MUSKIE Magazine

Transcription

MUSKIE Magazine

Photo Contest – August
▲
by Brad Waldera, Photo Editor • [email protected]
Photo #1 Here is a terrific picture of
Chapter 15 members Reid and Zach Shofner
"waiting for the muskie season". It reminds me of
the days when having a coffee can full of worms
and a fishing rod was about the best time you
could ever have at the lake. Gary Shofner took this
photo in late May 2009; I really appreciate him
sending it in. This is exactly how many of us began
fishing. Muskies, Inc. does many youth-oriented
activities, but many people don’t seem to hear
about them, nor do we promote them as much as
we should. I hope we do a better job of this in the
years to come. Who knows, maybe one of these
guys will grow up to be the President of our organization someday. Thanks for the photo Gary.
▲
Photo #2 Capitol City Chapter member
Michael Winther took this beautiful photo of a loon
family earlier this year in the Park Rapids,
Minnesota area. The baby loon is getting a ride
from the loon on the right, and at first glance
blends in really well and is tough to see. It’s a tall
order to get close enough to loons to get detailed
shots like this; Michael said he needed a 200mm
zoom lens. He also said the baby loon in this
photo was quite young. Thanks for the great shot
Michael - keep them coming.
Check out the
Muskies, Inc.
Membership
Challenge
on page 14.
One winner will
take home more than
70 awesome prizes,
including over 50
muskie lures, other
great tackle items,
and a guided
muskie trip on
Green Bay!
MUSKIE magazine is published monthly and is the
Official Publication of Muskies, Inc. International
Office: Ellen Wells, International Sec., 1509 Stahl
Road, Sheboygan, WI 53081. Ph: 1-888-710-8286.
© Copyright 2009 by Muskies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents
MUSKIE • VOL. 43, NO. 8
Departments
IFC Photo Contest, Brad Waldera
2 President’s Message,
Dan Narsete
Features
3 Magazine Notes, Juris Ozols
3 Index of Advertisers
11 A Population Assessment of Leech Lake
Muskellunge, Doug Schultz and John Skarie
4 MUSKIE News
4 Donations
15 DNR At Work [Centerfold Photo Collage],
Juris Ozols
7 Figure 8, Kevin Richards
8 Lunge Log, Jim Bunch
18 The Changing World of Muskie Management,
Kevin Richards [Part One]
24 Chapter News and Views
22 Dog Daze Muskies, Bob Chochola
34 Member Photos
Join Muskies, Inc. ...
or give a membership
as a gift.
Regular Membership: ❑ 1 Year-$35.00 ❑ 2 Years-$65.00 ❑ 3 Years- $95.00
Family Membership: ❑ 1 Year-$47.50 ❑ 2 Years-$90.00 ❑ 3 Years-$132.50
Junior Membership (Under 18): ❑ $20.00
❑ Automatic Renewal
❑ For Muskie Research $________
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Name of Sponsor (if applicable) __________________________________
Address____________________________________________________
Sponsor’s Membership ID # ___________________________________
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Name of Spouse _____________________________________________
Chapter Affiliation Choice Number _______________________________
(to find the number of the Chapter you wish to join, see the Chapter News & Views section)
Old Address (for address change only) ___________________________
Junior Member(s)
Date of Birth (DOB)
Name ___________________________________ DOB ___________
City & State ____________________________ Zip_________
Name ___________________________________ DOB ___________
My Membership # ______________ Expiration Date _______
Name ___________________________________ DOB ___________
Check One: ❑ New Member ❑ Renewal ❑ Address Change ❑ Gift
MAIL TO MUSKIES, INC. 1509 Stahl Road
Sheboygan, WI 53081
Email ________________________
1-888-710-8286
Payment: ❑ Check or ❑ Credit Card:
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www.muskiesinc.org
August 2009.....MUSKIE 1
International
Officers
President, Dan Narsete
Email: [email protected]
Vice President/Finance, Jim Shannon
Phone: 612-670-8943
Vice President/Fisheries, Research & Youth,
Dr. Tom Betka, MD
Phone: 920-544-5868
Vice President/Internal Affairs,
Perry Peterson
Phone: 253-850-5889
Vice President/Membership & Marketing,
Greg Wells
Phone: 920-457-3720
Vice President/Communications,
Dale Vercauteren
Phone: 920-826-5810
Treasurer, Kathy Goon
Phone: 419-945-2940
Members Only Fishing Contest, Jim Bunch
Phone: 715-226-0295
Web Master, Ron Groeschl
Phone: 262-271-1002
Int. Administrative Secretary, Ellen Wells
1509 Stahl Road, Sheboygan, WI 53081
Phone: 888-710-8286
Regional Directors
Region 1
Term Expires
Brad Waldera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fall 2009
Rory Potter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2011
[ Vacant ] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2011
Region 2
Bob Timme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fall 2009
Will Schultz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2009
Fred Brogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2011
Region 3
Joel Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2009
Doug Dibble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2009
Larry Besant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2009
Region 4
Kimberly Cates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2009
Rich Gallagher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2009
Earle Hammond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2009
2 MUSKIE.....August 2009
The President’s Message
by Dan Narsete
Muskies, Inc. International President
B
ack when I was in college my management professor made an analogy of a spider
on the side of a wall bouncing up, down, and called the legs bouncing “infrastructure.” None of us were quite sure what he was smoking at the time but it illustrated the point, and provided an example that I can talk about on queue…years after the fact.
Like my crazy professor attempted to explain: every organization has a support structure to
it and Muskies Inc is no different. What I would like to inform you of is that you have
infrastructure available to you and I would urge you to use it.
For the role of communication we have Dale Vercauteren who oversees info systems
and our publications…the magazine and website. Should anyone have questions about
Muskie Magazine or our website, Dale is the man.
In Finance we have Jim Shannon who, along with the finance committee and Kathy
Goon, oversees our cashola. So if you ever wonder where our cash comes from and goes to
drop Jim an e-mail.
As a past National President Greg Wells runs our membership and marketing department. Anything having to do with corporate partnerships, membership, advertising, etc
should be directed to Greg for consideration.
If you have questions about club outings, activities, insurance, or potential conflicts,
let Perry Peterson know. Hailing from the forested North West this gentleman is the go-to
officer for what we call “internal affairs.”
Having worked for the Wisconsin game and fish, completed medical school, and now
being our “resident” expert on biology and fisheries is Dr. Tom Betka. If there is ever a
biology question floating around in your head or chapter, this is your guy.
In addition to the members of the Executive Committee we now have an additional
twelve regional directors…three for each region. These guys and gals are dedicated to being
your voice in and for Muskies Inc. Should you or your chapter run into a dilemma, call
them; they are your direct voice on the national board of directors. We are also fortunate
enough to have Ellen Wells as our national secretary who takes care of all of the stuff not
listed above.
Now that you have the spider legs of support don’t hesitate to contact any of the people listed in this article as they are all there for a reason. Many times people will send me emails on a wide variety of issues and I turn right around and forward them to the officers
listed above. Given we have gone over the structure of the organization I’m out of space to
keep talking on. Enjoy the rest of the summer and be safe out there!
Until we meet again - tight lines, Dan ❖
EDITOR
Kevin Richards
7618 Sunrise Ridge Road
Henley, MO 65040
Phone: (573) 280-2300
Each August we traditionally feature the
annual Muskies, Inc. Commemorative
Lure on our cover. We started in 2003
with the classic Hawg Wobbler followed in the succeeding years by the
Crane Bait, Grandma, Suick, Phantom,
and the Bucher DepthRaider in 2008.
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Juris Ozols
Phone: (612) 747-0178
PHOTO CONTEST EDITOR
Brad Waldera
Phone: (701) 642-1952
Our 2009 lure is a limited edition
“Jones Special” from Jones Baits
(www.jonesbaits.com) of Pennsboro,
WV. These 300 signed and numbered
baits will come in a wooden box and
will be available for shipment in
September. See the ad on page 14
for more details.
LUNGE LOG EDITOR
Jim Bunch
Phone: (715) 226-0295
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
David Cates
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
BIG WOOD MUSKY LURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
DUCKTAIL LURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
FIRST WISCONSIN 33RD ANNUAL TOURNAMENT . . . . . . 12
42ND ANNUAL FRANK SCHNEIDER, JR.
MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
JOE BUCHER OUTDOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
LAC SEUL FLOATING LODGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
M.I. 2009 COMMEMORATIVE LURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
POMME DE TERRE 35TH ANNUAL TOURNAMENT . . . . . 6
ST. CROIX RODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
TACKLE DIRECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
TAYLOR COUNTY TOURISM COMMISSION . . . . . . . . . . . 5
TILKY’S M.I. MEMBERSHIP CHALLENGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
WEBSTER LAKE 6TH ANNUAL TOURNAMENT . . . . . . . . . . 6
YOUNG'S WILDERNESS CAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
www.muskiesinc.org
ADVERTISING SALES TEAM
Kevin Richards, Editor / Ad Manager
Phone: (573) 280-2300
Paul Baker, Advertising Sales Representative
Phone: (701) 866-9393
PRINTING ACCOUNT MANAGER
Sunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - Stacey Thielen
MAGAZINE DESIGN
Sunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - John Windschitl
ILLUSTRATORS/CARTOONISTS
Richard Gross, Sherry Hunt, Charles Weiss
FIELD EDITORS
Patricia Strutz, Colby Simms, Sean Landsman,
Adam Glickman, Bob Chochola,Steve Budnik
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 AG A Z I N E N O T E S ◆ M AG A Z I N E N O T E S ◆ M AG A Z I N E N O T E S ◆ I N D E X O F A DV E R T I S E R S
MUSKIE Magazine Staff
ABOUT THE COVER
M U S K I E N E WS ◆ M U S K I E N E WS ◆ M U S K I E N E WS ◆ M U S K I E N E WS ◆ M U S K I E N E WS
President’s Award Winner for 2008
From Dale Vercauteren, VP of Communications
The President’s Award winner for 2008 was selected and presented with his trophy at the Titletown Chapter of Muskies, Inc. awards
banquet. The winner is an outstanding member of Muskies, Inc. in
every way. He is constantly using his skills as a carpenter to manufacture gifts not only for our banquets and fundraisers but also for
national fundraising projects. He also is constantly promoting
Muskies, Inc. in every way possible. He raises money for scholarships,
for tournaments, and for fundraisers. He is constantly working with
youth and youth programs.
I can speak for many people in our organization when I say I am
proud to call him a friend and proud to be associated with him. If
you see him around thank him for all his great work. The gentleman
I am talking about is Ron Myslik. His award reads, “The 2008
President’s Award Winner Ron Myslik - For being an outstanding
member of Muskies, Inc.”
To enter a member of your chapter for the 2009 President’s
Award all you have to do is write a letter and send it to me explaining
this member’s outstanding accomplishments. A committee will go
through these letters and select next year’s President’s Award winner.
Special thanks to Joe Fittante from Fittante Replicas
for providing the fantastic trophy!
VP Dale Vercauteren presenting the award to Ron Myslik (on right)
D O N AT I O N S
JUNE 2009
Special thanks to every donor!
Greg Adams
Loren Gruber
David Hardt
Dana Hubbard
Tim Gilbert
Lake Vermilion Guide League
James McGeorge
Richard Mech
Eugene Merrill
Gregory Pagni
Mike Phelps
Ron Rodak
M U S K I E N E WS ◆ M U S K I E N E WS ◆ M U S K I E N E WS ◆ M U S K I E N E WS ◆ M U S K I E N E WS
Thanks from Kentucky
Here’s a great note which Ellen Wells received.
It certainly highlights the benefits of working with our state and
federal agencies and fits right in with this issue of MUSKIE.
others
What we do for ourselves dies with us; what we do for
and the world is immortal and remains. - Albert Pine.
26 June 2009
Dear Friends and Supporters at Muskies, Inc,
at
Thank you for supporting the 2009 Kids’ Fishing Derby
e,
Servic
t
Fores
A
USD
The
ery.
The Minor E Clark Fish Hatch
Corps
Army
US
and
rces,
Resou
ife
Wildl
and
KY Dept. of Fish
ors and
of Engineers truly appreciate the generosity of all spons
Derby
g
Fishin
The
le.
volunteers who make this event possib
tic
brings the community together and provides a fantas
ation.
gener
new
a
with
g
fishin
of
sport
the
opportunity to share
participate,
Two-hundred-forty-one young anglers registered to
Fishing
Kids’
2009
the
ed
attend
e
peopl
500
and a total of over
Derby.
; we look forWe appreciate your support of this wonderful event
g Derby.
Fishin
ward your continued support for the 2010 Kids’
Sincerely,
J. David Manner, Ranger
Cumberland Ranger District
USDA Forest Service
Fred Howes
KY Department of Fish and
Wildlife Resources
Brian Given
US Army Corps of Engineers
Muskie Democracy In Action!
How about this shot of the Region 3
Directors deciding which of their terms were
to be 1 year, 2 year, and 3 year! Thanks to
Larry Besant for sharing this smile-maker!
www.muskiesinc.org
6th ANNUAL CASH TOURNAMENT
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH AND 13TH, 2009
$200 ENTRY FEE FOR BOTH EVENTS:
BARBEE CHAIN OF LAKES ON SATURDAY
AND WEBSTER LAKE ON SUNDAY.
FISHING TIMES 6AM TIL 3PM. MUST BE REGISTERED BY
5:30AM SATURDAY AT KUHN LAKE PUBLIC ACCESS.
Presents
ENTRY FEE INCLUDES DINNER AND CASH BAR SATURDAY NIGHT
AFTER FISHING AT THE AMERICAN LEGION IN NORTH WEBSTER.
TO PRE-REGISTER CONTACT: GARY ENOS @ 574-834-2428 OR AT: [email protected]
LIMITED TO THE FIRST 45 BOATS. PAYOUTS BASED ON NUMBER OF TEAMS.
***FULL FIELD PAYOUT TO 6TH PLACE *** 2 PERSON TEAMS ONLY *** VOLUNTARY $10 BIG FISH POT***
COMPLETE TOURNAMENT RULES AND MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: WWW.WEBSTERLAKEMUSKYCLUB.NET
***FREE LAX REPRODUCTION OR $150 CASH FOR LARGEST MUSKIE RELEASE ***
FIGURE 8 ◆
8 Figure 8 8
by Kevin Richards
[email protected]
Anticipation!
☞
Proper Muskie
Holding Techniques
for MUSKIE Magazine Photos
including Covers, Article Support,
Photo Contest Entries
& Member Photos
www.muskiesinc.org
PROPER MUSKIE HOLDING TECHNIQUES
In my opinion it’s the anticipation of big
muskies and the next muskie fishing adventure
that keeps many of us going, even when fishing
is tough.
I find myself preparing and dreaming about
my next big muskie adventure months in
advance; packing tackle, working on the boat,
greasing reels, and looking at my maps. When
the trip comes to an end I spend almost as many
months reflecting upon the trip, the fish encountered, and the good time spent with friends and
family.
This past year brought a new form of
muskie anticipation for my fishing buddy,
Miller, and for me and his family. The release
shot which has appeared at the top of this column for the past year is the awesome 53-incher
Miller caught last summer at Lac Seul. He
decided to have a replica made by MUSKIE
Magazine advertiser Joe Fittante. Joe does fan-
After the thrill of catching your next
muskie do your best to carefully release it to
fight another day; the future of our muskie
resource will literally be in your hands!
- Kevin
FIGURE 8 ◆
This issue of MUSKIE Magazine is a bit different than most. While we still have all our regular departments, including 18 chapter reports,
we only have one “fishing” story. The rest of this
issue is focused on updating you, our readers,
about some of the good work our fisheries agencies are doing to maintain and enhance muskie
populations and muskie fishing opportunities.
The agencies responded so well to my request for
information that not all the reports would fit
into this issue, but you’ll see them in the next
month or two.
tastic work and Miller’s muskie was no exception. However, the shot I’m sharing here gives
a bit of insight as to just how excited Miller
was – he even had his daughter Lisa taking
photos as he unpacked the box from Fittante!
Fittante Replicas is the next recipient of
my Editor’s Choice Award. Even though I
don’t have a Fittante Replica yet I hope one
is on the horizon for me. In the interim
I will have to be satisfied with being the
net man of a muskie now immortalized
by a Fittante replica.
FIGURE 8 ◆
Hope you like this issue of MUSKIE!
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
Kathy, Nick, Lexi!
Kathy Cammarata is the lady, Nick is her husband and Lexi, an
11 pound Cockapoo is the good luck charm. They all live in Cary,
Illinois and are members of Chapter 14, the South of the Border
Chapter. If you go to member maintenance you will notice Lexi is not listed, she
is simply an escort. When we received the
report of this big muskie we called the
number listed in membership. It turned
out to be the cell phone for husband Nick.
He was standing on a dock in Eagle River,
Wisconsin registering for the PMTT event
there. As usual my first question was if
they had a horizontal hold picture of this
big muskie. Nick says, “You bet. The picture is my wife with a bear hug on this
muskie and Lexi in the background.”
We would later learn that Lexi is the
family good luck charm and even when
Nick goes fishing without Kathy he usually takes Lexi. What a sight, Nick is huge at
6 foot 5 inches and the high side of 200
pounds and Lexi weighs 11 pounds.
Friends call the dog muskie bait.
Whatever, it works.
Kathy Cammarata, when she married
Nick 7 years ago, thought this muskie fishing was just a boat ride and some books
and magazines. She kind of got hooked on
the whole thing and Nick taught her how
to cast. One thing led to another and all of
a sudden we had skill and ability coming
forward. In 2008 Kathy caught a 50.5 and
a 50.25. One was on Green Bay and one
on the Fox River in the same county.
Actually they are just a short boat ride
apart. This big fish for Kathy came on
May 25, 2009 when she was 7 months
pregnant with their first child. By the way
it is a girl and will be named Tricia.
This big muskie came trolling Green
Bay. It came on a board which was the farthest out. Nick trolls six boards, so this
was one of the longest lines. Kathy’s Nick
Kathy Cammarata, Chapter 14. 53 X 23.5, 5/25/09, Green Bay, WI.
Crank Bait (Grandma). Fish I.D. 267884.
11 Pound Cockapoo is Lexi.
Tourney Muskie, No Partner!
David Gustafson’s father showed him how to fish in the 50s.
Back then equipment was pretty basic but they still caught fish. Gus
used to ride his bicycle 24 miles to Lake
Minnetonka on Saturdays. In the 70s he
caught his first muskie and has not been
the same since. David is now retired and
loving it. More time to fish. He lives on an
Island in Lake Minnetonka 20 miles west
of Minneapolis. On Lake Minnetonka he
fishes out of a pontoon. He has all of the
electronics and all the fishing attachments
needed, but they are all detachable
because when it comes time to entertain
friends on the pontoon his wife wants
them removed. On the other hand he has
the traveling Lund. This sits in the driveway at the ready. June 13th this year was
time to be at the ready. Problem was his
partner for this tournament was not at the
ready, he did not show. So Gus was at the
landing with everyone else blasting off to
far points on Lake Waconia. This lake is
10 miles west of Minnetonka. Gus was
hung up at the landing; no problem,
patience is a virtue.
Instead of blasting off, Gus stayed
right there, very close to the launch. On
the eighth cast of the day he won his 2nd
Mac Paul Hartman Series Tournament.
Mac stands for Muskie Angler Circuit.
With this muskie on and holding his
Mepps Musky Maribou he got a little
nervous about a witness. He spotted 2
guys fairly close and whistled for them to
come over. He kept whistling and ran out
of whistle because he was too excited.
David saw this strike as he saw the muskie
coming 40 feet away. He knew it was big.
Now by yourself, with rod in one hand
(Continued on page 10)
www.muskiesinc.org
calls this “search trolling”. The day before they found a 47
and a 36. They said “yes” - they stumbled onto it. What
good fortune. When they have a hit, they shut off the kicker motor and turn the trolling motor on number 3 just to
keep the lines straight. A muskie by instinct will resist the
pressure and allow the angler to bring the line in without
tangling in the other lines. Kathy says the lure was a
Grandma; the color is not for public information. I spoke to
Nick and Kathy at different times and the story was the
same. The girth was checked at 23.5 inches with a length of
53 inches. Simple math puts this muskie at 36.58 pounds.
The picture is great; I call it reality. The muskie is still trying to swim as its tail is turned back so the whole length of
tail is not showing; they have a tendency to do that. In the
background, just over Kathy’s left shoulder we find Lexi.
This little cockapoo appears to be looking out over Green
Bay wondering where this thing came from and what is
mom holding. It shows a very organized boat. Measuring device to
the right, cooler and tackle box on the left. Congrats Cammaratas on
a dandy.
LUNGE LOG
(continued from page 9)
and net in the other, things can happen, most of them bad.
Yes, a bad thing happened. In the netting attempt, the lure
hooked on the outside of the net. It was David’s lucky day,
the muskie and lure stayed in touch. He managed to flip the
net. He now had tail hanging over once side of the net and
muskie head hanging over the other side. His whistling paid
off as one of the guys from the nearby boat came flying over
the side of the boat and together they lifted this muskie into
the boat.
This whole thing was pretty neat. The two guys in the
nearby boat turned out to be brothers, in the tournament,
and present at the awards ceremony. As a matter of fact the
interview they did with David at the awards ceremony can
be seen live at MuskieFirst.com. By the way David (Gus)
won two thousand in cash and another two thousand in
prizes for a $35 entry fee. So much for splitting it with a no
show partner. When I called him the first time he did not
answer as he was adding big time electronics to his traveling
Lund. Guess where the funds for that came from!
Keep a tight line,
Jim Bunch
The Lunge Log
[email protected]
715 226-0295
David Gustafson, Twin Cities, 53 Inches, 6/13/09, Waconia, MN
Mepps Musky Marabou. Fish I.D. 268946.
Jim Bunch
The Lunge Log
[email protected]
715 226-0295
A Population Assessment
of Leech Lake Muskellunge
Using Microsatellite Genetic Markers
Doug Schultz, MNDNR Large Lake Specialist
with an introduction by John Skarie
MNDNR initiated a muskie population study on Leech Lake in
May 2009. Doug Shultz, MNDNR Large Lake Specialist, took
the time to travel to the MN Muskies, Inc. chapters last winter to
explain the study and enlist the help of Muskies, Inc. He wanted
financially assistance and volunteer labor.
The Hugh Becker Foundation and Brainerd Lakes Chapter have
supported this project financially. Members from throughout MN
chapters made the trip up to Leech in May to help MNDNR catch
muskies in trap-nets to collect eggs for the stocking program and to
start sampling individual muskies for the upcoming study.
The spring netting was a huge success - 40 muskies were sampled
with 4 females over 50” long. 300 muskies will be needed to make
the study a success in terms of having valuable data gained. The
remainder of the fish can be sampled with help from anglers
throughout the 2009 fishing season. The Gil Hamm Chapter
Challunge will be helping to provide the DNR with fish data and
scale samples this August.
Minnesota is very fortunate to have a DNR dedicated to being
proactive instead of reactive in terms of muskie management.
With our help this study should provide valuable information on
Minnesota’s most historic and important muskie lake.
Background and methods
Leech Lake is recognized throughout North America for its
trophy muskellunge fishery and supports what is arguably one the
most important muskie fisheries in Minnesota. Historically, the sport
catch from Leech Lake approximated one-half of the annual statewide
muskellunge catch. Following the identification of spawning areas,
spawn take operations were initiated to expand the
distribution of the Leech Lake muskellunge strain to
new waters, increasing muskellunge fishing opportunities within Minnesota and elsewhere. These introductions have successfully increased angler interest in
pursuing this species, as evidenced by increasing levels of angler participation in the sport.
Leech Lake continues to undergo changes as
lakeshore is developed, invasive species are introduced, and fish communities fluctuate. These effects,
either independently or cumulatively, could impact
the muskie population. In light of the importance of
this population to Minnesota’s anglers as well as the
potential stressors that could affect it, it is necessary
to describe the current status of the population so
www.muskiesinc.org
that changes to the population can be correctly recognized, causes can
be identified, and informed management actions can be taken.
The objective of this project is to estimate size of the Leech Lake
muskellunge population during 2009-2010. The DNR is not initiating this study in reaction to any perceived problem with the Leech
Lake population. This study is instead intended to proactive, using
genetic techniques just recently developed to fill in a necessary gap in
our understanding of the population for future reference. Results
from this initial study will serve as a benchmark for comparing future
estimates against. Furthermore, if this project is successful, these techniques could be applied to other large lake muskie populations.
Our methods are simple. Instead of using standard marking techniques (Floy or PIT tags, fin clips, etc.) common to mark-recapture
studies, we intend to use individual genetic fingerprints as the mark.
The benefits of this technique include not having to estimate tag loss
or angler non-reporting rates and cost-effectiveness, particularly so
because Leech Lake muskie spawning location characteristics and fish
behavior are not conducive for effective sampling with standard DNR
muskie survey gears.
We have identified minimum sample sizes of 300 fish to be
marked and 300 fish to be examined for detecting recaptures
(minimum 600 fish total per estimate attempt); however, more is
always better. Initially, the DNR, with volunteer assistance, will
attempt to mark 300 fish during spring 2009 at known spawning
locations using short-term, large-mesh gillnet sets. We would rely on
angler-submitted scale samples from fish caught throughout the 2009
open-water season as the recapture effort. If successful, this method
would be repeated during 2010, garnering two independent population estimates during each of 2009 and 2010. However, due to the
low susceptibility of Leech Lake muskies to standard sampling tech-
If you have any questions, feel
free to contact Doug or Harlan:
Doug Schultz, Large Lake Specialist,
or
Harlan Fierstine, Area Fisheries
Supervisor
07316 State 371 NW
Walker, MN 56484
Ph: 218-547-1683
[email protected]
[email protected]
Location: Just south of Walker on
State 371, west of the Leech Lake
causeway.
POPULATION ASSESSMENT OF
LEECH LAKE MUSKELLUNGE
(Continued from page 11)
niques, we anticipate that spring sampling will prove ineffective for
sufficient marking during 2009. Under this scenario, we will rely on
scale samples from angler-caught fish during the entire 2009 fishing
season as the marking event. We will then use angler-supplied scale
samples from the 2010 fishing season as the recapture effort to generate a single population estimate across 2009-2010 instead of independent estimates for each year. Funding for processing samples has
been provided by the Hugh Becker Foundation and the Brainerd
Lakes Chapter of Muskies Inc.
How anglers can get involved
➣ Every muskie sample received from an angler is an important
contribution to the study, regardless of fish size or the total
number of fish you turn in. Just 60 seconds of your time can
make a big difference in our understanding of the Leech Lake
muskie population.
➣ If you are planning on fishing Leech Lake during 2009 or
2010 and would like to assist with the mark-recapture study,
please stop by or contact the Walker Area Fisheries office
(below) before your fishing trip to receive a kit and instructions on collecting samples.
➣ If you would like to assist with spring egg take and gillnet sampling during early May, I will be coordinating the spring sampling schedule through MI Chapters around mid-April. ❖
FA L L T O U R N A M E N T
1st WI Chapter of Muskies, Inc.
33RD ANNUAL
MUSKIE TOURNAMENT
September 18-19-20, 2009
Tournament Headquarters at EAST BAY Restaurant & Bar,
on Lake Holcombe
On site registration Thursday, September 17th at:
East Bay from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and at
Mouldy's Archery & Tackle in Hallie from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Contact us at 1-888-726-6733 or email: [email protected]
Website: http://firstwi.muskiesinc.org
Announcing the 2009 Muskies, Inc.
Commemorative Lure
Our 2009 lure is a Limited Edition “Jones Special”
from Jones Baits (www.jonesbaits.com) of Pennsboro, WV
as shown on the cover of the August issue of MUSKIE
Magazine. These 300 signed and numbered baits will come
in a wood box and will be available for shipment in
September. Watch for your order letter arriving this
month! The cost of the lures will be $45 each.
Funds raised will be used to support
our Fisheries, Research and
Youth programs.
Wooden boxes
will be ordered for
previous year’s lures if
there is enough interest
from members. They will
come in two sizes - a large
one for $15 that the Grandma
will fit in and a small one for $12 that the DepthRaider
will fit. They will have plastic covers. There is a minimum
order quantity of 50 so Jim Shannon will need commitments
for that many or more before they can be ordered.
Email Jim at: [email protected] by August 31st
with how many of each size you would like.
About the Centerfold
by Juris Ozols I also conducted video interviews of the DNR folks on both occasions, and those are
DNR at Work
T
available in DVD format to any interested member, as a free service of MUSKIE
Magazine. Contact me for more info, Juris Ozols: [email protected]
he centerfold this month documents a few of the spring muskie
activities of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
To be sure, one of the key responsibilities of the DNR is stocking muskies. But before that happens, the DNR folks carry out a wide
variety of other tasks.
This spring I observed and photographed the DNR in action on
two of our Minnesota lakes. In mid-April I accompanied Mike Habrat
and B.J. Bauer of the DNR as they netted and stripped eggs from
muskies on Lake Rebecca near the Twin Cities. Lake Rebecca is a primary muskie “brood lake” and eggs from this lake are used for the
majority of rearing and stocking of muskies not only in the Twin City
area but also throughout the state. Then in early May I did a photo
shoot of Doug Schultz and Andy Carlson as they netted muskies and
started some very interesting DNA sampling on Leech Lake fish.
The centerfold background shows the Leech Lake operation.
Doug is holding up the one of the “trap nets” they had set the day
before, and Andy is transferring a large captured muskie to the holding
tank. John Underhill from Muskies, Inc. Chapter 54 was along for the
day, observing and helping out. The top row of pictures also documents the Leech Lake netting.
Top Row, Left: Besides the seven muskies netted that day, a large number of other fish – and critters - were also caught in the trap nets. Here
you see Doug as he “gets into it,” gingerly pulling out a 20 pound snapping turtle. A lot of sunfish, crappies, perch, dogfish, burbot, and even
a couple of near-30 inch walleyes were captured and released. It proves
the wide diversity of fish on Leech Lake.
Top Row, 2nd left: Here Doug and John are measuring and fin clipping a 51-inch muskie as Andy takes photographs. The smallest of the
seven muskies captured that day was 36 inches.
Top Row, 2nd right: The purpose of this Leech Lake netting was to
obtain scale samples from the muskies. These samples will undergo various analyses, including DNA “fingerprinting” which will identify individual fish and provide other genetic data. The primary purpose for the
spring netting in Leech was for egg collection. Every four years the
DNR takes eggs on Leech to stock into our brood lakes (like Rebecca)
to ensure genetic turnover. It's a very important component of
Minnesota's muskie management. Now, because they were already in
for egg collection and recognized the need for a population estimate, the
DNR made the most of the opportunity by pairing up with the genetic mark-recapture design. The sole purpose for collecting scales is for
the DNA fingerprinting of individuals to use in lieu of a traditional tag
for a mark-recapture study. Anglers wishing to assist should contact
Doug Schultz or the Walker Area Fisheries office.
Funding for the study was provided by the Brainerd
Lakes Chapter of MI and the Hugh Becker
Foundation.
Top Row, Right: Finally, John Underhill releases
one of the larger muskies. The DNR capture, sample and release process is done exceptionally carefully with exceptional care to ensure that the muskies
survive with a very high probability. Various chemicals are used to sedate and then revive the fish. All
of the muskies this day swam away strongly, and the
cold water also helped ensure survival.
The bottom row of pictures shows the Lake
Rebecca netting. This was a classic “egg stripping”
www.muskiesinc.org
operation intended to provide fertilized eggs for rearing and subsequent
stocking. I went along on the boat to photograph, and Vince Trotta
and John Newman of the Twin Cities Muskies, Inc. chapter provided
support on shore.
Bottom Row, Left: B.J. Bauer of the DNR reaches to out to pull in
one of the 12 Rebecca trap nets that had been set out the day before.
Note that this net has a slightly different hoop construction than the
Leech Lake net, but both function similarly. They are set in relatively
shallow water with a straight net that extends to shore. As fish swim
up to this net, they are “guided” to the trap itself which has a narrow
opening and leads to what amounts to a “one way” chamber. Once the
fish enter the chamber it is very unlikely that they will escape back out.
In earlier times these were sometimes known as “Fyke” nets, but that
term is no longer used.
Bottom Row, 2nd Left: Here Mike (left side) and B.J. prepare for the
egg and sperm tripping. This is a quite involved operation involving a
holding pen, two holding tanks, and a variety of chemicals. As it turns
out, the sperm from the male muskies are particularly sensitive to exposure to light and to pH changes among other things, and need to be
handled quickly and carefully.
Bottom Row, Middle: The trap nets produced two males and one
female that day, which was disappointing, but that was adequate for
obtaining one set of fertilized eggs. Here Mike is stripping the female
(a 42 incher) as B.J. (left) and John Newman help out. Vince Trotta is
taking pictures. A female produces approximately 50,000 eggs on average, although up to 200,000 eggs from one fish have been obtained.
Bottom Row, 2nd Right: Mike is taking one of the males out of the
“revival” tank where they are held after sperm stripping until they are
ready for release. This tank is oxygenated and treated with salt to speed
up the revival process. On the left is a second tank treated with an anesthetizing chemical to sedate the fish prior to egg or sperm extraction. In
the back is the holding pen where fish are placed prior to stripping.
Separate pens are used for females and for males.
Bottom Row, Right: The final product, a bowl of fertilized muskie
eggs, ready to take back to the hatchery and start growing. When the
sperm is added to the eggs, a goose feather is used to gently stir the mixture; most agencies prefer to use feathers for this task.
This centerfold and the descriptions here are just a snapshot of
what goes on. If you find this interesting as I did, I urge you to contact
your own local DNR office and arrange to go out with them on these
kinds of outings. I promise you they will be delighted to have your
interest and support. ❖
The Changing World
of Muskie Management
A MUSKIE Look at some of our Fisheries Agencies
by Kevin Richards (Part One)
E
arlier this year MUSKIE Magazine shared some thoughts on
The Changing World of Muskie Fishing (Patricia Strutz, January
issue). Here are the two introductory paragraphs from that
feature article:
“Musky fishing has changed dramatically over the 40-plus years since the
formation of Muskies, Inc. Interviews with numerous veterans of the
sport resulted in agreement that the greatest changes have come in the
expanded range of musky waters, more restrictive harvest regulations,
instilling the practice of catch and release, and the evolution of hightech gear.
“Experts in the industry - biologists, guides, manufacturers - agree that
these changes took effect, in large part, as a result of the establishment
of organizations such as Muskies, Inc. The mission of Muskies, Inc. has
been carried out through it’s strong network of ardent supporters. This
is something we should all take pride in.”
Strutz provided insight on changes in both gear and techniques.
One of her observations really made an impression on me and highlighted the way in which new technology is allowing more anglers to
effectively target muskies.
Strutz noted, “Whether row or motor trolling I find the addition
of GPS and Navionics maps indispensible. This rather recent electronics innovation makes working structure child’s play. I can’t imagine ever trolling without it again.” I guess I’d add that I can’t imagine
casting without it either.
With all this change and technology how is it that we also seem
to be entering the new “Golden Age” of muskie fishing in North
America? My friend Keith Ogden (MUSKIE Magazine Editor
Emeritus and past-president of Muskies, Inc.) highlighted this with
one simple observation, “54 and 55 inch muskies now seem to be as
plentiful as 51 and 52 inchers were just a decade ago.” A close look
out our Lunge Log will show us that Keith’s casual observation is not
too far off the mark.
There are a number of factors coming together at this period of
our muskie fishing history which are contributing to the new Golden
Age. In my opinion, the most important of these are:
Effective and innovative muskie management by our
Fisheries agencies
Strong support for more restrictive harvest regulations
from muskie anglers
More effective catch-and-release techniques being practiced by more anglers
How fortunate we are to be muskie fishing at this time! Let’s take
a look this month at what three (3) of our Fisheries agencies are doing.
You might also want to look back at our November 2008 through
May 2009 issues for more agency updates.
Watch for reports on additional Fisheries agencies
in next month’s issue of MUSKIE magazine!
Minnesota
Minnesota has certainly been a leader in
innovative muskie management for the past
two to three decades. Much of the success now
being realized started in the early 1980s when
Fisheries Biologist Bob Strand helped unlock
the mystery of muskie spawning in Leech
Lake. Eventually this lead to a revitalized
stocking program using the best brood stock
Minnesota had to offer.
Here’s an example
of the success of that
program taken right
from our Muskies,
Inc. Lunge Log. As of
June 2009 there have
been 68 muskies from
52 to 56.5 inches
reported to the Lunge
Log for Mille Lacs,
MN. The incredible
part of this is that 63
of them were caught in Jerry Sondag with a 56-inch muskie from Mille
Minnesota. Jerry and his boat partner Luke
the past 5 years and Lacs,
Ronnestrand boated seven muskies that night
none of them were with three over 52 inches.
caught prior to 1996.
To help you learn more about what’s happening in Minnesota
please take the time to review the sidebar on the facing page, the
centerfold photos and text provided by Juris Ozols, and the article by
John Skarie and Doug Schultz in this issue of MUSKIE.
Wisconsin
Muskies, Inc. and our Research VP Tom
Betka have been both motivational and supportive of current happenings in Wisconsin.
Back in April Tom received confirmation that
the Governor had signed the Wisconsin Early
Musky Season Repeal into law. Tom stated,
“Wisconsin residents and muskie anglers owe one huge collective
thank you to Fred Brogle and everyone else that worked so hard to get
this done.”
VP Tom Betka is also one of the vocal supporters of the proposed
Green Bay 54-inch size limit. Tom Betka wrote, “We feel that the
recent VHS related cessation of stocking, coupled with the lack of
natural reproduction in the system, has placed the Green Bay muskie
population at some risk. We are helping to fund new research now
being conducted in the system, and we will continue to work with the
DNR to redefine their management strategies for the population.”
“We feel that the recent VHS related
cessation of stocking, coupled with the
lack of natural reproduction in the
system, has placed the Green Bay
muskie population at some risk. We
are helping to fund new research now
being conducted in the system, and we
will continue to work with the DNR
to redefine their management strategies for the population.”
– Tom Betka
Research VP, Muskies, Inc.
“Indeed a legitimate goal may very well be the
establishment of a trophy muskellunge fishery,
thus transcending the current biologically driven
management strategy. In fact this is exactly what
Ontario has done in establishing a 54-inch minimum size limit for muskies that exist in many of
their lakes with trophy muskellunge potential.
Our intention with the 54-inch minimum
size limit for Green Bay is simply to allow the
existing population more time to mature while
additional data is gathered to more fully describe
the true potential of this tremendous fishery.”
Speaking of VHS, many states, including
Wisconsin, are trying to educate anglers about
how they can help protect their fishing future by
taking steps to avoid accidentally spreading VHS
fish disease and aquatic invasive species.
“It’s important to take steps to prevent VHS
from spreading every time you’re on the water,”
says Karl Scheidegger, the Department of Natural
Resources fish biologist who leads DNR’s fisheries
outreach efforts. “Anglers did a great job last year
in taking precautions, and with their help again
this year, we think we can continue to contain the
disease.”
VHS fish disease is not a human health threat
but can kill 37 different species of fish, including
trout, musky, bass and bluegill, and it caused large
fish kills in some Great Lakes waters in 2005 and
2006. The disease was first detected in Wisconsin
in 2007 in fish from the Lake Winnebago system
and the Lake Michigan system; tests since then
suggest the disease hasn’t spread beyond those
waters.
Anglers inadvertently moving infected live
bait is a main way that VHS fish disease can spread
to new waters.
Anglers leaving boat launches with Eurasian
water-milfoil and other plants attached to their
boats or trailers, or juvenile zebra mussels in bilge
water and live wells, also are at risk of spreading
these and other invasive species to new waters.
These and other invaders can take a toll on fish
and fishing.
www.muskiesinc.org
New Muskie Length Limit for Minnesota!
by John Underhill, Chapter 54 Board Member,
Co-Chair Minnesota Muskie Alliance
The day after the 2009 legislative session the Governor signed into law the Omnibus
Fish and Game bill. This is how the law is written:
The commissioner of natural resources shall adopt or amend rules to establish minimum size limits for muskellunge on inland waters consistent with the provisions of this section. The commissioner must:
(1) establish a 48-inch statewide minimum size restriction for muskellunge and
muskellunge-northern pike hybrids in inland waters, except for the lakes listed in
clause (2) that are managed specifically for muskellunge-northern pike hybrids in
Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties; and
(2) establish a 40-inch minimum size restriction for muskellunge-northern pike hybrids in the
following lakes in Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties.
This started many years ago with Frank Schneider Jr. and Dave Overland looking to
get the natural lakes protected to a greater degree. Anyone fishing these lakes knows the
rarity and importance of protecting them. It took several years but those, along with a few
more trophy lakes, went to the 48 inch minimum size limit!
During our meetings with the DNR and
other stakeholders we talked extensively
about protecting all MN lakes to a greater
level and protecting the limited number of
“Holy Grail” lakes to even a greater degree.
During the fleshing out phase we started
working on a Long Range Large Pike and
Muskie Plan. The DNR asked for public
input. Anyone concerned with MN Esox
issues was encouraged to review the plan
and give their view. They received over 500
Murawski (right) caught and released the
online comments plus letters and phone calls Brent
biggest fish in the 41st Annual Frank
which overwhelmingly indicated the people Schneider Jr. Memorial Muskie Tournament in
wanted larger fish and better quality. 2008. The 55-incher came out of Lake Bemidji.
Therefore the DNR decided it may be time to With the new size limit in MN the numbers of
big muskies may continue to increase.
look into a statewide 48 inch limit..
We discussed the issue at workshops and then presented it at the DNR Round Table
for discussion. The legislation was written and passed without question thanks to all those
who wrote and called.
Muskies, Inc. chapters and the Minnesota Muskie Alliance have been collectively working very hard to protect and expand muskie fishing opportunities in the state. Minnesota
muskies are represented by some very good people and we are lucky to have a DNR that
is working towards making MN the “best place to muskie fish” in their own words.
There is plenty of work ahead in getting these new lakes by 2020 and we will need the
support from all Muskies, Inc. members who fish in MN or have an interest here. There are
some groups who’s only intention is to stop muskie stocking by any means necessary.
Fortunately for the muskies, we will not stop spreading information and educating anyone that will listen to us and is concerned about muskies and large pike. We will walk the
high ground and represent muskies for the resource first.
After a few years without the echos of Frank Schneider Jr. and Dave Overland’s footsteps at the MN Capitol Building, muskies and pike have found their way back along with a
resounding message of catch-and-release.
Other legislation was recently stopped that would have allowed people to spear pike in
the “Protected Slot” - this would have rendered the regulation ineffective and taken the
power of the commissioner away. Also, the “2-Line” bill was defeated that would have put
additional pressure on all species and left muskies and pike vulnerable due to the fact that
“Quick Strike Rigs” are illegal in MN.
Many thanks to all of those that took time to help with this and especially to Vern Wagner
(Anglers for Habitat), Rob Kimm, and Shawn Kellett who testified and spent hours working
on these issues away from their families. I’m humbled to know and work with such great
conservationists. ❖
CHANGING WORLD (Continued from page 19)
Many of the same steps that will prevent the spread of VHS also
prevent the spread of other invaders. Those steps are:
Inspect boats, trailers and equipment and remove visible aquatic
plants, animals and mud before leaving the water access.
Drain water from your boat, motor, bilge, life wells and bait containers before leaving the water access.
Don’t move live fish away from a waterbody. Buy minnows from
a Wisconsin bait dealer and use leftover minnows on another water
only if you have not added to the bait container fish or lake or river
water.
VHS rules and more information on the fish disease can be
found online at: http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/vhs
Tim Simonson, DNR Bureau of Fisheries Management, provided this 40-plus year perspective from Wisconsin DNR.
Since 1966, the management of muskellunge in WI has progressively reflected the trophy status bestowed upon the species by
anglers. In 1966, the minimum length limit was 30” on all waters
statewide, with an open season from mid-May to mid-November.
Today, about 25% of our musky waters are managed with a
minimum length limit of at least 40” or
higher, and the remainder of the waters
have a 34” minimum length limit. The
season opener is now delayed to encourage
continued natural reproduction of the
species. The combination of increasingly
more protective angling regulations and
voluntary release of legal-sized fish, pioneered by Muskies, Inc., has resulted in
considerable improvements in the muskellunge fishery.
“The strong catch-and-release ethic has contributed to a
substantial reduction in the number of Wisconsin lakes
which need to be stocked with muskellunge today,
which is a great success story.”
– Tim Simonson
WI DNR, Bureau of Fisheries Management
In 1966, Wisconsin had approximately 160,000 musky anglers
who harvested an estimated 94,000 muskies. Today, the fishery
supports an estimated 400,000 anglers, who annually harvest less than
10% of the numbers of muskies harvested in 1966. Tim Simonson
stated, “The strong catch-and-release ethic has contributed to a
substantial reduction in the number of Wisconsin lakes which need to
be stocked with muskellunge today, which is a great success story.”
During the 1970s, Muskies Inc., members reported an average of
three (3) 48” and larger muskies annually from WI waters. Since
2000, that number has risen to an average of 46 per year. It continues to increase, in large part due to the work of Muskies, Inc.
Dave Neuswanger, DNR Fisheries
Team Leader for the Upper Chippewa
Basin added, “With much-appreciated
support from Muskies, Inc., the minimum length limit on muskellunge
increased from 45 to 50 inches on the
Chippewa Flowage near Hayward,
Wisconsin. This new trophy regulation
became effective when the muskie season
opened in Wisconsin on May 23, 2009.
Our objective is to increase the proportion
of 50-inch muskies in the Flowage from 1 percent (currently) to
between 3 and 5 percent. Additional protective measures may be
required and recommended in the future, including regulations that
alter the way live bait may be fished or which provide incentives to use
artificial lures year-round.”
Illinois
Fisheries Chief (and muskie angler) Steve Pallo
reports, “Our Jake Wolf Hatchery had a banner season producing muskies again in 2008. Some
29,340 muskies which were 10 inches and larger
were stocked in 2008, making it one of the best
years ever!”
Pallo also noted that in cooperation with the
IMA (Illini Muskie Alliance) Illinois produced the Illinois Muskie
Creel Project Report which covers a 20-year span. IMA Chairman
Ray Thompson provided MUSKIE Magazine the following comments and summary of the 26-page report. Lunge Log Editor Jim
Bunch noted, “Really neat stuff here. When I was born in Illinois
there were very few muskies in the state - things have really changed!”
IL Creel Project Report Summary
Joe Ferencak recently released the 1987-2008 Creel Survey. Joe is
the biologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources who
correlates all of those “Green Card” entries and produces a comprehensive report each year. The 26-page report is jammed with invaluable graphs and statistics and helps area biologist gauge the muskie
fishery on the waters that they manage in their respective districts.
For the past few years Jim Bunch (Muskies, Inc. Lunge Log guru)
has been providing a list of MI member catches to the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources. The IDNR combines the MI list
and entries from other non-MI clubs, provided by the Illini Muskies
Alliance with their Voluntary Muskie Creel Project. Then they sort
out the duplicates and produce a report on the Illinois muskie fishery.
The combined listing helps to give a more comprehensive set of data
that local biologists use to help manage the Illinois muskie fishery.
The biologists realize that since most of this information is given voluntarily, it is not all encompassing - only an estimate of the actual
numbers of muskies being captured each year in Illinois. Unlike the
MI Members Only Fishing Contest, which only includes entries of
fish that are thirty inches or larger, the Illinois survey includes data on
muskie of all sizes.
The survey had 852 entries in 2008 compared to 1,054 entries
the year before. That’s about a 20%
reduction. Of those, 673 (79%) were
from MI members (this percentage is
actually higher since the MI contest
only lists fish 30 inches and larger). No
reason is given for the reduction, but
angler education is a factor. The IMA
and Tri-Esox has ordered creel survey
signs that will be erected at Illinois
lakes to alert anglers about the survey
and help increase participation.
In the report Joe Ferencak lists the
top eight bodies of water in terms of
the percent of the catch from 1987 thru 2008. Those bodies of water
are: Kinkaid (21%), Fox Chain (18%), Shelbyville (11%), Carlton
(8%), Shabbona (7%), Heidecke Lake (6%), Spring [North] (6%),
and Kaskaskia River (5%).
However, taking a closer look at that list, if we add the Kaskaskia
River and Fox River entries to Shelbyville and the Fox Chain, respec-
www.muskiesinc.org
tively, the figures change somewhat (this can be justified by the fact
that only the lakes were stocked and the river fisheries can be considered extensions of the lakes). This would increase the Fox Chain to
19% and Shelbyville to 16%.
If we look at the numbers of muskies greater than or equal to 36”
(the minimum size limit on Illinois lakes) from the 18 reporting bodies of water the top eight lakes in 2008 were: Fox Chain including the
Fox River (42%), Kinkaid (29%), Shelbyville including the Kaskaskia
River (8%), Evergreen (4%), McMaster (3%), Shabbona (3%),
Crystal (3%), and Banner Marsh including Johnson, Shovel and
Wheel Lakes (2%).
Many factors go into how many fish are captured on a body of
water. For example the Fox Chain is within one hour of the vast
majority of muskie anglers in Illinois. But the chain is also the second
busiest inland waterway in the United States, so anglers must share
this body of water with recreational traffic. Kinkaid is a long ride for
most Illinois muskie anglers and does not get anywhere near the pressure of the chain. Pierce is a small lake with a ten horsepower limit,
which keeps many anglers away. Crystal is a private lake with restricted access. Shabbona, like the Fox Chain is very heavily fished and has
a 10 HP limit. Evergreen requires a user fee and has a 10 HP limit.
Sterling is the smallest lake on the list and only has shore fishing
access. Most surprising is McMaster; while being small and having a
10 HP limit, this lake only offered shore fishing last year. Not only
that, McMaster is second only to Shelbyville for producing documented 50” Illinois muskies and also produced the longest Illinois
muskie at 54”. Shelbyville led all Illinois lakes in numbers of muskie
the last few years; however,
due to the 2007 fish kill
many anglers did not fish
Shelbyville last year.
As of late June 2009
the voluntary creel reports
were indicating good fishing in Illinois with at least
six muskies over 48 inches
caught and released. You’ll
hear more about the biggest
of those in next month’s
issue of MUSKIE.
Conclusion
Muskies, Inc. member and Evergreen Lake
We hope this and next guide Thad Hinshaw won the 2008 IMA
month’s issues of MUSKIE annual release trophy with this 49-incher.
Magazine give our readers a broader perspective of what many of the
muskie states and provinces are doing to maintain and enhance
muskie fishing opportunities. As you reflect on the agency reports
note the influence that Muskies, Inc. (and our partners from Muskies
Canada) can have. You might also take a look at the May 2009 issue
of MUSKIE to get an idea of the many projects which are now
benifitting from funding from the Hugh C. Becker Foundation.
As muskie anglers it is essential that we support our agencies,
encourage more innovative management, and participate in projects
which provide needed data, research, or habitat improvements.
(more state agencies in the next issue of MUSKIE Magazine)
Special thanks to MUSKIE Field Editor Patricia Strutz for her review and
assistance and to MUSKIE Assistant Editor Juris Ozols, IMA Chairman
Ray Thompson, and other members of Muskies, Inc. for photos.
Kevin Richards is Editor of MUSKIE Magazine. He can be reached at:
[email protected]
he “fish of ten-thousand casts” can be very elusive during the of the big fish you see posted. Those are not pretty sunset backdrops
hot summer months. Boredom and fatigue can put any or computer effects to make a sunny background black. Folks, the fact
muskie hunter into a daze. But if you spend enough quality is, many muskies are caught during “prime time” and that is the two
time on the water you will have success and will likely reduce that evening hours with sunset smack in the middle.
It is no coincidence that light condihigh number of casts between muskies.
tions change here and lots of flying insects
Between the Fourth of July and the
The storm front, however, is a
stir small and tasty (if you happen to be a
first fall cold snap is a good time to slipmuskie) fish. Forage moves around and
away from business as usual to spend
triple trigger. Storms will change
can be found near fishable structure dursome time casting. When it gets hot and
light and wind conditions draing this time too.
sticky and the black flies are throwing a
matically. They are also accompaAnother change also occurs – the
party by day and mosquitoes are munchlake
surface normally calms down as
ing everything in sight at night, you
nied by a barometric pressure
winds
die during the evening hours just
should be just as determined to cast.
change
which
can
send
active
fish
prior
to
sunset.
If you use time on the water effecConversely,
two hours right in the
into
a
complete
feeding
frenzy.
tively it will bring more rapid success.
middle
of
the
afternoon
provide a good
But you can strategically target the object
window to be “determined and persistof your affection – muskies – without
blindly casting for thirteen straight hours on areas that may (or may ent.” A day with bluebird skies and lots of direct sunlight seem to
make catching (or even raising) a fish impossible. But as wind picks
not) hold fish. Be determined, be persistent, be smart!
There are three times of day to cast through the hot months with up in the late afternoon, so too does the surface chop and this causes
the greatest potential for success. There are also three locations (or another great often overlooked condition change.
The dramatic effect below the suds, as increased wave activity
structures) to fish and three condition changes to look out for. And,
without a doubt, there are three lures best suited for all of this. Okay! cuts light, can kick a muskie into gear. When most folks get hot, tired,
and bored, you have an opportunity to find available hot spots to
There are more than three – so let’s call these the “top” three.
explore. You may not hook-up, but it’s almost guaranteed you will
raise
a few. Mark those areas where you find active fish and come back
Time of Day…
at
dark.
Without rival, one hour before sunset until one hour after sunset
Did you guess that my third time of day best suited to catch a
is the best time of day to fish for muskies. Check out the photos in all
muskie
is at dawn’s early light? Wrong! Although dawn provides light
your favorite muskie periodicals and you will see that’s true for many
T
The storm front, however, is a triple
change and surface chop will typically
trigger. Storms will change light and wind
increase, something else will also happen at
conditions dramatically. They are also
this time of day that can make fishing
accompanied by a barometric pressure
tougher – more fishing pressure!
change which can send active fish into a
Everyone and their brother will be on
complete feeding frenzy. Do not ignore
the water for the morning bite and more
these times, but remember to get off the
than likely pounding your spots, so let’s
water when the lightning fires.
avoid this time for this discussion.
So, here we have our top three
If you guessed “night bite” as the third
“change” conditions: light, wind, and barobest time of day then you are correct; take
metric pressure. Be there!
twenty bucks out of petty cash!
This awesome window of opportunity
can (and often does) happen in tandem to
Lures!
the sunset window; action can simply keep
Lure selection can be a completely
on going after dark for hours. But things
subjective topic and many who recomcan also shut-down and then pick back up
mend a specific lure, do so because they
later.
have invented it. It may work just fine, but
If you have never experienced a strike
there may also be a hundred other similar
at boat side at two in the morning, then
lures that work as well or better.
you have not lived. It is an incredible expeThe purpose here is to find a “type” of
rience to not see the strike coming and
bait that works; you can figure out what
Glenn Chochola taking some time to enjoy
then - BAM! You’re hooked-up with a foot
brand name to buy.
the surroundings on a fishing trip.
of line out and white water splashing
Summertime is bucktail time. No
everywhere.
doubt about it, bucktails are the number one choice for many muskie
Be safe here though; take lots of light (particularly head lamps) hunters all summer long. No need to shift gears here, the bucktail is
along for the adventure. You will be glad you did.
indeed a great choice. The bigger the better!
You should try different tactics when you are out on the water, as
Location, Location, Location!
there are a variety of options that can trigger a following fish to strike.
First on the list is a nice thick weed bed with plenty of cabbage For example, if you are using a big slow-moving bucktail with a big
and preferably a weed-to-rock transition (where possible). But cab- Colorado blade and see only lazy following fish, try switching to a
bage weeds alone will do. You will find no better spot on the lake than smaller lure with a willow blade and “burn” it over the weed tops. The
a deep weed edge. This means transition from shallow thick (and fast movement often changes curiosity to action – a “reaction” strike.
often exposed on the surface) weeds, to deep weeds.
The opposite also holds true. Switch from small and fast bait to
The whole food chain will hang there and any muskie worth a a larger slow target if you miss a few fish. Give ‘em a chance to zerolick will be there too. They will patrol with precision and “wolf pack” in on it.
attack too. It is common to see them break surface in the calm evening
Back to the evening bite… when the lake lays-down and the sun
hours and to actually hear them in the dark of night.
begins to set grab a surface bait and hold on tight. A “walk-the-dog”
Second prime location would be a narrows or neck-down area. action is deadly and any lure that makes a lot of noise and throws a
Weeds and/or rocks will provide cover, but often in these areas bot- bunch of water works well too. But don’t get too excited and set the
tom contours will be steep and erratic providing plenty of holding hooks too soon. Wait to feel the fish before you react. It’s all about
places for muskie. Current often picks up in a narrows and large finesse and patience with a surface lure; if you react too quickly you
amounts of water push through a tiny space. This is a good thing, as could miss the fish of a lifetime.
it attracts the food chain much the same way a deep weed edge will.
Last, but not least, would be some kind of large profile crankbait
Saddles are a kind of neck down too. A saddle between two or jerk bait. Find one that wobbles a lot for vibration, or one with a
islands can be one of the best spots on the lake, as it will provide a nat- long slow erratic glides-and-stop motion.
ural current flow with the wind blowing through. Look for weed beds
A Final Word…
and drop-offs close to the saddle.
Last, but not least, is deep water trolling off points, rock walls,
There’s no need to cast until your arms are about to fall off if you
and reefs. Casting at night can be difficult; trolling is a simple answer want to catch a muskie. It is true that the more time you invest the
to a complicated question. Hold on tight!
better chance you have for success. But quality is better than quantity. You are on vacation. It’s well earned time away from the grind. You
Roll with the Changes!
don’t want to head back to the real world more tired than when you
A good muskie hunter will be able to recognize condition left.
Use your time wisely and you will also be able to squeeze-in a few
changes as they occur and jump right on the opportunity.
Some of these changes have already been discussed, such as light, naps and some cold brew in between fifty-inchers. Enjoy the setting
but let’s go a bit deeper. Any light change is good; no light to sunlight, and eat a chili dog . . . Go Fish!
sunlight to low light, and even total blackout to strong moonlight (as
can happen when cloud cover leaves at night during a full moon Bob Chochola is a freelance writer and photographer based in the
phase) are all triggers for a muskie. Light conditions change as the sun Dallas/Ft. Worth area. You can contact Bob at: [email protected]
sets and rises, as wind shifts or when it picks up in the afternoon, and
during a storm front.
www.muskiesinc.org
CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS ◆ CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS
Chapter News and Views
ATTENTION
CHAPTER
CONTACTS:
Please make sure
your chapter address
and phone number
is correct on this page
AND on the M.I. website.
Whenever you update
chapter information on
the website, please send an
email to the Editor so we can
keep this page current. Thanks!
Special Events
2009
August 8 Chapter 16 Kids Fishing Day
August 8-9 CH58’s BIG SHOW Shootout
Muskie Tournament. Contact Mark
Kornosky @ 586-596-4481 or e-mail @
[email protected]. You can also
contact Joe Lockemy @ 586-873-5781
about the 2nd Annual Raftoff
October 2-4 35th Annual Pomme de
Terre Muskie Tournament
October 2-4 Hayward Lakes Chapter
32nd Annual Fall Tournament.
$30,000 in prizes. Call Hayward Bait
for information: 715-634-2921
October 10-11
CH58 Muskie Mayheim Fall Tournament
Contact Mark Kornosky @ 586-596-4481
or e-mail @ [email protected]
October 22
CH58’s 2nd Annual Family Nite at the
Sports Channel. Enjoy family, food and
good times. Contact Joe Lockemy @
586-873-5781
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.
No. Chapter, Address
Phone #
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 ...............................715-864-2269
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, 16774 West Bay Drive, Pengilly, MN 55775........................218-885-1677
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 Falls, 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, 5608 Brave Chief Lane, Ravenna, OH 44266 ...............................330-296-2398
24.....Brainerd Lakes, 18031 Heritage Road, Brainerd, MN 56401 ..........................218-838-5509
26.....Central Wisconsin, PO Box 263, Medford, WI 54451 ......................................715-748-4874
27.....Central Illinois, 1191 Sandra Lane, Monticello, IL 61856 .................................309-264-3730
28.....Shawnee Muskie Hunters, 61 W. Jennings, Wood River, IL 62095.................618-610-5003
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 53228...........................................262-542-9997
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, 870 County Road 9, Fremont OH 43420 ...................................419-992-4504
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, 16256 Andrusia Rd NE, Cass Lake, MN 56633...............218-335-8597
47.....Michigan Muskie Alliance, PO Box 512, Caledonia, MI 49316 ........................616-447-1688
48.....Arrowhead, PO Box 603, Tower, MN 55790 ....................................................218-753-2612
49.....Webster Lake Musky Club, PO Box 670, No. Webster, IN 46555 ...................574-834-1669
50.....Penn-Jersey, 510 Bryton Ave., Pottstown PA 19465.........................................484-459-5940
52.....Daniel Boone, 813 US 62, Maysville, KY 41056 ..............................................606-759-7610
53.....Huskerland Muskie Hunters, 15706 Hamilton St, Omaha, NE 68118...............402-498-8959
54.....Southern Crossroads, 1524 Country Club Rd, Albert Lea MN 56007 .............507-373-1818
56.....SW Ohio Muskie Ass’n, 524 Sterling Meadows Place, Brookville, OH 45309 ..937-833-1833
57.....NW TigerPac, P.O. Box 5515, Kent, WA 98064 ...............................................253-850-5889
58.....Lake St. Clair, 20939 Hackel Court, Clinton, Twp, MI 48038 ...........................586-873-5781
59.....Southwest Muskie Maniacs, P.O. Box 65575 Albuquerque, NM 87193...........505-363-4624
Meets 2nd Tuesday 7:00 PM, Knights of Columbus, 1114 W79th St Bloomington,
MN, near the SE corner of the intersection of I-494 and I-35W.
Still Sharing After 43 Years
Muskies, Inc. (MI) has achieved the highest of its earliest expectations. However, it is reasonable to suggest that MI has been more productive than even its high 1966 aspirations. Member motivation and
other traits have inspired a chain of Muskies, Inc. successes. Among
those traits is the sharing nature of the organization and its members.
This sharing attitude threads through and beyond the MI logo’s list of
purposes: Fishing, Research, and Youth. Sharing is a common trait of
all chapters.
This message is driven home when one observes the results of
Chapter #1’s continuing participation in the Minnesota Veterans’
Fishing Opener (Terry Hagstron, Chair) and the Capable Partners fishing event (Paul Hartman, Chair). Both activities are partnerships.
Every year the Vet’s Opener and the Capable Partners activities are
successful and well received. The sharing nature of Muskies, Inc. is
demonstrated in both of these opportunities.
What does Chapter #1 have to share? Using the Capable
Partners outing as an
example, Chapter #1
offers quality volunteers, boats, members’
fishing expertise, fishing
equipment,
refreshments, great grilled
lunches, and, perhaps,
most importantly, the
willingness of the membership to share time
and hospitality with worthy guests.
Chapter #1 members receive a great deal in return. These are
nice outings in which to participate. It is an opportunity to meet some
of America’s outstanding citizens who set a standard of conduct for all
of us as we grow older and anticipate some of the life’s limitations.
There are opportunities for fellowship with members and beyond. The
sharing provides us with personal and organizational pride. Thanks to
our guests for providing the opportunity. Thanks to our volunteers.
ADDENDUM: In the last year or two, if you have not benefitted from the
satisfaction realized through Muskies, Inc. sharing, it may be time to
renew your volunteerism. In Chapter #1, call 952 474-5967 or email to
[email protected].
Vince Trotta
03
Chicagoland Muskie Hunters
7600 Kilbourn Ave. • Skokie, IL 60076
847-677-0017 – Dean Rosset
[email protected]
Meets 1st Tuesday 7:30 PM, Park Ridge VFW 10 West Higgins Ave., Park
Ridge, IL.
Greetings Thrillseekers,
Chicagoland Muskie Hunters have been out in full force since
our last report one month ago and the good times are still rolling. Many
members were able to make the 17th District’s 13th Annual “Get Hooked
On Fishing, NOT on Drugs” Fishing Jamboree held at Gompers Park in
Chicago in early June and had a blast. Yes it rained a bit but you could
never tell by the kids and volunteers attitude. Virtually every child
www.muskiesinc.org
NOTICE TO CHAPTERS:
The deadline to send chapter reports to the editor is the 25th
of each month, or about five (5) weeks before the magazine
is mailed to members. We are also offering chapters the
opportunity to submit 5 to 10 photos of chapter activities so
we can feature your chapter on the banner above. – Thanks!
caught at least one fish (usually catfish) and all finished happy, well fed,
and left with a
prize.
Nothing
like a kid’s smile
to make your day.
They are the
future of our
sport. Some children rode away
on new bicycles!
Interesting to note
that two of the trophy winners in the
Jamboree were
Rich Olenoski’s
granddaughters.
Winners of the 17th District Fishing Jamboree
How cool is that.
Volunteers from 17th District’s Fishing Jamboree
Our last meeting had members Steve Statland and John Ryan
sharing early season Muskie tips and techniques. Between Steve and
John there was 109 years of experience thrown at us. There was not
a question they could not answer. It was also interesting that with all
their experience, they still experiment with new techniques, lures and
potential patterns. Thank you both for always sharing with your fellow
members. By the time this report is published, spring fishing will be
over so I will share notes from their presentation next spring. Just as a
side note, I have gone up to both men at times when fishing a new body
of water and I always learn something new.
From a financial aspect, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters is in great
shape. The Board voted on making a substantial donation to the State
of Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the purchase of five
waterproof electronic fish weighing scales for field use. Members are
joining every month and all are welcomed. Perhaps what is most
important, the renewal rate is close to 100% every year! Good job to
01
Twin Cities
414 Division St. • Excelsior, MN 55331
952-380-1218
www.twincitiesmuskiesinc.org
CHAPTER NEWS & VIEWS (Continued from page 25)
all for making new members part of the Club. I am sure Dean and Leah
Rosset’s gentle renewal reminders help too.
Our first “On the Water Meeting” will be July 11, 2009 on the Chain
O’ Lakes in Northern Illinois. This is always a fun event with a low-key
fishing contest, games of skill and chance and, most importantly, good
food. All members are encouraged to come and enjoy. Our next “On
the Water Meeting” will be August 11, 2009 at Busse Lake Forest
Preserves in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Bring an appetite. Rumor has
it that chef John “Sarge” Bilka will be overseeing.
Tips of the Month:
Smile, wave, nod, talk to and respect everybody. About fifteen
years ago my brother and I were at Century Lodge on Eagle Lake,
Ontario and were seated with two brothers out of Appleton, Wisconsin.
All of us muskie fished and we shared information at every dinner we
had in the main dining hall. By mid-week we would meet somewhere
on the Lake, have lunch and share what was working. Well, by the end
of the week we decided to book a trip the coming year and fish together. Today, my best friends are those two brothers.
I was reminded of how “just being friendly” can really pay off recently when looking for new places to fish when all the lakes I usually fish
were closed due to heavy rains and high water. Chicagoland Muskie
Hunters members know I like to ride my Harley and fish streams,
explore small lakes and ponds. About a month ago I was exploring a
new area where I have found brown trout and largemouth bass. Well,
the farmers and the locals have seen me in my waders, with my Harley
parked on the side of these country roads and I always give a wave or a
nod as they drive by. Some have stopped to say “hello”, offered a bottle
of water or a cold beer and have a brief conversation. The things I have
learned about the area are amazing. In fact, that’s how I learned about
a stream that has larger brown trout than those in Southwest Wisconsin.
One of the locals who had seen me a couple of times stopped to
say “hello” as I was fishing a pond just off a country road and offered to
show me his “little pond”. Well, it ends up that his “little pond” is loaded
with smallmouth bass. In two days of fishing the area and his pond in
particular I landed over 175 fish (100 smallmouth bass)! I now have
permission to fish this pond anytime I want…just because I smiled,
waved, nodded, talked and respected everybody.
Come to one of the next Chicagoland Muskie Hunters meetings
and see what I am talking about. Everybody shares their knowledge
and experience.
Ok, I’ll share another tip. While there may be debate on whether
to use monofilament, fluorocarbon, or one of the many braided lines out
there, PowerPro braided fishing line rocks! I have been using it for
years and they just keep making it better. It is thinner than mono by a
4:1 margin thus you can spool a spinning or bait casting reel with 80
pound test line that has the diameter of 18 pound mono. It is super
slick, non abrasive and will not damage your rod guides or tip. I think it
is the roundest braided line made so it is less likely to bury itself into
your reel if you get a backlash. By the way, Google “removing backlashes” and check out the youtube.com website to see how to best remove
a backlash.
PowerPro (made in the U.S.) cast extremely well, you feel every
tick, weed and bump and its thin diameter makes your lures run deeper. It’s zero stretch makes it ideal for fast hooksets on toothy critter.
Reminder: You need to have a little mono on your reel before putting on
any braided line as it is so slippery. Also, review the information pamphlet with the line to be sure you tie the strongest knot based upon your
use. When I am concerned that my line may be seen by the fish or
when my line will be getting nicked by rocks on the bottom I have been
known to tie on a few feet of fluorocarbon using a uni to uni knot which
is virtually invisible underwater and more abrasive resistant. For spin
fishing I tie about a six to eight foot piece of fluorocarbon to my
PowerPro thus saving the more expensive line as I am changing lures.
Lastly, PowerPro is remarkably thin and strong. To avoid injury,
never wrap it around your fingers or hands. If you need to break off the
line, wrap it around a solid object and pull. I have been known to wrap
PowerPro around a boat cleat and use the trolling motor to dislodge a
lure! Use serrated scissors to cut the line as nail clippers will not cut it.
Chicagoland Muskie Hunter meetings are the first Tuesday of the
month at the Park Ridge VFW located at 10 W. Higgins Road, Park
Ridge, Illinois at 7:30pm with free pizza being served about 8:00pm.
Lastly, Dean Rosset always has the latest information and tips which
can be found in the Chicagoland Muskie Hunters Newsletter and our
President, Zach Arnold always makes you feel like family. It does not
get better than that. Keep the calls coming with questions about coming to a meeting or joining Chicagoland Muskie Hunters. As always,
feel free to call Dean Rosset at 847-677-0017 or
[email protected]
or myself at 847-434-1400 or
[email protected]
Take care, Kevin M. Lynch
05
Pomme de Terre
P.O. Box 5 • Hermitage, MO 65668
314-878-7732 – Wayne Humphrey
www.missourimuskies.org
Meets: Various days-Call for schedule
Been tough fishing at Pomme through the spring with water levels
going up and down like a yo-yo. That is the problem trying to fish a flood
control lake when you are having a very wet year. Doesn’t mean that
muskie fishing is non-existent. Many of our members tend to forget that
there are 4 other lakes in the state that are still actively stocked with
muskies and they do not fluctuate as wildly and offer great fishing experiences since horsepower or speed is limited on all of them. I encourage all our members to fish the different lakes and be sure to record
your trips on the Show-Me Muskie Project forms.
Word is that installation of the handicapped fishing dock project on
Pomme has been delayed again because of high water and weather
issues. It is hoped that it will be installed before the end of the year.
The chapter has made a significant contribution to the project and is
looking forward to the completion of the project.
A reminder of upcoming events:
August 15 - Pomme de Tour- leaves at 8 am from State Park Marina.
Spend part of the day on a pontoon boat with other muskie fishermen
talking about specific spots on the lake and how to fish them. A great
learning experience for new or experienced fishermen.
September 19 - Guide for a Day
October 2,3,4 - Fall Tournament- If you have not received a tournament
entry form, contact me or go to the website to get one.
Wayne Humphrey
314-878-7732
[email protected]
07
South Side Muskie Hawks
5211 S. Narragansett Ave. • Chicago, IL 60638
773-581-8650
Our meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month at Mama
Luigi's located at 7500 S. Harlem in Bridgeview, IL starting at 7:00 pm.
The June meeting of the South Side Muskie Hawks was called to
order by President John Daley at 7PM. After hearing the fishing reports
from members, George Benda, the fishing contest chairman,
announced for the benefit of those who weren’t there for the previous
meeting, that starting immediately, all fishing reports must be turned in
within thirty days, or they will not be counted. He explained that the 30day rule had been in effect previously, but never was enforced before.
Because of this lack of enforcement, many members, not just in our
chapter, but in other chapters as well, had been waiting until they had a
stack of them to send in, and would often wait until almost the end of
the contest to send them in. This will no longer be allowed, and members are expected to send their reports in on time.
Following a short intermission, John introduced our speaker for the
night, Bruce Mirabella. Bruce is a tournament walleye angler, having
fished the Pro Walleye Trail Tournament and the Pro-Walleye Series.
While fishing in one of these tournaments, he caught a 34 inch walleye
of over 14 lbs., and a 27.5 lbs bag of walleye. His topic on this night was
“Open Water Trolling”, as pertaining to large bodies of water such as the
Great Lakes.
He first covered the list of equipment that is necessary to fish these
large bodies of water. The list included rod holders, rods with line-counter reels, blades, bodies and beads in numerous colors, planer boards,
healthy live bait, monofilament line, and wide-gap off-set snell-type
hooks. In addition, a selection of different types of weights and delivery
systems, a graph (preferably with GPS), good lake maps, drift socks for
08
Capital City
P.O. Box 8862, Madison, WI 53708
608-669-5046 – Gerard Hellenbrand
www.capitalcitymuskiesinc.org
Meets second Monday at the Coliseum Bar, 232 E. Olin Ave, Madison, WI
After an unseasonably cool spring in the Madison area, hot weather finally came to south-central Wisconsin during the middle of June.
Surface water temperatures hit the 70 degree mark during the week of
June 15 and muskie fishing picked up considerably at the same time.
A cold spring, however, did not stop CCMI club member and
Madison Chain muskie guide, Jeff Hanson, from catching two monster
fish over 50” during this time period. Long-time club members report
that, as far as they know, these were the first two confirmed 50 inchers
on the Madison Chain caught by a club member. Congratulations, Jeff!
The fall line-up for guest speakers is complete. Here is the schedule.
September 14, 2009 - The general meeting of the Capital City Chapter
of Muskies, Inc. will feature a panel of expert anglers from the ranks
of the club’s members. The topic for the evening will be “Fall Fishing
on the Madison Chain.” Panel members include Craig Eversoll, Dale
Anderson, Matt DeVos, and Don Hollatz. All panel members have
extensive experience fishing the Madison Chain lakes, and each will
share his thoughts and insights on best strategies, tactics, and presentations for putting muskies in the net on local waters.
October 12, 2009 - Scot Stewart, Regional Program Manager for the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and longtime CCMI
member, will be the featured speaker. Scot will provide an update
on muskies in the South Central Region (SCR) and more generally
statewide. This annual presentation provides current news on regulations, stocking efforts, as well as WDNR plans for muskies in the
future. In addition to being an avid muskie angler, Scot also pursues
trout, large pike, panfish, marlin and dolphin.
42nd Annual Frank Schneider, Jr. Memorial
MUSKIE
TOURNAMENT
SEPTEMBER 11-12-13, 2009
OLDEST MUSKIES INC. TOURNAMENT
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$95 ADULTS • $30 JUNIORS • $175 FAMILY
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RIZOKE
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TO BE ONTESTANT USKIE
ALL C LONGER M
A
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C
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REED’S FAMILY OUTDOOR OUTFITTERS • Walker
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MUSKIE RODS & REELS AND EQUIPMENT
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
DENISE OLSON
612-804-4687
maintaining boat control
when trolling into the wind
and keeping the bow
down, a copy of the
‘troller’s bible’, three
motors (your regular
motor, a kicker, and an
electronic bow-mounted
trolling motor), and a good
net man are also necessities.
He went on to explain
how the planer boards are
used and the benefits of
using them, following up
with a talk about the use of
gaudy, bright colors on
bright, clear days and in
stained or dirty water, and
the use of natural colors
President, John Daley, and our speaker
on overcast days and in
for the month, Bruce Mirabella.
clear water. Bruce also
mentioned that on windless days, he likes to use plastic blades and a plastic clevis for their
quick interchangeability.
After Bruce’s presentation, there was a question and answer session, followed by our usual raffle and a special raffle for 3 nights of lodging at Tony Grant’s Mountain Muskie Lodge, which was won by Saban
Dzabiri.
An announcement was made that there will be no meeting in July
due to everyone being out of town on fishing trips. Normal meetings will
resume in August.
The South Side Muskie Hawks meet on the third Wednesday of
every month except July (summer hiatus) and December (Christmas
Party). Meetings are held at 7PM in the banquet room of Mama Luigi’s
Restaurant which is located at 7500 South Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview.
Please come and join us for an informative and enjoyable night.
Respectfully submitted, Lynn Polyak, RVP
November 9, 2009 - Southeast Wisconsin fishing guide, Joel Michel, will
be the featured speaker at the general membership meeting. Joel
focuses most of his attention on Okauchee Lake, Pewaukee Lake,
Oconomowoc Lake, and Silver Lake. In the past few years, Joel has
finished 2nd through 5th place in the Milwaukee Chapter of Muskies
Inc. Mens Division, topping that off with a 1st place finish in 2007. In
2006, he and his partner placed 4th in the Lake Wabesau WMT
(Wisconsin Musky Tour), as well as taking 6th place in the Pewaukee
Lake WMT tournaments. He capped off the season by taking 8th place
in the WMT championships in Eagle River. Joel has been published
in Muskie magazine and the Wisconsin Outdoor Guide.
December 14, 2009 - Musky Hunter Magazine Field Editor, Tom Gelb,
will be the featured speaker. Tom is well-known for his many excellent articles in Musky Hunter Magazine. His presentation, called
“Musky Hunting Strategy: The Big Fish Zone,” will provide details
about the “What, How, Where and When” of suspended musky hunting. Quoting from the Musky Hunter Magazine website, “Tom has
been a field editor for Musky Hunter Magazine since its founding and
a Muskies, Inc. member since the late 1970s when he first started
releasing muskies. His last kept fish was in 1982 until November 30,
2006 when he kept a 53x28 1/2-inch, verified 51-pound 2-ounce
monster on the last day of the Wisconsin musky season.”
As reported last month, several scheduled outings are still to come.
The 2009 Gil Hamm Chapter Challunge on Leech Lake in Minnesota is
scheduled for August 23-30. More information is available at www.capitalcitymuskiesinc.org or at the Muskies, Inc. website at
www.muskiesinc.org. The 2009 Eagle Lake Outing, scheduled from
August 30th through September 5th, at Andy Myers Lodge on Eagle
Lake in Canada is a big fish event. Contact Cory Painter at 608-2137747 or by email at [email protected]. A Vilas County Outing is
scheduled for October 16-17 and will be headquartered out of Fibber’s
Inn
and
Resort
on
Big
St.
Germain.
Go
to
www.capitalcitymuskiesinc.org for more information.
Lee Bartolini, VP
09
West Virginia
1270 Federal Road • Little Hocking, OH 45742
740-667-3571
http://westvirginiamuskiesinc.org
Meets: No definite schedule-call
Jim Moore has often remarked that because he couldn’t catch
muskies, we elected him President of the West Virginia Chapter. Under
a full moon stage and pleasant weather conditions, Jim proved himself
wrong at our Ohio Lakes Tournament on the weekend of June 6 and 7.
Jim caught three muskies on Saturday at Salt Fork measuring 42”, 38”
and 30”, all on Crane Baits. The 32 points scored by these fish was
enough to win the competition.
Other fish caught at Salt Fork Lake on Saturday included Nathan
Winger with two 38’s, Robin Clegg with a 36” and 35”, Tim McCauley
39”, Josh Winger 34”, Kevin Custer 34”, Bernie Klug 32” and Kathy
Burdette 31”.
The action slowed after the Tournament Site shifted to Piedmont
Lake on Sunday. Kevin Kelley caught a 44”, Bob Hoce 34” and Bernie
Klug two 30’s. Eleven of the 33 persons participating in this tournament
registered fish. I cannot recall any past WV Chapter event when as many
different persons registered as many qualifying fish. A total of 16 muskies
were entered. Thanks to Tim McCauley who served as chairperson.
David Kaltenecker and I spent the week of June 13-20 on smaller
lakes in the Kawartha Region of Ontario. We combined for 18 muskies
over 30” along with several 19” to 21” smallmouth bass. David had
exceptional success with an ancient big jointed Jones Bait previously
owned by the late Don Smith.
We are grateful to Kevin Wollard, Tim McCauley, Eric Moore, Bill
and Sharon Crane, Jim Moore and Bill Malone who volunteered time to
do a roofing job at the Palestine Warmwater Hatchery the week of June
22. Several hatchery personnel also chipped in. This was the first of
several projects we will be working on at the hatchery this summer. We
encourage you to volunteer your assistance by contacting President
Moore who is coordinating this effort with WV DNR. Jim can be
reached at 740-667-3571 or via e-mail at [email protected].
John Kaltenecker, Secretary
12
Headwaters
P.O. Box 652 • Eagle River, WI 54521
715-477-2913 – Paul Hansen
www.headwatersmuskies.com
Meets 1st Wednesday 7:00 PM
The 29th Anniversary Headwaters Chapter of Muskies, Inc. Spring
Classic of Champions was held on June 13th and 14th. There were 108
boats entered with 216 people fishing the tournament. The headquarters for the tournament was Wild Eagle Lodge with fishing limited to the
Lower Eagle River Chain. The results of the tournament are as follows:
1st Place: $11,000
Team 48: Brad Wirt - Brokaw, WI; Kurt Hagen - Wausau, WI
4 Fish: 36 1/2, 39, 39, 38 inches
2nd Place: $3,000
Team 25: Jared Adamovich & Curt Priefer - Eagle River, WI
2 Fish: 38, 42 inches
3rd Place: $2,000
Team 45: David Kuhn - Appleton, WI; Kevin Laux - Oshkosh, WI
2 Fish: 37 1/2, 39 1/2 inches
4th Place: $800
Team 11: Rich Wysocki & Pat Wysocki - Custer, WI
2 Fish: 36 1/2, 40 1/2 inches
5th Place: $550
Team 15: Andy Regenfuss & Ralph Spurgeon - Phelps, WI
2 Fish: 34 1/2, 38 1/2 inches
6th Place: $525
Team 47: Bill Vierkandt-Phelps, WI; Todd Luedtke-Eagle River, WI
2 Fish: 34 1/2, 35 1/2 inches
7th Place: $475
Team 49: Brad Jorgensen & Robert Rodziczak-Rhinelander, WI
1 Fish: 41 1/2 inches
8th Place: $425
Team 94: John Kleczewski - Withee, WI & Marcus Malyuk Marshfield, WI
9th Place: $375
Team 105
Matt Buettell - Eagle River, WI; David Coons LaGrange, IL
10th Place: $350
Team 104: Matt McCumber & Scott Fillhouer - Janesville, WI
1 Fish: 40 inches
Big Fish Saturday: Team 49, Brad Jorgensen/Robert Rodziczak; 41
1/2 inches, $405
Big Fish Sunday: Team 11, Rich & Pat Wysocki; 40 1/2 inches, $415
Winner of the Manufacturers Mini Tournament Team: 9 Brad
Jorgensen/Robert Rodziczak; 41 1/2 inch fish, $620 plus rod and
reel
Fish Caught and Released: Saturday 21, Sunday 8
Total of 29 fish
Lakes fish were caught in: Yellow Birch 4, Duck 1, Otter 2, Eagle 4,
Scattering Rice 4, Catfish 7, and Cranberry 7
Our club members, directors and sponsors want to give a big thank
you to Jim and Carol Heffner for running and directing this great event.
A special thank you to Sandy Jacobs, Mary Sadler, Bill Jacobs, Micki
Koschnik, Scott Samuels, and Elmer Jensen for helping with the tournament. Thank you to the judges in the judge boats: Jim Chamberlin,
Lloyd Fisher, Bill Hassey, Jay Hollnagel, Dave Keiffer, Joe Koschnik,
Glenn Matula, Tim Muench, Dale Petersen - Chairman, Harvey Sadler,
Bill Schultz, Bob Weeks, and Todd Wiese.
We want to thank Wild Eagle Lodge and their staff for allowing us
to use their facilities as our tournament headquarters and for the coffee
and donuts on Saturday and Sunday morning. Oneida Village provided the noon meal on Sunday which was served by the Eagle River
Masonic Lodge members. A special thanks to Margie and Jerry
Hollnagel, Hessenjaeger Wirehairs, LLC. for our tournament flags.
Thank you to Eagle River Distributing II and Miller Brewing Co. for our
tournament trophies, Wireless Advantage Alltel, Garth & Lisa Darton for
providing our starting position numbers, Vilas County News-Review for
tournament publicity, Paul Hansen for P.J.’s Picks, and the following
sponsors for their support: Beast Teaser Tackle, Boat Sport Marina,
Braywood Resort, Ducktail Lures, Eagle River Inn, Moore’s Tackle,
13
Hayward Lakes
P.O. Box 609
Hayward, WI 54843
715-634-4543
The guest speaker for our June meeting was well known local
guide Dave Dorazio. Dave has guided in the Hayward area all his life
and spends much of his time on the Chippewa Flowage. Dave’s presentation was on fishing flowages for Muskies and contained a lot of useful information, even for the more experienced fisherman. Dave’s presentation was done as a donation to our club so we thank him for his
time. If your are interested in fishing with Dave his number is 715-4623885.
Our club’s next event is the annual kids fishing day which is the first
Sunday of August the 2nd. The event is the same as previous years,
we meet at 9am at the Dick-Sy Roadhouse on Upper Twin Lake on the
Tiger Cat Flowage and match-up kids and guides.
Most of the groups fish the Tiger Cat but a few go to near-by lakes.
We meet again at noon for a lunch-barbeque. After lunch the kids post
their catches on a musky chart, each youngster is given a bag of fishing “goodies” and there is drawing for larger prizes. We can always use
more guides so we can take more kids fishing. Do not feel you need to
be a professional, all you need is enthusiasm! If you know of a youngster ages 10-16 who would like to participate give us a call. For more
information call Mike Persson 715-634-4543.
The 32nd Annual Fall Tournament is all set up and ready to happen.
The usual dates of the first weekend of October mean the event is
October 2, 3 & 4 this year. We will have our usual prize array, with the
top prize being a Lund 1725 Pro Guide with a Mercury 50 on a
Shorelander Trailer. There will be, as usual, prizes and trophies for the
top ten finishers, a Ron Lax replica for the largest release and everyone
who enters a fish gets a plaque. The major prizes come from Hayward
Power Sports so stop and see them if you’re looking for a boat, motor,
trailer, an ATV or a snowmobile. They are on highway 77, ten miles east
of Hayward 715-462-3674
The following people have entered fish in the members contest:
Women: Sandy Hackbarth, 1-31”-5 pts.
Men: Kim Hackbarth, 1-30”- 4 pts.
Mens, Kris Gottwald, 1-45” -19 pts.
Mens Masters: Adam Glickman, 3 fish-42 pts.,
Largest 44,” Mike Persson, 1-35”-9 pts.
Tom Muntz 1-31”-5pts.
Good Fishing, Mike Persson
16
Three Rivers
119 Bus Lane, Renfrew, PA 15136
724-789-7866 – James P. Buss
http://threerivers.muskiesinc.org
Meets 2nd Monday 7:30 PM, Northside Sportsmans Club, Wexford, PA.
Hello Three Rivers members, at this month’s membership meeting
on Monday evening August 10th we will be holding our second annual
lure auction. This was a great success last year and we hope you will
plan on attending. We also plan on discussing Shenango Lake as well.
Don’t forget about the great prizes and raffles at our meetings, like the
musky madness table raffle which is growing all the time. And don’t forget to pick up a hooded sweatshirt or a new long sleeve t-shirt too. See
our Merchandise Director Fred Kahere at the meeting.
A special thanks is in order for local lure maker Rich Newman of
Newman Lures. Rich gave an excellent talk at our June meeting. It was
very informative and if you weren’t there you missed out on some great
tips and tricks for fishing our local waters. Rich also had some of those
hot colors available for purchase as well.
On Saturday August 8th we will be holding our annual kids outing
at Lake Arthur. Everyone will be meeting at the Bear Run Launch
www.muskiesinc.org
around 9 a.m. and fishing until 1 p.m. or so and a cookout will follow the
fishing. There will be games and prizes for the kids as well. Last year’s
outing was a big hit and allot of kids and their families were in attendance. All kids age 17 and under are welcome to participate for prizes
so come on out for a great day of fishing and fun. Contact Dave
Huemmrich at the e-mail address below for more details about the outing.
By the time you read this we will have had our Chautauqua Lake
Team Tournament back in July. Please stay tuned for tournament
results in the September issue of this column. For more information
contact Dave Huemmrich at: [email protected]
Dave Huemmrich
19
Akron-Canton
10957 Northwood Ave. NE • Bolivar, OH 44612
Gordon Selden - 330-874-2773
http://[email protected]
Meets 3rd Monday 7:00 PM, Belgrade Gardens, 3476 Massillon Road,
Akron, OH.
The Muskie Maniacs held their second tournament of the season
on June 6th and 7th at Salt Fork Lake. The weather was great but a cold
front came through the day before the tournament and spoiled the ideal
conditions to have a big amount of fish to be caught. However, we had
25 anglers that fished with 12 legal fish being caught. Chuck Land and
his wife Anna didn’t have any trouble getting fish to bite. Chuck won the
tournament by catching 3 nice fish 41, 38, 34. He also lost a big fish at
the boat. Congratulations Chuck! Russ and Gloria Roberts also had a
good day with each of them catching two fish. Sylvester Trunkett won
the big fish pool of $110 with his 42 inch fish. Way to go Sylvester! We
want to thank Cliff and Susie Jones for providing the hotdogs and Gene
and Brian Aguirre for doing the cooking!
Our next tournament will be July 11th and 12th at West Branch.
Guys have been catching fish casting and trolling so we should have a
good turnout as long as the weather cooperates.
On Aug 8th, we are going to have our Nite Bite tournament at
Leesville Lake. This event is a lot of fun! If we are not catching fish
there will be a lot of storytelling on the radio and you know how that can
go.
I will give the highlights of our West Branch tournament in our next
issue. Until then, get out and catch some fish!
Kevin Proffitt
New Jersey
22
http://www.mi22.com/
Chapter meetings are held monthly the last Tuesday of
each month, September through May. Summer meetings
will be held on the water. Check our web site for details.
May 17th found members and students on Greenwood Lake facing
yet another cold front and strong gusty winds (Global Warming?). Many
thanks to those who volunteered their time, including special thanks to
“Musky Steve” for doing another fine class room presentation, Kevin for
putting things together, Chuck for being everywhere, Greenwood
Marina for being such a got host, and Greg for letting us stomp all over
your home on Storm Island. Greg thanks for the hot dogs from your
freezer, the bathroom and use of your dock. Were we really supposed
to use those hot dogs and paint the dock pink?
Several fished were raised along with $3000.00 for the hatchery
programs. Great job by club members and our “students”, many of
whom are now club members. I know many of you (“students”) can’t
wait to boat your first toothy. Be patient; expand on what you learned…
they will show up boat side if you play the right tune. We know you
enjoyed yourselves and I can speak for the members who took you
out… you all did a great job and we enjoyed taking you out on the water
and promoting the sport.
May 26th was our final indoor meeting at Lake Arrowhead, until
September. This spring has the fish maker (Craig Lemon) with 10,000
plus musky at the Hackettstown Hatchery along with a new shipment of
flathead minnows received to feed our “children”. We are planning our
September meeting to be held at the Hackettstown Hatchery. I encourage all to attend but you will need to check the web site for details and
updates.
Musky Hunter Magazine, Musky Magic Tackle, Lakewood Tackle
Boxes, Rizzo Tackle, Shimano, Smitty Baits, Suick Lures
Manufacturing, Trophy Technologies, and St. Croix.
Thanks to each and every one of you for helping us make our tournament a success. Next year is the 30th Anniversary of the Spring
Classic which will be held June 12th and 13th, 2010.
Jim & Carol Heffner, Tournament Directors
The main topic of the meeting was an active demonstration of top
water presentations. Cal Huntzinger opened the “seminar” with a short
discussion of top water tactics and then it was out to the dock where
Cal, Bob, Steve, Kevin and Angus covered the basics and more. We
will be doing more of this as it was very informative and a lot of fun. The
meeting concluded as we recognized area businesses offering discounts to chapter members and the raffle of two top water lures.
May 30th was our
James
Smith
Spring
Memorial Tournament. Pat,
Jed … thanks for putting
the tournament together.
The event was held on
Greenwood Lake and you
guessed it… cold front,
high winds and blue bird
skies. Veterans and rookies took to the water on the
quest for the one toothy for
biggest and team honors.
Well Chuck and Russ boated the only musky of the day. It was a 36” true strain but you should
see the girth on this beast. It had to be at least 8 to 10 lbs with huge
teeth. It almost sank their boat. Andy’s boat lost one and the rest of us
raised a few including new members Mike and Kurt who were out with
me. (They get your attention when they swim up and say “how do”, don’t
they boys.) It was a gathering of good friends and fellow club members
and though the number of fish boated was less than what we would
have liked it was still time on the water and not a moment wasted. Sorry
Angus… the floater you found doesn’t qualify. Has John forgiven you
for stinking up his glove?
If I’ve missed thanking or recognizing anyone my apologies. Three
events in two weeks had the month of May is a fine way to start the late
spring and summer season. Here’s to the end of cold fronts and the
start of lots of tight lines and smiles. As always be safe out there. We
count you as you go out and expect an equal number to return.
Respectfully, Cal Huntzinger, Captain, Musky Squadron
Editor’s note: thought I’d squeeze in this photo of Capt. Cal with his
recent 48 incher from Mt. Lake as a surprise – nice fish!
the 19th and gave them an introduction to fishing for muskies. At the
general meeting, our very own Gordy Merz narrated the “World’s Oldest
Muskie Movie” with additional details and legends after the bait swap.
Our chapter was also called upon for an outing to fulfill a cancer
patient’s last wish, muskie fishing with family and friends. May 28th was
our second member outing for the season.
In June, we’ve attempted to make contact with our DNR representative several times. Since VHSv, our rearing pond isn’t ideal because
of the water exchange in and/or out of the pond. Efforts to convert the
old rearing pond into an urban fishery, planning for a new spring fed
rearing pond for 2010, and 2009 stocking are just a few items in need
of attention. Two more member outings were held on the 10th and 23rd.
The Pewaukee Cops & Bobbers Youth program that our chapter assists
the Pewaukee Police Department with began on June 23rd and runs
every Tuesday through August 25th with the exception of July 7th.
Daniel Boone Conservation League (www.dbcl.org) picnic is
August 1st, and our chapter will be hosting youth fishing seminars at
their facility. Contact Tom Arvoy if you’re interested in the Gil Hamm
Challunge on Leech Lake. August chapter outings are scheduled for the
10th and 26th. Board meeting only is scheduled for August 25th. Our
general meetings resume September 22nd.
Mike Phelps, Board Member
49
Webster Lake
P.O. Box 670
No. Webster, IN 46555
574-834-1669
Hello all,
I hope your season is going well. I am so proud of each of our
chapter 49 members. For most of the year we have been on top of the
M.O.F.C. points. Keep it up and congrats to everyone.
I would also like to give a pat on the back to Nikki Swain. She won
first place with 4 fish during the Ironman competition. Chae Dolsen won
2nd place with 3 fish, and there were a lot more caught during the outing.
Don’t forget that we have a 2 day cash tournament coming up, on
September 12th and 13th. The $200 entry fee includes both events;
Barbee Chain of lakes on Saturday and Webster lake on Sunday.
Check out the ad in this issue of MUSKIE or contact Gary Enos at:
574-834-2428 or [email protected] for more details!
Also don’t forget that the leagues start up soon, I hope to see
everyone there. You can check out the clubs website at: www.websterlakemuskyclub.net Here are the dates and times:
Barbee Lake, Aug 14th, 8pm to midnight
Upper Long, Aug 21st, 8pm - midnight
Tippy, Aug 28th, 8pm - midnight
Loon, Sept 4th, 8pm - midnight
Webster, Sept 18th, 6pm-10pm
Upper Long, Sept 25th, 6pm-10pm
Barbee, Oct 2nd, 6pm-10pm
Tippy, Oct 9th, 6pm-10pm
William Bennett <*))))))))))))><
219-201-6123 or 574-457-3879
Penn Jersey
50
Sebastian Musumeci, President
510 Bryton Ave., Pottstown, PA 19465
484-459-5940 • Website: www.mi50.com
Meets at 7pm on 1st Wed. at Casey’s Bar on Corner of
Cherry and California Rds, Quakerstown, PA.
35
Milwaukee
P.O. Box 28842 • Greenfield, WI 53228
262-542-9997
www.milwaukeemuskiesinc.com • [email protected]
Meets 4th Tuesday ex. June/July or Dec., 7:30 PM, Legacy Fine Dining, 14955 W. National Ave.,
New Berlin, WI 53151.
Rewinding to May, our chapter had a busy month. Kicking it off for
the Southern WI season opener, our chapter had a little friendly competition with our chapter friends from Quad County. The following weekend was our chapter’s 25th annual Pewaukee Classic fundraiser. Our
member outings also kicked into gear with the first outing of eleven for
the season. The Brookfield East High School Youth outing was held on
Fishing is great these days so this message will be brief. At this
time MI50 has probably released over a hundred muskies and some
good ones as well.
Our Youth Day was a tremendous success and about 55 kids were
smiling ear to ear. A special thanks to the members and the sponsors
that made this event one to remember. The sponsors were Casey’s
Tavern, Peak Performance Archery, Mike DiGiuseppe (MI50) and his
affiliation with South Bend Tackle, Coca Cola Bottling, Dick’s Sporting
Goods, Musky Hunter Magazine, Bethlehem Dairy Store, Dan & Amalie
McCann, Silvia & Gary Spitzer, Josh Terwilliger, Randy Bearish and
Doug Moats among others. A special thanks to George Roman who is
52
Daniel Boone
813 US 62, Maysville, KY 41056
Phone: 606.759-7610 • e-mail: [email protected]
President: Larry X. Besant
Meets on Fridays-call or email.
Our spring fishing season in KY has wrapped up and the summer
heat has kicked in. We have enjoyed good participation and success in
all our outings and our members are looking forward to a Big Fish Fall.
We started at Melton Hill, TN in January and Chris Haley took 1st
place. In April we had our Cave Run Outing with Frank Saxton taking 1st
and Scott Smalley 2nd. At Green River in May Ronnie Simpson won 1st
place and then in June, Bill Allen took 1st at Buckhorn Lake.
Tim Gilbert put together a big turnout at Buckhorn with a really
enjoyable cookout and a very successful raffle to help out our chapter’s
finances. Tim and Mike Tackett have been very generous in supporting
our outing raffles with some great muskie tackle items.
On June 6 we held our first Junior/Adult team outing at Cave Run
Lake. Hunter Kinney won an Ambassador Reel, Lilly Ash won a gift certificate from Mike Tackett’s Pro Shop, and Levi Roe and Brad Smalley
won muskie lures.
Hope to see all of our members out on the water this fall.
Scott Smalley, President
57
NW TigerPac
P.O. Box 5515, Kent, WA 98064
www.nwtigermuskies.org
email: [email protected]
Hot line: (253) 850-5889 • Perry Peterson, President
A big hello from the TIGER PAC .Were very glad to tell you we
have been very busy and we are spreading the word about Muskies,
Inc. and catch and release of our beautiful resource. Our Curlew Lake
outing was great; Mike Floyd caught the derby winner. On a side note I
caught the smallest!
a mess! Thanks to all those who
are helping! Also; we have contracted with the Adopt a Road
Campaign here in Pierce County
to commit to cleaning 2 miles of
road, 4 times a year, also in and
around some prime muskie
waters.
Our members really jump in
when asked to help the Chapter
and the Community. As this goes
to press, we are 2 days away from our annual Jack & Jill Tournament,
wherein we encourage at least one person in the boat to be female:
wife/girlfriend/daughter/sister. But if none can be found, we allow the
guys to play, but somebody has to wear a wig, or a skirt over their jeans
or at the very least, a pink shirt! Should be some interesting pictures,
stay tuned. Mayfield is always a great outing and I personally have
seen tiger muskie pushing over the 50 in mark in this lake!
Like the rest of your, we are in full swing now for summer with all
kinds of things filling up the Muskie Calendar: Tammy Ramsell-Baldwin
(Larry Ramsell’s daughter) and Jani K. spent a hot 10 hours one
Saturday in May helping to teach kids to fish for trout with the Dept. of
Fish & Wildlife: Tammy said it was pretty special to watch kids, especially the little girls, catch their first fish! Hopefully, some of them will grow
up to be Esox anglers, too.
In July we will have our 1st Chapter #57 Picnic/Tournament/
Chapter Meeting held at our closest urban jungle: Lake Tapps. Miles
McDonald is bringing his BIG BBQ and starting the coals about 6 a.m.
for his delicious, mouth watering pork ribs; MANFOOD! Part of the fun
for the day, after catching and releasing a few muskies, will include a
casting competition. Beings that we all spend great amounts of time
casting; this should be a real barn-burner, with some serious side bets
going on. My money is on one the ladies, Jill Blakeway or Jess Dilling
have got a bulls-eye casts; should be great fun for all!
We will also be saying adios for a short time to a few of our
Members that day: 2 weeks later Norm Dillon and D.J. Hempler will be
heading off to Iraq for a year, where they will join D.J.’s brother Dennis
Hempler, who is also serving in the U.S. Army there. God’s Speed, gentlemen, and safe journey home to us.
The September 12th Tournament is our only Open T. of the year
and it happens on Lake Tapps near Sumner, WA. This is the Big
Granddaddy of the year; look for 50 -60 anglers from all over the State
to compete in the biggest purse of the year. I wish everyone the best of
luck! Many, many members are working hard to make this a very professional day with many thousands of dollars in raffle prizes; members
are making their own donations and Perry Peterson, Lee Burns and
Norm Dillon have networked with many fine sponsors to support us!
Lastly, our club has been growing by leaps and bounds: the 57th
Chapter of Muskies, Inc. is very proud to announce that we have just
signed up our 100th member. She is Sharon Tipping, wife of Jack
Tipping, the WDFW Biologist who first planted the Tiger Muskies in
Mayfield Lake in 1988. It is an honor to have them both in our Chapter;
NW TIGER PAC.
Vacationing out west this year? Stop in and say hi if any of you are;
the bluest skies and tenacious tigers are in Seattle!
I hope all your leaders and drags get tested. Brett Olson, VP
Lake St. Clair Muskies, Inc.
58
Mike’s Curlew Winner!
We have had a great time so far this year. We are busy fulfilling the
Mission Statement to M.I. by helping out the environment: We will be at
our biggest metro muskie lake on the 5th of July; not to fish (well maybe
later) but to clean up all the garbage left from the 4th of July parties. It is
www.muskiesinc.org
20939 Hackel Court
Clinton, Twp, MI 48038
586-873-5781 - Joe Lockemy, President
www.lscmi.com • Email: [email protected]
Meetings at The Sports Channel Bar & Restaurant, 25419
Jefferson, St. Clair Shores, MI 7:00pm on Third Thursday each month.
See website for details.
The Lake St. Clair Chapter #58 of Muskies, Inc has been very busy
trying to get the 2009 season underway. Our May Membership meeting was a HUGE success as we had 3 guest speakers for the evening
with an awesome amount of donated raffle prizes. A special thanks to
those business and craftsman who donates such nice gifts, your support is so greatly appreciated. From custom made lures, to hand made
the MI50 member that worked so hard to make this event take place.
There is a restructuring of our musky schools. Thanks to our sister chapter member (22) Steve Scornavacca we are heading in the right
direction as he has provided us with a good solid base to generate interest in muskies and teaching how to fish for them. Also thanks to Kevin
Johnson of 22 as well for his advice on the subject.
MI50 is raffling a trip with Red Childress of Allegheny Guide
Service. The trip will be some time in late August.
We are looking into regulation signs up at our local lakes, especially Marsh Creek. We want to insure that people know the proper handling and identification of muskellunge.
Tight lines and sharp hooks from everyone at MI50,
David Christinzio
planer boards there were many awesome choices on the raffle table.
Our membership is continuing to grow at a great pace despite the tough
economic trauma we are all currently in. Special thanks to our guest
speakers who made it out and presented some valuable information.
These guys are extremely busy and it was very kind of them to fit us into
their schedule. The speakers included DNR Officer Chris Kiel, US
Boarder and Custom Officer Bill Henderson and Deputy Officer Wayne
Rickart from the Macomb County Sheriffs Department Marine Division.
They provided the group with the major changes for the upcoming season and helped with many questions from the group. Stay tuned to our
website for information on our upcoming guest speakers.
On June 6-7, 2009 we held our 1st Annual Spring Muskie Madness
Tournament. We had a great turnout with 16 boats entered. Fishing
was tough as many anglers were catching fish on the smaller size then
we are used to. The weather has kept the water temps lower than most
of us prefer. Seven fish were registered on Saturday as the day came
to end. More than 30 fish caught through out the day, but once the bar
was set, everyone was looking for that one fish. Sunday turned out to
be the day..! Around 10:30am is when a lot of the big boys started getting hungry. The boat named the “Bloody Gaff” hit the weigh master to
set the bar Sunday morning with a 46 ?” fish, then quickly followed
Team Dreamline with a 48 ?” fish that was big enough to hold 3rd Place
honors. Not to long after that the “Bloody Gaff” boat was back on the
radio with another nice fish, this time it was 50 ?” long. As the
Tournament was winding down and less than 15 minutes to go, Team
“Peppino” hailed the radio with excitement in there voices, the had just
landed a hog! There fish measured out at 51 7/8” long. Way to go Team
Peppino! This big girl was reeled in by club member Phil Garafolo using
one of there own custom made bucktails. Phil and Angelo are the creators and owners of the Lake St. Clair Lure Company specializing in
bucktails and one of a kind crank baits, way to go guys! I will bet they
MISSION STATEMENT
“Muskies, Inc. is an active, serviceoriented, non-profit organization with
the single focus of improving the
sport of muskie fishing for men,
women, and children.”
Our mission is to unite all muskie fishing
interests for the promotion and protection of a
high quality muskellunge sport fishery in the
United States and Canada.
We will accomplish this by supporting conservation practices and research based on sound
scientific merit, and carried out by authorized
federal or state agencies, appropriate academic
institutions, Muskies, Inc chapters, and their
members.
We are committed to the abatement of water
pollution; maintenance of records for muskie
habits, growth, and range; and the dissemination
of muskie information to everyone.”
Adopted, April 2002
will be making several more after that win. Overall through out the tournament there were over 100 fish caught and every one was successfully released to swim another day. Great Job!
Keep track of the LSCMI Website for more upcoming awesome
events. On June 28, 2009 we are hosting our 2nd Annual Kids Fishing
Day. Let’s get these youngsters out on the water and show them what
our resources are all about. Kid’s Day is being held at Metro Beach in
Harrison Twp, MI. If you are interested in participating please contact
Chaz Legarski at 586-979-0436. Our July membership meeting is
going to be a little different than we are used to. Many times during the
summer months attendance drops during membership meetings mostly because we are out on the water and enjoying summer time fun. So
for our July Membership Meeting is being moved to Lake St. Clair!
There’s nothing like a great night out on the water fishing with family and
friends. We are planning to meet at Michigan Harbor Marina at 6:00pm
for a short update on current events, then its out to the lake for some
muskie fishing. Several members have offered to pair up and get everyone out on the water. Should be a great evening of friends, fun and fishing. Keep posted to our website for more details. For additional information please call V.P. Mark Kornosky at 586-596-4481.
As the season gets under way, be sure to check all your safety
gear and make sure your vessel is ready to go for the season, after a
long hard winter you can never be to prepared. The Lake St. Clair
Chapter #58 Board of Directors wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable
season.
Scott Robertson, Secretary
Southwest Muskie Maniacs
59
P.O. Box 65575, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87193
(505) 363-4624
www.swmuskiemaniacs.com
(website is under construction)
Our Chapter is going through some changes on the Board right
now but by the time you read this we should be finished with the restructuring of our club. We held a meeting June 23rd and the Members were
very excited about the new direction we are heading in.
A few things to update everyone on; as of June we are in the
process of obtaining a new PO Box address, as well as, a bank account
for the club. So please hold off on any mail to the PO Box listed we will
tend to the matter quickly. We are also planning on purchasing a website to help get the word out about what’s going on with the Chapter and
attract new members. We are also opening a hotline for outsiders to call
with inquiries in regards to the club. Look for those updates soon. A random donation for our Chapter from a Member of Chapter #57 was
received at $200! Thank you for your generosity! It will be a great help
to our club!
In May Barry Reynolds came to NM as a special guest to talk about
targeting Muskies on the fly. We had a great time at the open house
presentation and had a decent turnout of 15 people. The following day
we held a fundraiser at Bluewater Lake. Members shared time getting
pointers from Barry and talking Muskies. Big thanks to Barry Reynolds
for everything, we plan on using some of the videos, books, and fly line
he donated to raise funds at the next few meetings.
Member Antony Aemiseggar caught and released a 40 inch Tiger
Muskie early June, good job Antony! We also have a few members that
ran into Joe Hardy from Chapter 02 while he was fishing in NM. Word
is he had a wonderful experience on our waters and boated 42 Tigers
in the time he was here including one that measured 42 inches! GREAT
JOB JOE!! Amy Anderson caught a beautiful 34” Tiger in early June that
had really thick bars on it. Her husband and Chapter Member remarked
“It was built and colored like an anaconda!”
Bob Gerding, host of the TV show Wild New Mexico and Mark
Sawyer from Los Pino Fly and Tackle Shop are out filming for the show
this week. Last time out Bob and Mark boated over 14 Tigers in one
day!! Unfortunately we couldn’t get a Member on the boat to talk about
Chapter #59 for the show. We are hoping to make something come
together in the future working with Wild New Mexico.
We are excited about the direction our club is heading in but we still
have a lot of work to do… don’t worry we’ll still find time for chasing
Tigers! Just a club update: our chapter currently has 23 members.
Matt Pelletier
MUSKIES, INC.
1509 Stahl Road
Sheboygan, WI 53081
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Chapter 21 member Dave Ledman took this great
silhouette shot. Thanks Dave, terrific shot.
Here is the first topwater lure fish that Dave Ledman
has caught, and it only took him 3 days into the 2009
season to do it. It measured 43 inches, and was caught
and released on a Minnesota lake.
Chapter 20 Between the Lakes member Rob Howe
took this photo of his son Alex. Alex caught the fish
trolling Green Bay last November, and it measured
42 inches. Nice job Alex.
Chapter 9 member Mike Moschell is pictured here
with a 34 inch muskie. It was one of 3 caught that
day from the Kanawha River. Great day Mike.
Fargo-Moorhead Chapter Secretary Shawn Earley caught this
52 inch fish while fishing a central Minnesota lake in June.
Looks like a nice, healthy fish Shawn, congratulations.
Chapter 21 member Dave Ledman also took this
beautiful early morning fog picture. He was on
Minnesota’s Lake Vermilion at the time. Great shot
again Dave, thanks.
Hoosier Muskie Hunter Dave Miller caught this 40
inch fish during the 2009 Indiana Muskie Classic.
Dave says you can tell from the clothing he’s wearing in the photo that they had some interesting
weather to deal with. Nice fish.
Here is Chapter 41 Central Ohio member Bill Moore pictured with one of two
Shawnee Muskie Hunters chapter secretary Steve
fish he caught to win a muskie tournaBurian caught this 46.5 inch fish while fishing on June 6th
ment in May. The fish were caught from
of this year while fishing Prairie Lake. Nice fish Steve.
Clearfork Reservoir. Nice job Bill.

MUSKIE Magazine

Transcription

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