Splash 4.10 - Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum

The Official
Publication of
the Fresh Water
Fishing Hall
of Fame
VOL. 34
NO. 2
Spring 2010
Inside:
From the
Director's Desk,
page 2
The Future of
the Great Lakes
Fishery by
Don Dubin,
page 4
Figure 8
Fine Points by
Joe Bucher,
page 5
2010 Hayward
Crappie Contest,
page 7
O'l Tackle Talk
by Chris Slusar,
page 9
World Records
Update, page 11
Spring Is Here!
From the
Director’s Desk
by Emmett Brown
Founded 1960
Incorporated Not For Profit 1970
P.O. Box 690, 10360 Hall of Fame Drive
Hayward, WI 54843
Phone 715/634-4440
http://www.Freshwater-Fishing.org
e-mail: fishhall@cheqnet.net
Over the past week or so, we have been
enjoying some really nice late winter
weather. In fact, daytime temperatures have been pushing well in to the
60's every day! Welcome back to reality. It's 32 degrees today and it's
suppose to drop down to 15 degrees tonight. Ecch! The snow is gone,
however. Spring arrives next week and I am ready for it. Time to get out
Printed February 15, April 15,
August 15, November 15
Programs and Activities
• Recognition of World Fresh Water
Sportfishing Records
• Record Book Published Annually
• Enshrinement for Achievement and
Accomplishment
• Library for Research and Pleasure
• Educational Museum of Sportfishing
Artifacts
Museum open April 15 through October 31
7 days a week, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
(no admittance after 3:30 p.m.)
Administration Office open year ‘round
5 days a week, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except
Christmas-New Year interim weeks)
the boat and retire the ice fishing gear. Ice break-up may only be a few
weeks away - on the smaller lakes that is.
Our museum will be opening for the year about the time you are reading
this edition of The Splash. Come on up (or down) and visit us next time
you are in Northwest Wisconsin. We have our grounds and museum
looking very nice. I guarantee you will enjoy yourself.
Now, for a bit of housekeeping. As you know, when we computerized our
membership a few years ago we were forced to go to a 12 consecutive
month membership cycle. Prior to the transition, all memberships ran on
Executive Board of Directors
a calendar basis. The only real problem this created was the timely
Bill Beckwith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President
Bill Gautsche . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President
Ted Dzialo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Secretary
Tom Turngren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer
Randy Albrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
Scott Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
John Dettloff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
Dave Perkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
Don Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
Jim Scheer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
Harold Tiffany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
Wendy Williamson . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
Ben Wold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director
delivery of our calendars. Obviously, no one has use for receiving a
Professional and Volunteer Staff
anti-sportfishing legislation. Please don't let these issues spoil your
Emmett Brown . . . . . . . Executive Director
Kathy Polich . . . . . . . . . Business Manager
Darlene Overman . . . . . . . . . . . . Secretary
Myrna Huber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clerk
Emmett Brown . . . . . . . . . . . Splash Editor
Tim Gavigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Webmaster
Tim Lesmeister. . . . . . . . Media Coordinator
Claudette Kersten . . . . . . . . . . . . Volunteer
sportfishing plans and enthusiasm. I am not advocating a "Pollyanna"
The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame is a
non-profit educational organization
dedicated to conservation and
sportfishing and to the maintenance of a
hall of fame where the history of fishing
and angling achievements are displayed.
A 501(c)(3) organization
© Copyright 2010 Fresh Water
Fishing Hall of Fame, Inc.
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current year calendar in June. Beginning this November, all members in
good standing will receive their calendars for the following year with
their November Splash. This should do the trick!
Over the past several years there has been extensive media focus on
exotics entering our waterways, as well as numerous editorials about
approach to tackling these issues. We must be vigilant in regard to our
stewardship of our natural resources and sportfishing heritage. I am
advocating we do both. Indeed, we must do both! We must be vigilant
stewards and we must enthusiastically utilize the very resource we are
protecting.
Regards,
Emmett A. Brown, Jr.
Executive Director
HALL AWARDS ARE PRESENTED!
Tom Christianson (left) presents Emmett Brown with 3% of his guiding fees from
2009 this past December. Tom has very graciously pledged to do the same in 2010.
Tom specializes in walleye
fishing on the Chippewa
Flowage near Hayward,
Wisconsin. For more
information about Tom's
guiding service please visit
his website at
www.walleyemaxx.com. Thank
you very much Tom!
Steve Statland (center) is awarded his Legendary Angler plaque at the Chicagoland
Musky Show on January 9th. On hand to welcome Steve aboard to our Hall of
Honor are fellow Legendary Anglers (left to right): Don Dubin; Joe Bucher; Larry
Ramsell, Spence Petros and Hall Executive Director Emmett Brown.
Emmett Brown (left) welcomes B.A.S.S.
General Manager Tom Ricks (center)
and Ray Scott (B.A.S.S. founder) to the
Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.
B.A.S.S. received the Hall's
Organizational award and Ray Scott was
Enshrined. Their presentation ceremony
took place at the 2010 Bassmasters
Classic in Birmingham, Alabama on
February 20th.
Dr. Jack Williams of Medford, Oregon visited the Hall in October of 2009. Jack was
inducted in to our Special Recognition Category for 2010. Dr. Williams has spent his
entire professional career
protecting and restoring
fishable watersheds. From left
to right are: Mike Dombeck
(Hall Awards Committee
member); Jack; Wendy
Williamson (Hall Executive
Board and Awards Committee
Member) and Emmett Brown.
Noted national outdoor writer and editor Jerry Gibbs (right) presents 100 year old
Charles Lahey with his Legendary Angler plaque this past November at a Trout
Unlimited meeting in
Cheshire, Massachusetts.
Charles is still an active
fisherman whom finds time in
his busy schedule to still fish
a few times a week!
Congratulations Charley.
Awards Committee member Bruce Holt
(left) presents Frank Moore with his
Enshrinement plaque at the Lower
Umpqua Flycaster's Fly Fishing Expo on
February 27th in Reedsport, Oregon. To
Frank's left is his wife Jeannie. (Photo
courtesy of Lynda Foster).
3
The Future of the Great Lakes Fishery
By Legendary Angler Don Dubin
I
River are very close in elevation. If
there was a change in higher water
elevation, due to flooding, it might be
possible for the Asian carp to swim over
the locks even if they are closed.
n the summer 2009 issue of The
Splash magazine I wrote an article
entitled Our Changing Great Lakes
Fishery. The following article was
compiled from scientific data and
expresses my views on the Asian carp
and the future of the Great Lakes
fishery.
The problem
Today, everyone is focusing on the
Asian carp problem, however, for the
past 40 years the shipping industry has
been dumping ballast waters into the
Great Lakes. This has introduced over
150 invasive species. Some of these
invasive species include sea lampreys,
gobies and zebra mussels. The shipping
industry has introduced the Viral
Hemorrhagic Septicaemia (V.H.S.) virus
which has capabilities of spreading and
killing all of the fish in the Great Lakes.
Over the past year the news media has
focused on the doom and gloom that
Asian carp will bring to the Great Lakes
fishery. We see pictures of carp
jumping out of the water into boats
causing people to be concerned. Will
this be the end of the great fishing we
have enjoyed?
There are over two dozen species of
Asian carp in the world and none are
native to North America. The two
species of Asian carp we are most
concerned about are bighead carp and
the silver carp. The Asian carp were
imported into this country in the early
1970’s by fish farmers in Arkansas and
during the massive floods in 1993
escaped into the Mississippi River.
These fish multiplied and today they
make up over 90% of the biomass in the
rivers they inhabit. These two invasive
species entered the Illinois River and
are now threatening to enter the Great
Lakes through the Chicago Sanitary
Shipping Canal system which flows into
Lake Michigan.
Asian carp are very large fish and can
grow up to 100 pounds. Their basic food
is phytoplankton and zoo plankton.
They consume about 20% of their body
weight per day. It is feared they will out
4
compete anything that eats plankton
such as alewives and juvenile fish and
will destroy the Great Lakes fishery.
The controversy
In order to stop the Asian carp from
entering Lake Michigan, Congress
appropriated money and built an
electric barrier in the Chicago Sanitary
Shipping Canal in Romeoville, Illinois.
The Des Plaines River runs parallel to
the canal. During periods of heavy
rains the Des Plaines has overflowed
allowing the Asian carp to swim
around the barrier into the canal.
In an attempt to stop the spread of
Asian carp the state of Michigan
Attorney General’s office filed suit in
federal court asking the court to issue
an injunction to keep the two Chicago
locks permanently closed. This federal
suit was later joined by several other
Great Lakes states as co-plaintiffs. The
U.S. Supreme Court was recently
asked to intervene in the Asian carp
federal suit, but the high court refused
to hear the matter. After the Supreme
Court ruling, Congressman Dave Camp
(R-MI) introduced the Carp Bill
(H.R.4472) in the U.S. House of
Representatives. This bill seeks to
permanently close the two Chicago
locks. Even if the locks were closed,
there is leakage around and through
the gates. The locks were designed to
control water flow and not act as
dams. Lake Michigan and the Chicago
Congressman Camp also wants to
empower the U.S. Army Corp of
Engineers to get rid of Asian carp by
any and all means. By any and all
means includes the use of poisons in
our rivers and canals. Since Asian carp
are all over the connecting river
systems, you cannot kill all of these
fish. As the poison dissipates, other fish
from nearby areas will migrate to recolonize the kill zone. The proposed
cost of the poison is $20 million dollars
and would not solve the problem.
Many people feel that the Asian carp
are already in Lake Michigan. In 2004,
an Asian Carp was found two miles past
the electronic barrier. Asian carp DNA
samples have been found in the
Chicago River near the Wilmette
pumping station. We do know that
closing the waterway to recreational
boats and commercial barges would
affect the livelihood of thousands of
people. Also, during periods of heavy
rains, the locks are opened to prevent
massive flooding in the surrounding
neighborhoods.
Is there enough food
in the Great Lakes?
The river systems that lead to the Great
Lakes flow for hundreds of miles and
are surrounded by lush farmlands.
Every time it rains the fertilizer planted
by farmers is washed into these
waterways. This provides the nutrients
that are consumed by plankton and are
essential for these organisms to exist.
The plankton flows along the rivers and
the Asian carp congregate below dams
and feed by filtering out the moving
plankton. Since plankton is microscopic
in size, Asian carp need to consume a
lot of plankton to survive and grow to a
large size. The river systems provides
this perfect environment.
A study was conducted by the Illinoiscontinued on page 10
Figure 8 Fine Points
By Legendary Angler Joe Bucher
T
he figure 8 technique is
certainly nothing new in the
musky world, yet few anglers
have truly mastered this incredible
technique. When done correctly, it can
be super deadly. In fact, at times it
seems like every musky in a lake wants
to follow the lure and strike at boatside.
However, some musky anglers are far
better at this technique than others,
and they are able to take full advantage
of this weird behavioral trait that
muskies have for following lures to the
boat. Let’s take a closer look at what
makes one angler’s figure 8 that much
better than the next.
The actual technique of figure 8ing
starts with a good transition from
retrieve into the actual figure 8. An
aggressive following musky is usually
locked-on to your lure and the
movement. If that lure movement is
suddenly interrupted or stopped, the
fish is likely to lose that intensity and
bolt off. However, a steady, even
uninterrupted movement transitioning
into a big figure 8 is apt to keep the fish
locked-on.
If you’ve successfully kept the fish’s
interest into the actual figure 8, then
the next step of the process begins.
Now, put all your effort into making this
as easy as possible for the fish to
follow, overtake and eat your lure. Use
every bit of the rod length to create a
LARGE figure 8 with wide ROUND turns.
Don’t do anything abrupt. Make it easy
Joe hoists a 54.5” musky taken on a Figure 8!
for this fish to take the lure. However,
keep a close eye on lure speed. A big
drop in speed might decrease the fish’s
desire to chase. If anything, speed it up
a bit. Especially when pulling the lure
into the turn of “the 8”.
Also, try to actually read the mood of
the individual fish as you go thru the
figure 8 process. If you are observant,
you will see what the fish likes the
most. It might be a sudden burst of
speed. Sometimes plummeting your rod
tip deeper in the water creates more
desire from the fish. Try a number of
things. By the way, speaking of rod tips
in the water – generally a rod tip in the
water with a deeper “8” is more
Joe (left) and Spence Petros demonstrate the art of the Figure 8.
effective than a shallow “8”. Novice
anglers are often shy about dipping that
rod tip into the water on “the 8”, but I
can assure you this does not spook a
musky. In fact, I think it might even
excite them more. My theory here is the
fish simply looks at the rod tip as a
stick, a weed or something else that is
non-threatening. When a musky is hot
on your bait, it doesn’t seem to even be
aware of the rod tip in front of the lure.
It is so locked-on the bait that nothing
else matters.
A final trick is to pull extra hard and
deep on the figure 8 turns, and then lift
the lure up shallower as it goes into the
“straight away” while I look for the
following musky. If I see the fish closing
on the lure, I immediately back off on
the speed just a tad so the musky
literally overtakes it. More often than
not, the big fish will suddenly open its
mouth and engulf the lure when you do
this.
The figure 8 is one of the most unique
techniques in all of sport angling. Once
you master it, you will catch a lot more
muskies and enjoy a level of success in
the sport of musky fishing that few
experience. Take the time to master the
art of the figure 8 and you’ll soon
discover it is one deadly way to trigger
strikes from big toothy fish.
5
Stories From our Readers
The Occasional
Fishergirl
by Debra Cranford
I
have been fishing before. A few
times as a child in North Carolina.
When I was terrified of catching a
fish because every adult around me
said I would have to clean and eat
it...waste not!
And a handful of times in California. The
first time I was told to choose my bait? I
was so relieved I had a choice and
didn't have to use poor worms that I
chose the prettiest of all baits...a little
jar of pinkish-orange salmon eggs.
Seems fish in the lakes and rivers of
California don't really like pretty. But
whenever I fished that was the bait I
used. Tiny, tiny little salmon eggs.
Just one. I never doubled up. I never
caught a fish, I never even got a nibble.
Sometimes I would kinda mumble "got
a nibble" or "the fish don't seem to be
biting today" but I never really lost a
pink egg. It was always there....bright
and shiny when I reeled in my hook.
And that was another thing, CASTING. I
was a great caster! I would cast my line
and then quickly, I mean very, very fast,
reel it in. If any fish wanted my pretty
pinkish-orange salmon egg, they were
going to have to work for it! I thought
THAT was fishing. The baiting of the
tiniest hook with the tiniest of pink egg
and then throwing the line out and
reeling it in fast and inspecting the egg
for nibbles and mumbling my phrase of
choice. When my arm was tired I would
read my book a while, sunbathe and
then do it all over again.
Then I was asked to go fishing while
vacationing in Wisconsin. I knew how to
fish, no big deal. I had no idea what
they meant when they asked what hand
I cranked with. I was in the middle of
explaining why I thought salmon eggs
were the best bait. So, when everyone
stopped talking and looked at me, I
picked a hand. I had no idea what
6
cranking he was talking about. I found
out what he meant on the first day of
fishing when he handed me a pole that
he had put together especially for me.
Fortunately, I found out I was a ambidextrous cranker and a left-handed
reel worked fine for me.
At 7 in the morning, in a small boat, in
the middle of the lake, they each
opened their own personal bucket of
worms. Now, I have seen plenty of
worms before. But the worms I had
seen lying pale and small on the city
sidewalks in California, after a small
rain, were sickly compared to these
huge fat worms. They looked like fat
baby snakes. They were so big they
were only using a half of a worm at a
time. So, not only was I expected to
use live bait and drown them after
piercing them many times, I was
expected to tear them apart first.
Fortunately, or maybe it was the pale
look on my face I get when I have
vomit burning the back of my throat,
one of my fellow fisherman offered to
bait my hook. I quickly said yes; my
first test and I failed! But I didn't care
much right then. I just wanted to hurry
and drown the half worm wriggling on
my hook so I wouldn't have to see its
suffering anymore. It was the kindest
thing to do.
And no casting. The only thing I was
good at. The fishermen explained
about fishing in the shadow of the
boat, how the fish have poor eyesight
and the sun hurts their eyes and that
they will look for shade. So we just
dropped hooks, no bobbers or
anything! In about 15 feet of water.
And I am thinking, wow, these people
have some strange fishing ideas.
Seconds later I felt my first nibble and
man, was it a nibble! It was a hard,
quick jerk. I had been reading about
the huge sturgeon and muskies in the
lakes of Wisconsin. I thought oh no,
OH NO! I caught a man-size one! A
man-sized one with teeth! For a brief
second, I seriously considered
throwing the pole in the water and
letting the toothy man-sized fish have
it. I did NOT want to see what size of
fish could pull that hard.
But I was brave, I quickly pulled on my
pole and reeled in the cutest little pike
that I had ever seen. It was little more
than palm sized and was so pretty
hanging in the air as I swung my pole
around so everyone could see it. That's
when I realized I had hooked his eye!
My first fish, and as I struggled to get
the hook out I was glad I was wearing
sunglasses so his one good eye couldn't
see my tears. The same hook-baiting
fisherman finally had to remove the
hook for me. I prayed I wouldn't catch
any more. He patted me on the back
and said "good job" and damn if he
didn't quickly bait my hook again! I
glared at him. He didn't notice. They
were all laughing about my fish eye.
Seconds later I felt another big tug. I
quickly reeled in my hook, hoping to
scare the fish away. But nope, I snagged
the second one in the tail fin. The other
three fishermen got another good laugh
about that one too, seemed they
thought the tail fin was even funnier. I
didn't cry about that one. He seemed
pretty calm about it too. Just swam
away. Unlike the one I caught in the
eye, that one had kinda just floated
away, one fin in the air as it rolled on its
side. The third one I caught in the side.
Actually, in the belly, truth be told. This
seemed to get the boat a rockin' they
were laughing so much. That fish also
handled it pretty well and calmly swam
away after I unhooked him. I needed a
drink, preferably vodka. It was 0730.
The rest of the morning I learned how to
fish the proper way. I didn't drop a line
that wasn't quickly nibbled on. I learned
how to bait my own hook and set the
hook when I got a nibble. Not just jerk
on it so it would hook the poor fish
anywhere. I learned how to hold the fish
when I was removing a hook to cause
the least damage. I learned how to tell a
pike from a bass; ok, that one took
time. I just waited until someone said
"you caught a big mouth bass" or "what
a good-sized pike", before I knew what
it was. I learned how to measure size
and most importantly I learned how to
Stories From our Readers
reel 'em in when they wanted to run the
line. The biggest one I caught was 16
inches and it was my finest moment. I
actually wanted to kiss it before letting
it go. I didn't, but I wanted to for a brief,
really brief second. I even suggested
after 5 hours we go back to the bait
store and buy leeches and fish longer.
That was quickly discouraged!
I had a great time.
That afternoon, I went to Hayward,
Wisconsin's Fresh Water Fishing Hall of
Fame. I am so glad I went fishing first!
Otherwise, I would have NEVER tried to
catch anything in those lakes. As you
approach the museum you notice the
giant Musky that is four and half stories
tall. It has stairs so that 20 people can
climb to the top and stand in his toothy
mouth. I am sure it can be seen by
anyone orbiting in space. No wonder
there are so many UFO sitings in
Wisconsin. The aliens want to get a
better look at our wildlife. They won’t
attack us. They think we have giant fish,
with teeth, to protect us! It is a
wonderful museum full of interesting
facts and stories. But when I saw the
Walking Catfish, I actually thought it
was a prank. "Walking Catfish," how
funny. I read the little blurb beneath the
mounted catfish hanging on the wall. It
said that these walking catfish can walk
on land and look for other waterways.
Apparently, these fish can swim to the
shore and then walk around and just
jump back in the lake whenever they
want! What a cute story. The horror I
felt later that day when I googled
"walking catfish" and watched videos of
them and realized it was true! I thought
I could get in a boat, travel to the
middle of the lake and fish and release,
fish and release, kind of tease them.
Then go safely back to shore and feel a
little superior about my walking ability
and my breathing out-of-water aptitude.
I mean, its not like they can come after
you once you are on dry ground, hah!
The rest of that week I kept an eye out
(and down) for any fish that happened
to be walking along the sidewalk. I was
positive I would see a few. I mean, I was
sure the fish I had caught and released
had complained to their walking catfish
friends, giving them my description. I
mean I had looked them all in the eyes
or eye in one case.
Overall, I had a great time fishing. When
I came back to California and insisted I
take my pink FISHERGIRL pole and hit
the waters. I insisted on nightcrawlers
while everyone else used salmon eggs. I
insisted on fishing shallow when
everyone else wanted to fish in 90 feet
of water. I insisted on fishing in the
shade of the boat while everyone else
was casting. And guess who caught the
one and only fish of the day? Yep, me.
(But, I am still scared to Google
"walking catfish in California" just in
case we have our own version of them. I
would rather not know!)
Nation’s Largest Crappie Contest to be held on Wisconsin Opener
Over 30,000 anglers are expected to
take to the early spring waters of
Hayward, Wisconsin, for an opening day
fishing extravaganza to celebrate the
Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame’s
inaugural “2010 Hayward Crappie
Contest” event.
The FWFHOF is prepared to welcome
anglers of all ages and skill levels for
the May 1, 2010 event. Encompassing
hundreds of qualifying lakes in Sawyer
County, anglers will have the opportunity to experience a true opening day
tradition while angling for a chance at
$11,000 in prize money and awards.
weigh-in scheduled for 2 p.m. that
afternoon. Nationally-recognized
sportsman Ron Schara is scheduled to
emcee the event and present awards to
contest winners. Held in the style and
glitz of other large weigh-in events, the
2010 Hayward Crappie Contest will
culminate with a ticker-tape awards
ceremony at the FWFHOF grounds.
The FWFHOF will kick off the weekend
with a crappie contest banquet Friday,
April 30, 2010 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at
the Original Famous Dave’s restaurant
in Hayward. Banquet registrations are
currently available and seating is
limited. To RSVP contact the FWFHOF at
(715) 634-4440.
Registrations will be available beginning
April 1 exclusively at Holiday
Stationstores locations in Duluth, Minn.
and others south along U.S. Interstate
35. Registrations will also be available
at most Holiday Stationstores in
western and northwest Wisconsin. At a
cost of $10, the registration is only valid
during the one-day event beginning at
midnight May 1 and ending with the
7
Al and Ron Lindner Celebrate 40 Years of TV Sportfishing
W
hat is the driving force
behind Al and Ron Lindner’s
relentless love for the sport
of fishing? And what has propelled
their 40 years of educating anglers on
how to catch fish?
Al Lindner
Drawing is Held
Brainerd, MN — While the name of the
show has changed several times over
the past four decades, Al Lindner is still
sporting his trademark smile and beard,
and his desire to educate anglers on
how to catch fish remains a constant.
In 1970, three years after returning
from Viet Nam, a 25-year-old Al Lindner
first appeared on his own television
show sharing his love and passion for
the sport of fishing. The show was
filmed and directed by his brother Ron
Lindner, and included his young 10-yearold nephew, James Lindner. This first
family of fishing has continued to
inspire anglers on-air every year without
fail ever since.
In those early days, Al and Ron
showcased truly groundbreaking fishing
information via spectacular underwater
action footage of lures and fish, while
pioneering the capture of actual live
strikes. Graphically, they explained the
relationship between underwater
structure and proper lure presentation
and over the years introduced viewers
to an array of new angling products like
graphite rods, flashers, paper graphs,
LCDs, underwater cameras, GPS,
electronic mapping and side imaging.
This highly educational format became
their hallmark and continues today.
Not surprisingly, viewers and marketing
partners continue to come back year
after year. When the Lindners began
their television career, their original
sponsors included outdoor industry
giants Rapala, MinnKota, Lund, and
Mercury—these same folks are still on
the air with the Lindners in 2010.
“Over the past 40 years, Al and Ron
Lindner have contributed greatly to the
growth of the Rapala brand and the
Rapala business. The Lindners flat-out
know how to catch fish, and when they
catch them with our lures on television,
their enthusiasm is SO GENUINE—IT'S
8
CONTAGIOUS! Anglers trust and believe
in these guys. At Rapala, we share their
passion for the sport of fishing and
really appreciate our friendship and
partnership. It's been a good run
together, but it's far from over -- we still
have more great years ahead.”
–Tom Mackin, President, Rapala USA
In order to keep the show fresh, the
creative forces behind Lindner’s award
winning programming, Al, Ron, Daniel
and James Lindner work with their
staff, expert anglers, friends and family
alike. The synergy that is created
keeps the show on the cutting edge of
fishing.
At the end of every episode the
Lindners share a short inspirational
message that has touched many lives
across the country evidenced by
letters like the following:
“…my wife and I were watching
Lindner’s Fishing Edge tonight and were
both moved by that famous last two
minutes of the show. At a time when
the economy has seemingly imploded,
business is straining and it’s so easy to
say the glass is half empty, it sure is a
timely reminder of where our attention
should be fastened…in all of this—it’s a
timely re-focus.” –Jeff K., Wisconsin
The Lindners celebrated their 40th
season on television when Lindner’s
Angling Edge premiered Saturday
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:00 AM Eastern
time on Versus. Check local listings for
Lindner’s Fishing Edge schedule.
Hall member Robert (Bob) Taylor of
Circle Pines, Minnesota is the lucky
winner for 2010. As part of our
"membership drive" during 2009, we
were very fortunate to be able to offer a
drawing for a day of fishing with
Legendary Angler (and Hall Enshrinee)
Al Lindner. This exclusive drawing was
part of several incentives upgrading our
membership program. Through this
particular drawing, we were able to add
many new members to our roles.
Additionally, quite a few of our existing
members upgraded their membership
as well. Thank you to all who took part
in this program.
Al has very graciously agreed to do it
again for 2011. Thanks again, Al and
congratulations to Bob. It could be you
next year!
Hall Awards
Committee to Meet
On August 16th, 17th and 18th our
annual selection meeting will be held in
Hayward, Wisconsin. At this meeting
our selections in the categories of
Enshrinement, Legendary Angler,
Legendary Artist, Legendary Communicator, Legendary Guide, Organization/
Governmental and Special Recognition
for 2011 will be determined.
Our awards recognition program is a
core mission of the Hall. In fact, it is our
namesake! About a dozen talented and
dedicated individuals representing a
broad cross-section of the fresh water
sportfishing industry comprise the
committee.
If you know someone who should be
considered for "induction" the
nomination process is quite simple. Just
go to our website at www.freshwaterfishing.org and click on Enshrinement/Induction and follow the prompts.
If you prefer, your may call us at
715.634.4440 as well.
There is only one way to get in to the
Fishing Hall of Fame - you have to be
nominated!
Chris Slusar
Folk Art
F
or most of my collecting life, the
folk art lure has received only
token attention. Frequently
boxed away, buried in the bottom of a
tackle box or stored on some back
shelf, these creative gems have not
always seen the respect paid to the
productions of the larger tackle
manufacturers. In recent years,
however, folk art items have grabbed
the attention of many collectors.
years back I recall seeing a wooden
bodied lure with an internal wind-up
propeller mechanism, probably dating
to the 1920’s or 1930’s. The piece was
intended to cruise through the water
on its own power and even had some
moving appendages. I’d seen watch
mechanisms less complex! Needless
to say, the collector community found
great interest and piece traded for
over $500.
Folk art tackle is a bit difficult to define.
As a starting point, I found the following
description interesting: Art originating
among the common people of a nation
or region and usually reflecting their
traditional culture, especially everyday
or festive items produced or decorated
by unschooled artists. Wow! That’s a
mouthful! Breaking it down a little,
collectible folk pieces were typically
manufactured for a specific or limited
use. In the world of lure collecting, a
folk piece, often referred to as a
“homemade,” was usually built for the
individual maker or sometimes a friend
or family member, making for very low
production quantities. Most typically,
these creations were very utilitarian, as
opposed to simply decorative. Many
folks just didn’t have the money to buy
from the better known manufacturers
and elected instead to build there own.
By their nature, most folk pieces are
difficult to identify. Often, even when
the maker is known, little value is
added. For the collector, most value is
continued on page 4
Although many homemade pieces find
there way into collections because of
their refinement, many more are found
desirable purely on their oddity and
ingenuity. There is no end to what
creative fishermen have designed and
built over the years. You’ve got to
wonder sometimes if it was really worth
the effort!
Among my favorites are those that
employ mechanics (e.g. springs, gears),
unique materials, complex designs or
paint schemes. At a swap meet a few
Can you ID?
This spring-loaded, weedless piece is thought to date to the
1930’s or 1940’s. Although its condition is a bit rough, the
action and design make it desirable. It is valued at $25$40.
This jointed lure is known to exist in a few different color
schemes and was likely produced in the 1950’s or possibly
the early 1960’s. It is valued at $40-$75.
The following was brought to me for
identification during a recent
sporting collectibles show:
Incorporating design elements of the better known Heddon
Crazy Crawler, this folk art classic likely dates to the
1950’s. It is valued at $15-$25.
This cheater decoy was made by
Frank Mizera, Ely, Minnesota,
probably during the late 1950’s to
early 1960’s. As decoys were
intended to attract fish, not hook
them, this little guy gets its
“cheater” name from the addition of
treble hooks. The value of this piece
is $25-$40.
Made from cork with aluminum props, this musky bait was
found in southeastern Wisconsin and likely dates to the
1960’s. It is valued at $40-$60.
Please do forward your questions or
requests for identification to
slusar@wi.rr.com. Alternatively, send
your queries to Chris Slusar in care
of the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of
Fame.
Until next time, enjoy an old lure!
Dating to the 1900-1915 era, this 3 hook gem mimics
certain of the early commercial minnows of the period. It is
valued at $75-$125.
9
2010 Hall Mega Raffle
Although last year's trip package Mega Raffle enjoyed great
success, we have decided to go back to the fishing boat format.
Afterall, we are the Fishing Hall of Fame not the Trip Hall of Fame!
This year's boat is sponsored by Lund Boats and Mercury Marine. It
is a fishing package that includes a 1625 Rebel XL Lund boat/
trailer, live well, MotorGuide bow-mount trolling motor, pedestal
seats, a Humminbird sonar unit and much more. It is powered by a
Mercury 60hp motor with power trim and tilt. What a great prize for some lucky individual!
Tickets will be priced, as they have in past, at $5 each or $10 for a card of 4 chances. Tickets will be available at the Hall and on
our website beginning April 15th.
A tremendous thank you goes to Lund Boats and Mercury Marine for their tremendous support. Thank you to all who have
supported us in the past. It is much appreciated!
The Future of the Great Lakes Fishery
Indiana Sea Grant suggesting that Asian
carp would have difficulty becoming
established in the Great Lakes. Today’s
Great Lakes are not as fertile as in the
past. Even a six inch alewife is having a
hard time finding enough plankton to
feed on. It is hard to imagine fish that
grows as big as Asian carp will find
enough food to prosper in the Great
Lakes.
Will the Asian carp be able to
reproduce in The Great Lakes?
When spawning, Asian carp need 60
miles of free flowing, slow moving rivers
to successfully reproduce. Their
fertilized eggs must suspend and drift
with the current. If the eggs drop to the
bottom of the river and get covered
with sediment they will not hatch. The
Great Lakes may not have the
environment the Asian carp need to
reproduce.
Is there a solution to the problem?
Nobody really knows the answers to
these questions or even can make an
accurate prediction on what kind of an
impact the Asian carp will have on the
Great Lakes fishery. However, it is a
sure bet the ideas that are being
proposed will be at a great cost to
Illinois and could be very detrimental
the Chicagoland area.
continued from page 4
food. Tiger and pure muskies might be
a good selection since they are a large
top predator and could forage on the
younger Asian carp. Muskies have been
used to control rough fish and could
help control the Asian carp population.
This would open up new sport fishing
opportunities to anglers.
At present, we are not utilizing the vast
quantities of Asian carp that are in our
Midwest river systems. We need to
expand the market and increase
commercial harvesting of the adult
Asian carp. Asian carp are considered
to be a delicacy in the Asian community. Organic farmers on the West Coast
are currently using Asian carp as
fertilizer to grow food. Asian carp can
be used in dog and cat food and live
stock feed. If Asian carp contain Omega
3 fish oil, then pharmaceutical
companies might want to use them as a
heart supplement product.
This may be a good time to reverse a
bad situation and turn it into something
more positive.
New fish processing facilities could be
started throughout the Midwest and
perhaps the Army Corp of Engineers
could hire commercial fisherman to
harvest the Asian carp. The research on
the muskies and the expanded stocking
could be handled by the IDNR and
Project Green Genes. Congress may
appropriate federal money to subsidize
these programs. These solutions could
help solve the Asian carp problem in a
natural way and create new jobs to help
our dismal economy.
A first step would be to start a study on
finding what kinds of predator game
fish could best utilize Asian carp as
Can we improve the
salmon and trout fishery?
Today, most of the salmon and trout are
10
pen raised in fish hatcheries, loaded
into trucks and are released directly
into the harbors. The toll is extremely
high because seagulls and predator fish
prey upon these young fingerlings. Also,
anglers fishing for perch catch a lot of
these undersized fish. Their mortality is
extremely high. When the salmon
fishery first started in Illinois, the
Illinois D.N.R. biologists did not know if
salmon would survive and imprint in the
Chicago harbors. The Salmon Unlimited
fishing club solved this problem by
building floating cages. This allowed the
young salmon to become acclimated
and become imprinted to the harbor
water. The caged fish were constantly
fed and grew larger and stronger. This
resulted in starting a great Illinois
salmon fishery. We should again try the
cage system. However in today’s times,
the fish should be released in the open
lake instead of the harbors. This would
insure a better survival and improve our
salmon and trout fishery.
Folk Art from page 9
determined through aesthetics.
Today, the more complex and better
made folk art pieces are quite sought
after. As you might expect, the market
for such pieces is much less defined
than that of the major manufacturers
and typically quite subjective.
Accordingly, if you think you have a
special item and are uncertain as to
value, you may want to solicit multiple
valuations. As usual, the author is
always happy to provide an opinion.
Hall Announces New Program
How many of you remember the first fish you caught, or more importantly,
remember the first time you ever went fishing? Almost everyone, I'll bet. For
me, it was on Powers Lake near Burlington, Wisconsin. Our quarry was the
majestic bluegill. I still remember the 15 or so mile drive from Burlington, with
"cane poles" lashed to the side of my father's ‘57 Packard. That was over 50
years ago and it seems like yesterday!
However, I don't think I ever formally thanked him for starting me on this
great voyage. You may also be in a similar situation. Now we have a means to
purposely and formally thank those who have taken the time to introduce us
to the wonderful world of fresh water sportfishing.
Past transgressions can be easily remedied! For only $10 the Hall will lead
you to the road of redemption. Please take a look at the accompanying
"Take a Kid Fishin'" certificate. It says it all and would be a fitting gift for
that very special person who took you to your first fishin' hole.
These certificates are available on our website (on-line Store) at www.freshwater-fishing.org or by
calling us at 715.634.4440. If you like you can fill in the information yourself or we can do it for you.
Although my father has passed away, I am going to reserve one and have it framed with one of his fishing pictures. I wish this program
would have been around 50 years ago!
This program is the brainchild of our Awards Committee and especially Elmer Guerri. Thank you so much.
–Editor
World Angling Records Granted
DIVISION #4 – ICE FISHING, TIP-UP
Line
Lbs./
Class
Ozs. Angler
Where Caught
Date
Heaviest 7-5
Todd
Spectacle Pond,
1/23/10
(only)
Matera
Massachusetts, USA
2nd QUARTER - 2010 UPDATE
NOTE: World angling records are updated quarterly and the ultimate synthesis is
published annually in book form each April, distributed free to members, media,
manufacturers and world fisheries as a public service.
Fish
EEL/
American
NOTICE TO REPRINT
©COPYRIGHT 2010 FRESH WATER FISHING HALL OF FAME. Excerpts or whole may be reprinted without
written permission as public information only, but not for commercial profit purpose. The source of this
information must be credited to the Fishing Hall of Fame in a type size readably noticeable or as the
contents of the companion text.
“Kept” World Records List
Fish
CHUB, Utah
CRAPPIE/
Black
DIVISION #4 – ICE FISHING, POLE/LINE
Line
Lbs./
Class
Ozs. Angler
Where Caught
All Tackle 2-12 Alfred
Lake Walcott,
Woolstenhulme
Idaho, USA
Heaviest
(only)
3-12
Peter
Rupnow
Big Cedar Lake,
Wisconsin, USA
Date
2/7/10
12/30/09
“C&R” World Records List
DIVISION #1 – ROD/REEL
Fish
BASS/
Smallmouth
Line
Class
10 lb.
Length Angler
23” David
Mohler
Where Caught
Willard Lake,
Ontario, Canada
Date
9/5/09
DIVISION #2 – FLY FISHING
Fish
TROUT/
Brown
Line
Class
12 lb.
Tippet
Length Angler
34” Matt
Lenz
Where Caught
Oak Creek,
Wisconsin, USA
Date
9/7/09
Peter Rupnow Black
Crappie, 3-12, Big Cedar
Lake, WI, 12/30/09.
David Mohler Smallmouth
Bass, 23”, Willard Lake,
Ontario, Canada, 9/5/09.
Matt Lenz Brown Trout, 34”, Oak
Creek, WI, 9/7/09
Alfred Woolstenhulme
Utah Chub, 2-12, Lake
Walcott, ID, 2/7/10.
Todd Matera American Eel,
7-5, Spectacle Pond, MA,
1/23/10.
11
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 3
HAYWARD, WI 54843
Return Service Requested
Fresh Water Fishing
Hall of Fame & Museum
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Phone 715/634-4440
A NON-PROFIT MUSEUM-EDUCATION ORGANIZATION
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and Accomplishment, Official Qualifier and Recorder of World Fresh Water Sportfishing Records,
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