name: charlie bolton - muskies, inc. · 2 president’s message,jim ashton 3 index of advertisers 4...

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ContentsMUSKIE • VOl. 52, NO. 2

Join Muskies, Inc. ...or give a member ship as a gift.

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MUSKIE magazine is published six times each year and is the Official Publication of Muskies, Inc. PO Box 1509 Waukesha, WI 53187-1509Ph: 1-888-710-8286.© Copyright 2018 by Muskies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Departments

Features

www.muskiesinc.org

About the CoVeRFischer Smith has

been a frequent face in our calendars over the years, but here Fischer makes his first cover. this fish was 43.5 inches and was caught from shore. Image sent in by Fischer’s proud father, Jason Smith.

- Sean

1 About the Cover, Sean Landsman2 President’s Message, Jim Ashton3 Index of Advertisers

4 MUSKIE News

9 Wormley Grant

10 Lunge Log, Fred Esox Brogle16 Donations

17 MUSKIE Book Review

19 Figure 8

23 Photo Contest, Michael Winther24 MUSKIE Advertiser Spotlight -

Chaos Tackle

25 Member Photos, Michael Winther33 Chapter News and Views

Back Cover Regional News

20 Climate Change & Fisheries, Chris Vitello

27 Betting On Your Muskie Bait, Marty Forman

30 Muskie Action From An Old Tackle Box, Charles Weiss

March / April 2018 .....MUSKIE 1

*All addresses OUTSIDE THE U.S. are defaulted to website only membership and pay by credit card. *No checks from outside the U.S. will be accepted.

Board of DirectorsExecutive CommitteePresident, Jim AshtonPhone: 636-227-5248Email: [email protected]

VP Finance/Treasurer, Jim Ashton (TEMP)Phone: 636-227-5248Email: [email protected]

VP Fisheries & Research, Jim MoorePhone: 740-667-3571Email: [email protected]

VP Internal Affairs, Fred BroglePhone: 715-617-5873 Email: [email protected]

VP Membership, Jim EversPhone: 973-220-7532Email: [email protected]

VP Communications & Marketing, Patrick KrumenackerPhone: 814-421-6502Email: [email protected]

VP Youth Activities, OPENPhone: Email: [email protected]

Corporate Secretary, Jim FritzPhone: 314-722-0466Email: [email protected]

Past-President, Carl PhillipsEmail: [email protected] Regional Representatives are also

Executive Committee Members

Regional RepresentativesRegion 1 Term Expires *Curt Ellestad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018 Kim Wagner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2019 John Meyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2020Region 2 *Jeff Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018 Jeff Micholic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2019 Rick Petzke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2020Region 3 *Bob Sisson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018 Todd Cook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2019 Dave Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2020Region 4 *Kimberly Cates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2017 Earle Hammond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018 Frank A. Walter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2019 * = Senior Regional Representative

Someone once said, “A great fisherman’s confidence to catch fish comes from his passion not his gear.” I suppose a bamboo pole doesn’t qualify as muskie gear, but in the hands of a person with passion, who knows what could happen. Each year there are multiple fishing expos to attend and lighten our spirits when a cold winter is in season. Maybe we just go to look and see what’s new, or maybe we buy what’s new in hopes that the new gear will help us boat more fish. But, the passion doesn’t end there. In the aisles of the expos are all sorts of fishing gear, whether from a production retailer, or from

someone who makes and test lures on weekends to appease a personal passion. You’ve got to admit there’s nothing like that new lure, rod, or reel, or something else that can give you that feeling of confidence, but the passion must be there.

Attending this year’s Chicago and Milwaukee Muskie Expos reminds me of the passion our MI members have for the sport of muskie fishing and the leadership, dedication, time and money chapter members contribute to conservation, supporting clean lakes, and working with local, state and federal agencies to insure the muskie has a healthy habitat. There is also the comradery that comes with being an MI member. Learning muskie fishing skills and sharing the all-important techniques and “catch and release” stories told in detail by you and other members is just part of the passion. By the time you receive this issue of MUSKIE, winter will be retreating and soon we will be back on the water. For some, the winter has been mild enough and regulations allow for year-round fishing, with time out to attend a fishing show doubling the pleasure and passion. Your MI Board does not have a season and continues to work on behalf of all members. The committees have continued to do their work that will be summarized at the Annual Board Meeting (ABM) when members gather at the Hyatt Hotel in Schaumburg, IL. (Chicago), on April 6 and 7, 2018. Everyone is welcome to attend and ample time has been allotted on the agenda for questions and answers from guests. We presume that because MI is operating in its 52nd year; we know where we are going and how to get there, but age sometimes has a way of leaving us without a compass, just going in the right direction, no planning needed. As far as MI is concerned it’s time to formalize where we are going and set a course for the future for growth, sustainability, and financial security. I’m sure you’re tired of hearing that phrase, but for the corporation, success is not assured without planning, goals and measurement.

On Friday, April 6th, beginning at 3:00 p.m., the Annual Al Skaar Leadership Training Seminar will be held. This year will feature a

By: Jim Ashton, Muskies, Inc. President

Email: [email protected]

MUSKIE is published exclusively for the membership of Muskies, Inc. and subscriptions come with a paid membership. Muskies, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) 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. Member Services. 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. website

The President’s Message

2 MUSKIE..... March / April 2018

CHAOS TACKLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24CHAPTER 8 - 17TH INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED MUSKIE SCHOOL . . . 38CHAPTER 42 - INDIANA MUSKIE CLASSIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32CHAPTER 69 - CHAUTAUQUA SHOWDOWN MUSKIE TOURNAMENT . . . . . 44DEADLINES FOR MUSKIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19FITTANTE REPLICAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22LAKEWOOD PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25LURE PARTS ONLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17MINNESOTA MUSKIE EXPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18RED WING LODGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6SPORTS SHOW LOCATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15ST . CROIX RODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFCYOUNG’S WILDERNESS CAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

session on strategic planning. Input from board members as well as guests will support our efforts to plan and insure we implement actions strengthening and guiding our future. On Saturday, April 7th starting at 9:00 a.m., the Annual Business Meeting will be held. An agenda, motions up for discussion and action, VP Reports, and elections will have been posted on the MI website. Following the ABM, the minutes of the meeting will be posted on the website as well as the results of the Al Skaar Seminar. The Board is still new, but working in many ways to improve MI even though this is not always visible to our members. It is a small, representative part of more than 6,300 members who continue to support muskie fishing and secure a future for our youth, the fisheries, and the muskie.

We continue to seek qualified candidates for the positions of VP-Youth and VP-Finance and welcome all interested and knowledgeable parties. Check our Bylaws for brief descriptions of the responsibilities of these positions. It is the membership in total that makes us who we are and what we stand for. Together our leadership, enthusiasm and involvement are what define MI’s passion. Our fishing tools are not what makes us pursue the muskie. Whether it’s the improbable bamboo pole or that special lure, “A great fisherman’s confidence to catch fish comes from his passion not his gear.”

- Jim Ashton FISH ON!

Annual Board Meeting AnnouncementThe Muskies, Inc. Annual Board Meeting (ABM) will be held at the

Hyatt Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois (Chicago) on April 6 and 7. All members are welcome to attend and ample time has been allotted on the agenda for question and answers from members. On Friday, April 6th, beginning at 3:00 p.m., the Annual Al Skaar Leadership Training Seminar will be held. This year it will feature a session on strategic planning. Input from our board members, as well as members, will support our efforts to plan and insure we implement actions strengthening and guiding our future. On Saturday, April 7th starting at 9:00 a.m., the ABM will be held. An agenda, motions up for discussion and action, VP Reports and elections will be posted on the MI website. Following the ABM, the minutes of the meeting will be posted on the website as well as the results of the Skaar seminar.

HYATT REGENCY SCHAUMBURG, CHICAGO(847) 605-1234 - Book under MI Block1800 E. Golf Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60173schaumburg.regency.hyatt.com

MUSKIE Magazine StaffEDITOR & MAGAZINE DESIGNAmy Keyes8588 Harding RoadBancroft, WI 54921Phone: (715) 213-7206Email: [email protected]

ASSISTANT MAGAZINESean landsmanEmail: [email protected]

PHOTO CONTEST EDITORMichael WintherPhone: (608) 844-1382Email: [email protected]

LUNGE LOG EDITOR - MAGAZINE Fred E.sox BroglePhone: (715) 617-5873Email: [email protected]

LUNGE LOG EDITOR - WEB Randy loeweckePhone: (815) 520-3628Email: [email protected]

ADVERTISING SALES TEAMKevin Richards, Advertising ManagerPhone: (573) 280-2300Email: [email protected]

Kevin Pischke, Ad Sale RepPhone: (920) 676-7893Email: [email protected]

PRINTING ACCOUNT MANAGERSunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - Stacey Thielen

ILLUSTRATORS/CARTOONISTSRichard Gross, Charles Weiss

FIELD EDITORSAce Sommerfeld, Kevin Pischke, Kevin Richards, Rick Helm, Adam M. Glickman

SupportMembership Services, Robert Petzke P.O. Box 1509Waukesha, WI 53187-1509 Phone: 888-710-8286Email: [email protected]

Finances, Kathryn GoonPhone: 419-945-2940Email: [email protected]

Assistant Finances, Cathy AdamsPhone: 740-360-9264Email: [email protected]

Merchandising Director, Will SchultzPhone: 616-447-1688Email: [email protected]

Web Master, Randy loeweckePhone: 815-520-3628Email: [email protected]

Each issue would not be possible without the help from our volunteers. Thank you

Bill Stein, Richard Helm, and Lorin Nevling for your dedication to MUSKIE.

March / April 2018 .....MUSKIE 3www.muskiesinc.org

IMA inducts 2018 Hall of Fame ClassThe Illini Muskie Alliance (IMA) is a not-for-profit

corporation. Its objective is to unify its members in its goals, which are the preservation and promotion of our muskie fishery in Illinois. We are involved in conservation and development of our fishery. Educating and informing the public on muskie fishing is one of our primary goals. We work with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, with input to developing the best muskie fishery possible in our state. We also promote catch and release on our waters.

The organization has existed for over thirty years. The IMA is open to all officially organized Illinois muskie clubs and other organizations interested in the pursuit of improving the muskie fishery. We meet four times a year to address the needs of the Illinois muskie fishery. We support the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fishery Department though manpower or funds in any way possible.

Our Hall of fame started in 2017 as a way to honor those individuals who have put in extra effort to promote and preserve the goals of the IMA and the Illinois fishery.

The Illini Muskies Alliance inducted their 2018 Hall of Fame class at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois on Saturday, January 6. For the second year in a row an audience of over 100 was present to observe this popular IMA program.

The Hall of Fame (HOF) is the IMA way of recognizing and thanking those individuals who have made a difference with muskie fishing in Illinois. This thirty-year-old organization has literally hundreds of potential nominees to choose from. The IMA is made up of eleven muskie clubs located throughout the State of Illinois

This year’s class was introduced by HOF Chairman Pat Glavin, Midwest Musky Club, with each inductee receiving congratulations and appropriate HOF awards from IMA Chairman, Ray Thompson, Southside Muskie Hawks (Chapter 7) of Muskies, Inc.

This years’ HOF “difference makers” included the following individuals:


Steve Statland: Chicagoland Muskie Hunters (Chapter 3) of Muskies, Inc, a muskie enthusiast for many years and one of the past owners and promoters of the Chicago Muskie Show. Duane Serck: Is a current member of the Fox River Valley (Chapter 39) of Muskies, Inc, for several years a difference maker and certainly a promoter of muskie fishing in Illinois. Jim Beatty: Current President of the Shawnee Muskie Hunters (Chapter 28) of Muskies, Inc. initiated the Youth Fishing Day program for Shawnee and is the founder of the Illinois High School Muskie fishing tournament. Al Nutty: A long-time guide and muskie promoter from Kinkaid Lake. One of the founders of the Shawnee Muskie Hunters Club chapter of Muskies, Inc. Duane Landmeier: Duane is part of the Quad County Hawg Hunters (Chapter 17) of Muskies, Inc, a local muskie guide, seminar speaker and author of one of the first muskie fishing books regarding Illinois muskie fishing. Shawn Hirst: Shawn is a muskie friendly fisheries biologist located in southern

Illinois. He is very involved with the muskie fishery of Kinkaid Lake for many years. Dan Stephenson, IDNR Fisheries Director, accepted the awards for Shawn.

Howard Chambliss: Howard is the President of the Illinois Muskie Tournament Trail, a member of Lake Shelbyville Muskie Club and a strong supporter of muskie fishing in Illinois for many years. June Thompson: June is part of the Southside Muskie Hawks (Chapter 7) of Muskies, Inc., who along with husband Warren Thompson make up the first husband and wife members

of the Hall of Fame. June has been an active difference maker for muskie fishing in Illinois through a variety of activities, including Assistant Treasurer of the IMA for many years.

Jim Hartley: Jim is a part of the Midwest Musky Club and continues to be a strong supporter of the IMA and the muskie fishery in Illinois. Frank Walter: Frank is a member of South of the Border (Chapter 14) of Muskies, Inc. For many years he has been a strong supporter and participant with the Illinois muskie fishery program.Pete Barber: Pete belongs to the Fox River Valley (Chapter 39) of Muskies, Inc., is an active and sought out voice of not only the Fox River Valley group but the Illini Muskie Alliance as well.

New Media inductees for 2018 include: Scott Richardson, former Outdoor columnist for the Pantograph, and Dale Bowman, Outdoor columnist for the Sun-Times. The IMA has long realized the importance of support and promotion from the news


media for the Illinois muskie fishery to prosper. For contact information concerning any of the Clubs

that make up the Illini Muskies Alliance readers may contact, Ron Skala, Midwest Musky Club, at [email protected] OR (708) 975-3412

- Ronald Skala, IMA Secretary

Fisheries and Research Committee Update, January 2018

The MI Fisheries and Research Committee was able to fulfill the following grant requests to Chapters through the Gil Hamm Fund and additional corporate funding for the following 2017 – 2018 projects.

*Three Rivers Chapter 16: $1,500.00 for PA Minnow Fund, partial funding*Heartland Chapter 10: $2,000.00 for Iowa PIT Tagging Project (in cooperation with newly formed Mid-Iowa Chapter)*New York Chapter 69: $2,000.00 for St. Lawrence River Muskie Project, Thousand Island Biological Station*First Wisconsin Chapter 6: $1,000.00 for Lake Wissota PIT Tagging Project (WI DNR)One additional project was approved by the

Committee, but was later pulled from consideration by the requesting Chapter as the project direction changed and needed further review.

As these projects develop throughout the season, we will receive updates from the Chapters and we will keep the membership advised on the progress and results of each.

Details concerning how your Chapter can be eligible for Gil Hamm funding for approved projects are available below.

- Jim Moore, VP Fisheries and Research

Gil Hamm Memorial Fund Grants, MI Fisheries and Research Committee

The MI Fisheries and Research Committee is announcing the availability of Gil Hamm Memorial Fund Grants that can be requested by Chapters for worthy projects in 2019.

The Grant Cycle established for equitable dispersal of funds is as follows:

Grant Request Acceptance Period: April 1 – July 31, 2018Proposals must be submitted on the Application Form provided online via the Muskies, Inc. website

www.muskiesinc.org(Text continued on page 6)

www.muskiesinc.org


or through request to the Committee.Committee Review, Prioritize and Approval Period: August 1 - September 30, 2018The Committee will make decisions based upon the goals of MI. Criteria includes: potential impact on the fisheries as a whole, impact on a particular fishery.Applicant Notification, Funding Awards: October 1 – December 31, 2018 Notes: Chapters limited to one Grant Proposal per cycle.Individual requests shall be limited to $2,000. In

some cases, the Committee may offer the submitter a reduced amount than in the original request.

A Chapter previously receiving a Grant may not resubmit until that project is completed. The Committee is unable to entertain multi-year funding proposals at this time.

Individual Proposals not funded in the current cycle may be re-submitted the next cycle, they will not be carried over as projects and situations are likely to change.

Please understand that the Committee is working to fund projects that fulfill the expanding goals of MI through the enhancement of fisheries, habitat preservation and improvement, and environmental

impact upon the sport. Although needed, we feel that projects limited to equipment purchase, minnow purchase and similar can best be handled at the state and local levels.

Fisheries and Research Committee:Steve Budnik ([email protected])Jim Moore ([email protected])Lorin Nevling ([email protected]) Tom Penniston ([email protected])Kevin Richards ([email protected])

- Jim Moore, VP Fisheries and Research

YCA Press Release - (September 25, 2017)“Kids who fish are cool and Muskie Lives Matter”This program was led by Kevin Bushnick, Founder &

Chairman of the Youth Conservation Alliance; a charity to teach kids about the environment through fishing and hunting programs. The YCA is a 100% Youth & Family focused organization.Congratulations to:

The “First Place Grand Champion” trophy this year went to John Sherkey age 13 (pictured here), from Mount Prospect, IL who fished with his father Mike and Uncle Jack. While John suffers from Cerebral Palsy, his father and uncle have specially equipped their boat to get John out on the water fishing. It’s John’s favorite thing to do and we were honored to have him at the event.

The “Big Bass Award” goes to Robert Zaborowski age 11, from Hoffman Estates, IL who landed a 21.5-inch whopper Smallmouth Bass. Robert was joined by his father Mike who has been a long-time supporter and advocate of our youth fishing programs.

The “Monster Muskie Award” goes to Haley Foulk, age 10, from West Dundee IL who caught the big fish of the event, a nice 41.5-inch Moose Lake muskie (pictured here). The picture shown of the family and muskie was taken as a selfie with their new addition to the family.

The event was sponsored in part by Fox River Valley

Hogan and Hayward Bait & Bottle, Charlie’s restaurant, Louie’s Landing restaurant (thanks so much Jack!) and the new owners of the beautiful Mystic Moose Resort, Joel and Sara Miller.

Closing ceremonies were held Saturday evening at Louie’s Landing where all the kids were recognized for their extraordinary effort and achievements both catching & releasing the fish they caught. Again, all fish were released and are swimming freely again in Moose Lake!

Watch for details on next year’s program September 20-23, 2018 on the YCA’s website at www.theyca.org.

The YCA remains a 100% volunteer organization and we are a State & Federal Charity. All contributions are tax deductible. Almost all of the money you donate goes directly towards our events. While we have very low administrative overhead, we do need things like fishing equipment, science and research related tools, and of course, lodging and food at our events for those in need. Please click here if you’d like to donate. www.theyca.org/donations

- Kevin Bushnick, YCA Founder & Chairman

Important Fishing Regulation Changes for Michigan Muskie Anglers for 2018

For Michigan anglers, the 2018 season, which starts April 1st, will bring with it several changes in muskie fishing regulations. These changes will include updates to the minimum size limits (MSL) for muskies on several specific bodies of water including increasing the MSL to the 50-inch mark on a few lakes. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) will also be eliminating the muskie harvest tag. The harvest tag is being replaced with a requirement that all muskie harvest activity be registered with the MDNR. This still maintains the existing possession limit of one fish per year, per angler, that can be harvested, but will now have an actual reporting/registration requirement that will help the MDNR track how many muskies are actually harvested throughout the state. These changes have come as a result of a lengthy process that was originally started in April 2016, with inquiries by Chapter 47 to the MDNR about increasing MSL’s and reducing the open season on various state waters.

The biggest change in the regulations is the change to the muskie season throughout the state. Currently in Michigan “the season”, which is technically the harvest season but is the only time you can target muskies even for catch and release, varies based on location. On

www.muskiesinc.org March / April 2018 .....MUSKIE 7www.muskiesinc.org

Muskies of Northern IL who provided many of the fishing guides needed to put the kids onto the fish! We also had renowned Muskie fishing expert Dave VanDoorn from “Take-A-Vet-Fishing” present to fish with several of the Veterans who participated with their kids during the event. Well-known Hayward area guides included Steve Gensen (USCG Captain), Erik Thue, John Myhre, Daryl Neibauer and the best known muskie fisherman in the Hayward area, our very own Larry Ramsell. Many of our volunteer guides travel 800 miles at their own expense plus their vacation time to take someone else’s kid out fishing. This is extraordinary dedication.

In the years ahead, the Youth Conservation Alliance (www.theyca.org) will place a major emphasis on teaching children about the environment through the sport of fishing. This is being done not only to ensure the future of the fishery, but also to provide youth with a tremendous opportunity for environmental education outside of the formal classroom. This event also provides parents with another opportunity to connect with their children.

The Youth Conservation Alliance continues to use all kinds of teaching tools including high-power microscopes to help the kids understand fish biology. During the event, we tested several areas of the water from Moose Lake to examine water quality. We also use a custom-crafted rubber muskie to teach the kids the proper way to handle this toothy predator. All of this is done as we deploy sophisticated tools to examine the environment while “keeping it simple” through the sport of fishing. This is way-cool stuff on the educational front and it represents a “practical application” which keeps the kids highly interested in what we’re trying to teach them.

Hayward area businesses that continue to support this event through donations or by providing items include key sponsors Wildwoods Furniture and the Hexum Family (thanks for the custom-made Hickory Walking Sticks!), Tom and Chris Mahoney from Robins Nest who served up the best breakfasts ever at our event. Lunch was provided by Old Southern BBQ, Dave Anderson’s new Smokehouse, and Lures of the North who donated many pictures of muskies for the kids.

Other key sponsors included George Selcke and the Hugh C. Becker Foundation, The Virgin Timber Resort, PINE Insurance Agency, The Trophy Shop, The Michael Conley Family of Lake Forest, IL, the Moose Lake Improvement Assoc., the Round Lake Fire Dept., Timber Trail Lodge & the Reinemann Family, Terry (Text continued on page 8)


Upper Peninsula Great Lakes and inland waters and the St. Mary’s River it runs from May 15th to March 15th. For the Lower Peninsula inland waters, the season runs from the last Saturday in April to March 15th. For the Lower Peninsula Great Lakes, the season is actually open all year. Then for Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, and the Detroit River, the season runs from the 1st Saturday in June to December 15th.

For 2018, statewide, the season will now begin the 1st Saturday of June (like it currently does on St. Clair). For most waters, the season will close March 15th. For Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River, it will now close on December 31st to align with the bass season closure (all anglers are encouraged to review the regulations at http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/ to confirm season dates and other specific regulations). However, the biggest change to the season, and the most controversial, is that starting April 1, 2018, there will be a new year-round Catch and Immediate Release (CIR) season statewide for muskies. You read that correctly, you will now be able to target muskies, year-round, for catch and release including on Lake St. Clair.

The reason for the controversy is the concern that a CIR season may have negative effects on spawning fish, specifically egg laden females. These concerns are magnified on a body of water like Lake St. Clair that is maintained solely through natural reproduction. The fear is that any increased stress on spawning fish may result in increased mortality, especially at a time when fish are already susceptible to issues such as VHS (Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus) which thrives in colder water. Most muskie anglers in the state are supportive of the overall regulation changes as the increases in the MSL and the shortening of the harvest season on most waters seeks to vastly improve the overall health and population of the state’s muskie fishery. However, the year-round CIR has been the source of heated debate. Although the concept for a statewide CIR was almost unanimously supported, concerns were raised regarding the CIR on the Lake St. Clair system specifically. Based on concerns with the CIR, several anglers including those from the Lake St. Clair Chapter 58, the Michigan Muskie Alliance Chapter 47, and sister muskie organizations in the state, went before the MDNR’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC) publicly to present information and to voice general concern over the CIR as it relates specifically to St. Clair. Additionally, Chapter 58 led the charge with an

online petition and encouraged anglers to reach out to the NRC directly in writing. Members of Chapters 47 and 58 also attended meetings with the DNR’s fisheries division to discuss the regulations as a whole. Although in the end, the NRC approved the proposed regulation changes without an exception for St. Clair, they did delay their decision an extra month which did allow for additional feedback from anglers. All anglers who participated in this process are thanked for their dedication and commitment to the fishery. It was encouraging to see the collaborative effort undertaken by multiple groups to help protect the muskie fishery. With these new regulations in place, starting in April 2018, anglers on Lake St. Clair (as well as elsewhere in the state) will be able to fish (CIR) for muskies year-round. While fishing for muskies during the known spawning season will be completely legal to do, we would encourage anglers to take advantage of the wonderful spring walleye, pike, and silver bass fishery that we have and avoid targeting muskies during the spawn. Should anglers decide to fish during the known spawning season we would ask that anglers engage in the following:

1) Refrain from targeting areas where egg laying females are most likely to be found. 2) Utilize proper landing and release tools and techniques to avoid additional stress on the fish. 3) If a female muskie is landed, keep the fish in the water at all times and release her as quickly as possible. 4) If a female muskie is landed, and brought on board for the purposes of de-hooking, photographs, etc., and spills her eggs on the boat, return her to the water immediately, return eggs to the lake immediately, and notify the DNR of the specifics.

Although we are disappointed in the decision, we must put our hope and trust into the State’s dedicated biologists who researched this issue and collaborated with various biological, ecological, and zoological experts in the region to determine that there will be no biological concern for opening a year-round CIR. Our hope is that a biological concern never arises and that this new CIR doesn’t negatively impact the St. Clair fishery. Again, we would like to thank all of the members of Chapter 58 and 47, who participated in this process, from those that went before the NRC directly, to those that wrote letters, sent emails, and those that signed the online petition. We would also like to thank those sister organizations who also participated in this process. Thank you to everyone involved.

- Brad Koehn, Vice President of Chapter 58


As members of Muskies, Inc. (MI), we are bound together by our enthusiasm for muskie fishing and the pursuit of MI’s mission: Fisheries, Research and Youth. This takes a tremendous effort by men, women and families giving their money and volunteering their time through our chapters to continue our legacy as we move into our 52nd year. Not only is member support important, but thoughtful donations from external resources are especially valued. MI has received a generous $2,000 grant from two young muskie fishermen, J. T. and Calvin Wormley, through the generosity of The Wormley Family Fund of the DuPage Foundation. The donation letter requests, “The grant is to be used for conservation, education, and stocking in the Lake Geneva, Wisconsin area and must be used within 12 months of the date of issue.” The request as to how the funds might be used is clearly aligned with our mission. J.T. and Calvin love fishing and each caught his first muskie (in the photos) last fall.

So, when the DuPage Foundation met with each of them at the end of the year, there was discussion about wanting to direct this year’s grant to a Muskie organization. A church friend, Bob Clark, is an avid fisherman and involved in several fishing organizations, so Grandpa Jim asked Bob if he knew of any 501c3 muskie organizations. Bob did some research and suggested MI. J.T. said, “We fished a lake that had been stocked with muskies, and we enjoyed the chance to fish for them. We want other people to have that joy as well”. “Our dad

and our uncles have gone on yearly muskie trips for years, now we’re going, too,” said Calvin. J.T. and Calvin believe it helps them further understand the value of their grants. Chapter 35,

under the leadership of its President Brian Mirek and its board, have agreed to manage the grant as requested

by J. T. and Calvin. In a letter of thanks to J. T. and Calvin, MI President Jim Ashton wrote in part, “As President of Muskies, Inc. and on behalf of all our members, please accept a sincere thank

you and appreciation for your grant and know it will be used in the manner requested. Additionally, thank you to your parents and

grandparents for sharing, and demonstrating to the next

generation, the benefits and value of embracing philanthropy and the

volunteering of time and community involvement”. We know that youth is our future and these two young

men epitomize the kind of support that goes beyond just fishing.

Wormley Grant- Jim Ashton , Muskies, Inc. President

Calvin Wormley with his first muskie caught last fall.

J.T. Wormley and his brother, Calvin

(background), also with his first

www.muskiesinc.org

Greetings Muskie Anglers:This is our big issue as we have closed the lunge log

contest for 2017 and we had some excellent fish caught this year. If you did not register your fish by January 10th they will not be counted in this year’s contest. National Award categories are as follows: Top 10 Men’s Division, Top 10 Men’s Masters, Top 10 Women’s Division, Top 2 Women’s Masters, Longest Release in the Men’s, Women’s, Juniors, Hybrid and Fly divisions. There was a change in the Junior Division awards, still providing 10 places in the division, the category will be divided into two age groups. There will be five awards to the top youths ages 12 and under and five awards to youths ages 13 to 17. We will still have plaques this year that will carry a special meaning as we will have a memorial dedication to Jim Bunch who did this log for so many years. So let’s close out the year and check the finals.

NOVEMBER 2017, LUNKER OF THE MONTH: Another huge fish from some familiar water goes to Bill Barber of Brockville, ON, Chapter 69. Bill is a guide on the St. Lawrence River where this fish was caught. Bill caught this 55 incher on a tough fishing day fishing by himself. He was trolling a glitter perch Hosebait and was going over an area with a few rock

humps when the strike took place. The skies were overcast with a light southwest winds as he fished a depth of 22 to 24 feet. He was trolling at a speed of 2-1/2 to 3 mph.

DECEMBER 2017, LUNKER OF THE MONTH: Closing out the year with December’s largest fish is Jesse Piele from South St. Paul, MN, Chapter 21. Jesse was out for the day and raised this fish a few times on a weed line, but the muskie was only a looker at first. Knowing it was a sizable fish, Jesse returned a few times during the day to that spot, but it was not until after sunset when the fish finally bit. He was working a Shallow Dawg very slowly that triggered the bite. The fish measured a very nice 52 inches. That’s how you end a season!

MEN’S TOP 25 (2017): Entering the top ten is Jim Korduci from Merrill, WI, Chapter 12. Jim was up on the famous Detroit Lake in October just as the big cold was starting to move in. Water temperature was in the upper 30’s while he and his partner fished some sparse weed beds in about 9 to 10 feet of water. Moving in and out on the weed line edge they approached an inside turn to the weeds. Using live bait (suckers) on a quick-strike, Jim had the sucker down only 3 to 4 feet. The water was fairly clear and at the time, he was watching his bait swim around the boat when he saw the fish rise up from the weeds and take the bait. The fish made three or four power runs but they finally got her in the net. Thinking it was a nice fish, they did not realize how big until they put her on the bump board… a 55.75 inch monster. Great going Jim.

- Fred Esox Brogle

LungeLog

www.muskiesinc.org March / April 2018 .....MUSKIE 11

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WOMEN’S TOP 25 (2017): Here is one of our lady anglers who is pulling double duty in our fishing contest. Lynne Dembiec from Chapter 35, Hartland, WI is sitting in 4th place in the Top 25 with a 52.5 incher and 3rd place in the women’s Masters. We talked about her season and since this monster was her personal best she told me her story. She and her husband were fishing at LOTW and her husband raised the fish earlier in the day. The plan was to go back during a feeding window and see if he would bite. Using a Danny bait, which is similar to a Suick, on the second go around Lynne got the call. She said the fight was tough but short, and she was holding on for “dear life”! The area in which the fish was caught was a cabbage and pad field, with about 5 to 8 feet of water, winds were light and the sky sunny. Lynn and her husband take trips to LOTW twice a year in July and October. On their October trip they were up for 10 days and caught 59 fish. She caught 33 of them. Don’t you wish you were there? Congratulations Lynne on an amazing season.

(Text continued on page 12)

MEN’S DIVISION (2017): This story is an example on how quickly you can move ahead in the division. Michael Chisamore from Wheaton, IL, Chapter 39 went out to Lake St. Clair for three days at the end of November with Spencer Berman as his guide. He caught 11 fish - all in the 40’s - enough to push him up near the top. Nine of the fish were caught trolling on Ziggy’s and two by casting Medusas. Michael also got a 50-inch down in Green Bay this year. His biggest fish of the year came in October on the Ottawa River and that was a 54-inch caught trolling. All-in-all Michael must be a fall angler as he caught 42 fish in October and November.

MEN’S MASTERS (2017): Also moving up at the end of the year is George Weber from Kettering, OH, Chapter 56. George caught my attention when he said he did all types of methods… casting, trolling, etc., but does quite a bit of vertical jigging which he accounts that produced at least 16% of his fish. George does his normal twitch baits and bucktails in the spring, but in the summer when the water gets warm he goes deeper. Fishing many reservoirs and Lake St. Clair he looks for the shad (baitfish) in open suspended water or over timber, brush piles, points, and breaks and uses a Bondi or Fuzzy Duzit. George was still fishing at the very end of December and his biggest fish of the season was a 50.5-inch from Lake St. Clair caught on a Medusa.


WOMEN’S DIVISION (2017): Moving up in the women’s division is Lorie Scherf from Waukesha WI, Chapter 35. Lorie spends most of her fishing time in Wisconsin moving from her local area and up to the Northwoods. She and her husband usually take a cabin fever trip down to Cave Run, but she enjoys fishing wherever she can. She makes her own custom bucktails and has had good success with them. She gets involved in trying all methods of fishing. She has tried fly fishing and even hired a special guide to learn vertical jigging and was successful in her first attempt. Her biggest fish of the year was a fat 47.5 incher from Lac Vieux Desert fishing a Bull Dawg in a walleye color. Nice going Lorie!

WOMEN’S MASTERS (2017): This feature is a hometown story for me. Pattie Miller from Eagle River WI, Chapter 12 has been in the Women’s Masters for about five years. Generally, always in the top ten. She

loves muskie fishing with her husband Jeff. The two of them have a retreat on LOTW where Pattie does all her

fishing. Not ashamed to say she is a fair weather person but they always fish on the lunar feeding periods. Jeff had a fantastic year and Pattie got a few nice ones as well. This year many of her fish came on spinner baits like the Fudally and many of the fish hit at boat side on the figure-8, which she says scares her. Her two big fish of the year came on a loon Water Chopper by Lee Lure. Here is Pattie’s nice 48 incher. Nice going hometown!

JUNIOR’S TOP 25 (2017): One Junior that is siting well is Elysa Amberg from Becker, MN, Chapter 37 and she is in the top ten. At age 12 she has accomplished what many muskie anglers wish for, she got her 50. Fishing at LOTW in October, weather was cloudy, cold, and windy. Elysa was trolling with her dad and on her line she had a white 12” Headlock. They were going over an area that rose up as a rock bar to about 10 feet when the fish hit. Her father said the fight was a good one but Elysa could hardly remember the fight because she was so excited. However they have a nice video of the whole fight on their Facebook page. Nice going Elysa!

JUNIOR DIVISION (2017): The interview with this young man was truly inspiring. Travis Pettis age 10, from Ettrick, WI, Chapter 30 is a caster. He has 26 fish and his method of fishing is throwing baits and jigging some homemade jigs that his dad makes. He has a few fish on suckers, but he can tell you how to throw a bait. On one particular day Travis was throwing a black/copper/silver showgirl below the dam in Ladysmith. They were fishing some rock drops near the dam when Travis shouted out “I got a big one”. After a thrilling battle the fish was netted and measured at 49 inches, his personal best. For his age Travis seemed very knowledgeable about muskie fishing and I believe he will be a future tournament angler. Note that he also releases his fish…Way to go Travis.

www.muskiesinc.orgwww.muskiesinc.org

HYBRID TOP 25 (2017): A unique story of a muskie angler who lives in Berlin, WI and is a member of Chapter 65 (that is Utah). Brian Klein had become an on and off muskie angler for a while, but learned of the tiger fishery on the Pineview Reservoir, being on the road a lot, Brian wanted to try the tiger fishing

there. He met up with a few of the Chapter 65 officers and learned of their efforts to preserve the fishery and made a decision that this would be his chapter. Brian gets out there just a few times each year and found a big difference between this year and last. As a reservoir… it changes depth. This year the lake rose 20 feet over last and islands that were visible last year were now underwater humps. This changed his familiarity with the water as he started trolling a Super Believer Soft Tail. As they approached a quick rise that turned into a weed bed Brian hurried to stop the boat and started bringing in lines quickly. When he grabbed the board line with the Believer he could see it caught in the weeds. As he ripped the lure out the fish hit, and was his Pineview best at 47.25 inches. Good story Brian and a nice fish.

FLY TOP 25 (2017): What an exciting conversation I had with Tom Keith from Minneapolis, MN, Chapter 1 and former president. Moving into the top 10, if there is anyone you want to talk to about fly fishing, this

is a go-to-guy. Tom has been fly fishing for over 40 years for the typical bass and trout, but started fly fishing for muskies way back in 1998. I would classify him as one of the pioneers of muskie fly fishing. At that time he was fishing the Teal River and using the same gear for bass fishing. Although he fishes both lake and river systems, Tom seems to favor the rivers, one of them being the Namekagen and down to the St. Louis. He uses a special 12 weight rod and that would sound

to an amateur fly fisherman to be a very heavy rod to cast. Tom explains that its design comes in with the line, leader, and flies that he uses and can actually be lighter than a 9/10 weight rod. You must understand the mechanics of being able to shoot just one line pop rather than a pump, pump, pump. Tom is a wealth of knowledge, as for learning the mechanics he suggests going out with a fly fishing guide; learn and pay attention. He learned a lot from Eric Huber out of Hayward, WI and suggested him as a good teacher. Once you have mastered the cast then master the read on the water. Tom says you are always preparing for your next cast but you have to watch the water and read the currents and eddies. Another suggestion for learning is to go online to the “Fly Tiers Forum” and you can get a great deal of understanding here. Here is Tom with a 45.5, thanks for the info Tom and good luck.

FLY DIVISION (2017): Here is an example of why to fish the fly division. Colin Monahan from Quakertown, PA, Chapter 50 has moved up to third place in the division. He only has four fish, but quality counts. Colin, another person using a 9 foot 12 weight rod, also agrees in knowing your mechanics. The baits he likes to use are a Thriller that sizes from 6 to 12 inches and made of bucktail hair and schlappen. He fishes them on sinking or intermediate line with a 12WT rod. Line choice depends on the time of year and depth of water. A fly rod certainly has its advantages, especially in late and early season where slow retrieves can make the different between four fish and zero fish. The neutral buoyancy of the fly allows it to suspend, which often triggers vicious hits. Colin could not get out as much as he liked to this year, but apparently got out at the right time and spot. Our extra photo shows some of the flies that Colin uses and makes.

Well that wraps up the 2017 season. Next issue will give us a start in 2018 and we will be about two and a half months into a new season.

(Tables continued on page 14)March / April 2018 .....MUSKIE 13


Lunge Log TablesChapter City State Muskies Caught Points Avg. Length Chapter City State Muskies Caught Points Avg. Length

1 David White 18 Moundsville WV 218 2,800 39 1 Deborah S. Crossley-Davis 19 Coshocton OH 67 826 382 Jeff M. Hanson 8 Verona WI 184 2,407 39 2 Charlotte Fuchs 19 No Canton OH 65 737 373 Jim R. Dembiec 35 Hartland WI 151 1,979 39 3 Lynne M. Dembiec 35 Hartland WI 47 691 414 George Weber 56 Kettering OH 89 1,109 38 4 Mary N. Arndt 41 Elmore OH 27 391 405 Chuck Harmon 19 Akron OH 74 1,028 40 5 Silvia Spitzer 50 Chadds Ford PA 17 323 456 Corey Pettis 30 Ettrick WI 78 953 38 6 Margaret Pauling 41 Fremont OH 23 290 397 Michael Floyd 57 Auburn WA 88 946 37 7 Vickie Banks 52 Wellington KY 19 232 388 Bob D. Marshall 19 Bowerston OH 76 943 38 8 Cindy Hegdahl 1 Bemidji MN 14 214 419 Charles Schauer 12 Wisconsin Rapids WI 65 932 40 9 Nikki Swain 42 Upland IN 12 146 3810 Adam Andresky 16 Gibsonia PA 70 912 39 10 Pattie Miller 12 Eagle River WI 10 136 4011 J. Dean Davis 19 Coshocton OH 68 831 38 11 Ruth Anderson 2 Alexandria MN 17 133 3412 Bill Schultz Jr. 19 Bolivar OH 72 810 37 12 Catherine Latoza 39 Burbank IL 8 126 4213 Elmer W Heyob Jr. 41 Marysville OH 67 803 38 13 Kathleen Hill 33 Duluth MN 7 102 4114 Mike Brister 46 Bemidji MN 56 793 40 14 Nancy Hinkforth 35 Menomonee Falls WI 1 9 3515 Joe Hardy 2 Carlos MN 85 712 3416 Robert A. Basic 23 Youngstown OH 59 686 3817 Mike Koepp 35 Pewaukee WI 61 680 37 Chapter City State Muskies Caught Points Avg. Length18 Rusty Welker 42 Kokomo IN 62 665 37 1 Lisa Tenney 9 Belpre OH 59 649 3719 Steven Berg 35 West Allis WI 58 665 37 2 Claudette Kersten 13 Hayward WI 32 430 3920 John Cade 9 Clarington OH 55 645 38 3 Vicki Shumway 13 Stone Lake WI 30 417 4021 Beau Chumley 23 Hartville OH 67 644 36 4 Lisa Mortimer 47 Webbwood ON 28 403 4022 Matt McCumber 8 Janesville WI 45 606 39 5 Brianna Herman 58 Roseville MI 15 226 4123 Bill Andresky 16 Pittsburgh PA 50 586 38 6 Lorie Scherf 35 Waukesha WI 20 208 3624 John Ringenbach 19 Lakewood OH 42 586 40 7 Tera Castillo 1 Alexandria MN 10 181 4425 Jon Rude 30 Holmen WI 41 549 39 8 Melissa Gall 8 Oxford WI 16 174 3726 Danny Kurttila 0 Riverton WY 38 529 40 9 Kim Wagner 65 Roy UT 11 133 3827 Ken Worel 15 Grand Rapids MN 31 512 42 10 Kay Moore 65 Roy UT 11 116 3628 David Van Doorn 39 Carpentersville IL 45 508 37 11 Kimberly Schultz 15 Walker MN 7 109 4129 Dan Burrow 24 Milaca MN 28 492 43 12 Beth Hulen McCumber 8 Fort Ashby WV 5 100 4630 Steve Ault 41 Hilliard OH 40 488 38 13 Natalie Fetzko 16 Jefferson Hills PA 9 96 36

14 Brenda Dettloff 13 Couderay WI 6 92 4115 Mary Pokora 35 Menomonee Falls WI 7 91 39

Chapter City State Muskies Caught Points Avg. Length 16 Kim Brandon 15 Deer River MN 6 90 411 Gordon Dixon 64 Shippenville PA 19 201 37 17 Barb Neddo 12 Eagle River WI 6 86 402 Adam Hoelper 22 East Stroudsburg PA 14 197 40 18 Donna Ball 18 Hopedale OH 6 85 403 Colin Monahan 50 Quakertown PA 4 40 36 19 Marryn Willberg 46 Clearbrook MN 6 83 404 Jerry R. Griffen 5 Ashland MO 7 39 32 20 Pam Ross 35 Mequon WI 5 78 425 Tom Keith 1 Minneapolis MN 3 35 38 21 Dawn Williams 46 Thompson ND 6 78 396 Jeffrey Kashuba 50 Royerford PA 5 33 33 22 Janet Carr 18 Hopedale OH 7 77 377 Ben Tollefson 1 Buffalo MN 2 33 43 23 Nichole Mesnard-Hoaglin 3 Oak Park IL 5 75 418 Erik Griffen 5 Ashland MO 3 27 35 24 Dawn Scott 41 Delaware OH 8 75 359 Nicholas Lattanzio 50 Reading PA 2 25 39 25 Margie Hollnagel 12 Princeton WI 6 73 3810 Brian Mirek 35 Delafield WI 2 24 38 26 Sandy Petrozzi 18 Wintersville OH 8 71 3511 Fred Becchetti 47 Ann Arbor MI 2 20 36 27 Samantha Gerou 47 Rapid City MI 5 70 4012 Kevin Gohman 24 Brainerd MN 1 14 40 28 Linda Knutson 1 Hugo MN 4 68 4313 Chase Gibson 9 Philippi WV 1 10 36 29 Carol L. Nixon 39 Crystal Lake IL 5 66 3914 Adam Page 50 Schwensville PA 2 10 31 30 Maria Krause 65 Layton UT 4 61 4115 Dustin Murphy 8 Monona WI 1 10 3616 Brandie Pearson 65 Mountain Green UT 1 8 34

Chapter City State Muskies Caught Points Avg. Length1 Kevin Holland 49 Hammond IN 138 1,682 38

Chapter City State Muskies Caught Points Avg. Length 2 Dan Roberts 9 Elizabeth WV 77 979 391 Mason Shoffner Marzo 22 Pittstown NJ 48 647 39 3 Brian H. Wright 6 Eau Claire WI 80 890 372 Adison Thompson 16 Franklin PA 40 448 37 4 Michael Chisamore 39 Wheaton IL 48 861 443 Travis L. Pettis 30 Ettrick WI 26 317 38 5 Jesse Piele 21 South St. Paul MN 44 807 444 Fischer Smith 6 Chippewa Falls WI 24 282 38 6 Will Tolerton 19 Paris Oh 69 790 375 Chase Gibson 9 Philippi WV 20 261 39 7 Mike Lambrecht 15 Deer River MN 56 755 396 James Albee 12 Minocqua WI 15 195 39 8 Kirby Paul 47 Birch Island ON 43 744 437 Ryan Baratta 3 Auburn NY 10 161 42 9 Michael F Zicafoose 9 Fairmont WV 75 702 358 Isaac Cavanaugh 39 Frankfort IL 9 151 42 10 Stephen Howell 9 Morgantown WV 63 688 379 Russell Hill 33 Duluth MN 10 141 40 11 Ethan Rogers 46 Bemidji MN 58 687 38

10 Seth Niday 8 Oregon WI 8 135 43 12 Jason Chalmers 19 North Canton OH 64 685 3711 Jack Ward 50 Duncannon PA 10 131 39 13 Sang Vang 8 Madison WI 41 650 4212 Marlena Shoffner Marzo 22 Pittstown NJ 8 117 41 14 Jeff Micholic 62 Wausau WI 41 634 4113 Fischer Himes 23 Berlin Center OH 9 107 38 15 Brian Toia 22 Astoria NY 43 597 4014 Adam Piantek 12 Shawano WI 8 100 38 16 Brett Olson 6 Altoona WI 62 593 3615 Sam Becker 3 Mokena IL 5 94 45 17 Jordan Klingbeil 6 Stanley WI 51 586 3716 Alex Pellowski 12 Mosinee WI 8 94 38 18 Michael Handlogten 47 Middleville Mi 39 566 4017 Luke Ault 41 Hilliard OH 6 78 39 19 John Mortimer 47 Webbwood ON 31 559 4418 Lauren Schillinger 26 Wisconsin Rapids WI 8 75 35 20 Chris Dolan 21 Crystal MN 28 545 4519 Brendan Brill 24 Breezy Point MN 5 70 40 21 Matt Rokus 6 Eau Claire WI 38 544 4020 Zachary Waldera 2 West Fargo ND 4 67 43 22 Richard Fedewa 52 Campbellsville KY 36 534 4121 Lauren Amberg 37 Becker MN 5 64 39 23 Randy Huizenga 11 East Moline IL 44 532 3822 Kailin Willberg 46 Clearbrook MN 4 63 42 24 Michael Hanson 8 Madison WI 31 530 4323 Matt Wimmers 52 Bellevue KY 4 61 41 25 Brian Klein 65 New Berlin WI 38 520 4024 Carson Wilary 32 Inver Grove Heights MN 4 59 41 26 Shane Mc Laughlin 6 Chippewa Falls WI 43 515 3825 Tyler James Carow 39 Byron IL 3 58 45 27 Nickolas Brenner 6 Eau Claire WI 44 514 3826 Ethan Thomas Erb 23 Mineral Ridge OH 5 56 37 28 Sylvester Trunkett 19 North Ridgeville OH 42 494 3827 Ryleigh Pratt 19 Akron OH 4 55 40 29 Tim Connoy 21 Mound MN 33 493 4128 Elysa Amberg 37 Becker MN 3 55 44 30 Taylor Wetzel 9 Sistersville WV 43 488 3729 Ian Jakob Erb 23 Mineral Ridge OH 5 54 3730 Cash Soma 8 McFarland WI 3 51 43

Fly Division - Final Standings for 2017Rank / Member Name

Juniors Division - Final Standings for 2017 (Top 30 only)Rank / Member Name

Men's Division - Final Standings for 2017 (Top 30 only)Rank / Member Name

Men's Masters Division - Final Standings for 2017 (Top 30 only)Rank / Member Name

Women's Masters Division - Final Standings for 2017Rank / Member Name

Women's Division - Final Standings for 2017 (Top 30 only)Rank / Member Name


Chapter Length Date Caught Lake County State Lure Chapter Length Date Caught Lake County State Lure1 Chad Lapa 69 58.00 10/22/2017 St. Lawrence River Jefferson NY Homemade Bucktail 1 Silvia Spitzer 50 55 8/8/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Red October Tube2 Gabriel J. Rosplock 19 57.25 7/2/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Hosebait 2 Tera Castillo 1 54 8/6/2017 Green Bay Brown WI Dadson Bullet3 Zach Baker 69 57.00 9/22/2017 St. Lawrence River Jefferson NY Baker 3 Cindy Hegdahl 1 53 7/7/2017 Plantagenet Hubbard MN Homemade Tandem Spin4 Adam J. Minnick 47 56.75 6/9/2017 Elk Chain Antrim MI Homemade Crank Bait 4 Beth Hulen McCumber 8 53 10/20/2017 Eagle Lake Ontario ON Medusa5 Bob Solley 69 56.50 8/13/2017 St. Lawrence River Jefferson NY Spanky Fireball 5 Lynne M. Dembiec 35 52.5 7/17/2017 Lake Of The Woods Ontario ON Danny6 Reed Findlan 16 56.25 8/15/2017 St. Lawrence River Quebec QB Bulldawg 6 Vicki Shumway 13 52.5 8/5/2017 Vermilion St. Louis MN Shumway Flasher7 Jim Korducki 12 55.75 10/28/2017 Detroit Lakes Becker MN Ducktail Warrior Quickset 7 Silvia Spitzer 50 52 8/8/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Red October Tube8 Scott J. Yaeger 10 55.50 7/3/2017 Vermilion St. Louis MN Weagle 8 Brianna Herman 58 52 11/11/2017 Lake St. Clair Macomb MI Medusa9 Spencer Berman 58 55.25 9/17/2017 Lake St. Clair Macomb MI Bull Dawg Jerk 9 Anita Doenz 33 51.5 6/30/2017 Vermilion St. Louis MN Candy Spin

10 Nicholas Day 47 55.25 10/1/2017 Bellaire Lake Antrim MI Boo Dadley 10 Silvia Spitzer 50 51 7/12/2017 Rowan Ontario ON Shadzilla11 Nicholas Day 47 55.00 5/31/2017 Elk Chain Grand Traverse MI Hammer Lure 11 Silvia Spitzer 50 50.5 8/6/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Homemade Bucktail12 Phillip Stodola 4 55.00 9/23/2017 Green Bay Brown WI Super Shad Rap 12 Lisa Mortimer 47 50 6/17/2017 Georgian Bay Ontario ON Dadson Bullet13 Paul Findlan 16 55.00 9/25/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Hosebait 13 Erin Knutson 38 50 7/12/2017 Miltona Douglas MN Buchertail14 Shawn Maher 23 55.00 9/26/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Hosebait 14 Silvia Spitzer 50 50 7/14/2017 Rowan Ontario ON Homemade Bucktail15 Bill Barber 69 55.00 11/3/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Hosebait 15 Tera Castillo 1 50 8/6/2017 Green Bay Brown WI Dadson Bullet16 Spencer Berman 58 54.75 6/27/2017 Lake St. Clair Macomb MI Bull Dawg Jerk 16 Deborah S. Crossley-Davis 19 50 8/7/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON Wiley Crank17 Chris M. Ciechanowski 4 54.50 7/4/2017 Green Bay Brown WI Bulldawg 17 Mary Pokora 35 50 8/25/2017 Eagle Lake Ontario ON Bucktail18 Frank Alcorn 16 54.50 7/23/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Bull Dawg Crank 18 Deborah S. Crossley-Davis 19 50 9/16/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON St. Clair Hound19 Chad Lapa 69 54.50 8/20/2017 St. Lawrence River Jefferson NY Custommade Bucktail 19 Charlotte Fuchs 19 50 9/23/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON Ziggie Crank20 Bill Barber 69 54.50 8/27/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Homemade Crank Bait 20 Kay Moore 65 49.5 7/22/2017 Pineview Reservoir Weber UT Old Wooden Bait21 Brian Klein 65 54.25 9/9/2017 Lake Michigan Brown WI Believer 21 Lynne M. Dembiec 35 49.5 10/29/2017 Lake Of The Woods Ontario ON Grandma Crank22 John Mortimer 47 54.00 6/8/2017 French River Ontario ON Mortimer Kirby 22 Jessica Heller 14 49.25 6/27/2017 Vermilion St. Louis MN Medusa23 Spencer Berman 58 54.00 6/28/2017 Lake St. Clair Macomb MI Bull Dawg Jerk 23 Kimberly Schultz 15 49.25 7/13/2017 Lake Of The Woods Ontario ON Physco Sister24 Tim Hoene 1 54.00 7/9/2017 Mississippi River Hennepin MN Headlock 24 Lisa Mortimer 47 49.25 7/28/2017 Georgian Bay Ontario ON Mortimer Kirby25 Daniel Lacko 69 54.00 7/11/2017 St. Lawrence River Ontario ON Homemade 25 Lisa Mortimer 47 49 7/20/2017 North Channel Ontario ON Dadson Bullet

Chapter Length Date Caught Lake County State Lure Chapter Length Date Caught Lake County State Lure1 Adam Hoelper 22 49 9/18/2017 Delaware River Monroe PA T Bone 1 Marlena Shoffner Marzo 22 54 7/13/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON Crank Bait2 Adam Hoelper 22 48 3/24/2017 Delaware River Monroe PA T Bone 2 Mason Shoffner Marzo 22 52.5 11/27/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON Niles3 Gordon Dixon 64 47.75 3/18/2017 Allegheny River Clarion PA T Bone 3 Zachary Waldera 2 52 10/29/2017 Detroit Lakes Becker MN Sucker4 Adam Hoelper 22 47.75 8/21/2017 Delaware River Warren NJ T Bone 4 Isaac Cavanaugh 39 52 11/12/2017 Lake St. Clair St. Clair MI Medusa5 Gordon Dixon 64 46 2/6/2017 Allegheny River Clarion PA Homemade Fly 5 Max Becker 3 50.5 6/3/2017 Vermilion St. Louis MN Crank Bait6 Adam Hoelper 22 45 6/26/2017 Delaware River Warren NJ Homemade Fly 6 Isaac Cavanaugh 39 50.5 11/11/2017 Lake St. Clair St. Clair MI Medusa7 Tom Keith 1 45 10/29/2017 Namekagen River Washburn WI Homemade Fly 7 Sam Becker 3 50 6/28/2017 Vermilion St. Louis MN Medusa8 Gordon Dixon 64 44 3/18/2017 Allegheny River Clarion PA T Bone 8 Mason Shoffner Marzo 22 50 7/1/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON Bull Dawg Jerk9 Ben Tollefson 1 43 11/6/2017 Harriet Hennepin MN Homemade Fly 9 Elysa Amberg 37 50 10/26/2017 Lake of the Woods Ontario ON Headlock

10 Nicholas Lattanzio 50 42 5/11/2017 Schuylkill River Berks PA Homemade Fly 10 Jack Ward 50 49.5 5/28/2017 Chautauqua Chautauqua NY Wiley Crank11 Ben Tollefson 1 42 10/26/2017 Harriet Hennepin MN Homemade Fly 11 Seth Niday 8 49.5 7/25/2017 Eagle Lake Ontario ON Spanky 8 Ball12 Adam Hoelper 22 41 5/13/2017 Oxford Furnace Warren NJ T Bone 12 Olin Knutson 1 49.5 10/15/2017 Bald Eagle Ramsey MN Sucker, Quick Set13 Adam Hoelper 22 41 5/27/2017 Delaware River Warren NJ Homemade Fly 13 Charlie Weiss 21 49 7/8/2017 Vermilion St. Louis MN Headlock14 Colin Monahan 50 41 6/27/2017 Delaware River Northampton PA Homemade Fly 14 Mason Shoffner Marzo 22 49 7/23/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON Baker15 Brian Mirek 35 41 10/5/2017 Pewaukee Waukesha WI Homemade Fly 15 Jack Ward 50 49 8/10/2017 Chautauqua Chautauqua NY Tuff Shad16 Kevin Gohman 24 40 9/23/2017 Wisconsin River Portage WI Fly 16 Travis L. Pettis 30 49 9/8/2017 Flambeau River Rusk WI Double Showgirl17 Gordon Dixon 64 39 2/6/2017 Allegheny River Clarion PA Homemade Fly 17 Mason Shoffner Marzo 22 49 11/27/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON Niles18 Gordon Dixon 64 39 2/17/2017 Allegheny River Clarion PA T Bone 18 Seth Niday 8 48.5 7/23/2017 Eagle Lake Ontario ON Spanky 8 Ball19 Adam Hoelper 22 39 6/25/2017 Delaware River Warren NJ T Bone 19 Alex Pellowski 12 48 8/18/2017 Wisconsin River Marathon WI Homemade Spinner20 Gordon Dixon 64 38.5 2/23/2017 Allegheny River Clarion PA Homemade Fly 20 Zachary Waldera 2 47.5 10/20/2017 Beers Otter Tail MN Sucker21 Colin Monahan 50 38.5 12/3/2017 Marsh Creek Lake Chester PA Homemade Fly 21 Mason Shoffner Marzo 22 47 11/24/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON Crank Bait22 Gordon Dixon 64 38 2/6/2017 Allegheny River Clarion PA Homemade Fly 22 Tyler James Carow 39 47 11/25/2017 Lake St. Clair Macomb MI Medusa23 Adam Hoelper 22 38 6/24/2017 Delaware River Warren NJ T Bone 23 Mason Shoffner Marzo 22 47 11/25/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON Jake24 Tom Keith 1 38 9/28/2017 St. Croix River Burnett WI Homemade Fly 24 Ryan Baratta 3 46.5 7/11/2017 Lake St. Clair St. Clair MI Ziggie Crank25 Gordon Dixon 64 38 12/22/2017 Allegheny River Forest PA T Bone 25 Fischer Smith 6 46.5 7/12/2017 Lake of the Woods Ontario ON Medussa

Chapter Length Date Caught Lake County State Lure Chapter Length Date Caught Lake City State1 Kay Moore 65 49.5 7/22/2017 Pineview Reservoir Weber UT Old Wooden Bait 9 49 1/22/2017 Potomac River Martinsburg WV2 Ken Worel 15 48.75 6/29/2017 Mississippi River Itasca MN Zippity-Do-Dah 10 52 2/21/2017 McMaster Lake Davenport IA3 Michael Floyd 57 48.25 9/15/2017 Mayfield Lake Lewis WA Savagegear 4Play 9 49 3/24/2017 Tygart Lake Thorton WV4 Adam Hoelper 22 48 3/24/2017 Delaware River Monroe PA T Bone 22 51 4/21/2017 Greenwood Lake Asoria NY5 Danny Kurttila 0 48 9/13/2017 Pineview Reservoir Weber UT Rumbler 47 55 5/31/2017 Elk Chain Rapid City MI6 Danny Kurttila 0 47.5 7/25/2017 Joe's Valley Reservoir Emery UT Whopper Plopper 47 56.75 6/9/2017 Elk Chain Coopersville MI7 Brian Klein 65 47.25 7/1/2017 Pineview Reservoir Weber UT Believer 19 57.25 7/2/2017 St. Lawrence River Cambridge OH8 David W Miller 21 47 6/24/2017 Vermilion St. Louis MN Medusa 69 56.5 8/13/2017 St. Lawrence River Williamson NY9 Steven Pedersen 47 47 7/23/2017 Lake St. Clair Macomb MI Medussa 69 57 9/22/2017 St. Lawrence River Rochester NY

10 Joe Weisner 65 47 8/30/2017 Pineview Reservoir Weber UT Custom Spinner 69 58 10/22/2017 St. Lawrence River Rochester NY11 Mike Crisanti 57 47 9/9/2017 Curlew Ferry WA Mepps Musky Marabou 69 55 11/3/2017 St. Lawrence River Brockville ON12 Tom Syring 8 47 11/3/2017 Vilas County Vilas WI Live Bait 21 52 12/1/2017 Independence Lake South St. Paul MN13 Sage Lundell 65 46.25 7/14/2017 Joe's Valley Reservoir Emery UT Dare Devil14 Danny Kurttila 0 46 6/1/2017 Joe's Valley Reservoir Emery UT Brushhog Jig15 David Palo 69 45.5 6/21/2017 Chautauqua Chautauqua NY Wiley Crank16 Mike Crisanti 57 45.5 8/15/2017 Merwin Cowlitz WA Mepps Musky Killer17 Michael Floyd 57 45.5 9/16/2017 Mayfield Lake Lewis WA Savagegear 4Play18 Sage Lundell 65 45.5 10/13/2017 Joe's Valley Reservoir Emery UT Homemade19 Brad Pylman 47 45.25 6/4/2017 Lake St. Clair St. Clair MI Poseidon20 Mike Crisanti 57 45.25 9/11/2017 Curlew Ferry WA Mepps Musky Marabou21 David W Miller 21 45 6/22/2017 Vermilion St. Louis MN Magnum Bulldawg22 Adam Hoelper 22 45 6/26/2017 Delaware River Warren NJ Homemade Fly23 Nikki Swain 42 45 7/10/2017 Lake St. Clair Ontario ON St. Clair Hound24 Danny Kurttila 0 45 8/24/2017 Pineview Reservoir Weber UT Rumbler

August / Bob SolleySeptember / Zach BakerOctober / Chad LapaNovember / Bill BarkerDecember / Jesse Piele

February / Adam D. CooperMarch / Matt MewshawApril / Brian ToiaMay / Nicholas DayJune / Adam J. MinnickJuly / Gabriel J. Rosplock

Rank / Member NameLunker of the Month Final Standings for 2017

Month / MemberJanuary / Anthony Ashby

Fly Top 25 - Final Standings for 2017 Rank / Member Name

Juniors Top 25 - Final Standings for 2017 Rank / Member Name

Hybrid Top 25 - Final Standings for 2017

Men's Top 25 - Final Standings for 2017 Rank / Member Name

Women's Top 25 - Final Standings for 2017 Rank / Member Name

DATES EVENT NAME & WEBSITE LOCATION CITY STATE PHONE

Wisconsin Musky Expowww.wimuskyexpo.com Minnesota Muskie Expo

www.minnesotamuskieexpo.com Western Pennsylvania Muskie Max

www.muskiemax.com

Sport Show Locator 2018

Mar. 9-11 Concordia University St. Paul MN (763) 786-6031

Mar. 2-4 Central WI Conv. Center Rothschild WI (715) 403-0692

Mar. 10-11 Embassy Suites Pittsburg Intl. Airport Moon Twp. PA (724) 494-0774


Special thanks to these members and supporters for their recent donations to Muskies, Inc.:

DONATIONS

Denny Aaron Bob Collins Jackson Graham Robert R. Lange Rick Novak Gene SchmidtDave Alexander Jr Gene Coyer Michael Grala Dennis Lappen Keith A. Okeson Michael SchmittGilbert B. Allen Matt Cozzi Robert B. Grala Larry K. Larson Richard F. Olenoski Jodi ScholbeThomas G. Amels Alex F. Craig John T. Grum Marty Lazare Jim Ordway Michael H. SchollerSteve Amundson Kip Cramer John Haffner Lon Lederman Bill Orth Mark SchwerkeRoger C. Anderson Deborah S. Crossley‐Davis Seamus Hanley Denis Ledgerwood Robert M. Ottosen John G. ShawgoFred Armstrong Gregory F. Czaja Kurt Harker Mark Lewarchik Joe Page Vikki ShumwayJohn Astrowski Mike Danno Mark Haugen Scott A. Little Gregory J. Pagni Beth SissonJoel Ball Victor D'Annunzio A. Jim Heffner Timothy Lobner Walt Paulson Bob SissonMike Barrett Eugene Dario Jr. David Hegburg Bruce Lobody Brandie Pearson Greg V. SmithLee Bartolini Scott DeGoei Glenn V. Heidorn Albert G. Lonzo Randolph A. Pearson Donald L. SplinterRobert D. Bauer II Jim R. Dembiec Bill Henck Frank Loye Merrill Pedersen Bill SteinErich Beer Daniel Diemert Mark Henck Wayne Luczak Mike Pederson Ed StogensonMichael P. Belger Matt Dombrosky James Herod Richard Lundberg Tom Penniston Jim StortzumBob Bell Dan Donahue Ron Highland Randy Lynch Bob Petersen Steve E. SyrjaRoger Berg Brian Dorner Gene Hill Darrel Mack Ray Petkovsek Len SzulcRichard Bertero Don Dublin David J. Hodorowski Edward Mackey Jim Petrozzi Tim TauerAnthony Bielawski Richard Eagleson Gary Lee Holmes Jr. Joseph Magerl Tony Piantek Bryan J. ThompsonTerry D. Bills Phillip Eden Douglas D. Hookom Edward Mahle Ray Pilmonas Ray ThompsonPeter J. Birschbach Chuck L. Elmberg Tom Horwat Dick Manske Walter Powers Nick TooleBill Boggess Mark Emmer Peter Huber Wayne Marchant Brad Pylman Mike UssTom Boldt Jon Eppes Randy Huizenga Bob D. Marshall Tammy Ramsell‐Baldwin Scott SR VanderventerAdam Boneham Jim E. Everett Gary R. Hunter John Maslowski Lee Rankin Bruce VerkeBernie Bono Robert Farinacci Tom W. Irwin Frank L. Maus Mike Rasch Robert VolkertGary Borkowski Bryan Farmer Thomas E. Jacobsen Daniel Maxwell Clint Reinhart Rich VonoTom Brandl Michael J. Farmer James S. Janesek Chris McCarthy Don Rhode Greg VossJim Breen Thomas A. Farrell Dave Jann Mark D. McCumber John Rindahl Mel WagnerThomas Brescia Jim Finlay James Jansky Phil Mersberger John P. Rivera Phillip WaitkusEd Brooks Matt Firestein Bruce Jepperson Gerold W. Messman Phil Roede Tom WaszakBill Buchholz John Flanagan Thomas W. Johnson Jonathan Meyers Landy Roepke Rodger WattersGerald Bucholtz Brian T. Fohey Paul G. Kann Bernie Michelangeli Leah Rosset Ken WermelingPaul G. Buckner Gerry Frantz Brian Karau David Monczynski Mark A. Rue Gary D. WernerSteve Budnik Martin Fudulov Tom Kenefick William F. Moore Anthony Rumple Brian WhitesideBrett Buelteman Lee A. Gast Frank Kenia Chad Moorehead Terry L. Rupp James WilsonStephen Burian John Genosky Jack Ketelhut Jake Morris Gregory P. Sanders Bob WolfDaniel Busch Kenneth Gerbyshak Mark Kewan Joel Morrow Steve Sansone Craig WoodRobert S. Carlson Glen J. Gibson Frank Klavon John B. Murphy John C. Sazma Jr Pete WoodGordon W. Carr Dave Gilbertson Dan Klein Michael L. Murphy Terry Schar Gary ZeiterRobert F. Cernick Jim Gingle Leo Kofoot Tera P. Neibauer Ted A. Scharl Jim Ziebka SrTackle Chaos John Goodbrake Paul Kramer James W. Nelson Greg Schauer Brian ZofkieMike Chernohorsky Dan L. Gosnell Kris Kristufek Duane Nichols Gene Scherf Jim ZondloJames W. Colgan Allen Gould Zackary LaMoore Christopher Nielsen Jeffrey S. Schmid

James Ashton Charles R. Carpenter Marty Heindel Rico Pehta Gary Rutherford Lynn TrombleyGary L. Batton Fred Chumbler Mike Helf Tom Pellant John Santer Richard W. TuomiJim Beaty Richard Clark Brian Hoaglin Robert Pelowski Jim Sigfrinius Phil UhlJoseph A. Bednar Don C. De Clerc Larry Howe Dean Peterson Peter J. Skrgic Jr. Russ WaryeMichael J. Blasio John F. Dobry Tom Keith Craig A. Peterson Rick Stahl Thomas E. WelterDerek Boomer Noah Eschenbauch Tom Larson Thomas Pfeffer Rick Stahl Sid WilliamsonRichard C. Bosserman Paul Findlan Bill Looney Larry Pfeil Rick Stahl Diana T. WorlineJohn L. Boynton Mark Follenweider Robert W. Mc Cloud Greg Pirritano Jerry Stayer Robert YahrBob Bronke Gerald Guderjan Lorin Nevling Larry Proskin JP Stein James H. ZachauGregory L. Campbell Marshall Hallock Robert L. Oesterreicher Kenneth Radke Phil Stenz

Bill Althoff Dr Bryon Danielson Steven Knoll Randal Orchekowski Robert Sales Joe SoltysThomas Ardolf Gerard Hellenbrand Joseph Knuesel Charles R. Patten Jr. George Selcke Silvia SpitzerDuwayne Bakke Jack Hilbert Chad Lapa Jack Pertz Rich Sharpenter Shawn VanscoyocJim Barton Donald G. Hunter Ted J. Muntz Mike Riha Robert B. Slocum David VinzantSpencer Berman Calvin D. Huntzinger Tom Neddo Jr Tom Rusin Daniel Smith MD Stephen WernersbachEdward D. Crum Edward Jackson

$11.00 ‐ $45.00 Donation

$50.00 ‐ $90.00 Donation

$100.00 and Greater Donations

December 2017 - February 2018

This new book by muskellunge historian Larry Ramsell is a very colorful pictorial history of the sport of muskie fishing as represented through over 700 muskellunge and muskellunge-related post cards. The post card photos in this first volume date from the late 1800s to present. This book will be more of an enjoyable “look” than a “read”.

Post cards were used as a primary advertising medium for a good part of the 20th century. They show the importance of muskies to the early economies of many resorts and towns.

Larry Ramsell has been collecting muskie post cards for decades. He wrote, “To say I have become obsessive about this post card collecting would be an understatement!” Post cards became a critical part of the foundation for his Compendium of Muskie Angling History books.

There are over 350 pages in this book. The focus is just post cards which contain muskies. Many photos became generic and were printed with several different captions for various locations, resorts, towns and states. Larry has amassed another 200 muskellunge post cards and several hundred more muskellunge-related post cards which will contribute to a second volume of this book in the future.

Larry notes, “One of my most pleasant surprises has been the number of early color post cards which were first available in full color in 1893. Or perhaps it would be better stated “colorized” post cards, since true color or “Photo Chrome” post cards didn’t come along until 1939. All cards that were printed in color originally, are reproduced in color in this book.”

MUSKIE Field Editor, Kevin Richards, indicated that he truly enjoyed paging through the hundreds of post cards in this book. He added, “Many of the early colorized post cards really catch your eye. I enjoyed the more historic cards depicting various records and big fish. I also got a kick out of the cartoons and exaggerated photos on some of the cards. There were a few generic cards from Wisconsin which I had seen, and probably sent, many years ago during my boyhood fishing trips with my family.”

Signed copies of this book are available from the author. Soft bound copies are $45.95 plus $7.95 insured Priority mail postage (or $3.95 Book rate postage; uninsured and at buyer’s risk). Hard bound copies are $62.95 plus $9.95 insured Priority mail postage only. Mail checks to: Larry Ramsell, 9407 N Highline Road, Hayward, WI 54843

The book is also available at: www.buybooksontheweb.com or through Amazon.

March / April 2018 .....MUSKIE 17www.muskiesinc.orgLure Parts Online, Inc., 580 North Street, Springfield, IL 62704

“...build better baits...”

MUSKIE Book Review

- Kevin Riachards


Friday, March 9, 2-9 pm • Saturday, March 10, 10 am-7 pm • Sunday, March 11, 10 am-4pm

In reviewing material for this issue, a few things struck me as significant.

First, I am continuing to see a pattern of change within Muskies, Inc. (MI) that began roughly 1-2 years ago. And while I am as hesitant as many are regarding any sort of change, what I see happening in MI is a good thing. I am sensing an uptick in participation across the board from what comes to us directly as MUSKIE article and photo contributions to what is being reported in documents that we view and publish in our magazine issues. I see new ideas tossed out there, and acted upon, such as Region 3’s idea to have a regional Chapter Challunge. For the record, I think this is a great idea to engage folks within regions. And while sometimes chapters fold for various reasons, new ones seem to take their places. This is important for the longevity of MI as an organization.

Second, we have also seen an improvement in communication within MI recently, credit for which needs to go to Patrick Krumenacker. Though we still have inroads to make on the communication front, I am confident that with time we can continue to see improvements.

Third, we have seen some change to fishing regulations in the last few years. For example, states have begun enacting changes to their regulations such as increased size limits; something I think we can all agree is a good thing. Yet, as reported in the “MUSKIE News” section of this issue, not all regulation changes can be viewed quite as favorably. Michigan’s decision to open a catch and (immediate) release fishery beginning in April, inclusive of Lake St. Clair, triggers many mixed feelings for me. While I realize many state fisheries agencies are charged with creating angling opportunities for people (a job duty I am immensely thankful for as an angler that takes advantage of many of those opportunities!), disregarding

- Sean Landsman, Assitant Editor


Issue Deadline DateMay/June March 20th

July/August May 20thSeptember/October July 20th

November/December September 20thJanuary/February (2019) November 20th

March/April (2019) January 20th, 2019

2018 MUSKIE Deadlines

the precautionary principle in this case strikes a chord of discontent within me. Best case scenario is that there won’t be enough fishing pressure during the spawning season to affect anything, worst case scenario… Well, I don’t particularly want to think about that.

Of note, however, is that the muskie community has a track record of voluntarily applying the precautionary principle. The epitome of this is the (voluntary) angling closures that occur when water temperatures reach 80F. If ever there were a group of anglers looking out for the best interests of a fishery, we as the muskie community exemplify that. And while my wife may disagree that I am a “glass half full” kind of guy, in this case I most certainly am optimistic that all will work out for the Lake St. Clair fishery and indeed others across Michigan, despite these new regulations.

As always, remember two things: 1) practice catch-and-release (and if you happen to fish Michigan waters this April during the new season, please heed the advice of Brad Koehn in the “Muskie News” section) and 2) wear your sunscreen.


Long-time readers of MUSKIE Magazine may recall an article on climate change by Dr. Hal Schramm in the fall 2010 issue. In that article Hal summarized some of the anticipated consequences of a warming climate on muskie and other game fishes. That summary included a discussion of direct and indirect effects on sport fish populations resulting from warmer air and water temperatures and related climate and habitat changes.

Closing his article, Hal wrote, “Whether you ‘believe’ in global climate change or not, the potential consequences should dictate a precautionary approach.” Like most readers of MUSKIE, I am not a climate scientist. I am an angler and, before retiring recently, I spent almost forty years working as a fisheries biologist. My primary concern has always been quality fish habitats and sustainable sport fisheries that can be enjoyed both today and by generations to come. With that in mind, I believe the risks that our fisheries face from a warming climate are too serious to ignore; even if you happen to disagree, I ask that you read on.

For now, let’s avoid the climate change controversy and set aside the debate over underlying causes and the validity of predicted changes and focus rather on how a warming climate and related changes in weather patterns, if they occur, might impact sport fishes in North America and particularly, muskie.

Now more than seven years after Hal Schramm’s MUSKIE article, the vast majority of climate scientists agree that our climate is warming. We are beginning to see related changes in our fisheries. Studies designed to measure and understand the impacts of climate change on fisheries are ongoing, and more are needed. Impacts on saltwater fishes are better documented than are those for freshwater species. While predictions concerning climate change are debated, we do have enough understanding of how aquatic ecosystems respond to environmental alterations of the kind associated with a changing climate to be very concerned.

The effects of a warmer climate are now reflected in changes in fisheries in both salt and freshwaters - some good and some not so good. Shifts in the range of fish species are among the most obvious responses to climate change. In Ontario, fisheries biologists have

documented the northward expansion of the range of smallmouth bass. Warming temperatures result in conditions in waters to the north more favorable to the physiology of smallmouth bass. For those of us who enjoy catching smallmouth bass more fishing opportunities seems like a win, but we must also understand that their expansion into new waters could disrupt resident fish populations and the ecosystems which support them. For example, biologists have already documented declines in shallow-water prey species abundance and contractions in the range of selected minnows which may also serve as prey in waters into which smallmouth bass have expanded. The result could be greater competition among predators for a changing and potentially less abundant food source. The fishing that we know today could suffer as a result.

We should also expect a similar shift in muskie populations to the north. Warming temperatures will drive this shift. Expanding muskie range northward may open new opportunities for muskie anglers, but we can again expect impacts on existing fish populations as range expansion occurs. Again, irreversible changes in native fisheries may result.

At the same time, it is logical to assume that warming temperatures along the southern extent of current muskie range could result in the decline or loss of muskie fisheries in the Ohio River basin. Warmer temperatures could also result in more marginal habitat conditions for muskie fisheries maintained by stocking in the lower Midwest, south, and west, placing stocking programs at risk and potentially reducing fishing opportunities in these waters.

Compounding range expansion and the resulting increase in competition among predator fishes with the direct effects of warmer temperatures and altered precipitation patterns on resident fish populations could result in even more pronounced changes in existing

Climate change & fisheries

- Chris Vitello

One expected consequence of a warming climate is a northerly shift in the muskie’s distribution, something scientists are already noticing with smallmouth bass.

fisheries. This is especially true for coldwater fish such as trout and salmon that are particularly vulnerable to a warming climate and warmer water temperatures. We should ask, how will resident fish populations respond to habitat and fish community changes associated with a warming climate and how will fishing for native fisheries be impacted? Fisheries managers will need to carefully consider these questions and respond with innovative management techniques.

Warming temperatures, changes in the stratification patterns of lakes, later freeze and earlier lake ice break-up dates, changing precipitation patterns, and altered water levels and stream flows on a seasonal basis are all either ongoing or likely results of climate change. These variables, either singly or in combination, can impact muskie and other sport fish through changes in habitats and impacts on stream, lake, and reservoir ecosystems. These physical changes can drive ecosystem changes that indirectly impact muskie and other predators by changing the extent and composition of aquatic vegetation, altering the productivity of waters, driving changes in the dynamics of plankton (both algae and zooplankton), changing the timing of spawning and reducing the recruitment of young fishes, and reducing the availability of prey fishes, such as cisco, on which muskie and other sport fish rely.

Most of us know that cisco can be an important prey species for muskie and other predators. Native to the Great Lakes region, cisco provide a high energy food base for predators in many northern waters. Lakes with good populations of cisco usually support good populations of muskie, walleye, and pike - many with trophy potential. Cisco do best in cold, oxygen-rich waters, and warming waters are a threat to cisco populations.

Cisco were originally found in less than 200 Wisconsin lakes. While other factors may be in play, recent studies reveal that cisco have been eliminated from about 29 percent of these lakes. Fisheries biologists now believe that cisco populations are at risk from climate warming in 30 to 70 percent of the lakes that they inhabit in Wisconsin. Declines in the abundance of cisco in Minnesota lakes have also been observed. The loss of cisco populations or reductions in the density of cisco in lakes would impact the sport fish populations which they support, including muskie populations. Again, fish managers are seeking a better understanding of the dynamics at play and will continue to look for innovative and lasting solutions.

A recent report cites a 26 percent reduction in the amount of freshwater available per capita worldwide since 1992 and projects a 40 percent global water deficit by 2030. Extended heat waves and drought and more extreme variations in precipitation patterns

could result in more variable water levels in streams, lakes, and reservoirs. Combine this with an increased demand for industrial, agricultural, and domestic water and water level changes in many lakes and streams could be substantial. Backwater areas and marshlands would be particularly vulnerable, and impacts on the spawning success of prey and predator fish are likely. This could result in reduced recruitment of young fishes and potential “boom or bust” fisheries as altered water levels or stream flows impact spawning success for both predators and their prey.

In addition, recent studies suggest that warmer winter water temperatures impact the spawning success of muskie prey species such as yellow perch. Studies suggest that other fishes respond in a similar manner.


www.muskiesinc.org

Sean Lands-man releases a 50 inch muskie caught from Il-linois waters. Warmer weather may mean pro-longed periods of increased stress for muskies in states such as Il-linois, Missouri,

and Kentucky.

Eric Fontaine, a friend of MUSKIE’s Assistant Editor (Sean Landsman), holds a low-40 inch muskie caught from the Rideau River near Ottawa, Ontario.



This is likely a result of altered egg development, the production of smaller eggs, reduced egg survival, and depressed recruitment of young fish when winters warm above long-term conditions. Changes in the timing of hatching and the availability of suitable prey for young fishes and reductions in subsequent overwinter survival also play a role in reduced recruitment of various fish species, perhaps including muskie. Future management strategies will need to adjust in response.

Aquatic invasive species currently threaten many of our favorite fishing waters. Examples include rusty crayfish, zebra mussels, Asian carp, and common carp. All have had real and measurable impacts on waters across North America. Warming waters in the northern United States and Canada will allow for the further expansion of invasive species that originate in temperate climates. As the climate warms, water temperatures in many lakes, streams, and reservoirs will reach levels closer to the optimal range of the most troublesome invasive species, potentially resulting in significant increases in their range and population densities and greater impacts on existing fish populations.

The road ahead will be difficult, and the future of our fisheries remains uncertain in the face of a changing climate. Fisheries agencies across the United States and Canada are responding. More effort is going into better understanding and predicting climate related changes in various water bodies. Ongoing changes involving fish and associated species are being documented and monitoring efforts are expanding, particularly for trout and salmon where up to a 50 percent loss of available habitat is projected as our climate warms. Efforts to control invasive species continue, and agencies are beginning to plan strategically for the anticipated and potential changes that a warming climate may bring. Going forward, agencies must communicate effectively with anglers as new information becomes available and as new management strategies are considered and employed.

As anglers concerned about the future of fishing, we should all work to stay informed and respond constructively to requests for comment, input, and support from fisheries managers. This is directly in line with the purposes of Muskies, Inc. which include promoting high quality muskellunge sport fisheries, supporting conservation practices based on scientific merit, and disseminating muskellunge information. The future of fishing hangs in the balance.

Stephen Bates from North Metro (Chapter 21) took his daughter Kate out fishing with live bait last fall, and she tied into her first couple muskies ever. I really like this series of pictures and the story they tell: waiting on the fish, looking a bit skeptical of the toothy critter, and then joy about the nice catch.

I often hear conversations and questions about how to help kids enjoy muskie fishing, and I think these pictures show a part of the answer. live bait fishing is a bit easier to do than casting heavy lures, being well dressed to stay warm is key in the fall, and some extras for entertainment are a great idea such as the snacks and “Harry Potter” book that Kate brought along.

Congratulations, Kate! A very nice prize package will be coming your way in the mail soon!And if you’re interested in being a featured sponsor, please contact Michael Winther at:

[email protected], or Kevin Richards at: [email protected] and mention the Photo Contest.


Photo

By: Michael WintherPhoto Editor

[email protected]

Contest


MUSKIE ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT

Chaos Tackle began advertising in MUSKIE in 2013, not long after they had merged with Esox Assault to provide muskie anglers more choices from their expanding inventory. Even 5 years ago almost every serious muskie angler knew that Chaos Tackle is home of the Medussa. Medussa is designed with three lively tails to help bring this dynamically balanced swim bait to life. At that time, Chaos also offered their Assault Sticks and Esox Assault Drone Blade Baits.

Well folks, the expansion at Chaos has continued, just take a quick look at their ad below. Right after the Chicago Show in January MUSKIE contacted owner Rick Albers to ask about some of the changes and new products for our readers.

Here’s what we learned from Rick, “The Chicago Show was amazing! Thanks to all who visited us. Hundreds of anglers stopped to see Shum Shums in the Midwest for the first time. Medussas were in everyone’s basket; of course they are now available in 5 sizes, 2 running depths and 14 color patterns. Four colors of Posseidon sold out.”

“Our new Assault Stick Trolling Rods got a lot of attention. They are designed to handle all sizes of baits and trolling boards. They come in 8, 9, and 10-foot lengths; the 10 is a 2-piece rod.”

“Shadillac, the hard swim bait developed by Mike Hulbert, was brought back in 2018 by Chaos. The 10-inch, 5.3 ounce bait has an improved hinge and improved tail attachment. All six colors sold out at the Chicago Show.”

“In our Custom X Mini X line of crankbaits we have added 3 new sizes and new metal lips. One of our highlights in Chicago was the selection of our new 10-inch Mini X as the 2018 Best New Hard Lure.”

“We’ve also added a new, smaller tail-bait to our Big Mama Sis’tr line. It is the 5-inch, 2.3 ounce, all wood,

Lit’tl Sis’tr.”

MUSKIE extends a special thanks to Chaos Tackle for 5 years of continuing support of Muskies Inc. by advertising in MUSKIE.

March / April 2018 .....MUSKIE 25www.muskiesinc.orgwww.muskiesinc.org

Brian Zofkie (Chicagoland) arrived in Vilas County just in time for a big storm. When it cleared he was able to sneak out before dark and catch this nice muskie on his third cast after

leaving the dock.

Chase Clover (Titletown - Chapter 4) helps his cousin, Abe, hold a giant Green Bay muskie - one of his first two-ever muskies caught and both

were caught that day.

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Micah and Jeremy McKinney (Chapter 16) with two of the nice “Three Rivers” muskies they caught on the same day in early December.

Dave Halverson releases a muskie back into the water. Cell phone cameras have increased the use of photo processing with interesting filters and effects such as shown in

this photo. (Mid-Iowa Chapter 55).

Not a month goes by without Nick Day submitting a picture of another giant Michigan muskie. Brad Roberts and Matt Galbraith (all of Chapter 47) were the fortunate

ones to fish with him on this whale hunt.

Eric Beck (Brainerd Lakes) showing us what true muskie fishing grit looks like in the late

season.


New Muskies, Inc. member Troylynn Millett (Chapter 65) caught this tournament-winning tiger muskie

while casting in Utah. Phil Stodola. Green Bay. 55 inches. Whoa.

Zack LaMoore of the Headwaters Chapter admires his third

muskie ever.


How much are you betting on bait selection? Do you even consider it a gamble? And, if you choose the wrong bait, are you going to feel like a loser? “It’s just fishing,” you say, it’s not like it’s your kid’s graduation from college or his wedding. Truth be told, I recently did ask my son to plan his wedding around my PMTT muskie events last year. In the parlance of Texas Hold’em, I’m all in! Oh, you’re not into competition?.... just fish for fun and relaxation--nothing serious? I’ll give you 8 to 5 you’ve swallowed more hook than you think.

Consider what you spent just to be on the lake today. Even without a big new Ranger and a truck to pull it now nearing a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, this is still your “big trip” we’re talking about here! It’s possibly your only whole week off. So, even with a johnboat, and old rods and reels, you still have a lot riding on your trip. Hopefully you’ve left little to chance with checking tires on the truck, oil changed, battery holding a good charge, and ditto for the boat. You’ve spent the winter at shows, seminars, on line researching, maintaining rods and reels, sharpening hooks and you waited in line at the expos for the hottest, newest lures.

Are you with me so far? I’m trying to tell you this stuff is important. If you’re infected with the muskie virus, no doctor or medicine will cure you. And, no Alcoholics Anonymous meeting will get you sober from it either. Be honest! Do you have at least 250 baits costing an average of over $25.00 each? I’ll bet you do! Put away that calculator. It’s likely close to four or five mortgage payments you’ve got inside those Plano boxes. And yes, that’s a lot of why you needed such a big boat; because you are not leaving any of them at home! But is the winning bait in the box? Do you know which one it is? Have you done the math? Can you state the correct odds of whether you are going to catch a muskie today? Most, importantly, can you improve those odds with a better bait--or maximize the odds with the best bait--the winning bait?

The key is choosing the first bait to tie on, knowing the odds may dictate you leave it on a good long time, and having the faith to stick with it. Is it just a “gut” feeling, a coin toss, an irresistible urge to try that new bait some folks stood in line two hours to buy at the winter show? I’m sitting here praying that you don’t just heave something into the air saying something

Betting on Your Muskie Bait- Marty Forman

like, “Here goes nothing!” If that is true, I’m thinking, “There goes everything!” We all know these odds; a hundred anglers go off to fish a muskie event for a nine-hour day, fifteen catch a muskie, and eighty-five get a zero. That’s 60 “person hours” of effort (a 40-hour work week plus one-half) per muskie.

“Yea sure,” you say, “But I’m not a tournament junkie like you, fishing in that kind of tough crowd and pressure.” You are maybe thinking you’ll do twice as well as the tournament anglers chasing each other around the same few prime spots all day. Even if you are correct, that’s still 30 hours to get one muskie, and I’ll bet you twenty bucks it’s closer to 40 hours for you and most of the people, most of the time. So, now we get to the heart of the matter. We’re betting heavily on this bait, but can we use some kind of calculator to figure the odds for success? Obviously, I think we can.

I’m saying your bait choice is a wager, and considering what we said about what you’re s p e n d i n g and how important it is to you; it’s a really big wager. So, let’s talk about the concept of betting and what the gamblers say. In horse racing, it’s pretty simple. All the experts say, “Play the favorites!” Favorites pay something on the order of 2:1 or 3:1, but the really heavy when favorites can often return less than the amount of your bet. Why would you even bet two bucks for a chance to get back $2.60 if your horse wins? The reason is it’s fun to see your horse win, and you are probably there to have a good time. And the truth is that the really good horse will win most of the time. It’s all in their blood and every racetrack tout will tell you to, “Bet on the blood!” What about the 50:1 shot where the two-dollar bet wins you a hundred. They don’t win one out of a hundred times, they almost



never win. Those “nags” are like the baits you have that never caught a fish and probably never will. You should put them on E-Bay or harvest the hooks, and throw the rest away.

Ever play Black Jack? The videos playing endlessly on your room TV in Las Vegas will suggest standing on 17 but drawing a card on 16. That’s except for when the dealer has a “bust card” showing, and then you should stand on anything higher than 12. That’s really great advice too! You are likely to lose your money a lot more slowly and have a better vacation for it. It’s just math, and a casino’s “take” is simple and predictable arithmetic. Can you draw a card on 18, get a three and reach 21? Sure you can. And you can also do all your lure shopping at swap meets and bargain bins and maybe catch a couple of fifty inchers this afternoon. But, I’d bet my favorite St. Croix muskie stick you won’t.

Poker is just math too--maybe with a little added bravado. And, every single poker player knows, “You never draw to an inside straight!” In draw poker, you get five cards and can exchange three or four to gain a better hand. Keeping a 3,4, 6, and 7 while hoping to get a 5 is “drawing to an inside straight.” Sure, you may get the five-card, and that will beat three of a kind all day long, but the math says you won’t. And, that goofy bait that’s got you thinking, “Why not give this a try?” won’t win you a guest appearance on a TV fishing show.

I know, this is not a gambling magazine and I’ve never seen formulas, ratings, and numeric computations or an app for choosing your bait. But I think we could make one, and it may prove really helpful. You may be starting to wonder if choosing the biggest bait in your box on the first day of spring may be like drawing to an inside straight. Or, is choosing your tiniest twitch bait on the last day of the season when you are trying to get your personal best maybe like betting on horse that pays 60:1. If you are wondering, good, that’s the gateway to learning. It’s not about if the bait you pick can catch a muskie, or even if it once did, (even though that’s pretty important!) It’s whether the math says it’s the bait you should have on right this minute, on this lake, in this weather, on this spot? That’s the bait I want on!

I’m convinced that the best anglers among us are doing this math all the time; it’s just not with numbers on a keypad. The calculator is there all right, it’s inside their heads, linked to 30 years on the water and a thousand muskies in their net. It’s why you read their books, attend their seminars and watch them on TV. What about the rest of us? I’m trying to explore how

we can employ mathematics when choosing our baits, and more importantly, if we can then believe in that math strongly enough to leave that bait on till we catch a fish on it. So, then if we can establish that a certain bait we’re considering is the same twelve to one against bet that drawing to an inside straight represents, we might well choose to never use it again. I’ve written articles about the “bait changers,” guys bent over their bait boxes that look like they are in a Duluth Trading commercial for long-tail tees. They stopped reading already because they know sooner or later they will get to the perfect bait. Sadly, they’ll only leave it on for ten minutes.

OK, let’s give this system a try! I’m going to take an imaginary situation, opening day, sunrise on my home lake, Pewaukee Lake first outing of the season and attach numerical values to several possible bait choices. Then we can look at the data and see if a clear winner, or maybe two favorites show themselves. After all, if the calculator spits out a sure winner, I should tie it on, right?

(DISCLAIMER: I’m making subjective decisions on giving added consideration where I believe conditions dictate doing so, but you can take the framework and put your own prejudice to work so the model works for you!)

First, we’re going to take 5 random baits of those that catch fish frequently on Pewaukee Lake:

1. #10 Blades, Cowgirls, Big Twins.2. Glide Baits: Phantoms, Twisted Suckers, Etc.3. Small Twitch Bait: Cranes, Grandmas, Etc.4. Big Rubber: Medusas, Bull Dawgs, Etc.5. Large Minnow Baits, Depth Raiders or big GrandmasNext, we’re going to assign point values for

various special conditions and bait characteristics. Again, it’s my take on it, I didn’t include top-waters, maybe you would, but you can customize the chart to what you think matters most.

It’s opening day. The muskies are not conditioned yet to any popular bait. A really slowly worked glider gets a minus two (-2), you shouldn’t need finesse. The rubber gets a minus one (-1), it’s faster than a glider, covering water but still slow. Cowgirl is plus two (+2) for its winning speed, and small and large minnow baits are both plus one (+1).

The author placed his bet and hit the jackpot!


it’s not July in this example it’s May, and I stipulated the water was cold. Find topwater more exciting? Fine, but you will have as many fish lost as caught! It’s just that simple. That’s just the way it is! You have a contrary story to tell me? Sure you do! So do I! Rules don’t always apply? Of course they don’t! I’ve caught a muskie out fishing with Jim Saric on a day when he didn’t catch one. I caught one on LOTW with Bill Sandy on a day when he didn’t catch one too. What does that tell you about the odds it will happen again? It tells you nothing, because it’s an “outlier,” it’ll probably never happen again. It’s a “one-off” happening, and statistically insignificant. In other words, it doesn’t count and the math guys would throw it out! And that’s what built all those casinos. It’s you believing you’ll win the big jackpot because you saw some bozo on TV who did. You’ll do better betting on the “house!” This is just a model, not the Pythagorean theorem, but what do you have that’s better? Have you done some research into what’s catching fish on Pewaukee Lake, at this time, in these conditions? If you have that data, you can make a chart, find your own odds--and you should. Otherwise, and with apologies to Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry character, I’d ask, “Do you feel lucky? Well do you?” Frankly, now 68 years old, I’m looking for something better than a “lucky day.” I want the numbers on my side. I also got a muskie on my fourth cast last opening day on Pewaukee with a small twitch bait.

Lastly, don’t forget the most important thing of all, the trump card against the statistics. What has worked for you (yourself personally) in this situation? Or, more precisely, “Have you ever caught a muskie doing what you are doing right now?” If you and the guys in your boat caught muskies every single Pewaukee Lake opening day on top-raiders, you’d be a fool to change just because a chart in somebody’s article didn’t include surface baits. Athe end of the day—it’s all about confidence. If, on the other hand, your success so far is in the “not so much” column, then I’d consider giving something like this a try.

So that’s the lesson. Stand on 17, play the favorites, never draw to an inside straight and find rules just as wise to govern your muskie fishing. Do your research, make a chart, figure your own odds, catch a lot of fish, and maybe even design an app you can sell online. Just remember you saw it here first!

Marty Forman (Junkman) fishes on the pro-staff for St. Croix Rods, MW Marine, Ranger Boats and Mer-cury Outboards.

It’s still cold. The first Saturday in May in Wisconsin often has pretty cold water. The cowgirl is minus three (-3), not the best pick for water in the low fifties. Glide baits are not much affected, so they are even (0). Big Rubber and Big Minnow baits are both big so they are both minus two (-2). Cold spring water favors smaller slower offerings so the little twitch bait gets a plus three (+3).

Hooking Ability. Nothing hooks up like a bucktail so the cowgirl gets a plus three (+3). Gliders are notorious fish losers so they get a minus three (-3). Rubber gets plenty of “swing and a miss” so it’s minus one (-1). The minnow baits are more or less retrieved in a straight line, easy to hit so both get a plus two (+2).

Known Statistics: This is your research. What have the last hundred fish caught on Pewaukee Lake on opening day been caught on? Sure, I’m the one assigning these numbers, but I’ve likely fished the last 25 opening days on Pewaukee Lake. Cowgirls plus one (+1), glide baits plus two (+2), big rubber even (0), big minnow baits minus one (-1), small twitch baits plus three (+3).

Fishability: Youngsters aside, certain baits lend themselves to be more or less easy or difficult to use effectively for (let’s say) a 6-8 hour day. So, this cold spring day, first muskie fishing of the year after a winter of fish fry’s, all three of the bigger baits get a minus two (-2), glide baits take a whole lot of work and concentration so they get a minus one (-1). The little twitch baits are easy-peasy and light work, so they get a plus two (+2).

Now, we take our data, put it on a chart, and see what the numbers tell us!

The numbers in the chart tell me to put on a small twitch bait. With a score of

11 and the only other positive score being 1 for the big

blades, you are drawing to that inside straight if you

don’t tie on the small twitch bait. What if it were July 4th weekend? Well

that’s a whole “nuther” story for the cowgirls, but

TOTAL SCOREPLUS 1 Cowgirls plus 2 minus 3 plus 3 plus 1 minus 2MINUS 4 Glides minus 2 0 minus 3 plus 2 minus 1PLUS 11 Small Twitch plus 1 plus 3 plus 2 plus 3 plus 2MINUS 6 Big Rubber minus 1 minus 2 minus 1 0 minus 2MINUS 2 Big Minnow plus 1 minus 2 plus 2 minus 1 minus 2

Opening Day Cold Water Hook Up Ability Known Stats Fishability


A metallic thump could be heard in the distance echoing across the water in the morning mist of the lake. Two teenage brothers were fishing in the small flat bottom homemade boat and could be heard commenting in a joking manner. “I woke ‘em up and you feed ‘em breakfast.” They were fishing near the old boat house along the lake shore. One cast went off target and hit the boathouse door. Before the brothers began their next cast an elderly woman walked out on the dock and called out in a stern but welcoming tone, “You two trying to knock over this old house?” From a distance they quickly measured up the situation and paddled over to her and in a voice reserved for meeting strangers they apologized and introduced themselves. The heavier set of the two said “My name’s Jim and this here is my younger brother Bob.” She responded by cheerfully introducing herself, “Doris is my name and muskie fishing is my game.” They all chuckled and asked if she knew anything about muskie fishing in the lake. She said she and her late husband had fished all over for muskies and even went several times up to Canada. The boys’ minds were racing with questions. In a doubtful tone Bob asked “If you fished all over, why own a cabin on this lake, it was fished out years ago.”

With a raised eyebrow Jim looked at both of them and said, “We don’t mean to bother you with questions. Our Dad dropped us off at the public launch and said he had to work today and wished us good luck catching a fifty incher.” Doris thought for a moment and then invited them to tie their boat up and come on in to look at some old muskie fishing tackle in the cabin. The boys stepped into the shade of the porch and she pointed at a dust covered old wood tackle box. She said “My husband was a dedicated muskie fisherman; open that box and see what’s inside.”

“Wow, these look great and are in great shape, I guess they catch big fish too!” said Bob. Jim looked closely and recognized some lure designs from old fishing tackle websites and old fishing catalogues. He said, “That’s a jointed Pikie from Creek Chub in my favourite black color.” He untangled it from the other lures, measuring tape, and long nose pliers and picked it up with an admiring glance. Doris interrupted their examination of the tackle and said, “Come have a look at the big one I have over the fireplace”. The boys stepped into the living room with rustic book cases and furniture and above the smoke smudged fireplace was a large taxidermy mount of a muskie, it was a little over 50 inches in length. Silently they stood with wondering glances.

Doris broke the silence and recalled, “There are many reasons why my husband and I muskie fished on this lake. That fish was caught here a while ago and there are still big muskies to be caught here.” Bob squinted his eyes and said, “Years ago there were big fish caught here, but now I only catch hammer handle pike, small bass, and sunfish.” Doris quickly responded, “I am busy today, but you boys are going to have to learn

where the muskies bite on this lake. I am organizing a yard sale tomorrow including some of my late husband’s old tackle. For twenty dollars I will sell you the old tackle box and throw in his muskie rod and reel. What do you say about that?” Jim looked at Bob and said “We only have twenty bucks and that was to buy lunch from the hotdog truck at the public

Muskie Action from an Old Tackle Box

- Charles Weiss


dock.” Doris then offered, “Where are my manners? I will have some lunch here for you boys when you come back after water testing the muskie tackle.” Jim jumped in and said. “That’s a deal!” I was starting to wonder if this was going to be a good day. Now, we can honestly say we have a chance at catching a muskie! Bob asked with a questioning look, “Where are the muskies on this lake, anyway?” Doris glanced back and forth at them and said, “Oh, let me show you how the drag is tightened on the old bait casting reel and cut off the old leader and retie a new leader”. Then she said, “I remembered, there is a folded-up Lake Map in the corner of the tackle box it might give you a clue. I have to get my day started, good hunting boys!” The brothers walked out to the dock with the old muskie tackle and called back to her, “Thanks for your help! We’ll be back around noon.”

With refreshed vigor they paddled down the lake and checked the tackle box for the map. It was a little faded and torn and they oriented their way along the shore. Some cryptic scribbled “x” shapes were drawn near the edge of an island with the word “stump”. Jim Glanced around and in the distance spotted in the calm water the blurry shape of a stump. Their anticipation of seeing a muskie during a sunny afternoon made their casting even more urgent. Bob was casting a large surface bait with propellers. Jim was starting to get an understanding of the skills needed to cast the jointed crank bait “Pikie Minnow” lure.

Bob had now changed his lure to a cigar shaped surface lure and was energetically tapping his rod tip quickly. The lure was swishing around with a familiar “walk-the-dog” retrieve pattern. Muskies were not suddenly appearing. Now, Bob was thinking of having a snack. An approaching front was starting to cloud the sky. Bob casted his lure near the stump and started pushing around emergent lily pads and sub surface vegetation. He cast again and let the surface rings fade: “pop-pop, pause: pop-pop, pause: repeat” This will work most of the time, thought Bob. Jim was starting to get frustrated with a lack of follows or strikes and speeded up his jointed

lure’s rhythmic dance away from the stump.Jim observed, “No muskies in this corner of the lake.” Dramatically a dark shape of a muskie suddenly

appeared behind Jim’s lure. His eyes brightened large and he continued to retrieve the lure back to the boat and muttered, “Muskie! Muskie! Muuusskkiiee!”

The fished darted forward and bit the lure in the corner of its mouth and sprinted underneath the boat. Then Bob lurched around looking while reeling in his lure and spotted the large fish leap in a spray of water on the other side of the boat. The blurred shape instantly became sharp with details and was gone. Jim was trying to keep the rod up and silently hoped the old tackle would hold up during the fight.

Bob was struggling to get the landing net ready. The large fish darted just beneath the water and turned near the stump. Jim could feel the sawing vibration of the line against the submerged old log. Panic was starting to cause him to lower the rod. Bob shouted, “I will get the boat paddled to the other side.” Jim responded by rising from his seat and pushing the rod as far ahead as possible. Bob made a couple of paddle strokes and the boat was instantly closer to the stump. Jim made a sweeping motion with the rod and line slipped off the edge and the large fish darted into the deeper water. “I think that’s a big muskie!” yelled Bob. The line was tight and slowly Jim raised the fish up to the side of the boat and into the waiting net. Gently Jim put the rod down and kneeled over and gripped the lower edge of the gill cover. Suddenly exclaiming “That’s a big muskie! Bob grabbed his cell phone took several photos of Jim un-hooking the lure and horizontally cradling the fish for a portrait. Quickly Jim lowered the fish into the lake and gripped the tail. Jim asked Bob to measure the length of the fish in the water, which Bob determined was 49 and

a half inches. Jim and Bob watched

with admiring glances as the fish found the energy to swim away into the shadows of the lake. Bob slowly said, “Wait until we get back to Doris’ for lunch… What a story we can tell her about fishing with old muskie tackle...”

Chap

ter

22ND ANNUALINDIANA MUSKIE CLASSICWebster-Tippecanoe-Barbee Chain May 18 - 20, 2018

Hoosier Muskie Hunters Chapter of Muskies, Inc. Presents

Sponsored by

SPECIAL SEMINARFriday, May 18 at 7 PMOakwood Resort5:00 PM- 10:00 PMFeatured Guest SpeakerSteve HeitingBrought to you by

All 2018 Indiana Muskie proceeds will be used to fund stocking eff orts and research tools for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Registration & Rules Meeting:Thursday, May 17Registration from 5:00-8:00 PMRules Meeting 8:00 PMYe Olde Tackle Box, 708 South Main St, North Webster, IN

Banquet & Silent Auction: Saturday, May 19 • 5:00 PM- 10:00 PM Oakwood Resort

Awards Presentation:Sunday, May 20 • 4:30 PMYe Olde Tackle Box, 708 South Main St, North Webster

Tournament Hotel:Oakwood Resort702 E Lake View Rd, Syracuse, IN Room Rate: $89 - call 574-457-7100 for reservationsDeadline for reservations is April 18. (You must mention the Hoosier Muskie Hunters to get the reduced room rate)

2017 Big Fish

Brian Lomonaco

51”-Barbee Chain

2017 WinnersAndy Reynolds

Lance Reynolds(39.5 points)

22nd Annual Indiana Muskie Classic Team and Individual Prizes:

Team Prizes Awarded for: • First Place• Second Place• Third Place• Fourth Place

Individual Prizes Awarded for:• Largest Muskie Released (Free Fittante Replica)• Largest Pike (Cabela’s prize package)All muskies entered will award angler one entry to win merchandise prizes. Prizes will be drawn at the awards presentation on Sunday, May 20 (must be present to win)All participants will fi sh a full 8 1/2 hour session on each of the tournament lakes. Lake assignments will be based on a blind draw of all participating teams. All participants will receive an entry into the Saturday Super Raffl e

For more details, visit our Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/groups/IndianaMuskieClassic

HOOSIER MUSKIE HUNTERS CHAPTER OF MUSKIES, INC.22nd Annual Indiana Muskie Classic • May 18 - 20, 2018Boater’s Name___________________________________________________________Address_________________________________________________________________City__________________________________ State ______ Zip ______________ Phone ________________________________Partner’s Name __________________________________________________________Address_________________________________________________________________City_________________________ State ______ Zip ______________ Phone ________________________________Entry Fee $220 — Extra Persons for dinner at $30 _____________ Total Amount enclosed $___________Boater’s Signature____________________________________ Shirt sizes: _______________E-mail Address ______________________________________________________

The Indiana Muskie Classic is open to one and two person teams. All people in the boat must be paid/registered contestants. The Hoosier Muskie Hunters may grant press credentials to non-fi shing passengers. Entry Fee includes dinner for angler(s) on Saturday night. Mail entries must be postmarked by May 10, 2018. All parties agree to abide by tournament rules and will accept the judge’s decision as fi nal. All participants will be required to release Muskies, Inc. and the Hoosier Muskie Hunters from any legal liability. Hoosier Muskie Hunters Chapter of Muskies, Inc. reserve the right to reject any application.Make checks payable to Hoosier Muskie Hunters. Mail to: Indiana Muskie Classic, PO Box 624, Pittsboro, IN 46167 For more info, please call: 317-373-1270 or email [email protected]

✁

Team Prizes Awarded for:

2017 Winners2017 WinnersAndy Reynolds

2018_Muskie_classic_ad_r1.indd 1 12/12/17 8:13 PM

No. Chapter - President Name: Contact Information01..... Twin Cities - Jim Doyle: 952-920-9818 // [email protected]..... Fargo-Moorhead - Ted Scharl: 701-237-480103..... Chicagoland Muskie Hunters - Greg Denny: 847-331-0400 // [email protected]..... Titletown/Packerland - Bob Volm: 920-562-5244 // [email protected]..... Pomme De Terre - George Donner: 816-678-1623 // [email protected]..... First Wisconsin - John Imm: 715-839-7089 // [email protected]..... South Side Muskie Hawks - __________ : 773-617-968508..... Capital City - Winston Hopkins: 608-577-3184 // [email protected]..... West Virginia - Jim Moore : 740-667-3571 // [email protected]..... Heartland - Ryan Wilcke: 641-430-6961 // [email protected]..... Mississippi Valley - Sonny Stephens: 309-797-1803 // [email protected]..... Headwaters - Bill Jacobs: 715-891-5574 // [email protected]..... Hayward Lakes - Mike Persson : 715-634-454314..... South of the Border - James Stella: 847-343-722115..... Star of the North - Cliff Arola: 218-966-8220 // [email protected]..... Three Rivers - (VP) Joseph K Houck: 724-667-8254 // [email protected]..... Quad County - Duane landmeier: 815-695-1494 // [email protected]..... Hopedale - Charlie Alexander: [email protected]..... Akron-Canton Muskie Maniacs - Bob McCloud: 330-221-7617 // [email protected]..... Between the Lakes - Damion Nevers: 920-207-4635 // [email protected]..... North Metro - Dan Mruz: [email protected]..... New Jersey - Cal Huntzinger : 908-319-220523..... Cleveland - Sherm Champlin : 330 219 796424..... Brainerd Lakes - Jim Kath: 218-821-366926..... Central Wisconsin - John Carlson: 715-339-3635 // [email protected] 28..... Shawnee Muskie Hunters - Jim Beaty: 618-971-7806 // [email protected]..... Upper Great Plains - __________ : 712-362-250130..... God’s Country - Bob Nontelle: 608-799-4030 // [email protected]..... Flatlanders - Dick Cholke: 815-222-1062 // [email protected]..... Lake Superior - Curt Ellestad: 218-390-8888 // [email protected]..... Milwaukee - Brian Mirek: 414-807-4122 // [email protected]..... St. Cloud - Paul Amberg: 320-309-1617 // [email protected]..... Alexandria-Vikingland - Katee Campion: 320-293-7910 // [email protected]..... Fox River Valley - Steve Kroll: 312-320-6721 // [email protected]..... Central Ohio - Bob Sisson: 614-207-1018 // [email protected]..... Hoosier Muskie Hunters - TJ Henriksen: 317-626-6901 // [email protected]..... Bemidji/Cass Lake - Chris Thury: 612-590-9785 // [email protected]..... Michigan Muskie Alliance - Nick Day: // [email protected]..... Webster Lake Musky Club - John Dobry: 219-743-4131 // [email protected]..... Penn-Jersey - Tom Sabia: 610-585-1038 // [email protected]..... Daniel Boone - Chris Haley: 606-759-7610 // [email protected]..... Huskerland Muskie Hunters - Matt Tesarek: 402-676-1019 // [email protected] 54..... Southern Crossroads - Dean Peterson: 507-345-8701 // [email protected]..... Mid-Iowa Muskies - Dave Halverson: 515-299-0867 // [email protected]..... NW TIGER PAC - Michael Floyd: 253-833-1318 // [email protected]..... Lake St. Clair Muskies, Inc. - Charles legarski: 586-873-9154 // [email protected]..... New Mexico Muskies, Inc. - John Gantzer: [email protected]..... Northwoods Chapter - Pete Stoltman: 715-356-9758 // [email protected]..... Wausau Area Chapter - Tyler Kennedy: 715-498-2016 // [email protected]..... South Central West Virginia - Jake Flint : 304-364-8878 // [email protected]..... Nittany Valley Musky Alliance - Patrick Krumenacker: 814-421-6502 // [email protected]..... Mountain West Muskie - Kim Wagner: 801-540-5602 // [email protected]..... New York Muskies - James Reynolds: 585-670-0422 70..... Central New York - Trevor Thieme: 315-571-4046 // [email protected]..... Virginia Chapter - Danny Kesler: 540- 309-126990..... Prairieland Muskies -__________ : 507-381-5439

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ATTENTIONCHAPTER

CONTACTS:Please make sure

your chapter addressand phone number

is correct on this pageAND 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!

Red Star indicates a

NEW chapter.

Chapter 55MID-IOWA MUSKIES

President - Dave Halverson Check our FB for information regarding our chapter meetings

www.facebook.com/midiowamuskiesinc


Welcome back

Mid-Iowa Muskies Chapter Announces Return to Muskies, Inc. Organization.Des Moines, Iowa, January 20th, 2018: Mid-Iowa Muskies (Chapter 55: Central Iowa) announced its return to Muskies,

Inc. in exciting fashion on January 8th. “What an amazing turnout, and an awesome show of support from everyone for our first official meeting! Thank you! We

filled the meeting room at Bass Pro to the point we ran out of seats, we got several new people to Muskies, Inc. signed up, and several others switched their membership to our chapter,” Dave Halverson, Chapter President, noted.

The meeting was headlined with several announcements:Paramount Kitchen and Bath donated $500 to help fund the chapters initial expenses.A three-year tagging/tracking project coordinated with the Iowa DNR was announced. Mid-Iowa Muskies has purchased

and donated 1,200 tags to study a Dam Barrier project on both Brushy Creek and Big Creek Lakes. The effort was supported financially by a $2,000 grant from the Gil Hamm Fund. Special thanks are owed to the Heartland Chapter for their support

in this effort. Since the Mid-Iowa Chapter is newly formed, the Heartland Chapter accepted the funds on behalf of Mid-Iowa. Those interested in participating in the tagging project, please connect with the Mid-Iowa Chapter on its Facebook page.

We will have a booth at the 40th Original Fisherman’s Swap Meet and Boat Show in February at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, weekly fishing leagues (as weather allows), and a fall tournament.

“We are in the very early phases of the chapter, and are surrounded by a great group on enthusiastic fisherman,” Halverson said, “Muskie fishing is strong in this region, and our chapter looks forward to providing a strong voice in the promotion of Muskie fishing in Iowa.”

Future meeting dates will be announced on the Chapters Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/midiowamuskiesinc/.

- Don Myers

Dave Halverson and his daughter, Gabi, taking some time for a quick photo after catching this

beauty.

Pictured here is Chapter 55’s Treasurer, Kurt Gustafson.Corey Montgomery (Chapter 55 Director) holding a 52” x 26”.


Greetings from the newest Chapter of Muskies, Inc. Chapter 70 began to take fruition from five members of Chapter 69 wishing to have a chapter closer to their own communities in the Central New York region. Those founding members are Trevor Thieme, Jay Davies, Elizabeth Davies, John Lints, and Andrew Hulbert.

Our first meeting was graciously hosted by the Bass Pro Shops in Utica, NY on a typical snowy upstate NY day with a mix of rain, sleet, and snow. Temperatures dropped fast from a balmy 37 degrees down into the single digits rapidly. Although the weather was a concern, the meeting took place with 11 people in attendance. A great start for a new chapter.

Officers of the newly established club are as follows: Trevor Thieme (President), Jay Davies (Vice President), John Lints (Chapter

Representative), Andrew Hulbert (Treasurer and Fundraising Coordinator), and Karl Price (Secretary).As our first order of business, everyone in attendance gave a brief biography of themselves relating to muskie fishing.

A common theme emerged with a strong desire to socialize with other muskie fisherman and to promote muskie fishing throughout our community. Of substantial note were members in attendance that have never caught a muskie. We are determined to get these new muskie fishermen out on the water so they can experience the thrill of catching a muskie.

Muskie fishing netted one couple in our midst as a lifelong love affair was realized with Jay Davies as he landed his catch of a lifetime over the course of numerous muskie trips with his (now) wife Liz. Nice catch Jay.

Chapter 70 has established the following Mission Statement: Muskies, Inc. Central New York Chapter 70 strives to maintain and improve muskellunge fishing in New York State with a focus in Central New York. With an emphasis on youth and community involvement, we focus on educating and promoting catch and release muskellunge fishing across the state.

In addition to positions that have already been filled, Karl Price volunteered for the Secretary position. We have two individuals in consideration for the Research and Development positions. Two additional positions remain vacant at this time: Event Coordinator and Public Relations. These positions responsibilities will be shared by the current officers.

We will have a booth at the NYS Sportsman’s Expo (NYS Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY) on January 26th through 28th promoting muskie fishing. A seminar on safe muskie handling for catch and release will be presented at the show by John (Chapter 70) and Bill Lints (Chapter 70 and NYS DEC Environmental Specialist).

We will also have a booth at “The Big East Camping and Outdoor Sports Show” being hosted by Turning Stone Resorts and Casino from March 23rd through 25th.

Preliminary goals for the club were discussed and include expanding muskellunge stocking into CNY and eventually across the state, working in cooperation with NYS DEC to improve tiger muskellunge raising and stocking methods, youth and community involvement, and continuous education and promotion of muskellunge fishing.

We will be hosting four muskie tournaments and, working in cooperation with Chapter 69, have set the following dates and locations:

May 19th, 2018: Onondaga Lake (this lake has made a fantastic turn-around from once being considered the most polluted lake in the country); June 2nd, 2018: Waneta Lake; August 4th, 2018: Otisco Lake; and September 29th, 2018: Fulton Chain Lakes.

In an effort to promote fishing in Central NY, these tournaments will be open to everyone. If you are interested in muskie fishing and muskie conservation in Central New York, look us up.

Tight lines and sharp hooks.- Karl Price, Chapter Secretary

Chapter 70 CENTRAl NEW YORKPresident: Trevor Thieme

www.facebook.com/MuskiesIncCentralNewYorkMeetings: second Friday of the month (winter months). location: Bass Pro Shops, Utica, NY at 6:30 p.m.)

Welcome

In no particular order memebrs are shown here are as follows: Trevor Thieme, Jay Davies, John Lints,

Jay Minosh, Andrew Hulbert, Karl Price, Jeff Dean, Tom Farber and Bill Knapp. Not in the photo are

Elizabelth Davies (behind the camera) and Bill Lints.

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31Elections for our chapter’s Board of Directors and officers for

2018 were held at the December meeting. Officers elected to serve in 2018 are as follows: President (Jim Doyle), Vice Presidents (Terry Schar and Shawn Kellett), Treasurer (Alex Worobel), Secretary (Elaine Randolph) and Regional Representative (Jon Meyers). Thanks to past president Shawn Kellett and retiring board members Brad Coyne and Andy Wayt for their services.

Salmon or roast pork dinner was the menu for the Sportsman’s Banquet held on January 27th. Raffle tables were loaded with rods, reels, fishing equipment, and lures in every make, model, and color combination possible. The silent auction tables and bucket raffles included resort stays, guide trips, muskie prints, and several custom painted one-of-a-kind lures. The Muskie Award was presented to Andy Wayt, who has devoted time and energy over the years to promote and improve the goals of Muskies, Inc. The Muskies, Inc. Hall of Fame award was awarded to Vincent Trotta for establishing the MI History and Archives Committee and posthumously to Terri DuBe for her years of service as MI Administrative Secretary. Many thanks to all our sponsors and volunteers for making this a great event.

On February 13th, we held our Annual “Winter Picnic” and Chapter Awards Program. Release Contest Chairman Casey Friskney did an excellent job presenting the awards to our various Division Winners. Some of the longest releases in 2017 were Tim Hoene with a 54 inch from Lake Minnetonka, Brent Hirsch with a 53.75 inch from Lake Waconia, Nolen Ryba with a 53.25 inch from Lake Minnetonka, and Cindy Hegdahl with a 53 inch from a Bemidji area lake. Congratulation to all the winners! We also heard several great stories and voted for the “Muskie Tail” award winner.

A great cure for “cabin fever” is to attend the Minnesota Muskie Expo on March 9th through March 11th. Our members will be helping kids make a lure or working in our booth, meeting people and promoting Muskies, Inc. Hope to see everyone there.

No matter if it is hard or soft, stay safe on the water!- Elaine Randolph

The Chicagoland Muskie Hunters have really been on the move lately, both literally and figuratively. In December, we found out that the facility where we held our monthly meetings was closing at the end of the month. After a brief but hectic search, we found a great new meeting location at the North Branch Pizza & Burger Co. in Glenview, IL. The inaugural meeting at our new location was held on January 9th when Jeff Van Remortel gave a fantastic seminar on one of our chapter’s favorite destinations, Vilas County, Wisconsin. The meeting space, food, and service at North Branch were all stellar. Hopefully this will be our home for many, many years to come.

Like most chapters, winter is typically our busiest time of year, and this winter is no exception. Not only are we planning and mobilizing our regular annual fundraising activities, but 2018 also marks the 50th Anniversary of our chapter, and we plan on celebrating accordingly. We’re in the midst of planning a big celebration banquet for April 10th. Our chapter has quite a lineage of legendary anglers, both past and present, think names like Brown, Dubin, Petros, Ramsell, Saric, Statland, just to name a few, and we’re looking to get as many of them as we can to attend the celebration. It is shaping up to be a spectacular event.

In other news, we’re busy getting ready for our Annual Indoor Fishing Flea Market (IFFM). This will be the 19th year we’ve been putting on this event, and this year it will be held on Saturday, March 3rd, 2018. Once again, this year it will be held at Rolling Meadows High School, and will be co-sponsored by the RMHS Post Prom Committee. The IFFM is something that no angler in the Chicago area should miss. There will be all sorts of fishing gear, collectibles, close-outs, overstocks, antiques, and used fishing tackle, boat merchandise, and marine merchandise up for sale. There’s bound to be plenty of deals and rare finds. Even if you’re not in the market to buy anything, it’s just great fun swapping stories with fellow anglers. Zach Arnold always does a great job coordinating the IFFM. We’ll also be announcing the winners of our 2018 Fundraiser Raffle at the conclusion of the IFFM.

We’ll be raffling off Cabela’s gift cards in various denominations, $400, $200, $100, as prizes for this year’s Fundraiser Raffle. These prizes should have wide appeal among all outdoor enthusiasts, not just muskie anglers, so we’re hopeful that we’ll sell lots of raffle tickets. Tickets are $2 each or 6 for $10. You can contact any of our chapter members if you’re interested in buying a few yourself.

By the time you read this, we should already have our first Chapter Outing of the season behind us. We’ll be getting an early start this year with a late February trip down to Kinkaid. Hopefully the weather obliges. If not, there’s always the WLCM (#49) Ice-Out Challunge in March to look forward to.

You can keep up with all our Chapter’s activities by following us on facebook/chicagolandmuskiehunters.

Fish hard my friends.- Frank Loye

The winter shows are behind us. Equipment, both new and used, are ready for the fishing. The water temperatures are slowly creeping up into more angler-friendly temperatures. One winter project is done. The chapter is happy and proud to unveil the updated and user-friendly website at www.missourimuskies.org. Thanks to all who worked on the update and new format.

March 10th will mark the first on-the-water outing for our chapter. The annual Border War will take place on Lake Kincaid, Illinois, on the home lake of Chapter 28. The Shawnees will try to return the traveling trophy to Chapter 28. They are always grateful hosts, and always provide a delicious meal following the fishing.

April 21st will mark the first annual Fred Wehrli Memorial Tournament, with a meeting to follow. Fred was the long-time Treasurer, but more-so a beloved and trusted friend and fishing

Pomme de TerrePresident - George Donner

816-678-1623 // [email protected]

Meets: Various days-Call for schedule

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Chicagoland Muskie HuntersPresident – Greg Denny

www.facebook.com/chicagolandmuskiehuntersMeets the 2nd Tuesday of each month @ 7:30 PM,

North Branch Pizza & Burger, Co. 4520 W. lake Ave., Glenview, Il

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Twin CitiesPresident: Jim Doyle

www.twincitiesmuskiesinc.org Meets 2nd Tuesday 7:00 PM, Knights of Columbus, 114 W79th St

Bloomington, MN, near the SE corner of the intersection of I-494 and I-35W.

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partner. He planned and competed in many Gil Hamm tournaments and anchored the team. We miss Fred and this tournament will provide everyone a chance to remember and salute one of Chapter Five’s true stalwarts.

Members are invited to join the Detroit River Walleye excursion on April 27th and 28th. The contact for this outing is Dennis Ledgerwood. Please see the website calendar for contact information. If enough interest is shown, this could join the Lake St. Clair outing as another trip north for Chapter members at group rates.

So, now we await the weather and watch the lake levels, which spring rains often swell to between fifteen and twenty feet. These weather conditions will also affect the suitable conditions for fyke netting early in April. Those who wish to watch or assist in netting, contact the Chapter president or regional rep. The Missouri Department of Conservation is very open to our interest in this part of the stocking protocol.

Retie often.- Todd Hardin

We hope everyone had a great holiday season and the New Year is off to a good start! The 42nd Annual Muskie Tournament is under way in the planning stages and dates have been set for September 14th through 16th, 2018. Mark your calendars for a good time. There will be over $10,000 in raffles and prizes to be given out. There were 80 to 110 fish registered annually on our muskie waters in Chippewa, Eau Claire, Rusk, and Barron Counties in Wisconsin. Information will continue to be updated on our website: www.firstwimuskiesinc.org.

We will be at the Wausau Wisconsin Muskie Show on March 2nd through the 4th, and will raffle tickets to that, as well as the Wisconsin Sports Show on March 16th through the 18th. Stop by and say hello, and take a chance at some great raffle prizes.

- Travis “Bub” Sharer

It’s been a while since my last article. It has been a busy fall for me. I only made it out fishing for three days in October, and haven’t seen the boat since. Just like me, the club has stayed busy. In August, the club had twelve anglers head to Mylie’s Place Resort on Lake of the Woods. The Gil Hamm tournament was also held the same time we were there. Participation was down, but we are hoping to get it back up for 2018. There was a total of 18 fish caught by club members. Two fish were 50 inches, caught by Mike Anderson and Mick Olson who tied for big fish. Tony Enger was the big winner. He boated four fish at 47.5 inches, 47 inches, 41 inches, and 34 inches. The average size for the trip was 43 inches. Next year, we will be heading up August 18th through the 25th. If you are interested in attending, contact Tony Enger for details.

There are a few spots still available.September was our first meeting back at the 5100 club. Matt Relay

was our speaker. He gave a presentation on tournament muskie fishing and the tactics he uses. The club also hosted the annual PIT tag challenge on Lake Monona; 43 fishermen attended. Fishermen encountered very unseasonable temps topping 90 degrees. The weather may be the reason only two fish were caught, but it is muskie fishing, so we will never know for sure. Marc Rortuedt took first place, and Dewey Stewart landed second. Dewey’s fish measured 20.25 inches and was a tagged fish. The fish was stocked during our April stocking of 2017. It was stocked at 11.6 inches in April and grew nine inches in six months. Hopefully he stays hungry and keeps growing. In 2018, the PIT tag challenge will be on September 22nd.

October started off with Larry Ramsell at the 5100 Cub. Larry told us about his experiences with muskie tracking studies on the Chippewa Flowage and Eagle Lake. We had a full house for the night. October also held one of our out-of-town events. 44 anglers boated 13 fish at our Vilas county outing. Fred Schultz was the big winner with a 46.5 inch fish. The second place winner was Jerry Georgeson with a 44.5 inch, and third went to Pat O’Leary with a 37.5 inch. The smallest fish award went to Scott Trimborn with a 25.5 inch. Mark your calendars for next year. The Vilas outing is one of the most popular club events. Dale and Collete set the date for the 12th and 13th.

November and December slow down for the club. We held executive board elections in November. The only change was our regional VP. Past president Lee Bartolini stepped up to fill the vacant seat. I am sure Lee will do a great job. After the elections were held, Chris Tourisano for T-bone guide service gave a presentation on Illinois muskies. At December’s meeting, Mike Anderson told us about muskie fishing on the Petenell Flowage and Castle Rock Lake. We also elected a few board members, new and old faces will be helping out. Thanks to Dawn Enger, Mellissa Gall, and Hedy Burke for joining the board.

With the New Year starting, don’t forget to make your calendars. February holds our awards banquet. We also attend the Wisconsin fish expo on the 23rd through the 25th. Stop down to buy your tickets for the Ranger boat. We will be selling some lightly used tackle there, too. For March, the meeting will be moved up to the 5th at the 5100 club. Rick Kruger, a local diver, will be giving a presentation. March 17th will be the muskie school at Waunakee High School. Pros and cons of a 50 inch size limit will be one of the main topics. In April, Mike Keyes will be our featured speaker at the annual fundraiser. There will be plenty of prizes to win that day. Info can be found on our website for all club events.

Good luck, and have fun planning your 2018 season.- Tony Alexander

The 2017 WV Chapter Muskies Release Contest is history. Lisa Tenney, our Women’s Division Champion, made history releasing 59 muskies for a total of 649 points. This establishes a record as the most fish ever registered by a female chapter member. Chapter


www.muskiesinc.org

First WisconsinPresident - John Imm


Meets 1st Monday of the month. Check website for location and time as it alter-nates.

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West VirginiaPresident: Jim Moore

www.westvirginiamuskiesinc.org Meets: No definite schedule-call

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Capital CityPresident - Winston Hopkins


Meets 2nd Monday at the 5100 Bar, 5100 Erling Ave., McFarland, WI.

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12Ed Lawton (47 inches) from New River, VA; July, Derek Wentzel (51 inches) from Lake St. Clair, ONT; August, Steve Koreski (54 inches) from Stork Lake, ONT; September, Jace Starkey (49.5 inches) from Lake St. Clair, ONT; October, Jace Stasrkey (48 inches) from Monongahela River, WV; November, William A Hall (49.75 inches) from Lake St. Clair, ONT; December, Ed Lawton (48.5 inches) from New River, VA.

- Jim Moore

The Headwaters Chapter ended the year with 768 fish registered with 18 fish over 50 inches. Congratulations to Jim Korducki for registering the largest muskie ever for the Headwaters Chapter, a great 55.75 inch fish caught October 28th on the Detroit Lakes. Final results for the Member’s Only Fishing Contest will be in our February newsletter, along with some facts and figures from 2017. Thanks to our own Fred Brogle for the Lunge Log which supplies many interesting facts about the fish registered.

Our Christmas Party at Catch 22 was a great success, with its many innovative surprises. We had a total of 65 attend. There was a great meal with many new attendees while our President had the pleasure of introducing this year’s Mr. & Mrs. Muskie: Jerry and Margie Hollnagel. They are in charge of our website and the Kleeba Challunge, their dedication with our chapter’s outings, the

9newcomer Dan Roberts won our Men’s Division with 77 fish worth 979 points. All of these fish were caught in WV and Ohio, making him our American Waters Champion, as well. Men’s Division runner-up, Michael F. Zicafoose, and third place finisher, Stephen Howell, also enjoyed terrific years. Mike’s 75 releases for 702 points and Steve’s 63 releases for 688 points are usually enough to win. John Cade had another successful season winning our Men’s Masters Division for the fifth time in the last six years. Darlene Kelley, our Chapter Treasurer, is our new Women’s Masters Champion. Chase Gibson is once again our Junior Champion with 20 fish for 261 points. These numbers will put him among the leaders in the Juniors Division at the National Level. Chase devoted much time and effort for these muskies, which all came from Northern WV waters not far from his home. None came from easier Canadian vacation areas. Our longest WV Releases were 49 inch by William A Hall and Matt Mewshaw. Bill’s fish was caught in late August from the Monongahela River. Matt caught his fish in March on Tygart Lake and amazingly caught her again the very next day. Steve Koreski released our longest muskie of 2017, a huge 54 inch from Stork Lake in western Ontario. This is not a numbers lake, but offers the opportunity for a real giant.

Our 2017 Chapter Lunkers of the Month are as follows: January, Anthony Ashby (47 inches) from Potomac River, WV; February, Ed Lawton (47 inches) from New River, VA; March, Matt Mewshaw (49 inches) from Tygart Lake, WV; April, Ed Lawton (46 inches) from New River, VA; May, William A Hall (46 inches) from Buckhannon River, WV; June, John Cade (47 inches) from North Bend Lake, WV, Stephen Howell (47 inches) from Monongahela River, WV, Rick Reeves (47 inches) from Piedmont Lake, OH,


HeadwatersPresident - Bill Jacobs


Meets the first Wednesday of every month @ 7:00 p.m. at Eagle River Inn

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Gil Hamm and Kleeba, has shown them to be well deserved of this award. The President’s Award is going to Joe Koschnik. Joe chairs our Banquet and Flea Market, as well as helps with Merchandise, Tournaments, and our Outings. He has proven himself to be one of our chapter’s most valuable directors.

Our next big event is our 40th Annual Banquet on Saturday, March 24th at the Whitetail Inn in St. Germain, WI. If interested in attending, contact our banquet chairman Joe Koschnik at 715-542-2366 or [email protected] for tickets. We have a great line-up of door prizes, raffles, silent auction, awards, and live auction. Main raffles are a crossbow and one-week stay at Pine Beach Resort on Eagle Lake. Auction items include stays at Red Wing Lodge on LOTW and Spring Bay Lodge on Vermilion Lake.

The next big thing is our 38th Annual Spring Classic Muskie Tournament on June 9th and 10th on the Eagle River Chain of Lakes. For more info, visit our website headwatersmuskies.com, call tournament director Scott Samuels at 715-547-3340, or e-mail [email protected].

Time for muskie shows, cleaning reels, sharpening hooks, and making those plans for muskie fishing vacations.

- Dale Peterson

The Hayward Lakes Chapter held its annual Christmas party at Al and Barbera Hoeft’s house on Sunday, December 3rd. It was a fun time, as usual, so we want to thank them for hosting the party. The January club meeting was a budget and planning meeting. We also had presentation by our local DNR biologist, Max Wolter. Max explained a project he would like to do which involves taking fin clips from a variety of different muskies and testing their genetic makeup to discover the differences and similarities in the fish. This will help in determining what fish to stock and where to stock them. The club allocated $2,000 for this project. Max also requested money to continue to remove northern pike from LCO. The goal here is remove the excess pike which are preying on smaller muskies. The club would pay to have the fish processed into fish patties which are donated to area food shelves. The group approved $3,000 for this project.

Also present at the meeting was Neal Rosenberg, who is now the area fish hatchery supervisor, and the new supervisor for the Spooner Hatchery, Angelina Secora. Neal thanked us for our help in purchasing braided line, which is being strung across the rearing ponds to prevent Osprey from eating muskies. Angelina asked for our help to improve the two hatchery boats. The boats could use new slip proof front decks to make it safer and more efficient for the workers. The club approved $3,700 for this project.

The next club event is our annual awards banquet, which recognizes the winners in our club’s members contest. The banquet is the first Saturday in March, the 3rd, this year at The Fireside Restaurant. Invitations will be sent out, and we ask that you RSVP and pre-order from the dinner selections.

The following people have registered fish in our members contest as of December 31, 2017:

Women’s Division: Claudette Kersten registered 32 fish for a total of 430 points (includes a 49 inch from Lake St. Clair), Vicki

Shumway registered 30 fish for a total of 417 points (includes a 52.5 inch from Vermilion), Brenda Detloff registered 6 fish for a total of 92 points.

Men’s Division: Al McElroy registered 27 fish for a total of 411 points, Tom Kersten registered 27 fish for a total of 382 points (includes a 49 inch from Lake St. Clair), Caiden Ramsell registered 25 fish for a total of 230 points (includes a 50.75 inch from Leech), Carl Langham registered nine fish for a total of 120 points, Steve Truver registered eight fish for a total of 97 points, Kris Gottwald registered six fish for a total of 67 points, Jack Ketelhut registered six fish for a total of 64 points, JB Ellis registered five fish for a total of 63 points, Andrew Muntz registered three fish for a total of 48 points, Tom Turner registered three fish for a total of 20 points, and William Kregel registered three fish for a total of 19 points.

Master’s Division: Mike Persson registered 24 fish for a total of 263 points, John Dettloff registered 14 fish for a total of 193 points, and Larry Ramsell registered five fish for a total of 86 points.

Looking ahead, our 41st Annual Fall Tournament will be October 5th through 7th, 2018.

Reminder: register your muskie catches with Hayward Lakes Chapter of Muskies, Inc and be a part of the muskie fishing spirit and a possible award winner! Register your release forms online at the Muskies, Inc. website (www.muskiesinc.org) or send paper forms to Hayward Lakes Muskies, Inc. P. O. Box 609 Hayward, WI 54843.

- Good Fishing, Mike Persson

Here is the 2018 Three Rivers tournament schedule. Please stay tuned to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more information and details on each event (Muskiesinc.org/chapter16 and Facebook: Three Rivers Chapter of Muskies, Inc.).

2018 Tournament Schedule: Pymatuning Res on May 19th and 20th, Chautauqua Lake on July 14th and 15th, Allegheny River on September 15th, Lake Arthur on September 29th and 30th, and Monongahela River on October 20th.

We will once again have a booth set up at the 2018 Muskie Max held at the Embassy Suites in Moon twp. on March 10th and 11th. Our banquet will be held the following weekend, March 17th, at the Cranberry Elks club, tickets will be on sale at the banquet. If you are unable to attend to get tickets, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 724-859-3386, and I will get the tickets to you.

Once again, I still have a fair amount of email addresses that bounce back off the current roster. If you feel that you are one of those people, please contact me or log into your Muskies, Inc. account and check your profile to make sure the email is listed correctly. This is our main source to inform members of upcoming events and club news. We would also like to thank our sponsors and lure makers of the club. Next time you’re out, don’t forget to take a look at their lures or services: Wiley Lures, Legend Lures, Leo Lures, Mtailz lures, Grandma Lures, Muddy Creek Guide Service, Allegheny Guide Service, Boss Shad, Red October Baits, and Baker Baits.

- Good Fishing, Joel Morrow

www.muskiesinc.org

Three RiversPresident (Vacant) - VP: Joseph K Houck

724-667-8254 // [email protected]/chapter16

www.facebook.com/threeriversmuskiesincorgMeets 2nd Monday 7:30 PM, Northside Sportsmans

Club, Wexford, PA.

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Hayward lakesPresident - Mike Perrson

715-634-4543www.muskiesinc-hayward.org

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Hello from the snowy Hopedale Chapter 18 in Ohio. At our November meeting, we elected new officers and our new chapter President, Charlie Alexander, led his first meeting. His staff includes VP, David Nabb, and Joe Ball as Chapter Secretary. Our 2018 club schedule has been finalized with the first tournament outing set for April 21st at Piedmont Lake. We’ll be at Piedmont for three outings, Leesville for three visits, and we have two open. A presentation on jig fishing will be held at our March 1st meeting and Wild Game Feed. This is always an interesting dinner meeting: we had pheasant and bison on the menu last year. Our annual banquet will be held March 17th, awards will be given at this time. A custom-crafted rod with reel and lure basket will be auctioned. Raffle tickets are still available, contact any chapter member or email [email protected] for information. Reservations are due March 1st.

Congratulations go to David White, who finished the year with 2,800 points on 218 catches. He was listed first in the Men’s Division Muskies, Inc. as of the November 8th count. His largest was 52.25 inches and caught on Lake St. Clair. Dave also held the Lunker of the Month in our club for eight months in 2017. Bill Zonker finished second in the club listing with 323 points on 26 muskies. Sam Reichenbach has 316 fish, all time. Also, our club had three women ranked in the Women’s Division Muskies, Inc.: Donna Ball, Janet Carr and Sandy Petrozzi. Donna has 85 points on six fish, Janet has 77 points with seven fish, and Sandy has 71 points on eight muskies.

Next meeting is February 1st, in which notes from the January 8th District 3 telecom will be presented.

- Susan Matuska

The Muskie Maniacs held a booth down at the Ohio Muskie Show in Columbus, Ohio on January 19th through 21st. The weather was great and with our area lakes all frozen, it made it the perfect time to talk muskies during our winter blues. We want to thank Tony Grant and Greg Thomas for hosting the show. There was a good crowd of anglers there, and I know from experience that a lot of them went home with empty pockets buying up all their favorite lures, fishing supplies, or booking guided trips.

Our first event of the season will be our Annual Lure Auction on February 17th at Walthers Twin Tavern. This event is a fundraiser for our club. Our auctioneer, again, will be Dean Herrick. He makes this event a lot of fun.

Our second event of the season will be our Annual Awards Banquet on March 24th at the North Canton Eagles. Plans are being made to make this event even better than last year. We usually have around 100 people in attendance, depending on the weather.

On April 7th and 8th, our first tournament of the season will be at Piedmont Lake. We can’t wait for the lakes to thaw so we can

get out and start fishing. Hopefully, we will be able to catch some nice fish before our first tournament, but if not, Piedmont is a good early season lake to catch fish on.

I will in our next issue have the results of our Annual Lure Auction on February 17th. Hope you get out early to catch some nice early fall fish.

- Kevin Proffitt

I like to take some time during the deer season and scout new areas, or areas that I have not been to for a good while. I often find old tree stands in various stages of decline: the builder having long abandoned them since their last repair. I look at the location of the stand and try to envision what the architect intended to oversee. I try to age the stand based on the trees it is nailed to and what the forest looked like when it was built, as the area I hunt has experienced much change due to logging, fire, and wind events over the years. I could understand the vision of the old architects, and could see what their plan was for success, but due to drastic, often sudden changes, the plan was no longer effective. Things change. Sometimes in our favor and sometimes not.

Right now, in Minnesota, we are still experiencing a high point for the sport of muskie fishing, and I hope that everyone is taking full advantage of what we have, because things change. Change comes in different forms and at different speeds; sometimes fully visible, and at other times, more subtly. Those who have come before us have worked hard to build a muskie fishery, having envisioned what we have today. They should be proud of what it has become. The environment in which we continue our current fight is changing, and we are going to have to change our tactics if we are to keep our sport from heading into decline.

This coming legislative session looks to be far more active than last year, if the buzz over the summer is accurate. Muskies, Inc. and the MN DNR are ready to combat the coming push to halt stocking of muskies in new lakes and existing waters in certain counties. The opposition claims that knowledge, experience, the public input process, and scientific methods utilized by the DNR are flawed and cannot be used as the basis for the current and future stocking efforts. My response is “if not that, what?” Their response is, of course, to legislate a solution, based not on the above proven methods, but based on emotion and personal agendas. Get ready, members in Minnesota, we will be calling on you to make yourself heard. I know this can be out of character for many muskie fishermen, but evil prevails when good people do nothing.

This is a rather somber read so far, so let’s discuss something more positive. For those fishing Minnesota water this coming spring, there are new rules on pike which you will want to learn about. The DNR has divided the state into three northern pike zones with varying criteria for numbers and size of fish which may be kept. From ten fish limits in the north to two fish limits in the south, the DNR is getting more regional with its pike management plan, similar to how deer management zones were established. This is the DNR managing our waters, as they should be allowed to do. The results of this change are yet to be determined, but as the data is reviewed and analyzed, further tweaks can be made to achieve


Akron-CantonPresident - Bob McCloud

Meets 3rd Tuesday of every month @ 7 p.m. at McCall’s Restaurant and Banquet Hall - 130 Faircrest St. SW Canton, OH

44706FACEBOOK: Muskies Inc. - Chapter 19 Akron/Canton Muskie ManiacsCH

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Brainerd lakesPresident - Jim Kath

www.brainerdmuskies.com Meets 2nd Tuesday 7:00 PM, Old Water Fall Inn Brainerd, MN

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the goal of effectively managing our northern pike population. Hopefully, we can keep our muskie management program in the hands of the DNR and out of the legislative arena.

Spring is near and soon the boats will emerge from their winter storage. As we emerge from a long, cold winter, I recommend that you locate a muskie expo in your area and get yourself there. I need to start building my anticipation for the season and a handful of new custom-color baits is a good way to start.

See you on the water.- Brett Sande, Chapter Representative

It is March and our muskie fishing will be in full swing in the southern zone. Water temps will be in the mid 40’s by the start of the month, and by the end of the month, it will be in the mid 50’s. The muskies will be in the shallow bays ready to drop their eggs. This is a fun time to cast rattle style baits from half to one ounce, a time to catch the heaviest fish of the year as the big females roam the shallows.

Our chapter will be busy with our club activities. March 10th, we will have our Border Wars challenge with the Shawnee group teeing off with the Pomme Chapter. It is always a fun time to see who will take home the traveling trophy.

March 24th is our lake clean up from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. There will be free lunch at the Kinkaid Marina for all the volunteers at noon. Right after the cleanup, we will have a family crappie outing and fish fry. The fish fry will be held at the Bunkhouse after the outing at 7 p.m.

April 28th and 29th, we will have our Spring Fling Tournament on Kinkaid Lake. This is a fun tournament, and if the muskies cooperate like our last fall tournament where 44 muskies were caught, you won’t want to miss it. Entry fee is $100 dollars per person and $50 for youth 18 and under. We have a one-time fee of $50 to anyone that has not entered one of our tournaments before. There is a catch, this fee is if you get your entry in by March 31st. After that date, the fee increases by $10 and $5 for the three fee levels. Big fish is $10 per person with half pay out for big fish each day. Entry forms can be found on our website: www.shawneemuskiehunters.org or by contacting Jim Beaty at 618-971-7806. I hope to see you at this one.

I’m in the other blue Lund.- Walt Krause

The season is closed up north, the water is hard, and the shows are done. It is time to reflect, plan, and pay our respects. The past season we saw unusual weather patterns in both spring and fall that made for some difficult fishing. Our numbers of fish entered into the Muskies, Inc. database were down from last year, but our trip to Lake of the Woods was the best in many years.

Our members’ only contest saw new names moving up into the top positions of some divisions. Most importantly, we had fun and added some new members. Unfortunately, we also lost two of our top anglers this last season. Jim Lavern passed away this last summer. He held positions on our executive committee many years, and was one of the top anglers in the Flatlanders Chapter. After the holidays, Harvey Gustafson passed away. His stories, advice, and big fish will be missed on our Canadian trips. The chapter extends our condolences to their families, and we are thankful that both of these gentlemen were part of the Flatlanders Chapter.

Looking forward, the chapter has a full schedule of events. Our annual awards banquet and fundraiser is scheduled on March 24th. We will be returning to Thunder Bay for a fun evening to recognize our top anglers and plan for the 2018 season. Our deposits have been placed for the trip back to Lake of the Woods in July. This outing has been the highlight of the season for many years.

The schedule for the Flatlanders outings include the following: April 28th: Lake McMaster near Victoria, IL.May 20th: Lake Waubesa with lunch at the Green Lantern.July 13th through 21st: Lake of the Woods Ontario, Canada.September (date to be set later): We are trying to set up an outing in conjunction with another Chapter of Muskies, Inc.October 13th and 14th: Lake Namekogon with the Wormsoakers. This should be an interesting outing with other Rockford Muskie Anglers.To really get into the fun, we encourage new members and old

members to participate in the outings. Included are photos of a few late season fish. We welcome new members, and we hope to get you out on a Flatlander event. Get on the water and get on the board.

- Dick Cholke

www.muskiesinc.org

FlatlandersPresident - Dick Cholke

www.flatlanderschapter.comMeetings are the 3rd Tuesday of the month 7:00 PM

VFW Hall, 2018 Windsor Rd. loves Park, Il

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Chapter 32, Dick Cholke.

Chapter 32, Dick Estes.

Chapter 32, Wally Haas.

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Last year’s Guide Raffle generated a lot of interest, and it has been decided that the fundraiser event will return for a second year. All of the proceeds will be put towards stocking local waters. Tickets will once again be $5 each or three for $10, and will be available at the expos, bait swap, meetings, and at the drawing. The drawing date will be Saturday, April 28th at Curly’s Waterfront (following the Panfish Tournament). You do not need to be present to win. Guides included in the 2018 raffle are Mike Koepp (Pewaukee), Joel Walczak (Pewaukee), Ryan Grant (Green Bay), and Ty Sennett (Hayward).

MCMI’s 2018 Panfish Tournament will also take place on Saturday, April 28th, at Pewaukee Lake. Registration/weigh-in will occur at Smokey’s Muskie Shop at 10:00 a.m., with awards given out at Curly’s Waterfront after the event (around 5:00 p.m.). Fishing hours will be from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is a new event we’re holding. Think of it as an “ice fisheree” without the ice. The date falls on the same date as Smokey’s Annual “Mistake on the Lake.” Shore fishing or boat are allowed. It’s a great day to get the boat out before the opener, and to check for new weed growth and water temps. Throw the ultralight in the boat, catch a few panfish, and bring them in for a chance at some prizes. General rules/guidelines are on the Facebook page.

We will once again take on the Quad County Chapter from Illinois in a Chapter Challenge on opening weekend (May 5th and 6th) on Pewaukee Lake at Smokey’s Musky Shop. As we get closer to the event, the specific fishing times and mealtimes/trophy presentation will be communicated. If you’d like to fish this event, please contact Bob Petzke at [email protected] or (262) 442-6260.

The 2018 Pewaukee Classic, our annual fundraising/trophy tournament with raffles, will once again be the second Saturday of game fish season on Saturday, May 12th. Pewaukee, Okauchee, Oconomowoc, and LaBelle lakes will be included. Check-in will be at Nettesheim Park in Pewaukee, while the banquet will once again be held at Sussex Bowl. More details on this event are to be coming out soon.

The 2018 Larry Kleeba Challenge date is still TBD (June 15th through 17th tentatively), but Pelican Lake will be the destination, hosted by Between the Lakes Chapter. The Larry Kleeba Challenge is an annual muskie challenge of all the MI chapters in Wisconsin. We were the first place team when we hosted in 2016, and took second place at the Northwoods Chapter event in 2017. We’re looking forward to putting on another competitive showing at the 2018 event! If you have interest in representing MCMI at this event, please contact Bob Petzke at [email protected] or 262-442-6260.

The Milwaukee Chapter’s Big Brothers Big Sisters Outing will take place on a date to-be-determined in June at Smokey’s Muskie Shop on Pewaukee Lake. Members will take “littles” and “bigs” out on pontoons for some panfishing. More details will come as the event approaches, and volunteers are welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Geoff Verges at [email protected] or (262) 442-8496.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 25th as members take

veterans out on Pewaukee Lake for a morning of muskie fishing, followed by a luncheon at Smokey’s Muskie Shop. More details to come on this event as we get closer. Any questions, contact Craig Ader at [email protected] or 920-379-0927.

For the past two years, we had very successful fundraising efforts selling tickets for the Alliance Ranger Boat Raffle at Germanfest on the Summerfest Grounds in late July. It was such a great success, that we’re going to do it again this year (July 27th through 29th at Germanfest). I know that all the volunteers last year had very positive feedback on volunteering for the event, and the three-hour shifts absolutely flew by for everyone. So, mark your calendar for this event, as it’s a great way to give your volunteer time towards raising money for our stocking efforts. If you’d like to help with the Alliance Boat Raffle, contact Brian Mirek at [email protected] or 414-807-4122.

The 2018 Eagle River National Championship Open is the Musky Clubs Alliance of Wisconsin big fundraising/trophy tournament held in Eagle River, WI. It takes place August 17th through 19th in Eagle River. We are a member of the Alliance. The drawing for the Ranger Boat Raffle is held at this event, as well as a drawing for all registered tournament contestants for another Ranger boat. This is a great event for anglers of all skill level.

Lastly, the 2018 Fall Championship Open tournament will take place on a date in September that is soon to be scheduled. Details will be up online.

Upcoming Events: Tuesday, March 27th: Doug Kloet - Early Season Tactics for Fox Chain, IL and Lake Geneva.Tuesday, April 24th: Members Contest Awards.Saturday, April 28th: 2018 Panfish Tournament & Guide Raffle Drawing.Saturday, May 5th: Sunday May 6th - Quad County Chapter Challenge.Saturday, May 12th: 2018 Pewaukee Classic.Friday, July 27th through Sunday, July 29th: MCMI Ranger Boat Raffle at Germanfest.Saturday, August 25th: Veteran’s Outing.

- Ben Sieren

“Real contentment must come from within. You and I cannot change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us,” Warren Wiersbe.

Chapter 37 has been going strong for many years. With the enthusiasm and energy of our members and Board of Directors, the future is looking bright. It has been said before, it’s not what our club can do for us, but what we can do for our club, and with that, we would like to thank everyone for their time and contribution to this fantastic cause and the future of our fisheries. After years and countless hours of dedicated service, a few of our board members have stepped down to pave the way for new leadership. Hats off and much thanks goes to Bruce Kitowski (former President), Ken Schmitt (former Vice-President) and Sven Larsen (former Secretary/Webmaster). These guys have been great to work with, and are still actively involved in club functions. We are extremely


MilwaukeePresident - Brian Mirek

www.milwaukeemuskiesinc.comwww.facebook.com/milwaukeemuskiesinc

Meets 4th Tuesday January-May, September-November @ 6 p.m. Board meeting; 7:30 p.m. General Meeting - Machine Shed Restaurant Pewaukee N14 W24145 Tower Place (I-94 & WIS 164 Exit 294), Pewaukee, WI 53072

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St. CloudPresident - Paul Ambergwww.stcloudmuskies.com

www.facebook.com/StCloudMuskiesIncMeets: 3rd Tuesday 7:30 PM, American legion Post 428,

17 2nd Ave. N, Waite Park, MN.

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grateful for everything they’ve done. Please welcome with us our new President, Paul Amberg; Vice-President, Eric Poissant; Secretary, Ken Smith; Treasurer, Eric Kohn; Seminar & Outings Director, Justin Scherer; and Advertising Director, Scott Wold. Also, non-voting positions such as Fish Dinner Director, Ken Schmitt; MMPA Rep, Bruce Kitowski; MMPA Rep, Ken Schmitt; and Newsletter Editor, Stephanie Amberg. December’s elections went smoothly, and the amount of talent and energy in our group is impressive. We all look forward to serving and growing together.

Our Christmas Party is something we look forward to all year. We have dinner together, everyone brings a wrapped lure to exchange under the Christmas tree, and we fill the evening with a round table discussion about how our year went and any significant or humorous stories. It’s hilarious, really. Great to hear from everyone, take a few tips, and get a good laugh out of the pursuit of these toothy creatures.

Typically, every January is a board-only meeting, a chance to focus on our projects, goals, and events, and with so many new members, it is critical to take the time to hear from everyone and create a plan. Even with the extra time, we still went over our set time as there was so much to cover; we are quite organized moving forward. Fish dinner! It is that time of year again so be sure to attend our annual and only fundraiser, right here at the Waite Park American Legion on April 27th. There is always room for volunteer help, so feel free to contact us if you wish to help out, or bring your family and friends to enjoy the best fish in the area. There will be tip boards, door prizes, silent auctions, and other raffle items. Watch for those ticket sales in advance, and come hungry.

Spring is the best time of year to get those reels cleaned, repaired and lubed up, hooks sharpened and an overall inventory check to ensure a smooth and productive season. George’s Minnesota Muskie Expo is held March 9th through 11th in the Ganglehoff Center at Concordia University in St. Paul. Attendance is recommended. All things muskie and everything you could ever need, imagine, and much more will be under one roof.

The St. Cloud Chapter welcomes new faces and new ideas, so do feel free to reach out and/or attend the monthly meetings, they are here for you! Enjoy the longer days, warmer weather, and preparing for the season to come. God Bless.

- Eric Poissant

I hope everyone’s new year is off to a good start. As I am writing this article, our chapter just finished the Chicagoland Muskie Show, and we are preparing for the Chicagoland Fishing, Travel, and Outdoor Expo, which will be held at the Schaumburg Convention Center. If you attend the show, please come see us!

If you are interested in following what our club does throughout the year, please visit our website at www.frvmuskie.com. In addition, Rich Gallagher does a great job keeping our Facebook page up to date with current events, if you would rather connect via social media. Our general meetings are usually held at Chandler’s Chophouse (Schaumburg) on the second Wednesday of each month, and our board meetings are held on the following

Wednesday.Our chapter has many events scheduled over the next few

months:March 14th: Monthly Meeting with speaker Spencer Berman with free pizza.March 24th: Awards Banquet/2018 Fundraiser.April 11th: Monthly Meeting with speaker TBD.May 9th: Monthly Meeting with speaker Doug Kloet.May 14th: Challunge on the Chain.The awards banquet is scheduled for the evening of March 24th

at Chandler’s Chophouse in Schaumburg. This is an outstand event. We always have a full house, and our combined prize list usually approaches $30,000 each year. Tickets are available via the FRV website.

The annual “Challunge on the Chain” tournament will be held Saturday, May 14th. The entry fee is $200, and entry forms can be found on the FRV website.

In addition, the FRV outings calendar is packed full of great outings on a variety of different waters. These outings are a lot of fun, and a great time to get together with fellow members and make some memories. Some of the outings scheduled for 2018 are as follows: Summer Lake of the Woods Trip, Eagle Lake Trip, St. Clair Trip, Fall Outing to Popps Resort in Crivitz, WI, Suckerfest 2018 at Jackson resort, and Lake fall trip to Cave Run. If you are interested in attending any of these trips, contact Dan Koniewicz at [email protected].

On a final note, we would like to thank Mark Lamont and Ken Miller for their many years of service to our club as board members. They will be missed!

- Joseph G. Erkenswick

It’s another cold day in Hoosier Muskie Country. This cold weather extends to the southern range of muskie fishing, so there is no escaping it. If you are out in these conditions, dress properly. We want to see your smiling faces on the water in warmer conditions! Also, we want to see you at the 2018 Indiana Muskie Classic to be held May 18th through 20th. If you have participated in this event before, you know what a great event it is, and it gets better every year. Registration forms are available on Facebook, under the Indiana Muskie Classic. Be sure to check here for current information, and at Hoosier Muskie Hunters, also on Facebook. The event will, again, be headquartered at the Oakwood Resort. So, register soon as a full field is anticipated again this year.

On January 27th, the State of the Muskies in Indiana will be presented. There is always a lot of good information presented at this meeting, and that will be provided in the next issue of MUSKIE Magazine. Preliminary reports suggest there is a rebound in the muskie population of Webster Lake due to stocking efforts performed by the Fisheries Division. By the time you read this, close to a couple of months will have passed, and hopefully the weather will have improved, so the information should get you revved up to get back on the water. It may also help you choose

www.muskiesinc.org(Text continued on page 44)


Fox River ValleyPresident -Steve Kroll

312-320-6721www.frvmuskie.com

Meetings are the 2nd Wednesday of the month (All months except June, July, and August) at the Schaumburg Golf Club in Schaumburg, Il

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Hoosier Muskie HuntersPresident - TJ Henriksen


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It’s time to be sure you have your hooks sharpened, your tackle prepared for the new season, and your boat ready to go. Then, be sure you have yourself physically and mentally prepared for those long days on the water. This is the most important thing you can do. Good luck and good hunting in 2018, and be sure to get yourself registered for the 2018 Indiana Muskie Classic. See you on the water, and remember, leave the area a little cleaner than you found it.

- Musky Ed Myshak

Get those hooks sharpened, the 2018 fishing season is almost here. The Webster Lake Musky Club will be kicking off our 2018 event calendar with the 17th Annual Ice Out Challunge, sponsored by Musky Kombat Tackle. This year’s Challunge will be held on March 31st. This is a chapter and individual contest. A traveling trophy is awarded to the winning chapter (a chapter must have four participants to qualify). Hope several chapters can come out and try to take down the defending champs, Chapter #47 Michigan Musky Alliance.

We have two events scheduled for April. The Spring Trophy

Hunt tournament will take place on April 21st on Webster Lake. Our successful Guide for a Day Program will continue in 2018 with the spring date of April 28th. The fall Guide for a Day event will be held on October 6th. Our Guide for a Day events allow people who may not be familiar with muskie fishing to accompany one of our members for a full day guided fishing trip on Webster Lake, one of the premier muskie fishing lakes in Indiana.

I also hope to see many of you at the 2018 Indiana Muskie Class, organized by Chapter 42 Hoosier Muskie Hunters, to be held May 18th through 20th, 2018. It’s always one of the best attended and well-organized fishing tournaments you will find in the Midwest.

You can find the latest information about our events and activities on our website at http://www.websterlakemuskyclub.org/ and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/wlmc49/.

Wishing everyone a successful and safe season.- Fred Dobry

This fall, the club stocked 1,500 muskies with the help from about seven boats. It was a beautiful morning, afterwards coffee and doughnuts were available. With this year’s past stocking, chapter 50 has proudly raised over $100,000.00 towards making muskie


Webster lake Musky ClubPresident - John Dobry

www.websterlakemuskyclub.orgFACEBOOK SEARCH BAR - Webster lake Musky Club

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Penn JerseyPresident - Tom Sabia

www.MI50.com or Facebook- MI50Meeting location-Casey’s Tavern California Road, Quakertown, PA

7 p.m. first Wednesday of the month.

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fishing excellent in eastern Pennsylvania. Our fall tournament this year at Lake Nockamixon was action packed with lots of fish ranging from hefty 42.5 inch fish to under 30. After fishing eight hours, pizza and soda were delivered to the boat launch. Congrats to everyone that participated!

The Pennsylvania fish commission donated 300 muskie, estimated length of about eight inches. The club helped put them into the fish tanks at our local Cabela’s in Camburg for all to see. We will stock them in march or so in local lakes and rivers when they are a little bigger. Thank you Cabela’s for your continuing efforts!

Fly fishing is gaining popularity in leaps and bounds within the club. With that said, this winter we will be out at the biggest fly show on the east coast in Edison, New Jersey, setting up a booth to promote catch and release, muskie fly fishing, raffles, fish habitat, and, of course, the success of our club. Muskie road rules is coming to the Lehigh Valley, and lots of members will be attending their six-hour seminar. It’s very educational and well worth the trip every year to hear from the experts! Lastly, our big lure auction will be coming up in April, and if you fish for muskie, then you’re in for a treat. There’s so many talented people and companies involved with amazing lures that are one of a kind, trips, gear, etc. The auction is open for anyone to bid with multiple payment options available. Our club’s auction is our most important fundraiser for stocking fish. A very kind thank you to all involved in the auction! Until next Chapter News and Views, stay safe, and see you out on the water.

- Clint Reinhart

Greetings from Chapter 65 Mountain West Muskie. The Chapter gives a very hearty welcome to newest members’ husband and wife team, Blake and Troylynn Millett. During the October tournament, Troylynn caught an impressive 45 inch tiger muskie on the cast, including her PB tiger to date. Congrats to Troylynn and hubby Blake who netted the fish securing a tournament win for big fish.

Jake Venstra took a late fall solo outing as his son Gannon had to work. Jake was rewarded with another very nice 45 inch tiger on the cast. Jake said it was quite the battle being solo, but a memorable outing on Pineview with a great photo. Sage Lundell, who frequents Joes Valley with Fred Krause, found a tiger wanting a photo op. Congrats Sage and Fred for a great net job.

State DWR Deputy Director Mr. Craig Walker hosted a tiger muskie working group meeting in January that included all state region biologists, aquatics managers, along with several Chapter 65 members. Mr. Chris Penne, DWR Northern Region Biologist, provided the group with a presentation on the preliminary data he gathered from Pineview tiger muskies that chapter members provided by tagging and clipping pelvic fin rays during the 2017 season. This briefing provided valuable insight to the group regarding tiger muskie age and ground work for this working group to take points off regarding state waters with tiger muskies. Chris indicated this is the first study he knows of in the nation specifically on more information regarding the tiger muskie hybrid species. After Chris’ briefing, ground rules were set by

Craig on the meeting’s focus to work on a solid management plan with strategy for the future of tiger muskie fisheries in Utah. The state eagerly wants to continue to utilize this species, not only as a management tool for rough fish and pan fish, but for potential trophy opportunity for state anglers, in addition to drawing out-of-state anglers who desire to catch a trophy tiger muskie. However, the DWR wants to be mindful of biology and science using hybrid species in selected waters for the best usage of this species for waters currently stocked.

Craig then had the group perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. From this analysis, a management plan will be developed moving forward with a vibrant tiger muskie program in Utah. Currently, Utah has eight bodies of water stocked with tiger muskies. The newest body of water is Scofield, and tigers were stocked in 2017 to help control the massive chub problem. The DWR stocked three to four inch fish in May and seven to eight inch fish in August. A sampling of Scofield in October showed tiger muskies were already 14 to 19 inches.

The DWR aquatics manager, Mr. Calvin Black, also asked the chapter to help with an age study of tiger muskies in Joes Valley, similar to what’s being done on Pineview in the states pilot program. This will only consist of clipping fin rays (no tagging) from tiger muskies caught and providing samples to DWR, who, in turn, will provide them to Utah State University for aging. As the chapter moves into its second year, chapter officers are working hard on planning both on and off the water events, keeping members and their families involved on all fronts. It’s going to be another very fun 2018 season for this chapter.

From chapter 65, we’re anxious once again to chase the fish where all other fish are just bait. From our chapter to your chapters and members, all the best to in 2018 on and off the water. Be safe, and above all, have fun with memories being made.

- Kim Wagner

Sage Lundell (Chapter 65) with a Utah Joe’s Valley tiger.

Chapter 65’s, Jake Venstra, is holding a nice 45 inch Pineview tiger muskie.

A beautfiul sunrise with smoke from some western fires captured by a

member of Chapter 65.

Mountain West MuskiePresident - Kim Wagner

801-540-5602 // [email protected]/chapter65

CHA

PTER 65

69

MuSkIES, INc.PO BOx 1509Waukesha, WI 53187-1509

MEMbERS: Please notify [email protected] of address change.

ADDRESS SERVIcE REQuESTED

New York MuskiesPresident - James Reynolds

585-670-0422www.nymusky.com

Meets every 3rd Monday of the month at 7 PM @ the Moose lodge, 5375 W. Henrietta Road, Henrietta NYCH

APT

ER 69 Regional NewsI want to start the New Year with a BIG JUMP in chapter awareness. This

is mainly directed to our chapter officers, but all active MI members should be alert. Last year saw a major restructuring of the four Regions. In previous years, the communications between chapters and the MI Board was extremely poor but that issue has been resolved. We had unfilled Regional Representative positions, a lack of some crucial Fall Regional Meetings, and poor contact information for the Regional Representatives. In 2017, we got back to our agenda. Each Region did hold a Fall Meeting and we filled all of the vacant Regional Representative positions. This is a major change and should put us back on track for the New Year.

A necessary part of office of the Regional Representatives (RR) is to have up-to-date information for each chapter’s officers. Each year chapters elect new officers but in many cases this information is not shared with their Regional Rep-resentative. Each Region has three representatives (their names can be found on page 2 of each issue of MUSKIE) and this year we will divide the chapters of the regions, assigning them evenly to the representative of that region. Representa-tives will be contacting chapters for contact information; they will need phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, etc. for record and correspondence purposes. This information is essential for proper communications. When a chap-ter sends in their renewed charter, the information must be current and correct.

Even with correct information emails sometimes fail to get through as they may go to spam. Every Chapter President and Chapter Representative (at least) should look up the email address of your region’s three representatives and add them to your address book so that if you get an email from them it should be recognized as accepted email. This may help to assure you get valuable informa-tion from MI.

Regional Meeting notices: Region 1 is tentatively scheduling their Fall Regional meeting for October

6th in the Brainerd, MN area. Region 2 will meet on Saturday, March 2nd at the Wausau Sport show and again Region 2 will also host their annual Fall Meeting on October 15th at 7:00 pm this will be a Go-to-Meeting. Region 3 will host their annual Fall Meeting on November 5th and this will also be a Go-to-Meeting. Re-gion 4 will host their fall meeting October 27th in Springfield, IL at 8:30 am. We will continue to update all meeting information as it becomes available.

New! For 2018 Region 3 will be hosting a Chapter Challunge.Region 3 wishes to announce their first Regional Chapter Challenge, scheduled

for March 17 & 18, 2018 at Cave Run Lake in Kentucky. A small delegation from the regional council has taken on the tasks of setting up the rules and parameters of the tournament, arranging lodging, catering and awards. The concept is that members from Region 3 chapters will compete as one-or two-person teams, and using the MI point system, a winner will take the Challenge Trophy back to their chapter until the following year. Non-Region 3 members may fish, but only in a team with a Region 3 chapter member. The entry fee will be $30/ person, payable at registration on Friday, March 16 in Morehead. This includes the banquet fee and ramp pass. Pre-registration is required, a Team Tournament Entry form can be obtained by e-mail from: [email protected].

Good Luck & Good Fish’n- Fred E.sox Brogle

As a club, we had a great year and are always improving. First and foremost, we are very proud and lucky to have such a great group of guys. Our members are constantly looking for ways to improve our club and take care of the habitats we fish. Due to their efforts and dedication to the sport, it allows us to catch and release some of the biggest fish in the nation. Three of our members made it in the top five biggest fish in the country! Chad Lapa, Bob Solley, and Zach Baker are first class, big fish fisherman. They have spent countless hours on the water studying these great fish and have always produced big results. This past year, Chad got the biggest in the nation with a 58 inch, Zach came in a close second with a 57 inch, and Bob also was right there with a 56.50 inch. As we all know, these muskies can be quite elusive, and to get these fish at those sizes is pretty incredible. Congrats, guys.

Also, we had one of the biggest tournaments at Chautauqua lake, which allowed people from all the surrounding states to participate in. We were able to get to meet a lot of new people from out of state, and also have an awesome youth fundraiser. The kids that came all left with rods, and probably better tackle then most of us have. Walleye Weiss, Josh Tanks, Andy Ohl, Bob Solley, and Zach Baker were fantastic with the efforts they showed with getting these kids awesome gear and making sure they had an enjoyable time. Thanks to these gentlemen, they are securing the next generations of muskie fishing which we, as a club, could not be more proud of.

We also had another Muskies, Inc. club start up in New York: Muskies, Inc. chapter 70 CNY, which we will show all the support we can so we can represent the absolute best of the Muskies, Inc. values and traditions here in New York. Congrats Chapter 70, and good luck.

This year’s Chautauqua Tournament will take place on NY’s free fishing weekend.

Hope to see a few of you at the Muskie Max.- Clint Nicholson

name: charlie bolton - muskies, inc. · 2 president’s message,jim ashton 3 index of advertisers 4...

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