MUSKIE Magazine

Transcription

MUSKIE Magazine

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

MUSKIE Magazine

Transcription

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