MUSKIE Magazine

Transcription

MUSKIE Magazine

©2007 ST. CROIX ROD
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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.
Departments
Contents
MUSKIE • VOL. 41, NO. 8
Features
2 President’s Message,
David Cates
3 Magazine Notes, Staff
12 The Nils Master Family of Lures,
5 Tournament News
16 The “Phantom” Commemorative Lure,
8 Lunge Log, Jim Bunch
20 The Three C’s of Muskie Success!,
Kathy Zainea
4 International News, Staff
Juris Ozols
7 As I See It, Jim Smith
Wayne Humphrey
10 Figure 8, Kevin Richards
22 Giving a Bass Boat a Muskie Attitude,
14 FCIS Boat Safety
Mike Moschell
19 Photo Contest,
Gordon Campbell
24 Whose Fish Is It?,
25 Chapter News and Views
Patricia Strutz
30 Muskie Tales, Bob Jennings
29 A Forty-Year Tradition of Muskie Tournament
30 Index of Advertisers
Fishing, Adam Walsh
32 Member Photos,
Gordon Campbell
Join Muskies, Inc. ...
or give a membership
as a gift.
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 $________
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Check One: ❑ New Member ❑ Renewal ❑ Address Change ❑ Gift
MAIL TO MUSKIES, INC. 14257 Waters Edge Trail,
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August 2007.....MUSKIE 1
International
Officers
President, David Cates
Phone: 574-457-3222
Email: president@muskiesinc.org
Vice President / Finances, Jim Shannon
Phone: 763-434-9729
Email: vp-finance@muskiesinc.org
Vice President / Research, 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: treasurer@muskiesinc.org
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
Rory Potter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008
Karl Scherer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008
Dick McPike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009
Dan Narsete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009
Diana Mindar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009
CAN - AM
I recently had the opportunity to fish Lake St. Clair in the Can - Am challenge.
Members of Muskies, Inc. and Muskies, Canada participated, and in my estimation, a good
time was had by all. How could you not enjoy an event where a 51” muskie is too small to
place?
I wish to give special thanks to Mike Zainea of the Lake St. Clair Muskie shop
(www.lscmuskieshop.com) for his efforts to put my fiancée and me on fish. While I did
everything possible to upset his efforts (although not intentionally), he was able to put
Kimberly on a 39”. If you have never had the opportunity to see the Great Lakes strain
muskie, they are spectacularly beautiful. That evening, Mike took us on a tour of his muskie
shop. If you are someone who wants equipment for Lake St. Clair style trolling, and especially if you are someone who likes custom baits, check out his selection.
I look forward to giving LSC a try again in the future. Hopefully one of those 50” plus
super tankers will cooperate.
Crash Mullins
By the time you read this you will likely know that Crash Mullins has been diagnosed
with a form of cancer known as multiple myeoloma. As you know, Crash is a muskie fisherman extraordinaire, hailing from Kentucky, and regularly helps MI chapters with programs and donations. Crash now needs our help.
Crash’s son, Justin, advised me that a foundation has been created to help those afflicted with multiple myeoloma. You may send your donations to the foundation at:
Crash Mullins Multiple Myeoloma Foundation
66 Slaty Point Road
Morehead, KY 40351
Or you can contact them via the web site : http://savecrash.net/.
My understanding is that Crash is recovering better than expected, although there is a
long way to go.
Know that my prayers and thoughts are with Crash and his family.
Information
Everyone has pet peeves. I am about to describe one of mine. I regularly receive requests
from various members for information regarding MI. I am happy to provide the information and see it as part of my duty to do so. With that said, practically each of the requests
has included language telling me how the person requesting the information already knows
that I am going to ignore the request and he will never hear from me.
Jack Moga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009
Brad Waldera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009
Jim Shannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010
Bob Timme
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010
Mark Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010
Vince Weirick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010
2 MUSKIE.....August 2007
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
ABOUT THE COVER
MUSKIE Magazine Staff
Rod Ramsell, Editor Emeritus
Keith Ogden, Editor Emeritus
MANAGING EDITOR
Jim Smith
Phone: (623) 388-3225
Email: managingeditor@muskiesinc.org
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Juris Ozols
Phone: (952) 921-6311
Email: assistanteditor@muskiesinc.org
PHOTO EDITOR
Gordon Campbell
Phone: (973) 208-8297
Email: gordonc@optonline.net
The Phantom Lure – one of today’s classic
Muskie baits and our fifth annual Muskies
Inc. Commemorative Lure for 2007. It joins
the Hawg Wobbler, the Crane, Grandma,
and Suick as a hand painted, signed, and
numbered limited special edition. The lure
has a gorgeous Muskie stripe coloring
theme and features “transparent eyes” –
you can see through them to the other
side.
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Jim Smith
15045 W. Double Tree Way
Surprise, AZ 85374-8568
Phone: (623) 388-3225
Email: jamestsmith@cox.net
As it happens, the Muskies Inc. lure is the
last run of the classic wooden Phantoms.
The new ones are being made of solid,
high impact plastic specifically chosen for
its wood like characteristics. But the MI lure is the last wooden one.
FIELD EDITORS
Steve Budnik, Bob Chochola, James W. Colgan,
Elizabeth Cratty, Adam Glickman,
Robert Jennings, Mike Kanaval, Colby Simms,
Patricia Strutz, Vincent P. Trotta
This year the Phantom comes in an elegant wooden box with a laser
etched glass lid. It can be ordered on the MI web site or from the
magazine.
The lure is made by Todd Cleveland and partner Mark Dresow of
Phantom Lures, who also designed and created the many beautiful lures
in the background of the cover. Note a couple of the unusual patterns
there – the “M&M” and “Van Halen” baits. The story on Todd, his
Phantom Lure business, and those “different” Muskie lures is on page 16
of this issue.
Coming Next Month:
✒ A History Challenge to the Chapters
✒ What Do Muskies Eat?
✒ A Heart Thumping Spring
✒ Muskie Memories
PUBLICATIONS TECHNICAL MANAGER
Sunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - Brenda Kirchner
25123 22nd Ave. S. • St. Cloud, MN 56301-9189
Phone: 888-253-8808, ext. 133
MAGAZINE DESIGN
Sunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - John Windschitl
ILLUSTRATORS/CARTOONISTS
Richard Gross
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Brandon Lulloff, Patricia Strutz, Kathy Zainea,
Juris Ozols, Wayne Humphrey, Mike Moschell,
James W. Colgan
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. Single 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. There they will find a
link to MUSKIE Magazine. From there 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 Jim Smith, Managing Editor.
Submissions may be sent to: 15045 W.
Double Tree Way • Surprise, AZ 85374-8568.
Phone: (623) 388-3225 or you may
Email: managingeditor@muskiesinc.org.
www.muskiesinc.org
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
First and foremost, each of those requests receives a response. Secondly, to date, each
of those individuals requested information that their RVP already had.
When I became President, one of the pressing issues was improving communications.
Doing so is a team effort. I need all of your help. If you have a request for information,
please let me know. However, if that information is in the possession of your RVP or anyone else in your chapter, I will likely direct you there. Part of an RVP’s responsibility is to
ensure dissemination of that information to members. If you would like to see additional
information disseminated to you, let me know so that we can discuss how best to do so.
Chances are that if you want the information, someone else does also. I suspect that we will
always be moving towards Perry Smith’s goal of making this a better Muskies, Inc.
See you on the water! ❖
international news
◆
by John Underhill <muskiefool@yahoo.com>
This information was presented at the latest Esox workshop. It
is broken down so it’s a bit easier to understand. If any of you would
like the actual studies, please contact:
John Underhill
Conservation Director
MI Chapter 54
Muskies are now being actively
stocked in 41 Minnesota lakes
by the Minnesota DNR.
The Facts About Muskies
The Minnesota DNR has been working feverishly to find out
some hard facts on Muskie diet, stocking effects and the overall
impact on lakes before and after the introduction of this top of the
line predator. Here are some of their observations and research. I
◆
international news
Minnesota DNR Shares Findings on
Muskie Diet/Impact of Stocking on
Other Fish Populations
hope you will take a moment to read and open your mind to these
new and ground breaking findings. The good news is they are going
to be spending more time and effort to gain more knowledge and
get the FACTS out to all concerned interests
Minnesota DNR Biologist Jerry Younk notes that Trophy Pike
outnumber Trophy Muskie in the same lakes 3 to 1.
Muskies grow as large in Southern Minnesota (French Lake) as
they do in any other region of the State; this is due to ample food
supplies of Rough fish. Muskies’ diets were found to contain very few
species of fish that may be of concern to Anglers. Bozek 1999 investigated 34 Northern Wisconsin lakes through the spring, summer
and fall. Yellow Perch and White Sucker were the primary diet, with
crayfish a bigger part of the diet than Walleye, despite being abundant on many of the lakes. Muskies actually eat more small Muskies
that Walleye.
Muskies, once thought to have extreme negative effects on Pike
and Walleyes, were studied by Fayram in 2005. Evaluating evidence
of predation and competition between several species of fish
(including Walleye, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth
Bass and Muskie), the findings came as a shock to some, but
confirmed the beliefs of many that fish lakes like Mille Lacs and
Vermillion. In the study lakes, the only fish that had a negative effect
were the Largemouth Bass, negatively effecting the abundance of
adult Walleye during electro fishing studies. The Muskie electro fishing effort showed that Muskies have a positive effect on the numbers
of adult Walleye, indicating that competition between these fish was
unlikely.
Muskies are now being actively stocked in 41 Minnesota lakes
by the Minnesota DNR. Their findings were focused on seven (7)
species and lake classes. This is a brief summary of the results:
international news
Northern Pike numbers declined in 3 individual lakes and increased
on 2 with the weight of fish being no different across the state. The
distribution of fish per netting or trap was similar to years before the
Muskie was introduced.
Walleye numbers increased on 9 individual lakes and declined on 2,
with a lack of year/class stocking being sited in 1 of these lakes. The
average of eight was not any different statewide.
Yellow Perch numbers increased on 3 lakes, with no significant
decreases and no difference statewide, with distributions of fish similar to before stocking.
Bluegill numbers increased on 2 lakes and showed no significant
decline or statewide trends.
White Sucker numbers declined on 4 lakes and increased on 1, with
no significant statewide or lake class trends.
Black Crappie numbers increased on 2 lakes in gill nets and showed
no difference in trap nets. Post stocking numbers were within norms
or above in comparison with lake classes.
Tullibee showed no differences at any level before or after stocking.
Fish Community Response to Muskie Introduction, MN
DNR M.Knapp., S.Mero, and D. Bohlander.
2007.
www.muskiesinc.org
Brandon Lulloff
seeth07@wi.rr.com
international news
MN DNR Preliminary Stocking Data 66-0038-00.
2007.
Saturday morning wasn’t looking too good with major thunderstorms moving through the night before, dropping about one inch of
rain in the area. We started off in the east basin of Pewaukee Lake,
fishing the deep edge weed lines. A 26 incher was caught on a bucktail relatively early and gave a promising look to the day, with another larger fish swirling on a giant jackpot only shortly after. We followed that edge line west and saw two more short fish. It was getting
near lunch time, so we put the rods in to troll and ate some lunch.
After two hours, we were just about ready to start casting when the
rod in the prop wash started to bounce; but as it surfaced, the hook
popped out of his mouth. It was a good legal fish. We spent the rest
of the Saturday working the weed lines and ended up seeing two
more shorts. At 4:00 we headed into Smokey’s Baitshop to see how
thing went for the rest of the boats and for dinner. No legals were
caught, only a few shorts.
Sunday morning was looking the same as Saturday morning
with a threat of thunderstorms. We started in the weeds of the big
island in the east basin. Right away, two short fish had followed up
on the giant jackpot. A 39 1/2 inch fish then took Dan’s Bulldog on
a figure 8. While a boat came over to check out that fish, I tossed
back lead to a legal fish being hooked, but which ended up coming
off. A short while after, another legal jumped up over the jackpot;
it was definitely seeing a lot of fish that morning, but no solid hooks.
We left the area for about an hour to let it cool down. When we came
back, we shortly had three more legals chase after baits. The sun
came out and drove the fish to some deeper water, and we continued
to drift over areas on the edge of where we had been seeing all these
fish. We ended up seeing
two more fish and within
the last ten minutes, I had
caught my first muskie, a
25 incher. The total for
the day was 14 fish seen
and 2 caught; 9 of the 14
were legals.
We won the tournament with that 39 1/2
inch fish, being the only
legal caught. It was a
great weekend for the
tournament and we would
like
to
thank
the
Milwaukee Chapter for
hosting a great tournament this year.
◆
Fayram A.H., M.J. Hansen, and T.J. Ehlinger. 2005.
Interactions between Walleyes and Four Fish
Species with Implications to Walleye Stocking.
North American Journal of Fisheries
Management 25:1321-1330
Hello, I’m Brandon Lulloff writing up a story on behalf of my
partner for the tournament, Dan Lulloff. Here are the events of
how the tournament went.
international news
Bozek, M.A. T.M. Burri, and R.V. Frie. 1999. Diets
of Muskellunge in Northern Wisconsin lakes.
North American Journal of Fisheries
Management 19:258-270
Larry Kleeba Memorial Challenge
◆
REFERENCES
TOURNAMENT
NEWS
international news
Therefore the lack of any constant trends across any of these
species lakes or lake classes, combined with the fact that most of these
lakes were considered above the average for their lake class and
within the range expected, suggests that Muskie coexist and have
coexisted very well in these types of lakes and at the densities that the
Minnesota DNR manages its Muskellunge program.
We here in Minnesota enjoy some of the best fishing on the
planet and it’s all due to the hard work and dedication of a few
individuals and the Minnesota DNR. When we can work together
to manage the resource for the sake of the resource, we hit a home
run every time, as is evident in the Walleye and Sturgeon program on
Rainy River and also the extensive regulatory needs that have been
imposed on the “Walleye Factory” Mille Lacs. If we can understand
that regulations are imposed for the betterment and welfare of the
ecosystem and not as a punishment for individuals or groups, we will
continue to have great fishing opportunities.
The Members of Muskies, Inc. Chapter 54 have worked very
hard to help with every aspect of the resources we all enjoy in
Southern Minnesota: working with local Big Brothers and Big sisters
to put on Kids’ fishing days, donating hundreds of hours working on
resource issues, putting on presentations for local groups, working
hand in hand with the local DNR office stocking and research programs, working with Cabela’s attheir kids’ fishing contest, talking to
Politicians at local and state and federal levels, and communicating
to the general public the need to release BIG FISH of all species.
They are the future of our lakes, rivers and streams. We do this to
make the overall fishing experience better for all anglers and outdoor
enthusiasts.
We would like to invite you to a Meeting, or to join our small
but growing group of truly dedicated men, women and children who
all believe that there should be Trophy fishing opportunities available
for all species. We love the outdoors and feel we need to protect the
future for the outdoors and all the pastimes that are represented in
the state. If you would like to get involved or just learn more about
Trophy fishing and conservation, we would love to meet you.
Thank You
Muskies, Inc.
Southern Crossroads Chapter 54
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by Jim Smith
A
s I begin this article, all the muskie seasons are open; by the
time you read this column the seasons will be well under way.
I have great hopes of reporting my successes in this next column as I head to Lac Seul this next week. Steve Budnik and I are
going to Moosehorn Lodge to fish with Linda Rice and her crew. She
already has released a 551/4” on opening day. I am ready for some of
that fun. Then we’ll be staying around northern Wisconsin for
another couple of weeks before we head back to Arizona, via
Colorado to see our kids.
As I hope most of you are aware Juris will be editing MUSKIE
magazine in July for the September issue. Please send him all your
Chapter News & Views, articles, etc. and copy me.
I am hoping that by the time I get back we will have a new
Editor. There have been a number of well-qualified candidates who
have applied recently. This pleases me as I feel you will be meeting a
very fine, well-qualified and enthusiastic editor soon.
Lynda and I attended the Outdoor Writer’s Conference in
Roanoke, Virginia this last week and I met some new writers who are
interested in writing for MUSKIE. I am looking forward to their
contributions. I also talked with some new advertisers who I hope
will be signing up with us. It was a good week.
Here is a new website on VHS. Kevin Richards sent this to me.
There is a great deal of information here. I believe you’ll enjoy it, in
addition to the other links. Here is some great info for your chapter
newsletters.
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/fishing/VHS.html
Talking about great information, please read the memo from
John Underhill, Conservation Director from Chapter 54. You’ll find
Jim
Jim Smith, Managing Editor
MUSKIE Magazine, The Official
Publication of Muskies, Inc.
Email: managingeditor@muskiesinc.org
We work to improve fishing!
Eric Schultz couldn’t catch any Muskies in the
water during the June Chapter Challunge on
Dairyland Flowage, so he changed tactics. But
he didn’t catch any Muskies in the trees with his
Jackpot either.
www.muskiesinc.org
AS I SEE IT ◆ AS I SEE IT ◆ AS I SEE IT ◆ AS I SEE IT ◆ AS I SEE IT ◆ AS I SEE IT
As I See It
his article in the International News section, up front. He attended
a Esox Workshop, put on by the Minnesota DNR. The findings confirm everything we have been espousing regarding muskie diets. It is
so good to be able to quote FACTS and possibly show other folks that
our muskies are not the big predator that eats all their walleye, bass,
pan fish and anything else they want to blame on muskies.
We have known this information for a number of years, based
upon previous studies. Now it is conclusive and we have factual confirmation, thanks to the Jerry Younk’s of the world.
Out west the DNR’s are using the tiger muskie as a “control
fish”. They place them into waters with high sucker populations thus
reducing the bio mass. Colorado has studies where, prior to tiger
muskie introductions they have about a 30+ sucker-net-night. Three
years after tiger muskie introductions they are down to a 7 sucker-netnight. (Don’t hold me to these figures as I do not have a copy of the study,
but I think these figures are close.)
In the state of Washington they utilize the tiger muskies to control the populations of the “squaw fish” (or their new name the “pike
minnow”). Thus protecting the salmon, their primary sport fishing
industry. In addition Washington has been paying a bounty for the
killing of the “pike minnow”. Coincidently, this is the same fish that
is on the Threatened and Endangered List in Colorado and
neighboring states along the Colorado River Drainage. Go figure!
These squawfish or pike minnow have the ability to grow very large
and look kind of like a Florida bonefish only grow much larger. It
would appear to me that they could easily become the predominate
predator.
In any event thanks John for summarizing the workshop and
sharing this great information with us.
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
2007, Let Er Rip!
It is late June by reporting counts as I visit with you this month.
We are off to a fine start with 2,563 entries. This is transition month
as we bounce out of spring into summer. Some of the reports in represent the fact that Ontario and Canada’s season are
open. There are not many reports from Canada yet
but already an influence.
We have 16 entries in so far that are 50 inches
or longer. The longest belongs to Linda Rice, a
member of the South of the Border Chapter but
lives in Lac Seul. We met her 2 years ago at an
International Awards Banquet. Linda fishes and
fishes a lot. If you call up there during the day light,
forget it, she will not answer the phone, she is out
fishing. She has done it again as on June 16th she
landed a 55.25 inch muskie with a 27 inch girth.
We of course have called Linda for a picture.
Bob Strobush, Chapter 6, 50 1/2 Inches, 5-28-07,
Apple River, WI., Mepps #5
Linda Rice, Chapter 14, 55.25 X 27, 6/16/07, Lac
Seul, ON, Cowgirl
Kirsten Spletter, Chapter 6. 50 inches, 6-23-07, Island Lake,
MN,Topper Stopper
Naturally she was out fishing. We want to share this with you as
those stats come out at 50.34 pounds. The Lunge Log is starting a
section on the web site of “Recent Lunkers.” This will be pictures of
Keep a tight line.
Jim Bunch
NOTE: The ‘Hybrid’ section of this table continues on the bottom of page 10.
www.muskiesinc.org
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
really big ones from our members.
Our intent is to rotate pictures of
the 10 biggest recently. We may
change that to a few more but we
will see how it goes.
This is a hint that we need pictures. If you catch a 50 incher, we
would like to see it. The easiest
thing is to email me the picture.
Sending it by regular mail is OK
but by email is better. I want to
represent everybody with their
lunkers. My email is jbunch@charter.net.
Please send the picture or find
a friend that can do that for you.
Matt Kissleburg of the South
of the Border Chapter also struck
pay dirt with a 54 inch from Cedar
in Ontario on June 17 on an
Undertaker. This came in 6 hours
before I needed to send this report
so we will hope for a picture next
month.
In the Hybrid division we
once again have Susan Eversoll of
the Capital City Chapter. Susan is
from Elizabeth, Illinois but please
notice the contest chairman for the
Capital City Chapter is also an
Eversoll. Ever year Susan catches a
really nice hybrid from Lake
Galena in Jo Daviess, Illinois. This
year it is 46 inches. Lake Galena is
in extreme North West Illinois. We
think of Illinois as really flat country. Wrong oh muskie lips. Jo
Daviess County is like a mountain,
it has a very nice Ski Hill, and it has
very hilly country. I know as I went
to college just across the state line
into Wisconsin. I just wish I knew
about its muskie fishing back then.
There are many things we can
talk about here but in the end there
will be many really awesome things
to talk about in 2007. So just Let
Er Rip! Keep me in touch when it
happens. By the way last Saturday I
caught a 60 incher. Oops it was
snagged in the belly and it did not
have any teeth. It had a vacuum
cleaner for a mouth. Have you ever
caught a Sturgeon? Wow, God was
really having a bad day when he
invented them. Whatever!
8
figure
by Kevin Richards
esox99@socket.net
8
PFA (& Luck)
M
y earliest Esox encounters were on Big Green Lake in
Wisconsin during the 1960s. My dad and I spent many
happy days pursuing pike; nothing too monstrous, but
lots of action.
We never muskie fished back then, but dad instilled in me a love
of fishing and an appreciation of our quarry. Dad also gave me a
secret weapon which has helped bring success to countless Esox
adventures for me. The secret weapon is a simple thing, but in my
opinion one of the most important things you must take with you if
you intend to be a life-long muskie addict.
Actually the secret weapon was also the very first acronym I
encountered in my life; the secret weapon I was encouraged to bring
with me on every trip was my “PFA” or Positive Fishing Attitude!
Except on the hottest lakes during peak fishing times muskie
fishing is tough. Fisheries managers measure our “catch rates” in
muskies per hour of fishing. Normally these catch rates are way
below 1; typically somewhere between 0.1 and 0.02. This means, on
average, we are looking at spending 10 to 50 hours on the water for
each muskie we catch!
Here’s where the PFA comes in. To be a life-long muskie angler
you have to know the odds, tip the balance in your favor in every
possible and legal way, and then you have to believe that you can and
will beat the odds. A positive fishing attitude gives you the “next
cast” mentality that keeps you prepared in case the muskie of a lifetime just happens to strike on that next cast, just when you almost
let your guard down. By the way, if you don’t already realize it
muskies DO know when you let your guard down and they love to
◆
LUNGE
LOG
◆
figure
8
◆
figure
8
◆
figure
8
◆
8
Figure 8
hit as soon as you quit watching your retrieve of try to lift your lure
out of the water without doing your figure 8!
We also really need to fish with other muskie anglers who are
willing to bring a PFA into the boat. In my opinion there is nothing
more dreadful than spending the day in the muskie boat with someone who has a negative attitude or is basing their measure of success
on unrealistic expectations.
When I take a novice in my boat I never commit to more than
a half-day trip. If they have a PFA and if the action is good, we may
stay out from dawn until dark, but if they have a bad attitude which
detracts from the joy of my muskie trip, I say bye-bye within 4 hours!
If they can’t enjoy an eagle soaring overhead, a wild turkey walking
along the lakeshore, the call of a loon, or a beautiful sunrise they are
missing half of the muskie adventure.
I have learned one other thing in 30 years of muskie fishing.
While a PFA is essential, I’ll also take good old-fashioned luck any
day!
In mid-June I was fishing at Pomme de Terre Lake with my wife
Donna, and a good friend, George, who was going to retire on the
same day as me (as you read this we are both retired from the jobs
that we enjoyed for 30 years).
We met at 5:15 AM to ensure we could catch the sunrise and get
in a few hours of fishing before the day turned hot. At 6:15 Donna
landed a fat 42-incher which was released right after a quick photo.
At 7 AM George hooked a nice 38-incher which turned out to be his
first Missouri muskie. While George was fighting his muskie,
Donna hooked another one and for the first time in my muskie years
I thought I might soon be taking an awesome double-release photo!
Even though Donna’s muskie shook the hooks before we had to
make the decision of which one to land first it was an incredible site
to see both my fishing partners fighting muskies at the same time.
We were still talking about the wild experience at 8:20 AM when I
landed a heavy 43-incher! At 9:30 we headed to the marina for
breakfast with our muskie memory banks overflowing. I have no
doubt that this experience fully recharged my PFA, probably for the
whole year!
One important point about this story that I try to impress upon
folks is that this was not a “typical” muskie trip and our “catch rates”
were not “average”; but this is what
CAN happen and why we need to
keep our equipment ready and our
PFAs sharp. Who knows what the
next cast might bring???
If you have a biology or a fisheries question you want me to try
to tackle let me know. I’ve
switched to satellite internet so I
can accept file attachments up to
400kb now!
LOG
My new email address is:
esox99@sunriseguideservice.net
LUNGE
Let’s continue to work together to do all we can to build and
maintain great muskie fisheries! ❖
www.muskiesinc.org
F
inlandia Uistin Oy in Finland is the parent company and manufacturer of Nils Master brands fishing lures. The family
owned company was founded in 1963 by two brothers, Hannu
and Kalevi Kangas, and is located in Kalkkinen, in southern Finland.
The two brothers have always shared a fascination with the emotions
of fish, and spent many long afternoons whittling model lures and
discussing the essentials of arousing the fish to strike. After much
debate, they came to the
conclusion that the two
most significant things
that seem to affect fish
activity are motion and
color. The two brothers
set about finding the
right color patterns and
actions, and what they
came up with has resulted in the high successrate of the Nils Master
product range.
Contrary to popular belief, the name “Nils Master” has no connection to a man’s name. This name actually is fictitious and was
originally intended to make American fishing enthusiasts think of a
Scandinavian company; hence the Viking helmet and the name Nils.
The Viking logo and Nils Master name are both registered at the
United States Patent and Trade Mark office.
The region where the Nils Master lures are created provides the
ideal setting for a success story. According to Nils Master representatives, the large Lake Päijänne in southern Finland and the Kalkkinen
rapids flowing into the lake offer fishing beyond compare. The region
has a long history and is well-known for its magnificent fishing.
A lure made by Finlandia Uistin Oy is a combination of professional handicraft and the latest technology. Manufacturing top-end
lures is a labor-intensive process. Before each lure is ready for packaging, it has gone through over 20 different work stages, all completed by hand. Each lure is individually quality controlled, hand-tuned
and swim-tested before packaging.
The Kangas brothers pay careful attention to feedback from
fishing enthusiasts from all around the world, and hints are always
applied in product development. Approximately 20 million lures
have been sent all over the world. Finlandia Uistin actively strives to
develop new products to meet the wishes of anglers, and each year
brings new models and color options to the market.
The current Nils Master product range is extensive. Trolling
spoons, wobblers, spinners and jigs have not been the same since Nils
Master lures came on the market in the 1960s with their vertical
stripes and parrot coloring. Nils Masters were the first to use unusual colors, and their fishing results were excellent. “The idea of creating a totally different kind of product line originally came from a
buyer in the USA,” says Hannu Kangas. “In 1965 we started designing a line of lures decorated with a world of colors totally unseen
before. After a year of developmental work, the line was presented to
our cooperative partners in the United States, and named Nils
Master.” The rest, as they say, is history.
Designed in 1965, the Nils Master lure range was originally
comprised of eight different models, including the international
favorite, the Invincible. The legendary Invincible model is perhaps
the best known model of the line because of its ability to consistently produce monster Fall
fish. Just about any
muskie angler on Lake
St. Clair will tell you
that it’s their #1 Fall
lure. The standard size
on Lake St. Clair is the
20 cm or 25 cm model.
Typically, the 20 cm model is used earlier in the season, from July
onward, switching to the larger 25 cm model as the season goes on.
What is lesser known, however, is that the Invincible comes in a
range of sizes, starting as small as 5 cm, and is available in Deep
Diving and Shallow models as well.
First introduced in the 1960’s, the Invincible has a slightly
arched shape, which produces a revolutionary swimming action that
was new when it was first introduced, and it’s still out-performing
any other lure in its category today. Like its name, the Invincible is
one of the most successful fish catchers. Only the very best stay at
the top year after year, and the Nils Master Invincible lure has proven
itself time and again. Its unique swimming action and effective color
combinations have caught record amounts of big fish for many
happy fishermen all over the world. Official records include a 59 lb
(27.1 kg) barramundi caught in Australia, a 41 lb (18.8 kg) pike
caught in Finland, and a 38 lb (17.6 kg) pike caught in Sweden. A
group of fishing experts from Finland carried out tests for a fishing
magazine, and the Nils Master Invincible lure was clearly proven to
catch more Pike over 22 lbs (10 kg) than any other lure tested.
Statistics compiled by Veikko Rinne, a well-known fishing expert
and freelance journalist, show that the Invincible has proven to be
Finland’s best big pike lure for consistently catching large pike since
the statistics were started in 1989. A Lake St. Clair angler doesn’t
need international records to know that Nils Masters work. The
Invincible has proven itself repeatedly, consistently pulling fat muskie
and pike out of the lake.
The Invincible is easy to cast and is great for trolling. The
Invincible initially floats on the surface, but just a slight pull on the
line gets it diving with a swimming action that imitates bait fish.
When the pulling stops, the Invincible bobs back to the surface. The
original 3 cm, 5 cm and 8 cm models are made of balsa wood, while
the 12 cm, 15 cm, 18 cm, 20 cm and 25 cm models are made of
apache wood. Every original Invincible is finished with a very strong
plastic top-coat layer. The lures are wired through with a single section of stainless steel wire onto which the stainless heavy- duty split
rings and carbon steel hooks are attached. Every original Nils Master
model is tested under real circumstances before packaging to ensure
the highest quality to the consumer.
In addition to the well-known Invincible, the Nils Master line
includes Spearhead, Stalwart, Haka, Jumbo, DartMaster, Nils Master
Trolling Spoons, and the distinctive BigMouth. With its unique
shape and weight-design combination, the Spearhead model has the
acclaim of catching the record Salmon from the Teno River in
Finland. Spearhead has a tight swimming action, swaying and darting from side to side as if searching for prey fish. It is a real shark for
catching many fish species and has caught numerous record fish. The
floating Stalwart wobbler has a very strong swaying action, and was
originally designed as a twin brother for the Spearhead. For best
results, use it for casting into rapids and rivers, or for use on downriggers.
The Haka Sinking
lure is an intriguing new
shoreline fishing lure
that works well on
steep-sloping shorelines.
Its cousin, the Haka
Shallow, has a new
swimming bib that
makes it the ideal lure
for shallow water fish-
www.muskiesinc.org
ing. It has a strong tail action that provokes fish into striking. The
Haka Deep Diver dives fast and deep, and follows the bottom contours of steep sloping shorelines with lifelike swimming action.
Available in two sizes and styles, the massive Jumbo is simply
irresistible to big fish. Even at first glance you can tell that the Jumbo
is a strong, rock-solid lure. It can withstand exceptionally fast trolling
speeds. And because the biggest fish usually lurk in the deep, the
Jumbo is also an outstanding diver, reaching depths of over 19 feet
(6m). The Jumbo Shallow works exceptionally well in Spring and
late Fall when the water is colder and the fish are in the shallow water.
This lure is well-suited for trolling and casting, and is known to
attract a large variety of fish species such as pike, walleye, perch,
salmon, trout, and bass.
The Dartmaster is a wooden jerkbait designed for casters who
want to actively influence the movement of the lure. The lure glides
from side to side, flashing its colorful flanks to attract that big strike.
The ideal place to use Dartmaster is in water under 8 feet (2.5m), at
the edge of the reeds or steep-sided shorelines, ledges, rocks, or in
small bays where the
big fish feed. The topquality high gloss of
the
NilsMaster
Trolling Spoon has
been proven as a superior spoon in its category. With its special
15 cm size, it flashes in
the water by turning
from side to side thus
attracting fish to strike.
A Finnish design product, Nils Master BigMouth lure, which
was introduced in 2001, was created by Tani Muhonen, who characterizes his creation as a hydrodynamic lure. He observed fish movements on various fishing waters, and adapted his model to imitate an
alarmed little fish, both in form and action. The final construction
was implemented with the assistance of a computer model. The plug
can be used both as
a casting lure and in
trolling, and prototype testing shows it
to be irresistible to
pike, perch, trout,
Very
and bass.
obviously different
from the other
lures, the BigMouth gets its movement from the flow of water running through its body. The gaping mouth serves as the lip of the
plug. According to Mr. Muhonen, the unique water channel accelerates flowing like the throat of a carburetor, and gives the lure its
devious vibration, and making it truly unique.
The Nils Master family is extensive, but one
theme runs throughout the entire line: Wherever fish
tales of record catches are being told, you’ll likely hear
fishermen singing the praises of Nils Master lures and
their aggressive fishing properties.
For more information on the Nils Master family of
lures, visit their website at www.Nils-Master.com
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
Boat Safety Program
Produced by
Farm and City Insurance Services
The Angler’s Choice Insurance
In our last Boat Safety article, we covered the language
of tire markings pertaining to the size, aspect ration and
design in our example of the LT235/75R16 used in several towing vehicles. In this article, we will cover the load
carrying ability of the most common tire used on boat
trailers, the Goodyear Marathon ST215/75R14.
As discussed earlier, the ST stands for “Special Trailer”
tire while the 215 is the metric measurement across the
widest portion of the tire (in millimeters) and the 75 is
referred to as the profile. The “R” is for radial, and the 14
is the diameter of the bead of the tire in inches.
Other markings found on this tire are:
Maximum Load 1870 lbs at 50 psi cold.
Maximum Load – The maximum load capacity of the tire
in pounds. You should not expect your tire to carry any
heavier load than specified in this line.
At 50 psi – this is the minumum air pressure required to
obtain the rated carry capacity of 1870 lbs at the rated
speed.
Cold – this term tells us that to obtain the maximum carrying capacity of 1870 lbs the tire should be inflated to 50
psi when it is cold. This means the temperature of the tire
before it rolls down the road. A tire inflated to 50 psi cold,
after a few hours of driving could increase inflation to as
much as 60 psi or more. It is supposed to do this!
Load Range C
Over
s
7,000 Muskie
Released
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
Call or write for data on musky catches:
1 (888) 488-5601 or (807) 488-5601
Red Wing Lodge, Box 1008, Baudette, MN 56623
www.redwinglodge.net • www.redwinglodge.on.ca
Family owned and operated for 40 years
With the advent of newer technology, stronger materials
are now available which provide the strength of former
multi-ply tires in a single ply. Therefore, tires today are not
rated by plies, but rather by load range.
LRC or Load Range C defines the load carrying ability
of the tire. This terminology has replaced the older system
of multi-layer ply ratings.
The Load Range system can be compared to the ply rating by identifying the position of the letter in the alphabet;
and multiply by 2. For example, the C is the 3rd letter of
the alphabet, therefore (3x2 – 6) or the equivalent of a 6ply tire.
The sidewall also provides valuable information regarding the construction of the tire. In our example, the markings indicate the Tread is 4 plies, 2 polyester and 2 steel
cords. The sidewall is 2 ply polyester.
Keep It Safe
www.fcisanglerschoice.com
This article is provided as a public service to our membership. Not intended as an advertisement.
Stronger, lighter, more sensitive.
ESOX Rods are considered by
many to be the best Muskie rods
on the market.
If you’re into the sport, you know that
fishing for Muskie can be both trying and
tiring. Our Muskie rods are extremely
lightweight, sensitive and perfectly
balanced, yet through skillful engineering,
offer superior strength and durability. This
helps reduce your fatigue over a long day
of fishing.
Our 10 models of Muskie rods allow
you to work any lure on the market and
impart the action it was designed to have.
Each rod is hand made in the USA.
888.462.3832
www.muskiesinc.org
www.esoxfishingrods.com
The “Phantom”
Commemorative
Lure
by Juris Ozols
Todd Cleveland, master craftsman of Phantom Lures, in his
basement workshop surrounded by a rainbow of some 850 of
his creations on the walls.
Todd continuously experiments with action, shapes, colors, patur 2007 Muskies Inc. commemorative lure, the “Phantom”
terns
and special designs. One thing he showed me was an extraorwas named for – an airplane? So relates Todd Cleveland,
dinary
“Quilted Maple” 12 inch lure that has an exquisite wood patthe artist who designed that beautiful creation as well as
tern
which
glows in sunshine. Todd made four of those for a benemany other great Muskie baits. He named it after the “F-4
fit
fundraiser,
and they brought in over $1000. It’s not something
Phantom,” a very mean looking, powerful fighter aircraft.
you
would
throw
at a Muskie - it goes on your wall. But the
That tidbit came out in my interview with Todd in his basement
Phantom
and
Viper
are classic Muskie lures and have caught many a
workshop, surrounded by a rainbow of over 850 lures hanging on the
toothy
critter.
There
will be more variations to follow.
walls in various stages of completion. Todd has been in the Muskie
However,
there
are
also some, shall we say “peculiar” designs in
lure business since 1993, first working for “Bob and Mark’s Custom
the
Phantom
lineup.
As
it happens, Todd is a fan of the rock band
Lures,” and then branching off on his own ten years ago. Before getVan
Halen,
which features unique color patterns on
ting into Muskie lures Todd worked in the “Prepress”
their
guitars. Todd has Van Halen Phantoms,
business for some 18 years, where he got a
with several of those in the background
deep appreciation for colors and how
of the cover this issue.
they do and don’t work. He’s
Not only that, but the cover
applied that knowledge to his
also
has one of his latest
lures ever since.
designs,
the “M & M” lure,
His first original lure was
undoubtedly
intended to
the “Viper.” (And that one
attract
Muskies
that have a
was named for the Dodge
sweet
tooth.
You
have to
Viper sports car!) That topsee
it,
and
there’s
a
flag
patwater bait sat low in the
tern,
and
other
offbeat
water and had a unique
lures. Plus he welcomes
action both on the surface
custom designs to order,
and just below. Todd made
including such specials as
the Viper for a couple of
“wedding” lures.
years and then the
Todd really enjoys that
Phantom came next in
“fun”
part of his work, even
1999 in a 6” model. A lot
though
the commercial posof experimentation and
sibilities
in the Muskie martesting went into the The 2007 Muskies Inc. Commemorative Lure comes in a wooden box with
limited.
probably
ket
are
Phantom, and the response a laser etched glass lid.
of
work, the
Speaking
in the Muskie community
manufacture
of
Muskie
lures
does
not
make
for
a
9
–
5
job.
Todd
was excellent.
Dresow
run
their
business
from
the
baseMark
and
full-time
partner
Todd sells lots of Phantoms and the Viper still does well too.
put
in
10
and
12
hour
days.
house,
and
they
regularly
Todd’s
ment
of
There are now “Softail” models and a variety of sizes ranging from 6
Staying
up
until
2
or
3
in
the
morning
isn’t
unusual.
to 8 inches. Of course, he’s working on lots of new creations that
But apparently it’s easier now? Todd says when he first started it
aren’t quite ready for publicity yet.
O
was “a struggle to make ends meet.” And then he got some exposure
from Thorne Brothers and some other outlets, people began catching Muskies on Vipers and Phantoms, and the business started taking off.
This 12-inch “Quilted Maple” lure is a unique creation, in extremely
limited quantities, destined for the wall and not for a Muskies
mouth.
From the Phantom Lure web page:
http://www.phantomlures.com/
“Phantom & Viper Lures are made of solid, high
impact plastic specifically chosen for its wood like
characteristics. Our lures are made in the U.S.A.
using only the highest quality hooks and components available. Phantom & Viper lures are hand
painted and are known for their durability, consistency, and easy workability. They will perform consistently, no matter how long they stay in the water.”
Still, it doesn’t always leave a lot of time for wife
Sandy or 9-year old son Joe. But Phantom Lures does
sponsor Joe’s baseball team, and you can guess what
their team logo has on it.
And fishing? Well Todd gets out perhaps only
three or four times a year mostly on Lake Minnetonka
or one of the nearby Wisconsin lakes. He throws only
his own lures now and his biggest catch is a 49-incher
on a Phantom, although many others have caught
numerous 50-inchers with Phantoms and Vipers.
One final quote from Todd: “I like to talk to people about fishing and lures. I love what I do, I’ll do it
forever, and the best part of it is meeting the great people that use my baits.” ❖
MISSION
S TAT E M E N T
“Muskies, Inc. is an active, serviceoriented, non-profit organization with the
single focus of improving the sport of muskie
fishing for men, women, and children.
Our mission is to unite all muskie
fishing interests for the promotion and
protection of a high quality muskellunge
sport fishery in the United States and
Canada.
We will accomplish this by supporting
conservation practices and research based
on sound scientific merit, and carried out
by authorized federal or state agencies,
appropriate academic institutions, Muskies,
Inc chapters, and their members.
We are committed to the abatement of
water pollution; maintenance of records for
muskie habits, growth, and range; and the
dissemination of muskie information to
everyone.”
Adopted, April 2002
www.muskiesinc.org
Photo Contest – August Winners
by Gordon Campbell
Photo Tip of the Month
“Frame It!”
It's fish photo time and there's sure to be some big
ones caught. You'll want your entire fish in the photo so
here are a couple ideas: If you are utilizing a perfectly horizontal hold, hold the camera just that way too. Fish photos are best when the photographer is reasonably close or
the lens is zoomed in but remember to leave a margin
beyond the fish's head , tail and belly. Remember that in
digital photography that margin will be compressed so a
bit extra is needed. As always study your other pictures &
those seen here, then practice. When a supported, semivertical hold is used try holding the camera in the straight
up and down, vertical position. It'll look more natural
and give the fish better scale, no pun intended!
One shot that I occasionally see that looks good is
the angler/fish "portrait". In this case a close-up depicting just the face of angler and Muskie is created. This
works very well with large Muskies.
As mentioned last month, we want to display your
photos in Muskie Magazine so send them in and include
contact & caption info. I try to process them first by
order then by quality/suitability.
Gordon Campbell, Photo Editor
▲ Winner #1: Under the Rainbow- a nice shot by
Bill Brunstad depicting Paul Michels & Len Rubesch
up on Wisconsin's Yellow River during a break in
the weather. Well-composed and brilliant when
viewed in color.
▲ Winner #2: Another Day...Art Knute's 49” just seconds
after release and before a flick of the tail sent it back to its
Lehigh haunts. This shot , part of a sequence helps
tell the story of Art's great catch.
www.muskiesinc.org
The Three C’s of Muskie Success!
by Wayne Humphrey
I
f you want to be a better muskie fisherman there are many things
you can do, but understanding the importance of these 3 C’s is
one of the keys to improving your success:
Commitment
Confidence
Concentration
COMMITMENT
Think of any athlete you have ever known or seen on TV, any
person that has succeeded in business, or anyone that has earned a
reputation in a chosen field and there will be one thing they all have
in common; they are committed to doing what they do. They have
decided they will be better than the next person and they will be better tomorrow than they are today.
If you want to be a better muskie fisherman than you are today,
you will need to make a commitment to improve your skills and do
what it takes to move up to the level of performance you desire. The
amount of commitment you have to make depends on how good you
want to be and the goals you set for yourself.
Setting Goals
Setting goals is a key to success in any situation. Without them
you do not have a plan by which to work, keep you focused on what
is important, and nothing by which to measure your progress. When
setting goals you should remember they should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
Example of a good goal: I want to rank as one of the top 100
muskie fishermen in the US as ranked by Muskies Inc in the year
2008.
Your goals may not be as ambitious but they still need to contain the same elements.
Some of the things you need to do to meet those goals might
include:
Read all you can about the sport
There are at least three magazines directed at muskie fishermen
and others that have occasional articles on muskie fishing that you
can review. There are numerous books written about muskie fishing
and videos that are not only entertaining but educational as well.
You probably need to be checking them all out.
When you are reviewing this information, think in-depth about
what is being said. Ask yourself why a particular lure was chosen,
what the weather conditions were and how that affected lure choice
and fishing location. Challenge everything the author says, ask yourself if that is the way you would have done it, and if the answer is no,
ask yourself if you think your way is better, worse, or if it is just a case
that there may be several equally good answers to a given situation.
Keep a diary
Keeping a diary forces you to think about the fishing experience
you just had and turn your impressions and
thoughts into something tangible on paper.
When you had follows on three different lures
and you write those names on paper, you may
suddenly see a relationship between those lures
that you didn’t realize before. Maybe it was a
common color, type of lure, depth they ran,
speed you worked them or any of a number of
other factors.
Writing down what you did over the
course of the day will often draw attention to
what you didn’t do over the day, particularly if
it has not been a really great day. A long drive
back home after a bad day will also do the
same thing. You sit there and think about
what you did and didn’t do and suddenly it
will hit you that you were partially brain dead
all day and you should have moved to a different spot, fished a different structure, changed
to a slower moving bait, or done what you
finally remembered you did the last time you
were in similar conditions and had better
results.
Spend time on the water
Everyone wants to spend time on the
water when the weather is nice and the fish are
active but to become a better fisherman you are also going to have to
spend time when the weather is bad, the fish are inactive, you don’t
feel good or when you are mentally shot from too many unproductive days on the water. Spending time on the water when you don’t
have to (or want to) will help you be more effective on the that same
type of day when it is the only day off you can get or a tournament
happens to fall on a weekend of very bad weather.
CONFIDENCE
Confidence in your abilities and the decisions you make is the
key to being able to do a good job or to become a better fisherman.
You can’t pick up a fishing magazine or book today that doesn’t reinforce that message. Pro’s throw lures they have confidence in. At the
start of the day you look into your tackle box and pick a lure you
have confidence in. At the end of a long day you will again reach
into the box and pick out a lure that you have confidence in or go to
a spot you have confidence in. You also have to have confidence in
the plan you have put together for the day. If you lack confidence in
any area you will not fishing your hardest and giving it all you have
physically or mentally.
Al Nuttey tells a story that took place on Kinkaid Lake. It was
late spring or early summer and because of the rain in the area the
lake was very muddy. Very muddy in that lake can mean that you
lose sight of any color lure in just 6 inches of water and it makes fishing very tough. Al had two clients booked and was not necessarily
looking forward to what might prove to be a very unproductive day
on the lake.
The clients knew what conditions they faced and came up with
a plan to catch fish. They motored to a point that had a creek channel running down one side and shallow water with numerous laydowns on the other side. With confidence there were fish in the
spot, the fishermen set out to work their plan. They methodically
worked the spot from left to right with spinner baits knowing that
the fish would be attracted by the thump of the blades and eventually a lure would pass across the nose of one of the fish and they would
attack it. Their confidence in the pattern paid off and over the
course of the morning several fish were boated on a day when no one
else on the lake was having much luck.
Do you have enough confidence in your
plan to fish it all morning? All day? If not, why
not?
the people in the boat going by, you may be missing an opportunity.
You have to concentrate if you want to be a better fisherman.
Fatigue, hunger, and thirst can affect your concentration very
significantly and when that happens you probably won’t place your
casts accurately, may get sloppy on the figure 8’s, or may just do
straight retrieves on lures that should be worked. If you are tired,
take a break, get a drink of water, or eat a sandwich. Yes, you will lose
some fishing time but you will feel better at the end of the break and
be more effective when you pick your rod up again.
I think one of the toughest things about muskie fishing is the
concentration required to be a good fisherman. Other fishermen
don’t have to be alert for follows, don’t have to work large lures, don’t
have to do figure 8’s, don’t use heavy equipment, and if they miss one
opportunity will probably get a second one. Every muskie fisherman
can tell you a story about a fish they missed due to a lack of concentration.
How good a fisherman do you want to be? That’s up to you, but
be assured you will have to master the 3 C’s of muskie fishing to
become better.
COMMITMENT
+ CONFIDENCE
+ CONCENTRATION
= RESULTS
Wayne Humphrey
Pomme de Terre Chapter
768 Country Manor Lane
St. Louis, MO 63141
314-878-7732
CONCENTRATION
The final C of the trilogy is concentration;
the ability to focus and stay focused on what you
are doing. It doesn’t matter how much preparation you put into a trip or how much confidence
you have in yourself, if you do not concentrate
on what is going on you will make mistakes that
will cost you.
If you are not watching your lure come back
to the boat and miss a follow, you missed an
opportunity to catch a fish. If you get distracted and don’t work your lure properly, you may
have just wasted a cast. If you don’t keep the
boat in the desired position for casting or
trolling, you may not be working your plan to
the optimum. If you are looking at the birds or
www.muskiesinc.org
Giving A Bass Boat a Muskie Attitude!
Pictorial by Mike Moschell
D
ecember, 1978, a new member of the
family arrived: Dad’s new 16 ft.
BassTracker. He drove to Springfield,
Mo., to pick it up, and it would find him many
fish over the years. When he brought the boat to
me, I fulfilled my promise to take Dad’s grandkids fishing. From Ohio to Minnesota to
Kentucky and Tennessee, we sure got around.
Later, the 40 horse Merc was exchanged for a
9.9 tiller, perfect for the small lakes in Southeast
Ohio and the streams of West Virginia.
There was room for muskie rods and bait
boxes, and two men with seven foot poles could
keep a reasonable distance from each other.
At times, with positive results.
The BassTracker was developing quite a
muskie attitude (well, who wouldn’t after a trip
to Northern Wisconsin?)
When the floor started going soft under the
front casting seat, I knew I had a choice of
repairing it soon or risk an unwelcome swim one
day. I chose a warm January day to open up the
boat garage and begin to gut the bow.
Out came the old deck, cut in two pieces
with a skill saw for ease of removal. Rivet heads
fell to the SawzAll. I found that the front was
crammed with sytrofoam, which I saved for reuse.
My plan was to extend the casting deck by several feet, so the aluminum box livewell had
to go. It leaked, anyway. Some scrap plywood filled the empty floor space, and plumbing caps
sealed the pipe through the hullI’d previously used JB Weld to seal the exterior hull rivets that
were leaking, now I had the opportunity to glob some JB on the inside rivet heads. I sprayed
a can of Great Stuff foam on the hull’s metal to help deaden sound and perhaps enhance floatation..
I used a treated 2x8 and 2x4 for horizontal
supports, in addition to the aluminum U beam
that was original equipment. I re-packed the
original foam and installed the front part of the
deck.
I had saved the original wood as a pattern for the new deck, so cutting the front piece was
a cinch.
I was advised to use pressure treated plywood since the exterior glue holds up well, marine
grade was not available anywhere I could find. Stainless steel bolts, deck screws, and marine
hardware added to the cost. New seat pedestals and bases were another couple hundred, but
having the hydraulic lift to replace the old manual method seemed well-worth the cost of the
upgrade .
I built a set of PVC pipe rod protectors under the deck, to accommodate eight foot plus rods, using the existing 6 rod holders mounted to the side of the boat. The rest of the 2x8 built the wall upon which the deck would set, half-inch plywood set into notched 2x2’s made
the back wall. I boxed in a plastic tub for dry storage, and built the deck frame supports with the 2x4 and 2x2 stringers.
Aft of my project area, i found more rotten plywood when i stripped the carpet. Some of the foam floatation had been degraded by
gasoline spills, and I found the wood under the metal tray that holds the gas tank and batteries to be perpetually soggy. I hit the rivet heads
with more JB and installed new foam.
Using self-tapping screws, I put down the new
wood. I did not have a good pattern so precise measurements were taken and laid out before the cut was made.
I found a fine-point marker works well drawing on
treated wood. The gas tank / battery area was set off
with a 2x2 and I installed roll roofing to replace the
metal pan.
When the floor started going
soft under the front casting seat,
I knew I had a choice of
repairing it soon or risk an
unwelcome swim one day.
I built a plywood wall to set off the gas tank and
located the seat pedestal. I tried attaching the base to the
floor with T-nuts but they did not hold. I wanted a small
casting deck for the driver so I framed it with 2x2’s
and topped it with plywood, leaving a hand hole to
reach the seat base release. I would leave the frame and
flooring loose until carpet was installed below it, then
the frame would be screwed down and decking screws
will attach the flooring. I attached the rear seat base to
scrap plywood and lag bolted the patch to the floor
using lots of flooring glue, even in the bolt holes.
I laid the rear section of the front deck and cut a
generous hole for the hatch. This will be my dry storage
access, and the starboard side will hold a foam sided
cooler under a hinged seat.
A carpet installer finished the job. He had the tools
and had experience ‘working in the medium’ that I
lacked, and he covered up a lot of problems. He even
wrapped the carpet in the holes, which gives the hatch
cover a soft landing. I installed the hinged seat from the
old livewell and lag bolted on the front seat pedestal,
taking care to center it.
The rear seat is designed to sit up high for excellent
forward vision on small streams. The seat can be raised
to cast big baits from the back deck, or for ìsittin’ in the
chair throwin’ the hair.î The pedestals are interchangeable. Safety gear like the paddle and extinguisher had to
go back in, and there’s plenty of room under the rear deck for the cushion and spare life vest. I
added a velcro rod strap for the driver’s tackle and bolted on two new rope cleats aft of mid-ships. I like to tie
the handle of my Frabill net to a cleat to hold it steady
while removing hooks, and there is now plenty of deck
space to work a fish and do a good net job.
For a bit over $600, I have taken a bass boat and
given it a muskie attitude. Now, we need to go fishing!
Mike Moschell
West Virginia Chapter 9
www.muskiesinc.org
WHOSE FISH IS IT?
by Patricia Strutz
A
fter I started guiding I pretty much stopped registering fish
under the lunge log. Every now and then I still register one,
but they are few and far between. I’ve fielded many questions
from my local chapter and fellow Muskies, Inc. members on why I
do not register my catches.
Well, there are several reasons but one is…the waters are now
muddied. A large majority of my clientele are relatively new to
muskie fishing. After spending time with my client showing them
the basics (how to throw a baitcaster, how to present a certain lure,
etc) I proceed to try to “up our percentages” by wetting another line.
Yes, I generally fish while I guide.
I know many guides who would never do this. I always ask my
customers if they want me to fish…the large majority of them answer
with a resounding YES! They explain that they would like to watch
my technique as well increase our chance at tying into a muskie. If I
do get lucky and hook into a fish, I quickly hand it off to my customer so he or she gets a taste of the battle and a little experience
under their belt.
• I know a guide who was casting his own plug. He set the hook
and then handed it off to his female client. She wanted to register this large fish as her own; to try to win the replica for “top
Women’s catch” of the year. She and I discussed this…the guide
had said it was her fish. In his boat, following his rules, it was her
fish. But, should she register it and possibly be awarded a replica mount? What if another gal had actually casted a bucktail,
hooked and played a muskie all by herself, and then fell 1/2”
short of first place? Wouldn’t she be “more deserving”?
So much gray area. Discussions with my customers have led to
lively debates…
• Should all divisions (masters, mens, womens, juniors, etc.) have
the same regulations? Or, for example, should juniors have more
lenient rules?
• Should there be separate categories for fish caught casting,
trolling, or on sucker rigs?
• Should muskies caught while fishing with a guide count?
Neither I nor my customer registers this fish. It has never been
(and hopefully never will be) an issue. We all consider it a group fish
and just enjoy the moment.
• While trolling, do we need to designate whose line is whose?
Does that fisherman need to choose the lure and tend the line?
How about taking the fish off the hook?
However, I’ve ran into a few circumstances the past few years
that have led to some lively conversations concerning the “whose fish
is it” category.
• Do we need to “set the hook” for it to actually be “our fish?”
I’m under the firm belief that muskie fishing is, by and large, a
group effort. Your net man and the captain are ever so important. A
fish that is caught is reason for everyone to celebrate. But, when is it
important to decide if it is truly “your” fish? I would venture to guess
that it is certainly significant to make this decision in competitive
endeavors when financial or other awards are given. For instance,
many Muskies, Inc. chapters award plaques and graphite reproductions to the “top catches” of the season. Since replicas can cost $500
and up, there are financial repercussions to this friendly competition.
So…I started discussing all the variables with some of my clientele and fellow fishermen. There was a lot of gray area and a few
opposing opinions. Cases in point
• I know fishermen who troll with multiple lines out (depending
on regulations). They don’t designate which fisherman has
which line. So, “little Johnny” gets to haul in whatever lure gets
bit and is able to register that fish for a possible award. I’ve even
heard of husband and wife duos who decide on whose fish it is
by looking at the lunge log to see who can win that month (i.e.
if the men’s category already has a 48” fish then they register
their 48 1/2” trolled fish under the wife’s name).
• In Wisconsin, many guides rig up and tend the live bait rigs
while their customers cast jerkbaits. After the guide diligently
hooks up the sucker, maneuvers it around cribs and other underwater structure, and then finally entices a muskie to bite it he
allows his customer to set the hook and call it “his fish.”
Yes, there are indeed a lot of variables to consider. I’m rather a
purist in this debate and feel when there is monetary or other prizes
at hand, “presenting your own lure and setting the hook” is tantamount to claiming it to be your fish. Man, Woman, or Child.
Otherwise, where does it end? This includes trolling…if you are
going to want to “claim a fish” in my boat (for a prize) then you better pick out the lure, spool out the line, and play the most integral
part in landing that fish. Or, it just wouldn’t be fair to the next person who does all of that.
How do the rest of you feel? Some of you may think this is a silly
line of discourse, but remember—at an average of $12 an inch, a
graphite reproduction of a 50” lunker means some serious dollars
(not to mention the bragging rights involved!) I am quite certain
other readers will have definitive opinions on this topic. I’ve heard an
earful already, so I’m inviting you all to visit the message board on
my website. I’ll be posting a survey on this topic and asking you to
participate. If I receive enough responses I’ll be happy to submit a
follow up in a future MUSKIE magazine. Perhaps it will shed some
light on how MI members feel about the competition’s guidelines
and determine if they need to be more streamlined or if they are
perfectly fine as they are.
Patricia Strutz
www.ablondandherboat.com
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Chapter News and Views
Phone #
www.muskiesinc.org
October 27, 28
7th Annual Fall Brawl – Kinkaid Lake,
Murphysboro, IL. Host: Shawnee Muskie
Hunters Chapter #28.
2008
April 3, 4, 5
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
Special events listings are provided at
no charge to Muskies, Inc chapters.
To list your chapter's event, email to:
managingeditor@muskiesinc.org
or by ground mail: Jim Smith,
15045 W. Double Tree Way,
Surprise, AZ 85374-8568.
Please send announcements
at least 2 months in advance.
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 .......................................417-745-2381
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
September 21 (Friday)
M.I. International Fall Board Meeting
LOTW in the Morson, Ontario area.
Headquarters: Red Wing Lodge
Hosted by the International.
Contact Paul Framsted
framsted.paul@den.sysco.com
NOTE: Sept 21st is the correct date.
(The 2007 MI Calendar incorrectly
shows Sept. 14th).
CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆
48
2
CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS
First Wisconsin
P.O. Box 122, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
715-726-8896
muskybob@charter.net
firstwi@muskiesinc.org
Meetings 1st Monday, 5:30 PM, Rod and Gun Club,
Lake Wissota.
06
The First Wisconsin Chapter will be holding
their 31st annual fall fishing tournament on
September 14, 15, 16, 2007 on multiple waters
of Chippewa and Rusk counties in Wisconsin.
For details please contact our chapter’s website
at http://firstwi.muskiesinc.org. This site includes
complete details, entry form, contacts, etc.
Oops, our chapter held the Gil Hamm
International Chapter Challenge on June 13, 14,
and 15th on Lake Holcombe, Dairyland and parts
of the Chippewa River. We were supposed to
just fish and have a good time and be a gracious
host. You see we did not want to win it because
we would then have to host it again in 2008. This
was a really a great game plan. Oops, the game
plan went south. You see this was our home
waters and Oops we had four teams and Oops
we took first and third. So we are now faced with
the fact we have to host it in 2008.
In reality we as a chapter have now won the
dang thing three times. It was 1983 in Ontario,
2006 in Minnesota and 2007 in Wisconsin. That
is really neat. Now we are facing what to do in
2008. We inititially thought about just going back
to Lake of the Woods at Red Wing. However at
a chapter board meeting in late June we thought
about how great the multiple lake things went so
we thought about a Lake Bemidji, Lake
Plantagenet, and Cass Lake thing might be in
Minnesota. We have great friends out there in
Minnesota so we might pursue that. Stay in
touch we will let you know.
Fish reports are coming in and Bob Strobush
caught a 50.5 inch in the Apple River over by
Amery and then Kirby Spletter caught a 50 inch
up at Island Lake in northeast Minnesota. Kirby
hangs out with Rick Meckelke and they are getting married next month. Pretty neat hey.
Reporter Jim Bunch
08
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
The Capital City Muskie chapter is proud of
member Jim Blaubach who was inducted into
the Muskie Inc hall of fame. Jim is a twenty-five
year member of MI, starting out in Alexandria
Minnesota, and has held about every office on
the local level including several terms as RVP.
Internationally he served two terms as president.
Accomplishments include the development of a
release video and a very successful term as
Bill joins Bill Wood and
advertising director.
Steve and Kay Butnick as hall of fame members
from CCMI.
Our June meeting was “on-the-water” which
was held at Lake Farm Park by Madison’s Lake
Waubesa. Although the fishing was very slow
before and after the cookout, Karen Phillips did
an excellent job of feeding (brats, hamburger,
and hot dogs) the large turnout.
Club members who have had recent success
include: Sue Eversol’s 46” hybrid, Madison’s
Lake Waukesa yielded a 46” fish to Adam
Oberfoell, and 40” fish to Peter Gaarder and four
on the same day to Dale Anderson.
Kevin
Pamulak has put up some impressive numbers
with over 30 fish in the boat already.
Several of the CCMI ladies (Karen Phillips,
Linda Rikkers, Donna Lotzer, and Dawn Szyryj)
participated in a Women on the Water Musky
Huntress trip in Land O’ Lakes area. This trip
was hosted by Patricia Strutz who helped these
lady anglers fine tune their fishing skills, lure presentations, boat control, and catch and release
techniques. Karen Phillips boated a 38” tiger
during the trip.
Club member Geoff Crandall presented the
annual CCMI Muskie Scholarship award to
Jeremy Durst, a graduating senior at Wanakee
high school, as a thank-you for use of the school
facilities for the March Muskie School. Jeremy
will pursue a Natural Resources degree.
The weather is warming up and hopefully the
fishing (and catching) also.
Reporting: Gary Hoffman
Headwaters
12
P.O. Box 652
Eagle River, WI 54521
715-477-2913 – Paul Hansen
www.headwatersmuskies.com
Meets 1st Wednesday 7:00 PM
By the time you read this article Headwaters
Chapter 12 of Muskies Inc. has been very busy.
Our first open club outing was held May 26th at
the Oneida Village in Three Lakes WI. There
were 36 members that fished from 7 am to 5 pm.
There were 7 fish caught and released. Tim
McMahon had a 3 bagger, he tied Fred Brogle
with the largest fish caught.
Other notables were Bill McMahon, Greg Kliss
and Al Schroeder all registering fish. Roger
Sabota and Jim Rechlitz co-chaired this event.
Our next open water event will be July 7th at
Sweetwaters,
On June 9th and 10th the Headwaters
Chapters and tournament director Jeff and Patti
Miller along with Jim and Carol Heffner cochaired our 278th annual Spring Classic
Tournament. The total purse for this tournament
was $35,000. Congratulations to 1st place winners Tyler Maney and Gordy Hastreiter for catching 3 muskies and taking home the $15,000
prize. The Second place winners were Carla
Parolin and Jr. Verkuilen. The Third place winners were Dan Wojtusik and Joe Meyer
Complete listing of the remaining 7 team winners
and photos can be found on our website including photos. www.headwatersmuskies.com. This
event is one o f our major fundraises. Thanks to
all the teams that entered and a big congratulations to the Millers and Heffners for a great
event.
Good Fishing
Glenn Matula Secretary
13
Hayward Lakes
P.O. Box 609
Hayward, WI 54843
715-634-4543
Mike Cookas was the guest speaker at our
June meeting, Tuesday the 5th.. Mike has fished
and guided in the Hayward area for thirty five
years, has fished prime water in Canada and
other areas and has been a Muskies Inc. member during this time. In addition to an interesting
presentation, Mike had a vintage video taped
fifty years ago in Wisconsin complete with the
guide shooting a Muskie. This fascinating tape
should be available this fall, everyone with an
interest in Muskies would enjoy it.
We do not have a meeting planned for August
but will host our annual kids fishing day on
Sunday the 5th. We will meet between 8:30 –
9:00 at The Dick – Sy Road House (formerly the
Wisconsin Beer Hunters), on Upper Twin Lake.
Volunteer guides then take the youngsters fishing on nearby lakes returning at noon for a barbque and gift bags and raffle prizes for the kids.
We can uaually use more guides and kids (ages
10-16) so join us if you can!
Our 30th Annual Fall Tournament is the first
weekend in October as usual, the 5th, 6th, and 7th
this year. The major prize line up is the same as
last year, a Lund 17’ Explorer with a 50HP
Mercury on a Shorelander Trailer. This prize is
given away on Sunday, as a door prize at our
awards banquet, drawing names from a list of
everyone entered in the tournament and you
must be present to win. First place prize for the
fisherman or woman with the most (inches) fish
is a Mercury 25, second is a Mecury 9.9, prizes
will be awarded to tenth place with each person
receiving a trophy. Everyone entering a fish
receives a plaque and the largest release gets a
Ron Lax replica. Thursday night before the tournament our club hosts a “Ask a Guide Night”
meeting at the Dick-Sy Roadhouse which is a
fun gathering and on Saturday night we have a
raffle with over 150 prizes. This event is at the
Ramada Inn this year, as is our Sunday banquet.
We will have an ad in our “Muskie Magazine” or
call Hayward Bait and Tackle 715-634-2921 for
more information.
Hayward Power Sports is again our major
sponsor so please support them, they are
eleven miles east of Hayward on highway 77
east.
Fish entries for our members contest go to
Bob Timme.12677 Neumaier Road, Hayward
WI, 54843, for forms call Bob at 715-462-3053
Good Fishing,
Mike Persson
19
Akron-Canton
10957 Northwood Ave. NE
Bolivar, OH 44612
Gordon Selden - 330-874-2773
http://muskie_guy@tripod.com
Meets 3rd Monday 7:00 PM, Belgrade Gardens,
3476 Massillon Road, Akron, OH.
Our club held its 2nd tournament of the season
at Leesville Lake on June 9th and 10th. We had
a good turn out for this event with 31 participants.
There were 13 legal fish caught with Charlotte
Fuchs winning the tournament with a 44.5” fish.
Charlotte received a $50 gift certificate to Gander
Mountain and will receive a plaque at our Awards
Banquet. Charlotte forgot to get into the big fish
pool, which allowed Elmer McClure to take the
prize money with his 39.5” fish. We also had a
shore lunch and a lure raffle on Saturday.
Everyone had a great time for the weekend and
look forward to our next tournament.
22
New Jersey
http://www.mi22.com/
This month the Chapter would like to dedicate
the News and Views column in memory of “
Smitty” ( NJ’s Jim Smith) who recently passed
on. Jim had recently been honored as Ch 22’s
first “Hall of Fame” honoree and for those who
knew this longtime member it was sad news.
In his memory too, the Spring Tournament held
on the 23rd was in Jim’s name . Those who
knew Jim remember him as contagiously enthusiastic and a champion fundraiser back in the
early days when every dollar counted towards
the purchase of Muskies for stocking. Many
chuckle at the time they fished from “The Orange
Boat.” The next time someone latches onto to
one those upper 40 inch fish, one that’s 10-15
years old, they can consider that maybe just
maybe “Smitty” talked a few extra people into
buying the raffle tickets that paid for that fish to
be stocked...Thanks for everything,
Jim. Chapter 22.
29
Upper Great Plains
1788 Hwy 4
Estherville, IA 51334
712-362-2501
Meets 3rd Thursday , Legion Club, 1709 Okoboji
Ave., Milford, IA.
So far this season muskie fishing on the Iowa
Great Lakes has been extremely tough.
Chapter members are catching fish; they just are
not coming from area lakes. As of the end of
June our members have caught roughly 50
muskies with only 1 fish coming from the IGLs.
I think we all knew the muskie population in our
lakes was going down, but it is really sinking in
that our members were right. All we can do is
keep trying and hope for the best; and if the fishing does turn-on, lets just hope it is for our Fall
Tournament September 14, 15, and 16th.
Board members are really looking forward to the
event and we are planning hard to make it a
great time. Go to our website for more information and entry forms for the event.
June 23rd the chapter held our free outing on
Big Spirit Lake to kick off the season and to get
chapter members together. We had a good
turnout and a great gathering at the end of the
day. Unfortunately no fish were caught despite
a lot of dedicated fisherman working really hard.
Thank goodness for Rod and Ryan Blau who
provided an excellent rib dinner for everyone.
Fishing may not have gone well, but at least
everyone left with full stomachs.
www.muskiesinc.org
Muskie league has had a very good turn out of
anglers, however we have no releases to show for
all the effort. Even with these results we really
appreciate all of you who have been faithful participants. The final 2 league nights for this year
will be held on August 8th and 22nd on West
Okoboji at Triggs boat. Remember, league fishing starts at 6:15 pm and will run until sundown.
Everyone is invited to come and fish. All you
need to do is sign in with Rod Blau or myself from
5:30-6 at the boat ramp we are fishing at that
evening. Entry fee for league night is $7.Visit the
UGP chapter website http://muskieclub.com to
see all the upcoming events.
Sincerely,
Pete Hildreth, Chapter Editor,
muskie2004@netins.net
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.
Hello All,
Trips, vacations, weekend outings..... we hope
you are getting to do all that you want to squeeze
into your summer with family and friends.
This month is the last of three in our
“Summer fishing League.” One last Five a.m.
start! Good luck to all, see you on the water.
In September we will resume our regular second Wednesday of the month meetings at Poplar
Creek Country Club. Join us when our speaker
will be Todd Forcier with his presentation on the
Wisconsin Petenwell Flowage
We would like to ask you all for one last “Big
Push” of ticket sales for our Electronics “Mega Raffle.” All proceeds from this raffle go to our
Youth, Fisheries and Stocking program. Help us
to build a fishing future for your children. Our
goal is to have each member sell $100.00 worth
of tickets. The member who sells the most tickets will win a $300.00 Gift Certificate from Rollie
& Helen’s Muskie Shop. Prizes are: Third Place,
A 30 GB iPod, (Retail $ 240.00) Second Place, A
Nintendo Wii, (Retail $ 400.00) and in First Place
the one we are all crossing our fingers for, a 42”
Daewood Plasma TV? (Retail $2000.00) We are
selling tickets for $5.00 each or a book of five for
$20.00. We will be selling them right up until the
time of the drawing at our September 12th.
Meeting. You DO NOT have to be present to win.
Looking forward a bit to Fall, our upcoming
trips are: DePere/Fox River/Green bay, October
12th to 14th. North Webster Indiana, November
16th. to 18th. All details and updates are on the
website.
Also this Fall on October 27th. is the second
half of our “Challunge on the Chain” Tournament
Series. Pick up an entry form from the media
table at our meeting or download one off the web
site. Get it filled out and returned to the
Tournament Committee. Those that have fished
with us before know it is a great day on the water
followed by a tasty hot meal, beverages and
tables full of awesome raffle prizes. With cash
payouts to tenth place and a “Big Fish” pool you
have a good chance to go home with some
money for your time! We enjoy seeing a lot of
familiar faces at the Tourney and would like to
see some new faces join us.
Our regular club meeting dates are the second Wednesday of the month at the Poplar
Creek Country Club. In October will be our own
Russ Schaller on the Fox Chain of Lakes. The
accommodations at Poplar Creek are the best.
They offer members 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. See you there.
Until Later,
Return ‘em to the water Healthy and
Remember Our Troops.
JT
Penn Jersey
50
Matt Lysek, President
215-822-2472
Website: www.mi50.com
Meets at 7pm on 1st Wed. at Casey’s Bar on Corner of
Cherry and California Rds, Quakerstown, PA.
Beltzville Lake Tournament Recap: Good
turnout and the club made money! A few fish
were spotted, but none were on the hook.
Special recognition to Capt Chad was given for
awesome job managing the event.
Fall Tournament: No news yet. It is expected
to be the first week in October on Lake
Hopatcong.
Marsh Creek Outing: Set for Sat, Jun 30. If a
good turnout is expected, we’ll have a Calcutta.
Any size muskie will count.
Belmont Outing: Perhaps at the end of
July…stay tuned…
Muskie School: Ten schools have been
signed up. A formal request for a Muskie School
Manager was put on the table. Anyone with interest, please contact president, Matt Lysek.
Fish Stocking: We are still on for our Marsh
creek stocking. Also, the yearly fall stocking will
most-likely happen in September. A more efficient means of getting the word out to volunteers
to help with this important event was discussed.
Mi50 would like to thank Leroy Young, PFBC
Fisheries Management Division chief, and biologists, Mike Kaufmann and Dave Arnold, for working with the club to build a better muskie fishery
in Pennsylvania. Club-purchased fish are
already being seen and caught at Marsh Creek.
Float-stocking the state fish may be paying off
as well, as reports are surfacing that an ‘unusually large’ amount of Tigers are being seen at
Lake Nockamixon. Lake Nockamixon was one of
the lakes that the club began float-stocking four
seasons ago.
Miscellaneous Notes: Joe Tarditi has
stepped down as temporary treasurer. Greg
Ridge has been appointed new temporary treasurer.
Complementary Muskie Inc. memberships to
a few PA state folks involved with our efforts will
be looked into.
Youth Day was discussed….Starting small
with our own kids in a Fishing Derby at Marsh
Creek.
General discussions at meetings have been
over stocking options, growing our own, and how
to improve holdover fish .
July meeting will be at the Lambertville
Boathouse. At the meeting, Matt Lysek, of Lysek
Lures, will be giving lure-making and painting
instruction, as well as bait-tweaking tips.
Please visit www.mi50.com for more information.
Reporting: Archie Roche
CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS
Our next tournament will be a joint tournament
with the Cleveland Chapter 23 on July 21st and
22nd. We will have the opportunity to fish either
Lake Milton or West Branch. There will be registration at both lakes between 7am and 8am on
Saturday and at the end of the tournament
everyone will meet at the Pointview Ramp at
Lake Milton at 4pm. on Sunday. We should have
a good turn out for this event and I will give the
results of this tournament in our next article.
Until then, see you on the water…
Kevin Proffitt
A Forty-Year Tradition of Muskie
Tournament Fishing
by Adam Walsh
and trailer package. The
imes sure have changed.
days of donations on that
Nowhere is this more
scale are long gone. Today
evident than with the
the grand prize must be
Twin Cities Chapter’s Muskies
purchased by the
Inc. Frank Schneider Jr.
tournament committee.
Memorial Tournament. The first
In the early days
tournament was held forty years
fishing
started on Friday
ago. Back then it was known as
half
an
hour before sunrise
the Muskies Inc. International
and
lasted
until noon on
Tournament. There were no
Sunday.
You
could fish all
Muskies Inc. chapters – only one
wanted
to and
night
if
you
group that has become Chapter
some
did.
Today,
because
1. Back then there was a division
of the pressure of so many
for kept muskies. Back then
other tournaments and
when a good muskie was
DNR recommendations,
released everyone thought that
David Nicolai won the Frank Schneider, Jr. Memorial Muskie Tournament in
tournament hours are
contestant was nuts! Back then
2006 with a 42.5-inch, a 50-inch and this 53-inch muskie caught and released
from 7 am to 7 pm on
in
Leech
Lake.
Over
600
contestants
fished
twenty-one
bodies
of
water
in
you could fish all night. Back
northern
Minnesota
during
the
three-day
tournament.
In
2006,
107
muskies
Friday and Saturday and 7
then under a hundred people
were registered by 87 anglers.
until 10 am on Sunday.
participated in the tournament.
Tournament hats
To appreciate how this
given to each contestant
event has changed it helps to
are a long-standing
look back at its humble begintradition of this event.
nings. The first tournament was
When first introduced, the
held in 1967 the weekend after
hats – usually a bright
Labor Day. Tournament waters
color – served as an aid in
included seven lakes that are part
identifying other anglers
of the Cass Lake chain. Today
in the tournament. To
the tournament is still held the
register a released fish, a
weekend after Labor Day, but it
contestant had to have it
has grown to include twenty-one
witnessed by a contestant
bodies of water in the Cass Lake,
from another boat. With
Leech Lake, Longville, and
the bright-colored hats it
Bemidji area of northern
was easy to spot a
Minnesota.
Winners of the 6th annual tournament in 1973. That year 27 muskies were
potential witness. Today,
When the tournament
caught, 21 were released and 6 were kept. The winner of both the release
fish may be witnessed by
started there was a Weight
(Good Sportsman) division and the kept division went home with a boat and
an angler in your boat,
Division and a Good Sportsman
trailer as well as a trophy. The biggest fish released in 1973 was 43.5 inches.
but contestants are
Division for fish released. In the
required to submit a photo of themselves wearing their tournament
early days few fish were released and the muskies harvested were
hat and holding the fish.
kept on ice until the Sunday awards ceremony. By the time the
For many years the tournament included Friday Night allsixth tournament was held, the number of fish released surpassed
you-could
eat hot dog and bean feeds at the four corners of the
the number of fish kept and eventually the Weight Division was
tournament
area; Walker, Cass Lake, Federal Dam, and Longville
dropped. Today, the event is a total release tournament and every
along
with
the
Sunday Banquet at the Awards Ceremony. This year,
fish goes back in the water following the Muskies Inc. catch and
an
optional
40th
Anniversary Saturday dinner is planned.
release philosophy.
In
2000
the
tournament
was renamed to honor Frank
In the first tournaments the Weight Division and the Good
Schneider,
Jr.,
a
long-time
Twin
Cities chapter member who
Sportsman Division each had a Lund boat and Balco trailer as first
dedicated
his
life
to
improving
fisheries
and promoting fishing and
prize. The boats and trailers were donated by the companies
other
conservation
efforts
throughout
the
state of Minnesota.
involved. Today, each angler who registers a legal-sized muskie is
Muskie
fishing
in
Minnesota
would
not
be
what it is without
entered in a drawing for the Grand Prize, typically a boat, motor
T
after Labor Day. Contestants are still invited to a noon banquet on
Sunday before the Awards Ceremony. Many, many door prizes are
still awarded to contestants on Sunday. And most importantly,
proceeds from the tournament continue to help the Twin Cities
Chapter in its efforts to protect and promote muskie fishing in the
state. At the Awards Ceremony the Twin Cities Chapter will issue a
check for $3000 to the state Department of Natural Resources.
Today, the Frank Schneider, Jr. Memorial Tournament has
grown to be one of the largest muskie tournaments with upwards of
650 contestants fishing 21 bodies of water annually. It has become
a tradition among participants. Many of them have been fishing in
this same tournament for years.
The 2007 grand prize package is a Triton 202 with 115 hp
Mercury motor. The tournament is open to all with reasonable fees
– $30 for junior contestants and $70 adults if purchased before the
tournament. Tickets can be purchased on line at
www.twincitiesmuskiesinc.org/tournament through August 30.
They can also be purchased in person ($75 adults) on Thursday,
September 6 in Walker at Reed’s Family Outfitters, and in
Longville at Jerry’s One Stop.
Join us for the 40th year of this event. ❖
Frank. He did a lot of work on behalf of the state’s fisheries and
sportsmen and women with the Minnesota legislature.
Frank was a big supporter of the tournament and always
participated. In 1978 he almost won the tournament. At 9 am on
the first morning of fishing Frank was casting into the bullrushes
on Rice Lake. When a fish crushed his bait he knew he had a big
one. After weighing in at 32 pounds, 6 ounces it looked to be the
winning fish until Dave Shafer caught a fish with only a half hour
left in the tournament. Dave’s fish outweighed Frank’s fish by two
ounces. That fish was the last one Frank ever kept. However, he
never lost his love for battling a big fish just as he never lost his love
for a good political battle.
On September 7th when the 40th Frank Schneider, Jr.
Memorial Muskie Tournament kicks off, it will serve as a symbol of
the changes that have taken place within Muskies Inc., muskie
fishing in Minnesota, and the attitude towards preserving a quality
fishery throughout North America. This tournament has maintained the legacy of a commitment to improving the sport of
muskie fishing.
While many things about this tournament have changed
throughout the past forty years, many things have remained the
same. The tournament is still held the Friday, Saturday and Sunday
FORTY YEARS OF MUSKIE TOURNAMENT FISHING!
Join us for the TWIN CITIES CHAPTER
40th Annual Frank Schneider, Jr. Memorial
MUSKIE TOURNAMENT
SEPTEMBER 7•8•9
FISH 21 SELECTED MINNESOTA LAKES IN AND AROUND
WALKER • LEECH LAKE • CASS LAKE
BEMIDJI • LONGVILLE • WINNIE
WWW.TWINCITIESMUSKIESINC.ORG FOR LAKE LISTING
PRIZES AWARDED TO TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL
ANGLERS AND TOP 3 JUNIORS
GRAND PRIZE
202 TILLER/115 HP MERCURY
4-STROKE/TRAILER
STANT
CONTE SKIE IS
Y
R
E
EV
MU
ND
ING A
ENTER LE FOR GRA
ELIGIB E DRAWING
PRIZ
CANADIAN & US RESORT STAYS • GPS & ELECTRONICS
RODS & REELS • FISHING TACKLE • GIFT CERTIFICATES
ADULT: $70 PRE-PURCHASE ($75 THURSDAY) • JUNIOR: $30
ALL TICKET SALES END THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 AT 9:00 PM
On Sale thru Labor Day, September 3, 2007 ($70 ADULT)
On Thursday, September 6, 2007 ($75 ADULT)
JOE’S SPORTING GOODS - ST. PAUL • THORNE BROS. - FRIDLEY
REED’S FAMILY OUTDOOR OUTFITTERS - WALKER & BRAINERD
REED’S FAMILY OUTDOOR OUTFITTERS - WALKER
REEDS
Family Outdoor Outfitters
ORDER TICKETS ON-LINE AT: www.twincitiesmuskiesinc.org
MARY VILLNOW
MEMORIAL AWARD
$500-$200-$100
BONUS PRIZES
TO TOP 3
WOMEN ANGLERS
FISH
500 BIG
AWARD
$
RED WING LODGE • WHITEFISH BAY CAMP • TRAILS END LODGE • SAH-KAH-TAY RESORT • HUDDLE’S RESORT
VERMILION DAM LODGE • SPIRIT OF THE NORTH RESORT • SUNSET COVE RESORT • PINE BEACH RESORT
TOURNAMENT RAFFLE: FISHING TRIPS • MINN KOTA TROLLING MOTOR • MARCUM ELECTRONICS
GUIDE TRIPS • CUSTOM MUSKIE RODS & BAITS • WILDLIFE ART • AND MUCH MORE!!!!
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 651-699-9817 OR 612-239-9511 OR EMAIL: miintltournament@comcast.net
www.muskiesinc.org
AN EVENING WITH
GRANDFATHER BOB–
KING OF MUSKIE HUNTERS
“Have you ever caught a World Record Muskie?” I asked
Grandfather Bob. There was a pause as every ones eyes were glued
on Grandfather Bob….then….
One evening, after a fine meal and now enjoying the cordial, I
made a toast to Grandfather Bob, King of Muskie Hunters.
“HEAR! HEAR!” Everyone shouted.
After Grandfather Bob acknowledged, he looked at me and I
thought, ‘this is a good time to spend the evening learning more
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
COLDWELL BANKER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
ESOX RODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
FITTANTE REPLICAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
JUST BIG MUSKIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
LAX REPRODUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
LEECH LAKE BOARD OF TOURISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
MUSKIES, INC. BROCHURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
RED WING LODGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
ROLLIE & HELEN’S MUSKY SHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
ST. CROIX RODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
SUICK LURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
TAYLOR COUNTY TOURIST COMMISSION . . . . . . . . 20
TITLETOWN-“BEST OF THE BEST” TOURNEY . . . . . . 18
TUFFY BOATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
TWIN CITIES-“SCHNEIDER MEMORIAL” TOURNEY . . 6
YAKIMA BAIT COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
YOUNG'S WILDERNESS CAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
about this Gentleman. We were all wondering about him….what
brought him here….does he have a past’….so I said, “Grandfather
Bob, I think it’s time we all find out about you. I propose we just sit
here, sip our cordials and ask you some questions. I’d like to start
out; then anyone else may ask you anything….how about it?”
I could see Grandfather Bob looking rather humble; but then
looked at everyone and replied, “I’d like this very much, my life’s an
open book….ask away.”
I then asked, “When did you become interested in Muskie
Hunting?”
“Early forties. I had bounced around for about twelve years—
ever since I left British Columbia in April of ’29.”
“How come you left BC?” Asked Kodie.
“I was so tired of the logging trade. The boozin’, fights, very
hard work and no women—-ahem—-unless you went to town—
there were plenty there—if you know what I mean! I had saved some
money, had bought some stocks and had land there in BC and
Minnesota. I took a good hard look at everything and my life. I
wanted something more and better. I sold my stocks and land,
bought a vehicle….I think it was a Whippet..just about new. Some
guy came up to the logging camp with it. He seemed to be running
from something and he wound up there. I felt that I was going to
do the same thing….run…..but to where? Anyhow, I packed up and
me and my two Setters took off—-USA bound. By the way, I am
from Minnesota originally.”
“You got out before the stock market crashed in ’29!”
“You bet!”
“Tell us more.” Said Keg.
“Well, I meandered my way back to Minnesota and sold my
land there and headed South in September. Then in October, the
bottom dropped out and everything went to hell! I had bought new
fishing tackle, found a couple of used Lefever’s, and wound up in
Texas. I learned to hunt Quail. My dogs—Queenie and King
picked up on the Quail fast. We had a good time! I also fished for
Large Mouth Bass. I worked my way to Georgia and was there when
George Perry caught the world record Large Mouth Bass. I fished
and fished Montgomery Lake but couldn’t come up with a bigger
one so I started back North.”
“Let’s get to the Muskie Part!” Sounded Cal.
“YEESSS!” Said Louie.
“OK—-Anyway, I was busy for several years hunting and fishing—spending most of my money on vehicles, guns, fishing tackle
and outdoor clothing—-the rest I wasted.”
“HEAR! HEAR!”
“Did you have any Lady friends?” Asked Kodie.
“Yes I did….” He let it trail off.
There was a slight pause, “Please go on.” Said Kodie.
Grandfather Bob continued, “It was the early forties….Both
my Setters had gone to their reward. I wanted to take up a specialty—fishing. But not just any fish. I knew the World Record Large
Mouth would probably never be beaten and I had heard of lots of
action in the Muskie World. It seemed all the commotion was in
Northern Wisconsin. We were deep in the War. I was too old to
help out. Everything was rationed….gasoline……everything! I
sold my vehicle—packed what I had and took a train to Northern
Wisconsin.”
“How did you do?” Asked Rod.
“Well, it was tough. But lots of Muskies were being caught and,
I caught lots of ‘em! The World Record changed hands several times.
I found that the more I Muskie fished, the more I liked it.”
“Did you really catch a lot of Muskies?” Asked Otis.
“HO! HO!”
“Did you get known?”
Asked Maynard.
“Not really, but I
fished a lot of lakes in
Northern Wisconsin. I
never stayed very long in
one spot.”
“Did you fish the
Chip?” Asked Louie.
“More times than I can remember!”
“LAC COURTE OREILLES?”
Asked Cal.
“Just as much.”
“Funny I never saw you on the
water.” Said Louie.
“I had fished alone so much, I
guess I blended in so well that
nobody noticed me.”
“I guess the same goes for LAC
COURTE OREILLES.” Asked Cal.
“You guessed it.”
“Waaa…aate just a minute.” Said Louie, “I do remember hearing of a man catching Muskies and giving them to the Locals for
food. Was that you?”
“Yes.”
“I decided to take a name—I’m old enough—-so I chose
‘Grandfather Bob.’ I’d fish Muskie in one
lake, catch some and move on to another. I
tried to keep myself anonymous, except for
the ‘Grandfather Bob’ part.”
“Vhy’d yew pic Lonesome Lodge fer
ur…ur…vell…home place?”
“You people treated me right—-so I
came around more and here I am.”
“Now for some technical questions,” I
said and continued, “What’s your favorite
time of year for Muskies?”
“Fall…..that’s when they’re feeding up
for the winter.”
“Wind Direction?”
“Any…as long as there is none.”
“Barometer?”
“Excuse yourself!”
“Huh?!”
“BAROMETER!!”
“Lay off the beer…it’s giving you gas!”
I paused a moment gathering my
thoughts….then continued…..
“Rain, cloudy or sunny weather?”
“Nice weather; I don’t like fishing in
the rain. Bothers my rheumatism.”
“What’s your favorite lure?”
“The Globe—yellow with gold
spots…but lately I’ve been hearing about
a….Wish….Wisher….or something like
that.”
“oh no” Whispered Louie.
www.muskiesinc.org
“Dat’s it!” Interrupted Albert.
“What’s it?” Asked Grandfather Bob.
“Dere ‘DAT LURZ’, dat’s vhut dey ‘re!”
“I never should have brought it up….”
“You like row trolling?” I further asked.
“Besides casting, that’s the only way.”
“So, you like the water calm, like to cast a bit and row troll in
nice weather with a Globe…. Wishin’ for a
Muskie to hit!”
“Couldn’t have said it better
myself!”
Answered
Grandfather Bob.
“Hee, Hee,
Hee” Went
Albert.
“Now
for
the
Big
Question.” I said.
“Ask away.”
“Have you caught a World
Record Muskie?” I asked.
There was a pause as every ones eyes
were glued on Grandfather Bob….then….
“Does a bear poop in the woods?” Replied
Grandfather Bob.
“I’ll accept that as a Yes!” Responded Louie.
“Then you owe me $2500!!” Said Grandfather Bob. ❖
Late Afternoon... Andy Moraller also from
Ch 22 with one of 2 upper 40" fish
submitted from Summer of '06.
New Jersey Ch 22's Jay Sturm checked in
with a well portioned 42" to get the
season rolling.
Personal best, Art Knute of Allentown pa. finally scored
on the Lehigh River after many prior trips that yielded
follows and smaller catches. Congrats!
50 Plus- shayne heath submitted this shot
of himself & a Lake Miltona 51.5" fish. No
girth measurement during the excitement
but a true biggie.
☞
Proper Muskie
Holding Techniques
for MUSKIE Magazine Photos including Covers, Article Support, Photo
Contest Entries
& Member Photos
Four Footer..Mike Albright with an Irish Lake Release...Justin Ledman's 47.5 fish
from last month upon return to it's lair.
48" Muskie. Mike's from Chapter 49,
Webster Lake Muskie Club and encountered
this whopper during an annual club event.
3 Rivers Outing- here's Kevin Whipkey posing with
one of many fish caught & released in '06 during the
chapter's outing.
Early Season- Ch 22's Norm Small was the first to report a
Muskie over 40" this year. This early April fish also a 42"
was caught over in Lake Hopatcong.
1 0f 2.. Bryan Neubeck with one of 2 fish estimated around
20 pounds caught within 5 minutes up on Bald Eagle Lake.
Photo by his regular fishing partner Aaron Newell.
Tank full of hand reared Muskies. Sent in by Tom lLong of
Chapter 52 who along with others spent his own time &
money raising & stocking fish.
www.muskiesinc.org

MUSKIE Magazine

Transcription

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