving the walleye a shot this evening. This individual informed First place was five fish at over twenty-two us that if we boated any muskies to kill them and pounds. throw them back. He added that if we liked to At weigh-in some local fisherman came eat them, then take the fish with us but for sure down to the state launch to observe the catch. I do not put them back in the lake. Both of us, “We want the talked with one individual that lived there for needless to say, were a bit surprised by his comover thirty years and he really thought the stockwalleyes back here on ments. ing of musky would completely destroy all fishMy son-in-law and I felt this was some type Pelican and the ing and was pleased it didn’t. “This is a darn of joke so we gave him a courteous smile, a muskies have to go” good bass lake and the lake supports plenty of chuckle and a “Yeah right”. With that, this indimuskies as well.” vidual informed us that he wasn’t kidding. Recently, I talked with two-tournament “We want the walleyes back here on Pelican bass fisherman from St. Louis and they raved and the muskies have to go!” He continued to about Pomme de Terre in Missouri. “Bass fishing would not be as inform us that he carries a gaff in the boat and when he hooks a stocked musky in that lake.” good as it is today if they hadn’t musky, “I don’t care if it’s undersize or it’s 45 inches, I rip the gaff Sadly, individuals like we met in Wisconsin will always be going length wise right through its belly and then over the side for the turagainst the grain for their own selfish reasons, only caring about tles.” He also stated that other people are doing it as well and some personal interests. and their own themselves even like to eat them. He emphatically stated, “We want the walleyes Imagine where the sizes of all species would be if my Dad, back in Pelican Lake!” The Controversy M 22 MUSKIE.....November 2007 Grandfather, all the Boulder Junction, Hayward and Minocqua musky fisherman had practiced Catch-Photo-Release (CPR). Back then we just ran a rope through their gill plate and hung them between two trees. Even in waters where CPR is not a law I see it as an oath or at the very least a personal motto. As we look to the musky fishing future for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren CPR and good fisheries management should be our mission every time we hit the water. fall recruitment surveys show consistent walleye year classes and an adult survey last spring found a solid walleye population. The most abundant fish ranged from 12 to 18 inches in length. With any fishing regulation, angler compliance is an essential key to making it work. Kubisiak suggests that the number of muskies caught and illegally killed by non-muskie anglers is likely very small, and the law-abiding majority will allow the Pelican Lake fishery to reach its full potential. Kubisiak passed the bait shop conversation on to the local Warden. Wisconsin anglers who observe illegal acts can call the DNR tip hotline at 1-800-TIP-WDNR. The belief that muskies can decimate fish populations is often repeated, but the data do not support it. Muskies are a low-density By John Kubisiak John Kubisiak is the Wisconsin DNR Fisheries Biologist who species, even in the absence of angler harvest. Wisconsin DNR surmanages Oneida County waters, including Pelican Lake. Kubisiak veys show that most muskie populations have fewer than 0.5 adult muskies per acre of water. In contrast, an average was disappointed to hear that an anonymous man in adult bass or walleye population is nearly 8 times a bait shop recommended killing muskies to prothis value and northern pike populations are even “The belief that mote walleyes. “I don’t think anyone in the DNR higher. Even with their larger size, muskies have would have led this person to believe that illegally muskies can less of on impact than other species simply because killing and wasting muskies is acceptable. It certaindecimate fish of the number of mouths to feed. ly does not reflect my attitude or the attitude of my As the largest predator in a lake, muskies can co-workers in Fisheries Management.” populations is pretty much eat what they like. Studies have shown Beginning in 2007, the minimum length limit often repeated, that what they prefer to eat are smooth, fatty forage for muskellunge on Pelican Lake was increased to 50 species like suckers and cisco. One study examined but the data does inches (it had been under the statewide 34-inch minthe food habitats of Wisconsin Muskellunge (Bozek imum). Kubisiak credits a grass-roots effort by local not support it.” et al. 1999). Thirty-four musky lakes where samanglers to generate support for the rule-change, pled over a 4-year period, with 1,092 muskellunge which passed the DNR Spring Wildlife and Fisheries (8 to 46 inches in length) examined. Only 6 walleye (0.9% of the Hearing by a 2:1 margin statewide and 3:1 at the local hearing. The ❖ diet items) were found in all the samples. goal is to manage Pelican Lake muskellunge as a low-density population supported by natural reproduction. Despite the gloomy outlook of some anglers, populations of Bozek, M. A., T. M. Burri and R. W. Frie. 1999. Diets of muskellunge walleye and other species are doing just fine in Pelican Lake. Annual in northern Wisconsin Lakes. N. Am. J. Fish. Mgmt. 19:258-270. Fisheries Management Perspective ARE YOU A VERSATILE MUSKIE ANGLER? (Continued from page 21) pass. Don’t be afraid to whip them into a frenzy with speed. The faster the fish is willing to go, the better the odds are of getting it to strike. Even the fish that blast away from the boat are still not that far way; continue the figure eight until you are sure you have given the fish a good look at your presentation. While they call this technique the “figure eight” I do a big oval. Analyzing follows and ranking their aggressiveness can up your seasonal catch. Have you ever had regrets on the way home from a trip? Thinking I should have tried this, I should have tried that? That is where a lot of these ideas came from. All of these patterns have produced large muskies for me or my fishing partners over the years. If you’re not currently doing all of these things, try them, and you just might catch the biggest fish of your life. Being a versatile muskie angler adds more and bigger fish to your seasonal catch. ❖ Erik Jacobson is an avid angler residing in central Minnesota. He and Brian Hanson produce the Just Big Muskies DVD series and founded the website: www.justbigmuskies.com www.muskiesinc.org A large muskie that finally fell for a jig after following many other lures the previous few days in a saddle. November 2007.....MUSKIE 23 BOOK REVIEW By Jim Smith Two volume set $34.95 each $7.00 S&H for one book or $10.00 for two to seven books (maximum). Wisconsin residents please add 5.5% sales tax. A Compendium of Muskie Angling History by Larry Ramsell 3rd Edition, Volumes I & II Larry Ramsell ~ Past President of Muskies, Inc., Member of the M.I. Hall of Fame, Legendary Angler of the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame ~ these are only some of the highlights of Larry’s accomplishments. Larry authored the 1st A Compendium of Muskie Angling History in Edition of 1982 and published his 2nd Edition in 1997. He has now published his 3rd Edition, consisting of two volumes. Larry has revised, updated and expanded this 3rd Edition. It will be two volumes; the first on the world records and the second on everything else. Over 1350 total pages and over 700 photos in the two volumes. Autographed copies available from Larry at: 10907 N. County Road S. Hayward, WI. 54843. Email: larryramsell@hotmail.com Order form available on author’s web site: www.larryramsell.com Volume I Is about 650 pages and 250 photos and includes “Muskellunge World Records” The History-The Truthcirca/1877-2006. Included is all of the World Record controversy of the past decade and a half, including exposure thereof and including a LOT of “insider” information never before made public. Volume II Is even larger than Volume I, with over 700 pages and 400+ historic photos. This volume covers “everything else” regarding history, i.e. “The History-The Rest of the Story” as Paul Harvey would say. I have had the opportunity to read both volumes, having received “advanced reading copies” from Larry. I have to say this; in all fairness Larry has done himself proud. These two volumes are great reading. I love the stories and I loved the detail and documentation he has collected in his writing. Volume I is like reading a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Volume II is lighter and fun to read. Those of you who enjoy the history of muskies and muskie fishing will surely enjoy obtaining a copy of these two volumes. A great Christmas present for your spouse to consider. Be sure to add it to your list this year. ❖ Editor’s NOTE: Larry has agreed to provide two sets of his third Edition of the Compendium to Muskies, Inc. for M.I. fundraisers. Thank you Larry Ramsell, from Muskies, Inc. 24 MUSKIE.....November 2007 24 15 33 38 37 12 13 21 1 54 26 6 4 30 20 35 8 29 53 Special Events 46 47 10 14 39 11 17 3 7 32 55 31 23 49 22 19 27 41 44 42 16 50 2008 18 51 9 45 52 5 28 April 3, 4, 5 Chapter News and Views Phone # www.muskiesinc.org September 24-25-26 2008 Gil Hamm Chapter Challunge Hosted by First WI Chapter of Muskies Inc., Chapter 06 Break on the Lake Resort, Cass Lake Minnesota will be our headquarters. Contact Jon Olstadt: 715-579-1300 jonolstadt@muskiesinc.org WELCOME NW TigerPac Chapter #57 Special events listings are provided at no charge to Muskies, Inc chapters. To list your chapter's event, email to: muskiemag@yahoo.com or by ground mail: Kevin Richards, 7618 Sunrise Ridge Road, Henley, MO 65040 Please send announcements at least 2 months in advance. November 2007.....MUSKIE 25 CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS 01.....Twin Cities, 414 Division St., Excelsior, MN 55331..........................................952-380-1218 02.....Fargo-Moorhead, Box 2021, Fargo ND, 58107................................................701-298-9032 03.....Chicagoland Muskie Hunters, 7600 Kilbourn Ave, Skokie, IL 60076 ...............847-677-0017 04.....Titletown Muskies, Inc., 3097 Inverness Lane, New Franken, WI 54229 .......920-866-9705 05.....Pomme De Terre, PO Box 5, Hermitage, MO 65668 .......................................417-993-0035 06.....First Wisconsin, PO Box 122, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 ...............................715-726-8896 07.....South Side Muskie Hawks, 5211 S. Narragansett Ave., Chicago, IL 60638......773-581-8650 08.....Capital City, PO Box 8862, Madison, WI 53708...............................................608-669-5046 09.....West Virginia, 1270 Federal Road, Little Hocking, OH 45742 .........................740-667-3571 10.....Heartland, 239 8th St SE, Mason City IA 50401 ..............................................641-424-0827 11 .....Mississippi Valley, 5301 11th Ave “C”, Moline, IL 61265 ..................................309-797-1803 12.....Headwaters, PO Box 652, Eagle River, WI 54521...........................................715-477-2913 13.....Hayward Lakes, PO Box 609, Hayward, WI 54843 .........................................715-634-4543 14.....South of the Border, 28926 W. Big Hollow Rd, McHenry, IL 60050.................815-385-9026 15.....Star of the North, 29957 La Plant Rd., Grand Rapids, MN 55744...................218-326-4958 16.....Three Rivers, 119 Bus Lane, Renfrew, PA15136 .............................................724-789-7866 17.....Quad County, PO Box 185, Plano, IL 60545....................................................815-695-1494 18.....Hopedale, 15 Township Rd 125, Dillonvale, OH 43917 ...................................740-769-7269 19.....Akron-Canton Muskie Maniacs, 10957 Northwood Ave NE, Bolivar OH 44612.330-874-2773 20.....Between the Lakes, PO Box 61, Sheboygan, WI 53085-0061 ........................920-564-3226 21.....North Metro, PO Box 41216, Plymouth, MN 55441 .........................................952-469-2155 22.....New Jersey, http://www.mi22.com/ ..................................................................................TBD 23.....Cleveland, 5611 Alber, Parma, OH 44129........................................................440-221-5760 24.....Brainerd Lakes, 9143 Lone Pine Road, Brainerd, MN 56401..........................218-821-3669 26.....Central Wisconsin, PO Box 263, Medford, WI 54451 ......................................715-748-2630 27.....Central Illinois, 1191 Sandra Lane, Monticello, IL 61856 .................................309-264-3730 28.....Shawnee Muskie Hunters, PO Box 602, DeKalb, IL 60115 .............................815-756-3231 29.....Upper Great Plains, 1788 Hwy 4, Estherville, IA 51334...................................712-362-2501 30.....God’s Country, PO Box 1461, LaCrosse, WI 54601 ........................................608-786-4062 31.....Penn-Ohio, 309 Spring St, Jamestown, PA 16134...........................................724-932-5815 32.....Flatlanders, 5776 Vesper Drive, South Beloit, IL 61080 ..................................815-389-4622 33.....Lake Superior, 2031 Hwy. 33 S., Cloquet, MN 55720......................................218-879-2712 35.....Milwaukee, PO Box 28842, Greenfield, WI 53220...........................................262-442-6260 37.....St. Cloud, 312 18th Avenue N., Sartell, MN 56377 ..........................................320-656-1160 38.....Vikingland, 2909 Wicken Lane NW, Alexandria, MN 56308.............................320-846-7975 39.....Fox River Valley, 1253 Cobblers Crossing, Elgin, IL 60123.............................847-741-9771 41.....Central Ohio, 603 Bennettwoods Ct., Cincinnati, OH 45320 ...........................513-231-1961 42.....Hoosier Muskie Hunters, PO Box 501371, Indianapolis, IN 46250 .................317-577-8050 44.....Colorado, 3739 Sawgrass Trail, Castle Rock, CO 80109 ................................303-668-4089 45.....Kentucky, 212 Linden Ave., Southgate, KY 41071...........................................859-441-1666 46.....Bemidji/Cass Lake, 11551 Misty Meadows Rd, Bemidji, MN 56601................218-759-0098 47.....Michigan Muskie Alliance, PO Box 512, Caledonia, MI 49316 ........................616-447-1688 48.....Arrowhead, PO Box 82, Virginia, MN 55792....................................................218-482-5217 49.....Webster Lake Musky Club, PO Box 670, No. Webster, IN 46555 ...................574-834-1669 50.....Penn-Jersey, 372 Kingwood Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406 ..........................610-962-0632 52.....Daniel Boone, 813 US 62, Maysville, KY 41056 ..............................................606-759-7610 53.....Huskerland Muskie Hunters, PO Box 394, Valentine, NE 69201.....................402-376-2743 54.....Southern Crossroads, 1524 Country Club Rd, Albert Lea MN 56007 .............507-373-1818 55.....Mid Iowa Muskies, 2940 SW Meadow Ridge, Ankeny IA 50023 .....................515-289-1583 57.....NW TigerPac, 10517 SE 214th Place, Kent, WA 98031 ..................................253-850-5889 CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ No. Chapter, Address 2008 Spring board meeting Hosted by Titletown Muskies, Inc., Chapter #4 Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, 2040 Airport Drive, Green Bay, WI Telephone: 800-333-3333 Contact Jay Zahn: jzahn000@centurytel.net CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ 48 2 CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS Pomme de Terre P.O. Box 5 Hermitage, MO 65668 417-745-2381 – Carl Marks www.missourimuskies.org Meets: Various days-Call for schedule 05 George Hoffmann, long-time member of the Pomme de Terre Chapter, passed away on September 10th. George served as Treasurer and as President of the Chapter prior to serving for a number of years as a Regional Vice President. George will be missed by our membership. Pomme de Terre Annual Fall Tournament Results – October 5-7, 2007 There were 39 muskies released under warm, bluebird sky conditions! Friday Winners: 1. Boone/Boyer: 38, 41, 40 2. Ambrose/Hudson: 37, 42 3. Norman/Wright: 34, 37-1/2 4. Miller/Miller: 38 5. Reetz/Edgar: 37 41 points 23 points 20 points 12 points 11 points Saturday/Sunday Winners: 1. Hill/Nunn: 35, 35, 42 2. Pitts/Sawyer: 38, 34, 39 3. Eustice/Eustice: 39, 39, 32 4. Kirby/Kirby: 39, 40 5. Miller/Miller: 41 34 33 32 27 15 08 points points points points points Capital City P.O. Box 8862, Madison, WI 53708 608-669-5046 – Gerard Hellenbrand www.capitalcitymuskiesinc.org Meets: 2nd Monday 7:00 PM Park Ponderosa McFarland, WI Congratulations to CCMI club member Matt McCumber who won the Wisconsin Alliance Tournament in Eagle River in August. Matt caught five fish ranging in length from 34.25 to 39 inches using a homemade rubber bait. The fall meetings began on September 10th at the East Side Club in Madison. As in the past, September featured reports from the Wisconsin DNR. This year’s DNR representatives were Steve Hewitt and Scot Stewart. Mr. Hewitt updated those in attendance about the spotted muskie restoration project in the Green Bay area. It is remarkable how fast the muskies have grown since stocking in the late 1980’s. Even the oldest fish are still growing at 2 to 3 inches a year. The study will now concentrated on whether or not there is natural reproduction. Mr. Stewart, the local fishery biologist, reviewed the stocking history of the Madison lakes and assured the crowd that after this year’s stocking (including 500 Leach Lake fingerlings purchased by CCMI) numbers are on target. The members in attendance asked about the VHS virus. Both Steve and Scot thought that VHS is a great threat to local fisheries and angler precautions (no transporting of live bait, washing boats, etc.) is the most effective way to prevent it from spreading. During the first week of September the club held is annual Eagle Lake outing in Canada. Twelve club members and one ringer (First Wisconsin Chapter) attended the outing. Although the fishing was slow, compared to 2006, the 13 fishermen caught 11 muskies. The 26 MUSKIE.....November 2007 largest was 48 inches by Weston Hunt (at the ripe old age of 18). The next two largest fish were 45 inches by Mike Millia and Bob Neidhold (the ringer). Thanks to Rick Lane and Cory As the Painter for organizing the outing. weather begins to cool down, the fishing should heat up. Gary Hoffman 09 West Virginia 1270 Federal Road Little Hocking, OH 45742 740-667-3571 http://westvirginiamuskiesinc.org Meets: No definite schedule-call Saturday August 11 found six Chapter 09 members participating in the Mountain Lakes Chapter of the NWTF JAKES day by sponsoring a station teaching fishing basics. Over 120 young people enjoyed a day of varying activities including our station which taught fish ID, boating safety, rod and reel use, knot tying as well as proper fish handling and C&R. Members Ken Squires, Bill Looney, Ken McCord, Tim McCauley, Dave Moser and Jim Moore made our booth the hit of the show with great response from both kids and parents. Member Ken Squires headed up a project to construct an informational Kiosk to be erected at the upper boat launch area of North Bend Lake. The club felt a better informational area was needed to highlight special fishing regulations for this new impoundment including the only 40-inch minimum length limit within the state. With approval of the WV DNR and in cooperation with the Ritchie County Park and Recreation Committee, we constructed and erected the structure onsite. Members Ken Squires, Charlie Carpenter, Dave Johnson, Chris Squires, Grant Lipscomb, Frank McDonald, David Kaltenecker and Jim Moore showed up for final construction. It turned out great and received many good comments. Our fall membership meeting was conducted on September 15 at West Union. We established the 2008 Tournament and Outing schedule as well as putting final touches on our booth for the WV DNR National Hunting and Fishing Show conducted at Stonewall Jackson. We also drew the winning ticket for our Annual Rod Raffle. Congratulations to Steve Lancaster of Pine Grove and thanks to all who supported this very important chapter fundraiser. Jim Moore, President 13 Hayward Lakes P.O. Box 609 Hayward, WI 54843 715-634-4543 The guest speaker at our September meeting was Dave Neuswanger, DNR Fisheries Supervisor for the upper Chippewa basin. Dave and his people have been working on a new management plan for the Chippewa Flowage. Meetings were held with lakeshore owners and other interested people. Creel, electo-shocking and netting surveys were done to help in developing the plan. This new plan includes increasing the minimum size for muskies from 45 to 50 inches. This should appear as a proposal at the spring conservation congress meetings. In addi- tion this plan includes the possibility of allowing motor trolling on “The Chip” (one line per angler) and only allowing one line per angler while muskie fishing. This would prevent a fisherman from having a sucker in the water while casting. The idea here is to prevent a fish from swallowing hooks because of a late hook-set. Also there is interest in working more closely with the LCO tribe to know more about muskie harvest because most spearing is not reported to the DNR because it is on the reservation or during the winter. These proposed changes have already sparked controversy. This is being written ten days before our 30TH Annual Fall Tournament which should again be excellent. The results will not appear in the magazine until the December issue but the results will be available on line at www.haywardbait.com, shortly after the tournament. The current entries in our members contest include: Women: Terra Blankenship – 2 fish – 12pts. Men: Clint Blankenship – 1 fish – 8pts; J.B. Ellis – 2 fish - 11.5pts; James Nyberg – 1 fish – 19pts; Emmett Brown – 10 fish – 99pts; Mike Persson – 10fish – 151pts. Senior Masters: Dick Minnick – 5 fish – 50pts. Our November meeting will be Tuesday the 6TH at 7:30 P.M. We will review the tournament and elect officers for 2008. There will also be a “Lure Swap” so bring any lures or other equipment you want to trade or sell. The meeting will be at Dows Corners on highway 77 east and county A, 13 miles east of Hayward. Good Fishing, Mike Persson 22 New Jersey http://www.mi22.com/ Fall stocking is under way and after a banner year of production at the hatchery most of our NJ waters have received at least their first input of 613” true strain muskies. Despite working understaffed, Craig Lemon & crew did a fantastic job. The most recent meeting revealed that it’s time for new members to step up as club officers since President Chuck Graf and VP Gordon Campbell prefer to make way for new blood. Plans are also underway for a December Christmas party while fundraisers for 2008 are being discussed. See mi22.com for ideas, details & to make suggestions. The last regular meeting of the year is on Tuesday November 27th at Lake Arrowhead Lodge, 8 pm. Gordon Campbell VP Chapter 22 Shawnee 28 P.O. Box 602 DeKalb, IL 60115 815-756-3231 – Gary Dew (815) 529-1159 Meets: varies-call for schedule. (Editor’s note: TALK ABOUT A GREAT IDEA TO INCREASE MI MEMBERSHIP!!!) James Dingus and Shannon Beaty where introduced by their fathers in March 2005 at a muskie tournament on Kinkaid Lake, IL. During Kevin Richards 7618 Sunrise Ridge Road Henley, MO. 65040 Email: muskiemag@yahoo.com the same tournament in 2006 James proposed to Shannon at the same spot. In November 2006 Shannon and James where married in Alton. On September 14, 2007 their daughter Maggie Pietrina Beaty-Dingus (Muskie Maggie) was born. This pretty 19-inch keeper weighed in at 6lbs. 13 oz. Muskie Gal! Shannon Beaty-Dingus Shannonbeaty1031@hotmail.com www.shawneemuskiehunter.org Fox River Valley 39 1253 Cobblers Crossing, Elgin, IL 601230 847-741-9771 – Rich Gallagher www.frvmuskie.com Meets: 2nd Wed (Exc June/July) Poplar Creek Country Club, 1400 Poplar Creek Drive, Hoffman Estates, IL. In a few short weeks a table full of turkey with all the trimmings will be awaiting our attention. We on the Board of Directors wish you and your families a fun and Happy Thanksgiving. Gather with those you hold dear and let them know how much they mean to you. This month we depart from our normal meeting format and move to the Dundee Park District Pool for our annual Free Pizza and Pool Demo night. The date for this will be the 14th of this month. This is a great chance to see how baits look in the pool before you plunk down your cash. Check the website for directions. In December we will have our speaker “Home Brew” of some of the top “Sticks” in our club. Please do not forget to bring dry goods or canned goods to the meeting in December. Every year we pull together our resources and make a food donation to the Elgin area women’s shelter. Help us to help some ladies who are not as fortunate as we are. Lastly is our annual lure and gear swap meet. After the New Year we have a very special event scheduled for Saturday February 23rd 2008. Please note the revised date; in the last two reports it was incorrect. We would really like to see a positive response from our membership. The Fox River Valley Chapter will be putting www.muskiesinc.org on a Fund-raising Banquet. Bring your family and your friends. Join us for evening of food, fun, friends and outstanding prizes. The Time: 6 to 10 p.m. The Location is the Polar Creek Country Club in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The Emcee is Steve Sarley, Host of the Outdoors Experience Radio Program in Chicago and Writer for the NW Daily Herald Newspaper. The Menu: Peppercorn Crusted Sirloin of Beef, Chicken Capriasi, Vegetables, Fruit, Dessert and Cash Bar. The Cost: $35.00 per Person The Purpose: To raise funds in promotion of the FRV Chapter’s mission of “Back To Our Youth” Fund-raising and ongoing water clean-up and fish stocking programs. Evening Activities: Raffles, Auctions, Ticket Games for great prizes and merchandise for home, office, outdoor recreation and family pursuits. We would really like to see your participation in this night. As a club this is what we are here for. To promote a healthy environment for our fishing pursuits. To continue to fulfill our mission to stock muskies in area lakes and most importantly to have our children involved in the sport of fishing. They will be the architects that shape the future of our fishing environment. Watch here and the website for updates and reservations. Our regular club meeting dates are the second Wednesday of the month at the Poplar Creek Country Club. They offer a buffet style dinner starting at six p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. meeting. The week before the meeting the web site will have the buffet menu and cost. Until Later, Return ‘em to the water healthy and remember our troops. JT Webster Lake 49 P.O. Box 670 No. Webster, IN 46555 574-834-1669 Hello all. Hope everyone’s summer had been good. The Webster Lake Muskie Club had our second cash tournament of the year and we had a good turnout. Here are the results: Sept 8th Barbee Tournament Recap Water temps held consistent at 77 all day Saturday. We had 19 teams fish the tournament. Per our rules we pay out 3 places for less than 20 teams. There were 4 legal muskies caught and a few others lost. Most anglers saw 1 or 2 fish all day long! There were 2 sub- legal muskies caught also. Here were the placing teams: 1st place: Mark Filas and Dave Filas with a 42.5” muskie caught on a Suick. $910 2nd place: Vince Weirick and Brandon Schorle with a 37.75” muskie caught on a jackpot. $600 3rd place: Randy Bush and Tom Lang with a 35.25” muskie caught on a crankbait. $200 Our next cash tournament was October 6th on Webster Lake. For more info check out our newly revised website: www.websterlakemuskyclub.org Our youth outing was October 13th with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northeastern Indiana. The club planned to stock more fish into Upper Long Lake at the end of September. Our December 1st meeting will have a special speaker - Steve Worrall from Muskies 1st. There will also be a huge raffle table and silent auction with items including a digital camera, Colts memorabilia from the Super Bowl, and many fishing related items. There will be hot food and a bartender; we would love to see everyone there. Come out and have some fun and meet Steve Worrall. Any other info can be emailed to me at: onemuskynut@embarqmail.com. Thank you and remember to let’m go & let’m grow & hook’em hard. Bill Bennett D O N AT I O N S SEPTEMBER DAVID GUSTAFSON DAN MOATS DENNIS HEIDEBRINK RENEE PORTER ELLEN M. WELLS FRED HENNESSY DEAN D. HACKER STU THOMAS BOB GUENTHER TOM RUSIN KENT MAGNUSON On behalf of Muskies, Inc., thank you for adding a bit extra when you renewed your membership. – Pete Barber, Treasurer November 2007.....MUSKIE 27 CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS Please send all MUSKIE Magazine articles, Chapter News & Views, and other submissions to: T he tactical approach of pitching artificial lures to fish positioned in and near cover has been around for a long time. Bass anglers use it more than most, in fact, bass anglers probably pioneered the hot technique that takes these fish so well when they’re not in a mood to chase down their prey. In recent years, pitching techniques have gained popularity in the crappie fishing ranks, as articles from leading anglers and outdoor writers have placed this bug into the brains of these sportsmen and women. We’re starting to see all kinds of anglers beginning to use the technique in earnest and with great success. From freshwater river striper fishermen to redfish anglers in saltwater, pitching is catching on everywhere. It’s not just for bassin’ anymore, and it’s great for targeting muskie. is geared toward fish that are holding in, or very tight to shallow cover, and are often somewhat inactive. Good anglers can make long pitches from great distances away from a boat, but this does take practice, and because we are dealing with much larger lures, it can be even more difficult to use for muskie fishing than say for targeting bass. Still, when mastered, this technique adds a new and very deadly weapon to the arsenal of the muskie angler. Location This pitching technique works well for fish in a wide variety of areas, but typically, shallow cover is best. Boat docks are one of the best places to pitch lures for muskie. Nick Nigro is a guide and tournament angler. Nick loves to fish docks for muskie, and feels pitching is the best method to The Technique pick apart docks as it can allow you to get your To explain the technique simply, anglers use bait into places where no other presentation can. This method of an underhanded motion, a roll of the wrist so to An area that’s say only a foot or two wide speak, to swing a lure precisely into a specific muskie fishing is certainly can’t be reached with standard casting spot. The lure is held in the angler’s hand and presentations. That’s not to say that there aren’t an absolute blast – then turned loose as the angler swings the rod muskie in those spots though. In fact, the rear tip away from his or her body and upward. The it’s like a roller coaster portions of boat slips are excellent places for fish idea is for the lure to travel close to the water’s to hold. Muskie will also position on the outside ride that leaves you on surface and splash down in a precise place with corners of docks and boats. These are all areas little disturbance of the water. This is a very the edge of your seat. that are, at the least, very difficult to reach with quiet and subtle way to present an offering to anything other than a pitching approach. muskie and other predators in shallow water that Laydowns are good places to pitch for may be a bit spooky. muskie. Brush, thick standing timber and stumps, and tightly clustered boulders are also good places to try out Advantages this hot technique. Vegetation is also a great cover option for less Anglers can draw strikes with pitching techniques from fish that than active ‘skis. When muskie hold tight to various weeds, grasses or may otherwise not be willing to strike. Most of the time, this tactic pads, pitching can be phenomenal at getting them to strike when 28 MUSKIE.....November 2007 they won’t take a bait that’s lobbed on top of their heads with a big splash. Holes and pockets in vegetation, points, and clumps in the weeds are all good holding positions for muskie. Equipment Good equipment for pitching includes highly sensitive lightweight graphite rods. I like the seven foot Team Series Big Boy Oversize Pitchin Rod (allstarrods.com), a rod that’s specifically designed for this task. If you’re also a bass angler, the technique of pitching for muskie will probably come much easier for you, but it will still take some practice. For anglers that never pitch, it will be even more difficult to get the hang of, as it is a method of fishing that is much different that most of the methods that muskie nuts employ. A lightweight rod is absolutely critical to success, as it will make the technique much easier to master. Sensitivity is critical because bites are often subtle with a vertical presentation used for inactive muskie. They rarely hammer the lure. Low profile reels also make this job much easier. An angler can more easily palm a low profile reel, which makes presentation easier. Not all low profile reels are built tough enough, or made with a large enough spool for muskie fishing. I select the President WLP or Contender SS reels for this task (pfluegerfishing.com). These are tough reels that can handle the abuse of muskie fishing and are built with wide spools for high line capacity. Spool up with a strong line with superior abrasion resistance for doing battle with big, hard fighting predators in heavy, abrasive cover. It’s quite a rush to hook up on a muskie in the back of a dock slip, and it takes strong rods and strong line to get them out. A quality leader of around nine to twelve inches rounds out the package. Good quality polarized fishing sunglasses are another important aspect of this system. Often times, this can be a sight fishing game, especially in moderately stained to clear water environments. Ray Simms and John Risius are guides and tournament anglers that never pitch for muskie without sunglasses. Ray notes that the glasses cut the glare of the sun reflecting off of the water’s surface and allow anglers to see deep into the water at great distances to spot fish and cover objects. Selecting the proper lens shade is very important when choosing polarized glasses. During bright, sunny conditions, smoke colored lenses are the best way to go, as they reduce the maximum amount of glare. When fishing in cloudy, overcast conditions or during the lower light periods of early morning and late evening, amber colored lens shades are much better. These lenses feature much lighter shading and actually help to gather fading light, allowing anglers to sight fish earlier in the morning and later in the evening. Simms Outdoors Pro Nick Nigro with a fat Kinkaid Lake muskie. Spin (www.simmsoutdoors.com). A variety of soft plastic baits such as soft minnow baits, tubes, shad baits and grubs can be effective for pitching. Going Toe To Toe After you’ve used these great techniques to hook up with the king of freshwater, don’t give him any slack. Make a solid hook-set and immediately start moving the fish toward the boat. Don’t worry about backing off on the drag and feeding line until the fish is out and away from the cover. It is a bit of a risk to horse a powerful fish like this, but it’s really the only alternative. If the fish gets wrapped around a dock, timber, or big rocks, it might be all over anyway. Get the fish out first and then worry about everything else, but by all means, don’t forget to have fun. This method of muskie fishing is an absolute blast - it’s like a roller coaster ride that leaves you on the edge of your seat. Give pitching a try for muskie. It’s another great method of muskie angling that most folks don’t try and most muskie never see. Good luck! ❖ Colby Simms Simms Outdoors Team www.simmsoutdoors.com 618-521-0526 Lure Options Good choices for pitching include jigs paired with soft plastic trailers like paddle tail shads. An excellent jig for pitching is the Esox Cobra Magnum Jig (baitrigs.com). These skirted jigs have a flat head which allows for a slow fall and swimming action, and the weed guard protects the hooks from snagging. These jigs come in 1, 1.5 and 2 ounce sizes and can be paired with a wide variety of soft plastics. I also pitch spoons and long arm single blade spinnerbaits, especially around docks. Three baits I use are the Rattlin Scale Spoons, the Thump N Spin, and Hatchet www.muskiesinc.org November 2007.....MUSKIE 29 T he fourth annual Bob Ellis Classic Row Trolling Tournament was held in Presque Isle, Wisconsin, on Saturday, October 6th. Around 40 rowers attended the event. In stark contrast to last year’s blustery blizzard- like weather, this year’s participants dodged thunderstorms and endured 80 degree temperatures. The event is held each year to honor the man and his method. Many of Ellis’ relatives and friends attend the festivities. It’s truly a low-key event, full of camaraderie. Headquartered at the Skyview Lodge in Presque Isle, passionate row trollers socialize out in the parking lot as they compare rigs and techniques. This year many of the event’s “regulars” were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts; however, a fresh group of young musky guys and gals eager to Many new rowers participated in the Bob Ellis Classic. 30 MUSKIE.....November 2007 work the oars took their place. It is wonderful to see the excitement and enthusiasm that the new rowers display. I know Bob would be pleased. The trollers had their choice of three different lakes— Crab, Papoose, or Presque Isle. First place winners Leon Duffrin and Darin Bornemann caught and released two muskies, 41 and 37 inches, while banging crankbaits around one of Crab Lakes notorious reefs. The champs were awarded the honor to hold the B.E.C. revolving trophy until next year’s event. The trophy showcases one of Bob’s handcrafted lures. Second place was awarded to Bob Farling and Dave Schnell who caught and released a 38 inch muskie on Presque Isle. This day is about so much more than the catching of fish. It is such a unique outing; the atmosphere is always light and festive - like old friends and soul mates joining up once more to partake in their mutual passion. Potential rowers, folks interested in trying out the sport, stop by to ask questions. Neighbors from around the community also drop by to eye all the beautiful crafts. It certainly is not a high pressure tournament by any means. I was Stan Ellis (Bob’s brother) presents the revolving trophy to this year’s champs, Leon Duffrin (left) and Darin Bornemann (right). Bornemann holds the two muskies that won the tournament. Juris has shared a novel with the world. We appreciate his willingness to share his expertise and the endless hours of work he puts into his photographic efforts. ❖ Anyone interested in attending next year’s event should email Patricia Strutz: info@ablondandherboat.com Jim Olson presents the innaugural Bob Ellis Conservation trophy to Juris Ozols. thrilled when the fellow who built my personal boat, Thomas Mathie, joined us this year. And, it’s always wonderful to have Bill Gardner (Time on the Water) in the mix. It’s an interesting group of characters, to say the least. This year Geoff Crandall spearheaded a new tradition by creating a Bob Ellis Conservation Trophy. This award will be presented to a person who has worked toward furthering the sport of row trolling and is actively involved in promoting muskie fishing. MUSKIE Magazine’s own Juris Ozols took home the inaugural honor. His outstanding photography has graced the pages of not only MUSKIE magazine, but many other publications. If a picture is worth a thousand words, www.muskiesinc.org Jim Olson and Henry Hempe plied the silvery waters of Crab Lake in search of the elusive muskie. November 2007.....MUSKIE 31 HAIL & FAREWELL from Bob Jennings Four years and six months ago, my first story appeared in this fine magazine. It was “What Happened to Yesterday?!” I followed it up with two more stories and Jim Smith made me the Sporting Humorist with a column called Muskie Tales. From then on I have brought to you tales of my adventures in Muskie Hunting flavored with a bid of humor. My good friend Roger and I have shared many Muskie Hunting Trips and, Roger caught his first Muskie. Several Muskie Tales resulted from these trips. I built on that first story and developed the Muskie Misadventures at my fictitious Lonesome Lodge somewhere up north on beautiful Lake NISATO. You’ve met my characters at this lodge; some I’m sure you recognize, some I have immortalized, some are figments of my imagination while the rest are people you’d meet along the Muskie Trail. By the way, nobody has caught the Grand Slam of Muskies as yet, so the Grand Prize is open for the winning; that is, if you can find Lonesome Lodge. But when you do, it’s best to arrive around noon, get checked in by Harold and have a nice lunch at the big round table. After lunch, wander down to the marina and get a strip built wood boat from Albert with a Fleetwin or a beat up ol’ Johnson hanging on the back Don’t forget to ask Albert if he will loan you “DAT LURE” or maybe “Da Green Death Muskie Killer.” Then, as Albert pushes you from the dock with his ‘catched a goud von,’ try to find the entrance to the Secr….I mean Grand Slam Lake. If you’re fortunate enough to have gotten this far…let your imagination run wild and you’ll more than likely see the first and second World Record Holders for the Muskie….a distinguished gentleman in a Captains Chair with a driving cap on waving at you….you may even catch a glimpse of Grandfather Bob, King of Muskie Hunters….a gentlemen and his Lady trying for Muskie on the Fly Rod…and a host of others still trying for that Grand Slam of Muskies. Stay out late…let these Muskie Hunters slowly disappear back thru the entrance of Grand Slam Lake. Then, with dusk approaching, motor back and see Albert waiting to moor you in with his “Yumpin’ Yimminy, yew better git up ta da dining room N’ yoin da rest. I’ll be dere shortly N’ ve’ll half a goud dinner—den, ve half da cor…cor…vell, yew know vhat I mean—ve kin all dis…discu…tell uf our catches….by da vey, did yew catched da Grant Slam a Muskies??....I dunt see no Muskie Fewer….” I trust you have enjoyed my Muskie Tales as much as I have enjoyed writing them!! Hail and Farewell from myself and all the folks at Lonesome Lodge!!! Best Muskie Tales Regards, Bob Jennings Editor’s Note: Thank you Bob for sharing over 50 of your Muskie Tales with us! ❖ 32 MUSKIE.....November 2007 'First'- Chapter 50's George Asingua with his first Muskie caught & released on NJ's Mercer Lake. Congrats. "Pike too"- Here Katie Crawford poses with another Esocid, this time a Pike as Uncle Ron helps brace her hold. 'Contrast'- a great shot taken of Martin Christensen by a friend toting a disposable camera. Photo is well composed and depicts a near perfect background. "Four Footer"- Marty Lazare of Chapter 39 Fox River Valley checked in with this Mille Lacs 48.5" Muskie caught & released 9-9-07. 'Road Trip'- Greg Ridge & Joe Tarditi headed to Mille Lacs from New Jersey. Here's Greg with a nighttime 44 caught on a bucktail. 'Field Test'- Brian Kroll of Ch 22 & bklures.com with a heavy 45 trolled on one of his lures. His lures are producing big fish. 'Regular Basis'- Dave Ledman checked in again with this Minnesota 47 caught alone at night at boatside. Great self timed shot. 'Action'- Mike Winther was out on a Madison area lake when he spotted action nearby. A series of shots yielded this one going in 'the net'. "Small guy, Big Fish"- Brady Crawford age 11 fished hard & handled this 53" Big Detroit Lake Muskie like a pro. He's a young fisherman with some great Muskies to his credit........ "And again"- Here Brady hefts a 48" whopper also from Big Detroit Lake in MN. Brady hails from Chapter 2 Fargo Moorhead. ☞ Proper Muskie Holding Techniques for MUSKIE Magazine Photos including Covers, Article Support, Photo Contest Entries & Member Photos www.muskiesinc.org November 2007.....MUSKIE 33