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April 2007.....MUSKIE 1www.muskiesinc.org

Departments2 President’s Message,

David Cates

3 Magazine Notes, Staff

4 International News, Staff

6 Letters to the Editor

7 Lunge Log, Jim Bunch

14 FCIS Boat Safety

19 Photo Contest,Gordon Campbell

24 As I See It, Jim Smith

24 Index of Advertisers

25 Chapter News and Views

31 Muskie Tales, Bob Jennings

32 Member Photos,Gordon Campbell

Features9 April Chapter Projects Contest

Fox River Chapter, Steve Crook & Doug Welch

Shawnee Chapter, Lou Strack

Colorado Chapter, Forrest Dykstra

Pomme de Terre Chapter

16 2006 Chapter Projects Winners [Collage],

Juris Ozols

18 “Say What?”, Bob Keans & Lorin Nevling

21 One Hundred, Juris Ozols

22 Small Cranks for Spring Skis, Colby Simms

Name _______________________________ Phone ________________

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Old Address (for address change only) ___________________________

City & State ____________________________ Zip_________

My Membership # ______________ Expiration Date _______

Check One: ❑ New Member ❑ Renewal ❑ Address Change ❑ Gift

Email ________________________

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Junior Member(s) Date of Birth (DOB)

Name ___________________________________ DOB ___________

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MAIL TO MUSKIES, INC. 14257 Waters Edge Trail,New Berlin, WI, 53151

1-888-710-8286

Regular Membership: ❑ 1 Year-$35.00 ❑ 2 Years-$65.00 ❑ 3 Years- $95.00

Family Membership: ❑ 1 Year-$47.50 ❑ 2 Years-$90.00 ❑ 3 Years-$132.50

Junior Membership (Under 18): ❑ $20.00

❑ For Muskie Research $________

Payment: ❑ Check or ❑ Credit Card:

Card # __ __ __ __- __ __ __ __- __ __ __ __- __ __ __ __ Exp. Date ____ /____ Signature ____________________________________________

(to find the number of the Chapter you wish to join, see the Chapter News & Views section)

(to find the number of the Chapter you wish to join, see the Chapter News & Views section)

ContentsMUSKIE • VOL. 41, NO. 4

Join Muskies, Inc. ...or give a membershipas a gift.

❑ VISA ❑ Discover❑ AmEx ❑ MasterCard

MUSKIE is published monthly and is the OfficialPublication of Muskies, Inc. International Office: RonGroeschl, International Sec., 14257 Waters EdgeTrail, New Berlin, WI 53151. Ph: 888-710-8286.© Copyright 2007 by Muskies, Inc. All rights reserved.

InternationalOfficers

President, David CatesPhone: 574-457-3222Email: [email protected]

Vice President/Finances, Jim BeatyPhone: 618-235-6370Email: [email protected]

Vice President/Research, Ken KarbonPhone: 303-688-4954Email: [email protected]

Vice President/Internal Affairs, Dick McPikePhone: 816-436-4909Email: [email protected]

Vice President/Membership, Bob TimmePhone: 715-462-3053Email: [email protected]

Vice President/Communications, Jack MogaPhone: 440-886-3926 Email: [email protected]

Treasurer, Pete BarberPhone: 847-726-7267Email: [email protected]

Members Only Fishing Contest, Jim BunchPhone: 715-723-8343 • Fax: 715-723-8354Email: [email protected]

Web Master, Ron GroeschlPhone: 262-271-1002Email: [email protected]

Int. Administrative Secretary, Ron Groeschl14257 Waters Edge Trail, New Berlin, WI 53151Phone: 888-710-8286 or 262-271-1002Email: [email protected]

At Large Directors Term Expires

David Rautmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008

Don Jahnke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008

David Cates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008

Patricia Strutz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008

Karl Scherer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2008

Dick McPike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009

Dan Narsete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009

Diana Mindar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009

Jack Moga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009

Brad Waldera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2009

Ken Karbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010

Jim Shannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010

Bob Timme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010

Mark Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010

Vince Weirick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2010

2 MUSKIE.....April 2007

ALLIANCES: WHO NEEDS THEM?

WE DO!AND THEY NEED US!

Much has been made of the supposed differences between Muskies, Inc. and individu-als wanting to create one or more Muskie “alliances”. In my view, this is much ado aboutnothing. Muskie fisherman are a unique breed. We are generally type “A” personalities, inde-pendent and happily so. Rare is the Muskie angler happy to follow along the well worn path.Accordingly, it should surprise no one when disputes arise regarding the direction of anorganization designed to best serve the fishery. Sometimes these disputes end up in the cre-ation of a new “alliance”. Should such an event be cause for an alarm? Not in my book.

One of the reasons for Muskies, Inc.’s governing structure is the local nature of thefishery. Unlike waterfowl, elk, or other species favored by those in some nationalorganizations, Muskies are not migratory (rare is the modern day Muskie who winters inMexico). Accordingly, management is focused at the local level. The Muskies, Inc. structureis similarly focused at the local (chapter) level. Muskies, Inc. chapters stock fish, restore andmaintain habitat, educate local fisherman, serve youth, and perform a myriad of otheractivities. The International serves as a clearing house of ideas to assist the chapters incarrying out that mission. So where do alliances come in?

There is also a middle ground of regional care and cooperation for the fishery.Wisconsin and Illinois (to name two) have well developed statewide Muskie alliances. TheIllini Muskie Alliance (with which I am more familiar), involves both MI chapters and otherclubs throughout that state. The IMA has, over the years, provided assistance for the IllinoisDepartment of Resources’ hatchery program, provided pond netting to protect Muskie fin-gerlings from predation, assisted the state in installing spillway barriers on various Illinoiswaters, assisted the Department of Natural Resources in size, creel and other managementissues, and provided educational resources for the Department of Natural Resources in meet-ing that department’s obligations. The Wisconsin Muskie alliance has a similarly illustrioushistory in assisting that state’s DNR in fisheries and management issues there. In each case,these efforts are taking place at a level larger than the chapter (although chapters play anintricate role in the process) yet more localized than our entire organization.

We as Muskie anglers need to be past the “us versus them” within our ranks. We all arefighting to improve the Muskie fishery. To this end, and in conjunction with the springboard meeting in Ohio, Muskies, Inc. has invited each of our chapters, members of inde-pendent Muskie clubs in Ohio, and members of the Ohio Department of Natural Resourcesto meet and discuss muskie related issues. This effort is a continuation of a recent meeting

Muskies, Inc. Past PresidentsGil Hamm

Edward T. PeterkaRobert Hill

Robert ShoopFrank Schneider

Peter HadleyDuWayne Bakke

Lou Cook

Peter HadleyBob Schmidt

Larry RamsellLou Cook

Keith OgdenBill Davis

Steve StatlandJohn Hotle

Jim BlaubachSteve Budnik

Jim SmithPaul Framsted

Perry SmithGreg Wells

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hosted in conjunction with the Ohio Muskie show. I was privileged to attend that meetingand learned that Ohio does not have an alliance in place. Muskies, Inc. is in a unique posi-tion to host a meeting creating such an alliance (or at the very least creating an environmentconductive to the creation of such an alliance). I see no reason to miss that opportunity.

100 COVERSCongratulations to Juris on cover number 100. In my view, the magazine, in its current

form, is more attractive and useful than ever. The eye catching view is largely due to Juris’work. If you get a chance, tell him thanks.

See you on the water,David C. Cates

MUSKIE Magazine StaffRod Ramsell, Editor EmeritusKeith Ogden, Editor Emeritus

MANAGING EDITORJim SmithPhone: (623) 388-3225Email: [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITORJuris OzolsPhone: (952) 921-6311Email: [email protected]

PHOTO EDITORGordon CampbellPhone: (973) 208-8297Email: [email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGERJim Smith15045 W. Double Tree WaySurprise, AZ 85374-8568Phone: (623) 388-3225Email: [email protected]

PUBLICATIONS TECHNICAL MANAGERSunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - Brenda Kirchner25123 22nd Ave. S. • St. Cloud, MN 56301-9189Phone: 888-253-8808, ext. 133

MAGAZINE DESIGNSunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - John Windschitl

ILLUSTRATORS/CARTOONISTSRichard Gross

FIELD EDITORSSteve Budnik, Bob Chochola, James W. Colgan,Elizabeth Cratty, Adam Glickman,Robert Jennings, Mike Kanaval, Colby Simms,Patricia Strutz, Vincent P. Trotta

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSSteve Crook, Doug Welch, Lou Strack,Forrest Dykstra, Bob Keans, Lorin Nevling,Juris Ozols, Colby Simms

MUSKIE is published exclusively for the mem-bership of Muskies, Inc. and subscriptionscome with a paid membership. Muskies, Inc. isa non-profit organization. Membership classesand associated annual dues are listed on theform at the bottom of page one. Single copiesof MUSKIE magazine are available at $3.00each from the Muskies, Inc. InternationalOffice.Contributors grant rights for M.I. to publishonce in MUSKIE Magazine, both the print andon-line versions, including archives and on theM.I. Web site.

Submissions toMUSKIE Magazine

Persons interested in submitting articles forpublication are directed to our websitewww.muskiesinc.org. There they will find alink to MUSKIE Magazine. From there youwill find links on the left side of the page pro-viding information necessary for submissionsto MUSKIE Magazine. Further questions willbe answered by Jim Smith, Managing Editor.Submissions may be sent to: 15045 W.Double Tree Way • Surprise, AZ 85374-8568.Phone: (623) 388-3225 or you may

Email: [email protected].


ABOUT THE COVERWell no, that’s not an April Foolprank. And it’s not a 50” Muskie, oreven a 37” Muskie. That’s me, aself-portrait of your Muskies Inc.cover designer hard at work on theApril cover. You see, this is my hun-dredth consecutive cover for ourjournal going back to January 1999.Jim said I could do something a bitdifferent, and here it is. I’ve got anarticle with a little more about thelast eight years of Muskie Covers onpage 21. ❖

Coming Next Month:✒ Presidents Award Project Article-Hoosier Muskies Hunters✒ TMT Article by Dr. Gene Smith✒ Meet the Kings of the Muskie World by Joe Bednar✒ Muskies by Eric Engbretson✒ Trolling in Tight Places by Justin Gaiche✒ Summer on Vermilionby Adam Glickman✒ ”A Murder Most Foul by Al Nutty”✒ Profiles of the latest M. I. “Hall of Fame” recipients

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New Test IDs VHS ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — A new test will help scientists quickly

detect a fast-spreading aquatic virus that threatens the Great Lakesfishing industry, according to its developers at Cornell University.

Current tests for the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus involveculturing cells and can take up to a month. The new technique,which measures viral genetic material, takes only 24 hours to identi-fy the virus, said Paul Bowser, a Cornell professor of aquatic animalmedicine.

“Earlier detection of the virus will provide us with a powerfulresearch and diagnostic tool that will greatly aid in efforts to limit theimpact of VHSV,” Bowser said Thursday.

The researchers hope to have the technique validated by the endof 2007.

VHS is relatively common in continental Europe and Japan,where it first affected commercially grown freshwater trout in the1930s and 1940s. Scientists have said it was likely transported toNorth America in ballast water from ships.

The virus, which causes internal bleeding in fish but poses nothreat to humans, was discovered in the United States in 1988 inCoho and Chinook salmon in the Pacific Northwest. VHS made itsfirst known appearance in the Great Lakes in 2005, killing freshwa-ter drum and muskellunge.

Since then, the virus has been found in a wide variety of deadfish from the St. Lawrence River, the Niagara River, Lake St. Clair,Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and, most recently, Lake Huron. The virusdetected in Lake Huron was only 22 miles from Lake Michigan.

Using a $275,000 grant from New York Sea Grant, Cornellresearchers set out to develop a genetics-based test to spot the virusin both tissue and water samples.

“We believe that the test we are developing has the capabilitiesof detecting the virus when it is present in a sample in very low num-

bers. We believe that this will allow us to detect the virus in bothinfected fish tissues and in water,” Bowser said.

“In the latter case, we are interested in water as a potential mech-anism for transmission of the virus from an infected fish to a non-infected fish. It is possible that an infected fish may shed VHS intothe water,” he said.

The new testing technique also provides an indication of theseverity of an infection.

Cornell received more than 1,300 fish samples between Mayand December last year, and researchers have tested all of them usingthe new technique, Bowser said. They are about two-thirds of theway through testing the same samples using the classic technique,which relies on cell cultures, to compare results.

Currently, there is no vaccine against VHS, and any measures tocontrol its spread will require monitoring outbreaks and isolating fishso they don’t spread the disease, said Jim Casey, Cornell associate pro-fessor of veterinary microbiology and immunology and one of thegrant’s lead researchers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued an order restrict-ing movement of 37 fish species throughout the Great Lakes.

All cases of VHSV must be reported to the World Organizationof Animal Health. The international agency usually imposes restric-tions on any host country with the virus to prevent fish from beingmoved to other areas and countries.

2007 Fox River FundraisingBanquet Surpasses Goals

On Saturday February 17th, 2007, the Poplar Creek CountryClub in Hoffman Estates, IL hosted the annual fundraising andawards banquet of the Fox River Valley Chapter of Muskies, Inc.The event, emceed by Chapter Vice-President Dan Koniewicz, hasbecome a vital and primary fundraising event, financing many of thechapter’s youth, conservation, fish rearing and habitat programslocally and throughout the Midwest.

The 2007 banquet included some noteworthy chapter awardsfor 2006, a great meal was served, and then thousands of dollarsworth of prizes and merchandise were raffled off to raise money forchapter projects carried out throughout the year. A sample of raffleand auction items included adventure travel certificates, artwork,automobile and marine products, health and beauty products, con-sumer electronics, fishing tackle, home décor items and a host ofother merchandise. With excellent participation again in 2007,attendees had a variety of bidding options including placing raffletickets in various prize pails, participating in silent auction, and bid-ding on three live-auction items at the end of the banquet includingartwork from renowned outdoor artist Rodd Umlauf and the liveauction of an autographed Chicago Bears jersey from middle line-backer Brian Urlacher which raised nearly $500 for the Chapter.

According to Rich Gallagher, the Fox River Valley ChapterPresident, “Our board works tirelessly to put this event together and theprocess begins for the following year immediately after the end of the cur-rent banquet. It really takes a great deal of effort and involvement fromall of our nearly 300 members”. Gallagher added- “In addition to ourSpring and Fall Fishing Tournaments (“The “Challunge” on the ChainSeries”), the banquet is a primary and vital fundraiser to carry out ouryouth, conservation and fisheries programs, and we are grateful for all ofthe support we get from the public in attending this function. The sup-port of the community is truly overwhelming..”

The 2008 Fox River Valley Fundraising Banquet will be held onSaturday evening February 23, 2008 at the Poplar Creek Country

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DONATIONSLATE JANUARY

FEBRUARY

On behalf of Muskies, Inc., thank you for adding a bit extra when yourenewed your membership.

– Pete Barber, Treasurer

William O.Brabender

Jason Eichhorn

Robert HoltzRob Van GorderDerek W. Ward

Shawn L. SchaeferMichael J. Persson

Brooks WelchGary J. Solomon

Steven WelchDennis Moser

Ron PaulAbe M. Samuels

Shane HoldenGary Dew

Craig MartinaitisRon Wallos

Richard F. OlenoskiJason P. Emerson

Louis FriedmanStefan SahagunJames FriedmanJohn W. Porter

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Club. Please visit the Chapter’s website at www.frvmuskie.com forcomplete information on Chapter programs, schedules and activities.

The Fox River Valley Chapter #39 of Muskies, Inc., is a non-profit organization dedicated to Youth, Fisheries and Research.Headquartered in Elgin, Illinois. The Chapter celebrates their 25thanniversary throughout 2007. You can find out more about theirmeetings, activities, outings, tournaments and community serviceprojects and how to get involved, on their website at

www.frvmuskie.com

M.I. Announces the ElectionResults for At Large Directors

The following individuals have been elected to serve a three-yearterm as At-Large Directors to the Muskies, Inc. Board of Directors.These terms will run to the end of 2010.

Bob Timme Mark JohnsonJim Shannon Vince WeirickKen Karbon

Our thanks to all the candidates who offered their names forconsideration, and special thanks to our outgoing at-large directors,Bob Osbourne and Jim Beaty.

Steve Budnik Appointed FieldEditor for MUSKIE Magazine

Steve Budnik has been appointed Field Editor for MUSKIEMagazine. Steve has formerly served as President of Muskies, Inc.and is a member of M.I. Hall of Fame.

We appreciate Steve's past contributions and we are sure he'll becontinuing to contribute as a Field Editor for our magazine.

Thanks, Steve and congratulations. ❖


Steve Budnik holding a 51" muskie he caught.

March 4, 2007

Dear Jim,Enclosed is an article that is being sent to Muskies, Inc. mem-

bers by Jim Rutter of the Vikingland Chapter by e-mail. The prob-lem is out of 1,500 or more MI members in Minnesota only a verysmall percentage even care about politics until it’s too late and thelaw is passed. Only a very few of us dedicated to the future ofmuskies fishing are willing to be involved. Most muskie fishermentake everything for granted and then complain when the fishing isnot as good as before.

We as Bass, Walleye, Northern and Muskie fishermen must notallow bill #SF0506 to pass into law, or we will see immediatedeclines in fishing in Minnesota.

The five-page article by Minnesota Waters in the March issue ofMUSKIE is anti-Minnesota DNR, cares nothing about fish or fish-eries. Not in the article is [that] the lakeshore owners also want todestroy all the native cattails and rushes that the DNR is protecting.The big problem is all the prime Minnesota lakeshore has been soldand only cattail and reed bays are left and real estate developers wantto deplete the vegetation and make sand beaches.

This article may be good reading for muskie fishermen in Ohio,Indiana, Illinois and many other states – but not in Minnesota.

Will Hardy, memberFargo-Moorhead Chapter, M.I.e-mail: [email protected]

February 26, 2007

The following article is from the February 9, 2007 issue ofMinnesota Outdoor News and was written by staff writer Joe Albert.

ST. PAUL - DNR officials have “serious concerns”about a bill introduced in the Senate they saywould strip the agency of much of its ability toprotect aquatic vegetation along lakeshore.

The bill, authored by Sen. Gen Olson, R-MN,mandates the agency must grant all permitrequests toc ontrol submerged vegetation for 100feet of shoreline by 150 feet lakeward.

The bill also says the agency must grantpermits for as much as 15 percent of a basin’slittoral area.

“It basically gives them carte blanche to take100 feet by 150 of submerged vegetation in frontof their property,” said Steve Hirsch, assistantdirector of the DNR Eco Services Division. “Youcould end up with a large section of shorelinedenuded of aquatic vegetation.

“On some of the highly developed lakes, whichwe have more and more of, you could eliminateover half of the near-shore submerged vegetationwithout goping over the limit for littoral area”,Hirsch said.

The bill, which doesn’t have a House compan-ion but mirrors legislation introduced last year,hasn’t had a hearing yet. It had a single hearinglast session.

The bill would allow permits to be issued for anyreasons that follow: recreation, public safety,esthetics, ecological health, and drainage.

Submerged vegetation along the shoreline con-tributes to fish habitat as well as water quality,said Ron Payer, DNR Fisheries chief.

“If we can’t manage that habitat, then we’ve gosome real issues”, he said.

This bill (#SF0506 Aquatic plants permits provisions) couldeliminate a lot of fish aquatic vegetation habitat. Our Department ofNatural Resources needs to be able to regulate permits to remove

weeds from along lake shorelines.Contact your state Senators andRepresentatives about this bill.

Jim Rutter, memberVikingland Chapter, M.I.


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Fall* Muskie SpecialFor every Four fishermen, One comes Free! (as well as other Fall discounts available for smallerparties)

*Sept. 15-Oct. 31, 2007

LETTERS TO THE

EDITOR

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Wading For Muskies! Danny Kurttila!In all the years of monitoring the Lunge Log for you, I have met

some really neat people. I also have met some very unique characters.I have talked with a governor about muskie fishing, a man who wona major sporting event and some who caught their first muskie theday before. This month I want to introduce you too one of the mostunique members we have in Muskies, Inc.

Danny is from Nashville, Tennessee. He used to live in Colorado.He was a member of the Colorado Chapter, then the NorthernColorado Chapter, then back to the Colorado Chapter and thenbecame an unaffiliated member living in Nashville. He was alwayskind of out and away from the main stream of a chapter’s workingprocess over the years. Consequently, he had always turned in his fishentries but they were not always assigned to a specific lake and in hiscase not always a specific state. This was because he had gone fromchapter to chapter. Last spring at the awards banquet I presented oneof our elite master members with the honor of catching the firstmuskie in several states. Little did I know that once I took control ofDanny Kurttila’s releases and got them entered properly that thingswould change?

As it turns out Danny caught the first muskie reported by amember from the state of Montana. He got this on June 14, 1997from Lebo Lake in Wheatland County. Today the Lunge Log showssix from Montana and he has five of them. Danny keeps meticulousrecords of his muskie fishing experiences. So when the dust cleared,we also discovered that in the Lunge Log shows 14 muskies reported

from the state of Wyoming by members. Danny recorded 13 of them.He naturally got the first one, a 42.25 inch from Festo Lake in PlatteCounty on June 16, 1990 and a number from Lak Reservoir inWeston County. Once I got into this thing of fixing his entries, I alsodiscovered that we had 15 entries from the state of Utah, guess whocaught the first one?

Oh yes that would be Danny Kurttila. Of the 15, he has 7 ofthem and the first one. It was a 34 inches on July 5, 1997 fromPineview Reservoir in Weber County. Now earlier I mentionedunique, well yes he is. You see nearly all of these muskies were caughtwading. That’s right, he dons a pair of waders, heads away from theshoreline and starts firing his selected baits. Every member has hismethods and his approach on how to be successful. In 2006 Dannyhad a mission, in a recent letter from him, he says he failed.

Danny enters his fish on a regular release form and mails them tome because he does not belong to a chapter anymore. Under chaptername he does write “00” meaning unaffiliated and then puts (BlackSheep). I think he is trying to say, “I am my own man”, and I will doit my way. His goal in 2006 was to place in the top ten in theInternational Men’s Release. To get there, he used the famous GreenRiver Lake in Kentucky. His success there was staggering. He alsoused Melton Hill Lake in Tennessee and the Collins River inTennessee. He also caught a muskie from, get this “Calfkiller River” Ido not want to know how it got its name. In his recent letter he says

he failed and is very disappointed. No Danny,you did not fail. You caught 62 muskies for739 points for a 37.91 inch average. You fin-ished 13th instead of 10th. Not bad for a manwithout a boat. Danny, remember you shouldbe competing with yourself not a man with a30 footer on Lake St. Clair. You have the firstin three states, the longest in one state and a50.5 inch from a famous lake. I have met hima number of times in person, I hope we can dothat again, because you have something noone else has in Muskies, Inc., you are veryunique.

Extracting Data!Many members of Muskies, Inc. who are

computer savvy can pull data out of the LungeLog with ease. In this portion I want to talk tothose of you who are not quote “computer lit-erate”. Lesson number one, do not be afraid ofit, you cannot do any damage. If something

the Lunge Log

by Jim Bunch

Danny Kurtilla-Nashville, TN, 40.5 Inch Green River Lake, KY 3/19/06

(Continued on page 8)


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goes wrong, that is fine, just back up andstart over. You qualify to do this becauseyou are a member.

Step one; go onto the website, it is atwww.muskiesinc.org. There see, that didnot hurt. Now if you do not have a com-puter and are currently sitting in yourlocal library and still confused, go up tothe lady at the front desk and ask for help.If you did not bring your Muskies, Inc.membership number with you, tell thelady at the front desk that you will be right back. When the siteopens, there will be 18 icons in the left column that you can click on.Just forget that for now, pay no attention to them. In the middle ofthe page is a letter from our president David Cates and his picture,kind of a handsome young fellow. This letter is neat but not earthshattering. At the top of the page you will see four items you can clickon. They are in dark blue color. They say Home, Magazine, MembersOnly and Committees. Click on Members Only.

When this opens up there once again are 18 icons on the leftside that you can select, forget that, you are not ready for that yet. Inthe middle of the page it says, Welcome to Members Only Section.It is high lighted in yellow. Click on this with your mouse. Forget theicons on the left side. Read this four times and then go to the bath-room. Remember when entering your membership number only usethe five digits, do not use yourchapter number. Now back upand read this again. You will becreating a password, follow thedirections.

Once you have accom-plished this mission and loggedon, it will open up to a newpage. In the middle of the pageit will say Member Notices,some Links, and some advertis-ing. Forget all that junk. On theleft side of the page are iconsthat I have been telling you toforget. Stop. In the middle ofthose or about 2/3 of the waydown or the 14th one, it saysLunge Log. Click on that.

This new page that appearshas 20 icons again. However,under Lunge Log you will seefive new sub icons. One of themsays “Lunge Log Inquires”; it isthe fifth one. Click on that. Itwill now open so that there areanother 11 icons under LungeLog Inquires. Congratulations,you now have access to every bitof information every entered inthe Lunge Log since 1970. Theyinclude Lure, Size, Lake, Date,State, Chapter, Contest, Lunker,2006 Lunge Report, andContest Chapter Persons.

Now is the time to experi-ment. Go search for what you

want. You can do no harm, if you getlost just start over, or go see the lady atthe front desk. I want to draw yourattention to the one that says “2006Lunge Report”. Sometime this springit will say “2007 Lunge Report”. Itmakes no difference what the date says,because you can change the date. Thisreport will open up all 38 columns thatare used when members enter theirmuskies. You can find out anythingyou want about any lake, any lure, anycolor, or anybody.

I hope you have not printed anything yet. Some rookies find allthis data and want to print it right away. Be very careful, the prob-lem is that new people do not realize how big some of these reportsare. You may find a report may take 3 hours to print. The thing toremember is that a report is always there, you can do it again, andyou do not have to print it to look at it again. You see that if you getgood at it, you will be able to sort it and just pull out specifics thatyou want. Then you will not have to go see the lady at the front deskso often.

Jim BunchThe Lunge Log

Robert Volkert-Alexandria, MN, 54 Inch Miltona,MN-6/14/06

Nancy Scharhag of Barronette, WI with a 50"release from Mille Lacs, MN on 8/28/06.

Suanne Bushong-Morehead, KY, 40 Inch Cave Run, KY-First Muskie-9/23/06

LUNGE LOG (Continued from page 7)


Category Chapter Project SponsorRearing/Stocking Fox River Lake Delavan Muskie Study Illinois Muskie

Tournament Trail

Hatcheries & Ponds [ No entries ]

Research Projects Hoosier Muskie Hunters 2005 Symposium Angler’s Choice Insurance

DNR Assistance/ Shawnee Muskie Hunters Kinkaid Lake Habitat Project Red Wing LodgePurchases

Lake Improvements Shawnee Muskie Hunters Kinkaid Lake Shoreline Tuffy Boats

Youth Derby/ Colorado Kids Fishing Derby Fittante TaxidermyEducation

Open Category

Conservation/Habitat Pomme de Terre Lake Habitat Improvement Cabela’sImprovement

What a great effort this month’s theme issue has become. I had a number of outstanding projectsubmissions for our committee to consider. The purpose of this endeavor was to illustrate to ourmembership, advertisers and non-member fishng public, just who we are and what we are about.it is through exposing our projects and efforts that others will understand Muskies, Inc. better.

JimManaging Editor

Editor’s Note: In order to comply with the M.I. Finance Committee’s efforts to reduce the costs, pages, etc. of our magazine, the -article on the President’s Award will be published in the May issue. I apologize for any inconvenience.

A special thanks to each of our Sponsors.Muskies, Inc. appreciates your participation and involvement. Thank you!

2006President’s AwardBest Project

Delavan Lake Study

Delavan Lake in Southeastern Wisconsin is one of severallakes in the state chosen by the Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources (WDNR) to study the performance of

muskies stocked from Wisconsin hatcheries over a long-term period. This innovative project is designed to compare survival and

growth rates between different strains of muskies. 2,500 passive inte-grated transponder (PIT) tags were initially needed to mark all themuskies intended for the first stocking which was originally scheduledfor the Fall of 2006 but is now currently planned for the Spring or Fallof 2007 depending on the success rate of muskies in the Wisconsinhatcheries as well as the unknown current evaluations being done byfisheries biologists regarding the spread of Viral HemorrhagicSepticemia (VHS) disease in the Great Lakes and tributaries.

A PIT tag is a tiny electronic device that can be inserted underthe skin of a fish. Each PIT tag is very small and varies in size fromapproximately 0.50 to 1.25 inches long and approximately 0.08 to0.14 inches in diameter. Each PIT tag is coded with a unique codethat can be read when activated by radio frequencies. There is nobattery required, so the tags will hopefully last many years.

Northeastern Illinois-based Fox River Valley Chapter 39 ofMuskies Inc. partnered with the WDNR to make this long-termlandmark research, stocking, and tracking project happen. So far themembers of Chapter 39 have donated $5,200 to the effort andpledge to provide on-going club support in terms of funds, fyke net-ting support, stocking participation, and tagging assistance.Furthermore, several other organizations generously contributedenough funds to purchase all the PIT tags. These other organizationsare:

The Muskellunge Club of WisconsinThe Delavan Lake Sanitary DistrictThe Town of Delavan, WisconsinThese organizations all recognize that WDNR stocking pro-

grams on Delavan Lake are important in maintaining high levels ofpredator fish. Stocked muskies and walleyes, along with naturallyreproducing northern pike, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass,

help control panfish numbers. This in turn helps to maintain goodgrowth rates and size structure in resident species of fish. As a result,zooplankton will thrive and good water quality will be maintained.Predator game fish also control rough fish like carp, bullheads andsuckers, which also contributes to the maintenance of good waterclarity for the system. These organizations are collectively workingtogether to maintain a healthy Delavan fish community, excellentfishing, and good water quality.

As a result of the Chapter 39 partnership with the WDNR,Delavan Lake will eventually be stocked with 1,250 UpperChippewa (Wisconsin) strain and 1,250 Leech Lake (Minnesota)strain muskies. Two stocking events in alternate years are planned.Evaluation of survival and growth will begin when the fish mature.Currently plans are to sample the musky population 4 to 5 years aftertagged muskies are stocked. Muskies will be collected by the WDNRusing fyke nets in the Spring. If enough muskies are collected pop-ulation estimates will be calculated. In order to identify individualmuskies and accurately track musky survival and growth, the fish willbe tagged with PIT tags and fin-clipped prior to stocking.

Delavan Lake is a 2,072-acre drainage lake with both an inletand an outlet. It is 56 feet deep at its deepest spot, and averagesapproximately 21 feet deep. The entire rough fish dominated popu-lation was eradicated in 1989 as part of a large project to improve thefishery and water quality. The Delavan fishery is currently managedfor largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, and panfish. Itis also stocked with limited numbers of walleyes and muskies.Fishing regulations are in place on Delavan Lake to protect game fishfrom over-harvest. The minimum size limits and daily bag limits areas follows:

Bass - 18 inches and 1Northern Pike - 32 inches and 1Walleye - 18 inches and 3Muskies - 40 inches and 1Panfish – Aggregate daily bag limit of 25The WDNR is currently conducting a creel survey that started

in May 2006 and will run until May 2007. The data from that creelsurvey will be analyzed later this year and will provide information


Category:Rearing/Stocking

Fox RiverChapter 39

Sponsor

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www.muskiesinc.org April 2007.....MUSKIE 11

about fishing pressure, catch and harvest rates, and exploitation rates.In addition, the WDNR also conducted a fisheries survey in Marchand April 2006. 18 fyke nets were fished at 35 locations for 28 days.

The WDNR processed approximately 4,000 walleyes, 6,000bluegill, 2,100 northern pike, and 282 largemouth bass. Other fishcollected during the survey were muskies, smallmouth bass, andblack crappie.

Walleyes were between 6 and 29 inches long. Most of thefemale walleyes were in the 20 inch group and most of the males werein the 16 inch group. The adult walleye population was estimated at11,868 or 5.7 adults per acre. This is excellent for a stocked popula-tion. The male to female ratio was 2.58 to 1.

Northern pike were between 11 and 39 inches long. Most of thefemales were in the 29-inch group and most of the males were in the21-inch group. The northern pike population was estimated at4,895 adults or 2.4 per acre. The male to female ratio was 1.75 to 1.

The largest largemouth bass was 25 inches, the largest small-mouth bass was 18 inches, the largest bluegill was 8.5 inches, and thelargest black crappie was 11.5 inches.

The WDNR sampled only a few muskies and the largest onewas 43 inches long.

Speaking of muskies, on September 21, 2006 the WDNR withthe support of Chapter 39 stocked 1,373 large fingerling muskiesinto Lake Delavan. These muskies were Upper Chippewa Riverstrain. They were raised at the Governor Thompson State FishHatchery in Spooner. The average fingerling length was approxi-mately 12 inches.

Over the coming years Fox River Valley Chapter 39 memberswill continue assisting the Illinois Department of Natural Resources(IDNR) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources(WDNR) with fisheries research, fyke netting, tagging, stocking, andtracking as necessary.

Fox River Valley Chapter 39 is dedicated to youth programs,fisheries development and conservation, fisheries research, and com-munity support. Lake Delavan is already an outstanding fishery andChapter 39 is partnering with the WDNR to ensure that it willbecome an excellent musky fishery for all of us in the near future.

For further information on the Chapter 39 fisheries research,stocking, and tagging partnership with the WDNR please contacteither Steve Crook (Chapter 39 Secretary, Stocking andConservation Director, and Co-Speaking Director with Todd Minor)or Doug Welch (WDNR Senior Fisheries Biologist).

For more information on Chapter 39 club activities please visitthe club website at www.frvmuskie.com or attend one of the club’smonthly meetings at Poplar Creek Country Club in HoffmanEstates, join one of the club’s many outings, or fish the club’sSummer fishing league events held on the Fox Chain of Lakes dur-ing June, July, and August. Chapter 39 also welcomes everyone read-ing this to fish the annual “Challunge on the Chain” Spring and Falltournaments also held on the Fox Chain of Lakes.

Sincerely,Steve Crook Doug WelchStocking and Conservation Senior Fisheries Biologist

Director Wisconsin DepartmentFox River Valley Chapter 39 of Natural ResourcesMuskies Inc. Phone (262) [email protected] [email protected]

Kinkaid LakeHabitat

Cleanup DayThe Shawnee Muskie Hunters had a great Earth Day weekend

despite the cold front that hit Southern Illinois. On April 24, 2005chapter 28 of Muskies Inc. hosted the annual lake clean up andshoreline restoration project on Lake Kinkaid. We had 15 peopleand 8 boats this year including many Muskies Inc. members. Thegarbage collected included 3 tires, 2 refrigerators, tons of plastic andglass bottles, and many other strange items. We also straightened upat the boat landings and picnic areas around the lake. The totalweight of garbage was estimated at over 1000lb!

The volunteers met at the Mt. Joy boat dock at 9:45 A.M. andfinished at 12:45 P.M. A 3ft party sub from subway, drinks donatedfrom KAWP, and brownies from a chapter member followed theclean up. Then there was some donations given away including fra-bill lure retrievers, art work from The Great Outdoors Company inCarbondale, and a gift certificate to the Newell House restaurant inCarbondale. Following the event was a great day of sharing hot spotsand fishing with new and old friends.

The annual clean up helps beautify the Shawnee National Forestsurrounding Lake Kinkaid, promotes Leave No Trace practices, andshows the dedication the Shawnee Muskie Hunters has towards itslocal resources. The Illinois Department of National Resources,Reed’s Creek Water Conservancy District, Murphysboro State Park,Southern Illinois University- Carbondale Students, and other volun-teers helped out picking up litter and participated in small beautifi-cation projects. Fox River Valley chapter members even made itdown. Volunteers came from St. Louis, Chicago, and Indiana just tohelp out. The event turned out to be a huge success, but there isroom for growth for next year.

We invited all local bass, crappie, and catfish clubs that fish thelake to attend the event. In addition to these fishing clubs localgroups such as the Sierra Club, SIUC Diving Club, StudentOrganizations, and the SIUC Fisheries Society were invited. Theturn out was great considering the temperature was in the low 40’son Sunday. The Shawnee Muskie Hunters also hold an additionalmember’s only clean up in August. At the next meeting chapter 28members will decide to accept a motion to include any volunteerinterested in helping out. Why should we be selfish and take all thecredit when others can help take recognition. This way we can havea bigger impact on the lake and meet other volunteers who careabout the future of our fisheries. A lure swap and BBQ will followthe fall clean up.

The Shawnee Muskie Hunters will be talking to the right peo-ple to see if this event can be supported my major players in conser-vation. We have a vision of making this a national event held byevery Muskie Inc. chapter by next year. A motion will be brought up

Category:Lake Improvements

ShawneeChapter 28

Sponsor


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at the Symposium in Indiana October 2005 to see if Muskies Inc.International will accept this task. The idea behind the NationalLake Clean Ups Project is to bring awareness to every recreationaluser of local lakes, rivers, and ponds across America. It will also givechapters a chance to bring community members that do not knowabout Muskies Inc. together for one great cause. Hopefully this localevent held by a small group of dedicated people in Southern Illinoiswill spread to tons of volunteer’s nation wide.

Thanks for the Support,

Scott Donovan, Shawnee Muskie [email protected]

Kinkaid LakeShoreline

Protection ProjectUnderway

With Kinkaid Lake back to normal pool after a winterdraw-down which allowed for spillway repairs, a$228,000 shoreline protection project is now underway.

Approximately 5,000 feet of severely eroding shoreline will be pro-tected by a rock berm. The berm is constructed by barge from thelake in order to avoid disturbance of the land in the watershed. Thebarges are loaded with rock at the Paul Ice recreation area locatednorth of the Water Treatment Plant. The contractor for the projectis Hank Sutton of Lake Rip Rap, Inc. located in Girard, Illinois.

In formulating a watershed plan, Kinkaid Area WatershedProject, Inc. has determined that some areas of shoreline are erodingaway at the rate of more than two feet per year. Some points of landhave receded as much as 70 feet since the lake first filled in 1971.The watershed plan also calculates that shoreline erosion puts 18,400tons of sediment into the lake each year.

The rock berm is placed approximately 10 feet out from thewaterline along the shore, and will project approximately 1 footabove the water surface at normal lake pool. This is aestheticallymore pleasing than covering the surface of the eroding shoreline withriprap.

In addition to protecting the shoreline from erosion, the bermcreates a protected transitional wetland between the lake and theshoreline. This wetland will provide habitat for various aquaticplants and animals which could not previously survive the constantpounding by waves and boat wakes.

Funding for the project has come from several sources. The U. S.Forest Service has contributed $25,000 which will be applied to shore-line work on the island off shore from Buttermilk Hill picnic area.Also applied to the island will be $40,000 in Conservation 2000 fundsadministered through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.$83,000 in Conservation 2000 funds administered through the IllinoisDepartment of Natural Resources and awarded through Kinkaid Area

Watershed Project Partnership, will complete shoreline protection inthe Five Fingers area and shoreline east of Peters Cave. Also applied tothe shoreline east of Peters Cave will be $80,000 provided by theKinkaid-Reed’s Creek Conservancy District.

All work is expected to be completed well before the MemorialDay holiday.

For additional information regarding this project contact:Lou Strack, PresidentKinkaid Area Watershed Project Inc.618-684-5370.

By: Lou Strack, President – Kinkaid Area Watershed Project, Inc.

Colorado KidsFishing Derby

As I sit in my study in HighlandsRanch, Colorado, staring atthe four feet of snow in my

front yard, it is hard to realize that it is time to start planning for ourKid’s Fishing Derby in June. Since 2001, the Colorado Chapter ofMuskies, Inc. has sponsored a Kid’s Fishing Derby at Redstone Pondin Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Since the first derby at Redstone pond, the chapter has part-nered with various organizations in the Denver Metro area and cur-rently is involved with derbies at 5 locations. The derbies are heldthe first Saturday in June. The chapter resources and volunteers canbe spread thin with the 5 derbies going on simultaneously with over1,400 kids but the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF),Colorado Walleye Association, and Wal-Mart also provide volunteersto help out the day of the derby.

The Kid’s Derby was the idea of Jim Smith who was theColorado Chapter’s youth fishing coordinator. Jim contacted theHighlands Ranch Metro District and proposed the idea of the Kid’sFishing Derby at the Redstone Pond. The pond is only about an acrein size but its park’s setting makes it ideal for the derby. The back-casting area is fairly free of trees and shrubs so it minimizes problemsfrom snagging your backcast. The Metro District has made improve-ments over the years by adding a fishing dock and other shorelineimprovements.

The first year the derby was at the Redstone Pond there wereover 350 kids. We quickly learned that it was too crowded with thatmany kids. Wal-Mart provided prizes for participants throughoutthe day. There were prizes for first fish and biggest fish.

The Chapter also sponsors a fishing clinic the week before thederby. The youngsters get two hours of instruction on fish biology,angler ethics, knot tying, lure and rod and real selection, and casting.The Chapter members provide the instruction with the assistance ofColorado Division of Wildlife personnel. Some of the kids havesome basic knowledge but for a lot of them this is their first intro-duction to fishing. The attendance at the clinics has ranged from 60-

PROJECTS-SHAWNEE (Continued from page 11)

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Category:Youth/Education

ColoradoChapter 44

Sponsor

Category:DNR Assistance/Purchases

ShawneeChapter 28

Sponsor


100 kids. Since 2004, over 220 young anglers have been through theclinic.

In 2004, the Chapter assisted with derbies at Webster Lake inNorthglenn and Barnum Park in Denver. In 2005, the Chapteradded Meridian Pond in Parker and Green Valley Ranch pond innorth Denver. The Chapter assists in these events by providing T-shirts for the participants and recruiting volunteers from NWTF andColorado Walleye Association to assist on the day of the event. TheColorado Chapter runs the derby in Highlands Ranch but local parkand recreation departments organize the events at the other lakes.

The local Wal-Mart stores are a big partner in these events.They provide a good portion of the funding for the T-shirts and pro-vide bait and tackle on the day of the event. Registration for theRedstone Derby is at the local Wal-Mart. The kids sign up andreceive a T-shirt to war at the event. They also provide numerousvolunteers to help out the day of the event. The volunteers helpclean fish, untangle lines, bait hooks, and generally provide encour-agement to the young angler. Without their support, these eventswould not be as successful.

Over the last three years, the attendance at these events hasgrown. In 2004, there were more than 400 kids at Barnum, 275 atRedstone and about 250 at Webster Lake. In 2005, a 40 degree rainyday limited participation but there were around 700 participants atthe 5 locations. In 2006, over 1,400 young anglers turned out toenjoy the nice day at the 5 lakes.

Scott Gilmore, who is the Angler Education Coordinator withthe Colorado Division of Wildlife, says this is the biggest fishingevent that the CDOW is involved in. Scott is involved in angler edu-cation throughout the state and is promoting derbies and clinics allyear and is very thankful for the support that the Colorado Chaptergives to this event. Scott coordinates the trout stocking at the fivelocations to ensure that everybody has a good chance of catching fish.Almost 10,000 catchable size rainbow trout are stocked in the fivelakes the week before the derbies.

The day of the event can be pretty hectic with lots of kids andtheir families fishing. It is a great time for families to spend a daytogether. One dad told me that he hadn’t been fishing in 15 yearssince this dad passed away but he came out with his son and realizedhow much he was missing. This encouraged him to get back intofishing and enjoy those special times with his son.

In 2005, at Barnum Pond, my 20 year old daughter and I wereable to help a mom and her three young children. They had beenfishing all morning and weren’t having much luck so we were able toget them set up and baited up and within 30 minutes, the kids hadcaught 6 fish. The squeals of joy that the youngest daughter made asshe reeled in her first fish made the hours in the hot sun that dayworthwhile. The mom was very appreciative and I’m glad we couldencourage the young anglers.

At each location, there are stories similar to this. Our goal is toexpose these kids to the fun of fishing and in a lot of cases, this meansthe whole family gets involved as well. Seeing the child’s eyes shineas they finally make a good cast or get that knot tied and hearingthem shriek with excitement as the fish are jumping at the end of theline, makes all the long hours of preparation and meetings veryworthwhile.

Pomme de Terre ChapterWorks to Improve Habitat

The Pomme de Terre Chapter #5 of Muskies Inc., theMissouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and U.S.Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are working together to

enhance fish habitat on Pomme de Terre Lake in south-centralMissouri. This 7,820-acre USACE reservoir, constructed in 1966,originally featured inundated standing timber in its upper reaches.Over the years, fluctuating water levels and decay eliminated muchof this habitat type. Large beds of the aquatic vegetation known ascoontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) covered extensive shallow waterareas until a combination of high water, ice cover and the possibleuprooting of the vegetation by non-game fish virtually eliminated itfrom the lake. Local anglers remember fishing around these habitattypes and recall the “good ol’ days” of fishing on the lake. Several ofthese anglers are now members of the Pomme de Terre Chapter ofMuskies, Inc. and are determined to re-establish brush and vegeta-tion in the lake

Chapter members contacted MDC to offer their help toimprove fish habitat in Pomme de Terre Lake. MI chapter membersdonated hundreds of volunteer labor hours between 1990 and 2002to build more than 200 deep and shallow water brush piles from treesthat could be handled with chainsaws, small boats and hand labor.

In 2003 a pontoon boat capable of hauling large trees wasdonated to MDC by Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine, Inc. Thisdonation allowed MI Chapter members, MDC and USACE to beginthe construction of larger brush piles using primarily large cedartrees. A total of 133 deep water brush piles have been constructedwith the help of Muskies, Inc. members since 2003. The public canobtain maps of the brush structures and corresponding GPS coordi-nates at www.mdc.mo.gov. Recently, more than 50 brush structureshave also been placed in shallow water shoreline areas by MI volun-teers. The Pomme de Terre Chapter is currently seeking anothergrant to fund a major project to install over 1,000 additional brushstructures around the shallow ends of coves to enhance spawning andbrood-rearing habitat for a variety of fish, including muskellunge. Iffunded, this project will begin in the fall of 2007 and will bringtogether Chapter members and staff and resources from USACE,MDC and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Aquatic vegetation is a very important habitat component infreshwater lakes. Aquatic plants provide valuable fish and wildlifehabitat, serve as nursery habitat for fish and insect species, improve

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Category:Lake Improvements

Pomme de TerreChapter 5

Sponsor

water quality and help to protect shorelines from erosion. Manyreservoirs that lack aquatic vegetation support limited fisheries due tothe absence of associated cover and nursery habitats. In 2003 thePomme de Terre Chapter began working with MDC on a coopera-tive project to re-establish aquatic vegetation in the lake. To get thevegetation project started, the local MI Chapter contributed $500 tomatch an equal contribution from Muskies, Inc. International topurchase materials to construct cages to enclose vegetation plantingsat selected locations around the lake. Later, the Chapter providedvolunteer labor to help construct and place 14 protective cages andplant various kinds of vegetation in the cages. The cages are used toprotect the plants from grazing by fish, turtles and muskrats. Oncethe plants are well-established within the cages, vegetation mayexpand to areas outside of the cages. The success of the first yearplantings and the “founder colonies” within the cages was encourag-ing.

Again, in 2004, in cooperation with MDC and USACE, thelocal MI Chapter received a matching funds grant administered bythe Muskies, Inc. International Habitat Committee to help continueefforts to re-establish aquatic vegetation. The Chapter received a$2,000 grant funded by Gander Mountain Company and Muskies,Inc. The Pomme de Terre Chapter again donated many hours of vol-unteer labor to construct an additional 31 protective wire cages andplant more aquatic plant species. This method of plant establishmenthas been successful in various lakes across the nation. The project onPomme de Terre Lake is somewhat experimental and is being treatedas a research project. Evaluation of the planting techniques, plantsurvival and spread of plants outside of the cages will continuethrough 2008. After this three-year evaluation period, a determina-tion will be made whether or not to pursue further vegetation re-establishment efforts at Pomme de Terre Lake.

Members of the Pomme de Terre MI Chapter are working hardto improve fish habitat on Pomme de Terre Lake. Their ideas, timeand money will help secure the future of not only one of Missouri’sprime muskie fisheries, but the future of a variety of other sportfishspecies as well. ❖


Pomme de Terre Chapter #5 volunteers prepare to sink cedar treesalong the shoreline of Pomme de Terre Lake.

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Boat Safety ProgramProduced byFarm and City Insurance ServicesThe Angler’s Choice Insurance

The Language of Vehicle Weights (Cont’d)In our last issue we discussed the Gross Vehicle Weight

Rating (GVWR) and how improper weight managementaffects driveability. Next up, Gross Axle Weight Rating(GAWR)

GAWRTHE MAXIMUM LOAD THAT SHOULD BEON THE SPECIFIC AXLE

This rating is provided for each axle on a tow vehicle andtrailer as established by the axle or chassis manufacturer. Thisrating is based on all of the components of the axle, includingthe suspension, wheels, bearings, and tires, as weighed at thetire/ground interface.

At first glance, this rating seems to be straightforward andeasy to understand. However, this is where it gets confusing.GAWR assumes that the axle is loaded equally on both sides.Boats and other trailers are seldom loaded evenly from side-to-side and therefore could be the source of tire failure. Items suchas a live well, trolling motors, or equipment storage can throwGAWR off considerably.

Considering the weight of personal items, the placementof electronic equipment and gear, and water in live wells, youcan see the importance of understanding the weight of eachindividual wheel position.

Typical certified weight scales around the country are onlydesigned to provide weight information pertaining to axle oroverall weights. Although this is beneficial, individual wheelweight is more important. However, placing only one side ofthe vehicle and trailer on the scale can provide a fairly accuratereading, provided each wheel is on a separate scale.

GAWR also is important when calculating the amount ofweight being placed on the hitch and ultimately the back axleof the tow vehicle. No more than 10% of the overall weight ofthe towed boat and trailer should be applied to the hitch..

Keep It Safe

www.fcisanglerschoice.com

This article is provided as a public service to our membership. Notintended as an advertisement.

PROJECTS-POMME DE TERRE (Continued from page 13)


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If you’re into the sport, you know that fishing for Muskie can be both trying and tiring. Our Muskie rods are extremely lightweight, sensitive and perfectly balanced, yet through skillful engineering, offer superior strength and durability. This helps reduce your fatigue over a long day of fishing.

Our 10 models of Muskie rods allow you to work any lure on the market and impart the action it was designed to have. Each rod is hand made in the USA.

Iwish I had a new muskie lure for every time I heard, “Say What”,when discussing the Illinois Muskie Tournament Trail and its slo-gan of “Dollars for the Fishery, Not for the Fishermen”. It

seemed that at every gathering in which the intent, purpose and phi-losophy behind the Illinois Muskie Tournament Trail was introducedthe immediate reaction was the same, “Say What”. However, ourground rules were established, our goals laid out and our plan ofaction mapped out. Thanks to the tremendous cooperation frompartnering Muskie clubs (Shawnee Muskie Hunters, Central Illinois

Muskie Hunters, Lake Shelbyville Muskie Club, Fox River ValleyMuskie Club, Illinois Muskie Alliance, Illinois Department ofNatural Resources and the U.S. Corps of Engineers) the IMTT iswell on its way of achieving its lofty goals.

The founding organizers settled on three major goals; (1)To pro-mote Muskie fishing in Illinois and in turn promote camaraderieamong Muskie fishermen, (2) To sponsor a tournament trail for thepurpose of not only naming a Tournament Trail Champion and aRunner-Up (both to be individual awards), but also to name a State

Champion and a Runner-up (these to be teamawards). It was planned that goal #2 would assist thefulfillment of goal #1 and goal #3 by financialmeans), and (3) To assist financially and in otheravenues the Muskie Fishery in Illinois in order to pro-mote continue growth and recognition of this essen-tially man-developed fantastic Fishery.

The 2007 schedule for the Illinois MuskieTournament Trail will feature a total of seventeenMuskie tournaments. Of this number, eleven makeup the “Championship Flight” from whichTournament Trail points can be earned for qualifica-tion purposes involving the State ChampionshipTournament. Five of the tournaments are known as“Exploratory Flight Tournaments” made up of small-er, lesser known Muskie stocked lakes in Illinois. Theprimary purposes involved with this group of tourna-ments is to help us in reaching goals one and threelisted above.

The Illinois Muskie Tournament Trail is show-casing the fantastic muskie fishery developed overmany years of cooperation. The fishery was devel-oped thru the cooperative efforts of the DNR, MI,IMA, and in the last few years the IMTT. The IMTTpromotes a friendly fun tournament circuit, with pro-ceeds going towards the fishery vs. to the angler.Obviously CPR (Catch, Photo, and Release) is amajor part of the philosophy and helps to promotethe goals of many conservation minded groups suchas IMA, MI. Proceeds from the tournaments are verymuch needed by the DNR to help sustain muskieresearch (Green Gene), stockings (fish for stockingand hatchery and raceway nets) and to assess ourmuskie fisheries (trap nets, PIT tag readers, tags,motor, camera, scholarships to seminars). This overallconservation minded philosophy is also shown tocarry over to youth, as evidenced by the recent pur-chase of an Urban Fishing Trailer and special awardsgiven to those participating under the age of 16 years.

The management of the muskie fishery is notone that is consistent across the range of the species,in part because the natural range has been extendedby stocking. The management is, in fact, along statelines and dependent on the management policies ofthe governing agency in each state. In Illinois, the

“Say What?”by Bob Keans and Lorin Nevling




Photo Contest – April Winnersby Gordon Campbell

▼▼ Winner #2: Another of those great release portraits.This one closed out the season on 12-30-06 for

“Webguy” Jim Archembault. Jim's from Chapter 22and trolled this 47" x 22" to finish the year.

Shots like this will add to your photo collection andalso demonstrate good fish handling to the public.

▲▲ Winner #1: Bob Culbertson of the Twin Cities sent inthis intriguing shot of his brother-in-law's first Muskie.

After extensive casting, he lucked into this 42" throughthe ice while after Walleyes. He was “very excited” andthis photo captures the sense of mystery when a fish

rises from the depths. A quick release followed.

Photo Tip of the Month"In a Flash"

It's not just for nighttime. Your camera's flashunit can improve your pictures anytime, even whenit's bright and sunny. Let's say you're ready tophotograph a big Muskie for a friend and noticethat the boat is positioned such that their back is tothe sun... no problem, activate your flash unit andyou'll avoid what would otherwise be an underexposed shot. Other common situations where theflash unit can help is in the case of shaded orunevenly lit areas. Anytime you notice that thebackground is much brighter than your subject, usethe flash. If you're real proficient with your cam-era and would like to compare results, take thesame shot with and without the flash to educateyourself on it's benefits. It's now Muskie time inour Southern ranges so good luck on the water andwith your camera.

Gordon Campbell,Photo Editor.


muskie fishery is essentially a hatchery-depend-ent one under the leadership of the Departmentof Natural Resources. As indicated above, theIMTT generates revenue through its activitiesthat in turn is channeled into supporting theIllinois muskie fishery.

While the financial support of the IDNRMuskie related activities is seen as both very ben-eficial and worthwhile, it is also felt by theIMTT that by bringing Muskie anglers togetherin a concerted dedication of activities, we aredemonstrating in a positive manner that theMuskie fishery in Illinois is a viable and apprecia-tive part of the overall fishery management phi-losophy of our State by a significant number ofIllinois residents.

In summary, the IMTT is a conservationbased organization that contributes to the well-being of the muskie fishery in Illinois by provid-ing resident support for the program, providingfinancial assistance as necessary, and stronglydemand and endorse the catch and release ethic.

For further information regarding the IllinoisMuskie Tournament Trail, contact: IllinoisMuskie Tournament Trail, 3045 S. Franklin St.Rd., Decatur, Ill. 62521 or

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

“SAY WHAT?” (Continued from page 18)

Norman Rockwell painted over three hundred covers for theSaturday Evening Post. As it turns out this issue is my hun-dredth cover for Muskie Magazine. I won’t make three hun-

dred. But Rockwell also put his own portrait on the Post’s cover onone occasion (Google on Norman Rockwell“Triple Self-Portrait”). So with that as mymodel, here you get me at work on the Aprilissue.

I hesitated a bit to do that. I’d guess somepeople would prefer to see a 37” Muskie ratherthan me? But Brad Waldera and my girl friendboth thought it would be okay. Vince Trottanodded too. And Editor Jim Smith gave me hisblessing, so there it is. I promise I won’t do itagain.

A bit of history: I’ve been doing these cov-ers since 1999. That first one came aboutbecause Mike Legvold caught a Muskie onWaconia. I took some photos. A friend loanedme a copy of Adobe Photoshop 4. I playedaround with those pictures with Photoshop andended up with what I thought might be a dif-ferent kind of cover layout for the magazine. Isent that to editor Bernie Barringer whojumped on it for the January issue. And it went on from there,including doing the photos for the Muskie calendars starting in 2003.

You can see that first piece of art on my work desk on this month’scover. Next to it on the desk is one of my favorite covers, the June2000 “lures.” A few of some other covers that I particularly like areshown here with this article. I’m especially fond of the October 2001“Boats” picture from Century Island. But there are many others.

My computer system and technology have evolved over the years.I started out in 1999 with a “Blue & White” G3 Macintosh. Whatyou see now is my fourth generation computer, a C2D 24” iMac. It’sa wonderful machine. Photoshop has also evolved, and I’m now using“PS-CS2” having gone through five versions since PS-4. I purchasean upgrade every year or two.

The first covers got delivered to the printer via USPS on ZIPdisks. Now I FTP them directly to Sunray Printing from home, a farsuperior process.

The Muskie editors with whom I’ve beenassociated: Bernie Barringer, Tom Bernhardt,and now Jim Smith have invariably given meexceptional artistic freedom on these Muskiecovers. The folks at the printers are a joy too.First Bill Andringa at Spectrum and then JohnWindschitl at Sunray have been highly profes-sional and friendly too. They have all beengrand and I’ve enjoyed working with themenormously.

Toward the future: Like I said before, Icertainly won’t make it to another hundred.Somewhere in here somebody else will eventu-ally need to take over. And indeed, it may wellbe time to go for a “new look.” The magazinehas changed numerous times since that first GilHamm newsletter in 1967. Our last Women’sissue in February featured magazine coversgoing back to 1985, and the change in coverdesigns during those two decades is striking.

We’ve kept pretty much the same cover look – masthead, mini-mal text, varieties of subjects – since I’ve been doing them. I think it’squite distinctive, especially compared to other fishing magazines – seeFebruary. But I also do worry a bit at times about being too different– see February again.

So some new energy with new ideas? That’s always positive.But for the moment, now that I’ve got April finished, it’s time to

start thinking about May and # 101. I’m sure editor Jim has someideas for that, and the annual kid’s issue is coming up, and soon thephoto shoot at the Chapter Challunge, and…

Doing the first hundred has been a delight, I truly hope you’veenjoyed them, and I do look forward to more. ❖

One Hundredby Juris Ozols


Asport show and speaking engagementforced me off the water during one of myfavorite times of year. I do enjoy working

sport shows, but not when the weather is nice andthe fish are biting. After a very long weekendindoors, doing nothing but talking about fishing,I was chomping at the bits to get back out on thewater.

Failing Patterns:After several days, I was back to my favorite

place, beautiful Kinkaid Lake in SouthernIllinois, only to find out that the patterns hadchanged. The methods that were producing sowell for me and my guide team less than a weekago had all but fizzled away to nothing, I was told.It was time to knuckle down and get back towork.

I headed to my first spot of the day, a placethat had coughed up several nice fish during the previous week. Itossed the same baits and worked them in the same manner as before,just to see if I could get something going. I thought to myself, the fish-ing had been so good on this bait, in this area the other day that sure-ly I’d at least get a fish to follow up. Unfortunately, that school ofthought didn’t pan out, and after hitting a couple more previouslygood spots with the same good lures that were producing so well, Igave in and switched gears.

Run & Gun:I kicked the 225 horsepower outboard into gear and hammered

the foot throttle down on my 21 foot bass boat. I have another, slight-ly deeper boat, with a little bit taller sides. It places anglers higher offof the water and standing a little further below the top of the boat’sside, but I don’t use it often. I just love casting for muskie from thedeck of my low-to-the-water bass boat. I’ve fished in a wide variety ofboats over the years and have really come to develop a level of confi-dence when casting for these great fish on a flat, low sided, bass boatdeck. I think that it provides a distinct advantage when working a baitand performing a good figure eight as well as netting and water releas-ing big fish unharmed.

When trying to figure out anew pattern, a run and gunapproach of quickly coveringwater in search of active fish isoften times the very best way togo. This allows an angler to con-tact greater numbers of thesesupreme predators and have a bet-ter chance at figuring out justwhat is going on. This method isvery important to anglers thathaven’t been on a particular bodyof water recently. I shot across thewater at high speed, enjoying thefeeling of early spring air on myface. In no time I was nearing thespot and bringing the big boatdown off of plane.

Working on the Pattern:This area was quite different than the ones we had been targeting

and catching fish on the week prior. The areas that held most of theactive muskie the previous week, were points and shoreline banks witha moderate slope to deep water, closer to more open, main lake typezones. The area that I’d pulled into was further back off of the basin,in a large cove with a big shallow flat. I began casting a bait that is real-ly nothing new to the muskie fishing scene, a lipless crankbait. Guidesin Kentucky have been using these lures for springtime muskie formany years, but there are still a surprising number of anglers that justwon’t snap them on. Some of the folks just don’t know about the effec-tiveness of these small lures, but still others just won’t fish them. Someanglers seem to have a negative attitude about fishing small lures,believing that it takes away from the experience of muskie fishingitself. If I can go out and catch muskie and do it by throwing smalllures that are easier on the muscles, I’m all for it, but that’s just me.

Still, many other anglers have had bad experiences with thesesmall baits. Some have not experienced much action on the little plugs,and others have hooked many muskies, only to have the lure thrownas the fish gives a headshake under water or jumps into the air. Still,I’ve heard some complain of lure or hook failure. What many don’t

This angler boated his first muskie on a guided trip at south-ern Illinois Kinkaid Lake while fishing with Colby Simms ofSimms Outdoors during the early post-spawn period ofspring. Note the wounds all over this fish from spawning.


realize is that this special method of muskiefishing absolutely requires special tackle andtechniques to be effective.

Lures:The actual lures employed for this

spring pattern are thought of more as bassfishing lures than muskie baits. Liplesscrankbaits range in size from about 1/8oz to1 1/2oz or more, pushing five inches. Thelures that I’m talking about here, and theones that seem to take the most muskie,range in size from about 1/2oz to about1oz, typically about three to four incheslong. These plugs are small by typicalmuskie fishing standards, but deadly forthese toothy animals in portions of thespring season. These lures typically haveloud rattles built in.

Rattling, lipless lures aren’t the onlymembers of this family of baits that are effective on springtime muskie.Many small, shallow running lipped crankbaits, both with and with-out rattles, can be effective during this time period too. Wide wobblerscan produce as well as tight wiggling baits, so it pays to experiment.The best sizes of these lures usually range from about 3/8oz to around3/4oz and range from about 3 to 5 inches in length. Shallow divingminnowbaits in similar sizes can be effective options when used withthe right tackle.

Tackle:Employing the proper tackle and equipment is probably the most

critical aspect of this system. One of the main reasons why anglers havebad experiences with these lures is because they’re gearing up wrong.Too many anglers use standard muskie fishing gear that’s just way tooheavy and stout for these lures. Stiff, heavy rods don’t allow for shockabsorption and don’t give well to large thrashing fish. The result can bestraightened out hooks or split rings, or even broken lures. Anothermajor problem with using this improper gear for muskie fishing is thefact that these lures are compact and often heavy for their size. Theselures are much easier for fish to throw when they shake their big headsbeneath the water, or when they jump. A lighter rod with a softer tipand good flex down its length will bend easily and give to the big fish.The result is little stress being placed on the small lure and a muchlower chance of the ski shaking the bait loose and getting free.

Good rods for this type of presentation are usually about seven toseven and a half feet in length. They’re light and more flexible thanmost. I discovered a good rod for this task several years ago, the triedand true Shakespeare Ugly Stik (shakespeare-fishing.com). The modelthat I use is the CAL-1101, a seven foot long rod that’s rated for baitsup to 1 ounce. This is also my rod of choice for trolling small muskielures, but it’s great for casting small crankbaits and lipless lures.Another great option is to choose a rod that is specifically designed forthis purpose. All Star Rods has many models in their rod lines that aretask specific and perfectly designed to fish in a particular way with aparticular type of lure (allstarrods.com). The seven foot All StarAmerican Classic Crankin Stick ACGT2-7ES is rated for lures from1/4oz to 1 1/2 ounces. These rods are perfect for casting smallcrankbaits and lipless cranks for muskies. They also work well for cast-ing and trolling other small to mid sized muskie crankbaits too.

Select a high quality reel with a super smooth drag system tomatch with the rod, and spool up with a low stretch monofilament linewith high abrasion resistance like Supreme Super Tough or Cajun Red

Lightnin in about 17 to 25 pound test.Lighter line means better action with smallbaits, so use the lightest line that you canget away with depending on the cover pres-ent.

Location & Presentation:The best areas for using this technique

are typically shallow flats, points and shore-line banks with or without cover. When thewater is cooler, expect to find muskies posi-tioned closer to deep water drop offs. Asspring progresses and waters warm, they’llmove shallower and further up onto struc-tures away from deep water. These tacticsusually work best in spring when the watertemperatures range from the low 50s to thelow 60s. A high speed presentation is usu-ally the best way to go to trigger these fish,and this is made easier with a high speed

retrieve reel like the Pflueger President WLP (pfluegerfishing.com).Lighter leaders round out the package.

The Turn & Burn:A tactic that I wrote about in MUSKIE Magazine a few years ago

during my 3-Part Series, Triggering Following Muskies, is worth men-tioning again in this article. In One More Try, I wrote about a muskiefishing technique that I developed for taking following fish that would-n’t strike a change-up presentation. My guides and I have used this tac-tic in all seasons in many different waters with great success, and since,it seems to have adopted the nickname of the Turn & Burn. The ideais to come back to a muskie that followed but failed to strike andwould not respond to an immediate change up. The tactic involvesburning at high speed a small lure like a lipless crankbait or similar lurethrough the fish strike zone a short time after the initial follow. Theidea is to play on a muskie’s instincts to trigger a reaction strike. Thisis a similar principle to the one applied here, and the Turn & Burn canbe effective on the following fish of spring as well, regardless of thepresentation used. Give it a try and good luck! ❖

SIMMS OUTDOORS GUIDE SERVICESIMMS SPORT FISHING TACKLE

[email protected]

Colby Simms caught this fat pre-spawn Kinkaid Lakemuskie on a Baby School N Shad Spinnerbait the sameday that he boated two early post-spawn muskies thatwere thin and beaten up from spawning. All three fishtook the same lure. Fish can be in different phases ofthe spawn on the same lake at the same time and cansometimes be triggered by the same presentations.

Tools for early post spawners and more-All Star Rod, Pflueger Reel,Supreme Super Tough Line, Baby School N Shad & Thump N ShadMuskie Spinnerbaits, Flash N Spin Big Bass Spinnerbaits, and one ouncelipless crankbaits.



First of all, congratulations to the newly elected At-Large-Directors. You are going to endure a tough next three years.Hopefully your Board and future Boards will work with you andsupport your efforts. Also as most of us know it is the ALD’s whoare our future officers and executive committee. The only way to thetop is by being an ALD.

Next, I believe you have noticed our April cover. It is especial-ly significant to me as I have had the pleasure of working with Jurisand he has a wonderful talent for making my life very easy. Onehundred covers is over nine years of work and definitely deservessome recognition. Thank you Juris!

Well this month is our Chapters’ Project Issue. Numerouschapters participated in this month’s issue. A panel of five reviewedeach submission and has chosen the winners of each category. Wehave created a plaque to be presented to each chapter and one to eachsponsor. The presentations will be made at the Spring BoardMeeting. I have dedicated this entire issue to these projects. I havethe feeling that our chapters do so much for fishing in general andspecifically muskies fishing and conservation, without their duerecognition. I am hoping that each year we can present chapter proj-ects in a “special edition” of MUSKIE to recognize the chapters andthe efforts of M.I. Our advertisers and donors need to know how

really good we are. Back a few years (to our 35th anniversary) I hadupdated figures of the value of a released muskie and how many youwould have to stock to replenish that resource. That figure came to$41, 021, 634.81. Forty-one million dollars back to our fishery. Ata modest increase of 20% over the past five years would bring thistotal to nearly $50 million. I also recall in developing that brochureour members had provided over $1,655, 439.00 in out-of-pocketdollars to fund stocking, rearing, lake improvements, research, DNRequipment, hatcheries and ponds, youth and education. Put a 20%increase factor on that and we’re just over $2 million that we havepersonally contributed to the resource. I truly believe that we haveto quit preaching to the choir and let the rest of the fishing worldknow who we are and what we have done and are doing for theresource, not just muskies. Next year I hope more of our chapterswill plan their projects to be documented and written up for publi-cation. I will publish any projects in any issue all year. So send yourarticles and good photos.

Thank you sponsors for supporting these projects.

JimJim Smith, Managing EditorMUSKIE Magazine, The Official

Publication of Muskies, Inc.Email: [email protected]

We work toimprove fishing!

As I See Itby Jim Smith

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

BIBSBOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

BLUEWATER OUTDOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CEDAR POINT LODGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

ESOX RODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

FITTANTE REPLICAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

JUST BIG MUSKIES DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

INDIANA MUSKIE CLASSIC (HOOSIER) . . . . . . . . . . 30

LAX REPRODUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

PMTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

RED WING LODGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

ROLLIE & HELEN’S MUSKY SHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

ST CLOUD CHAPTER 37

FISH DINNER FUNDRAISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

ST CROIX RODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

TAYLOR COUNTY TOURIST COMMISSION . . . . . . . . 29

TUFFY BOATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

YAKIMA BAITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

YOUNG'S WILDERNESS CAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27www.redwinglodge.net • www.redwinglodge.on.ca

Family owned and operated for 40 years

On Sabaskong BaySix-time Muskies, Inc.,

Chapter Challunge Headquarters1983, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2004

Over

7,000 MuskiesReleased

• Ultra-modern one, two, three, or four bedroom cabins• American plan, housekeeping or camping• Floating docks, electricity for charging batteries, Lund Boats with swivel seats

and depth finders, Honda motors with electric start• Dining room with food and liquor available for registered guests only

Call or write for data on musky catches:

1 (888) 488-5601 or (807) 488-5601Red Wing Lodge, Box 1008, Baudette, MN 56623

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Special Events

2007April 14

M.I. International Spring Board Meetingat The Buckeye Hall of Fame CaféHost: Columbus, Ohio ChapterContact: Ross Wagner,[email protected]: 513-615-7586(The Varsity Inn Hotel is next door.)

April 19,20,21Cabin Fever ChallungeGreen River Lake, Campbellsville, KY

April 28, 2910th Annual Spring Warm-up – KinkaidLake, Murphysboro, IL. Host: ShawneeMuskie Hunters Chapter #28. Contact:Manuel Santa Cruz: (618) 610-5003 orvia email: [email protected]. Website:

www.shawneemuskiehunters.org, or

June 12,13,14,152007 Chapter ChallungeJune 12th (Tuesday) RegistrationJune 13th,14th,15th fishing on LakeHolcombe, Dairyland Flowage, Old AbeFlowage, Cornell Flowage.Headquarters: East Bay RestaurantContact: Jason Smith, (715) 726-9912 oremail: [email protected]

September 21 (Friday)M.I. International Fall Board MeetingLOTW in the Morson, Ontario area.Headquarters: Red Wing LodgeHosted by the International.Contact Paul Framsted

[email protected]: Sept 21st is the correct date.

(The 2007 MI Calendar incorrectlyshows Sept. 14th).

October 27, 287th Annual Fall Brawl – Kinkaid Lake,Murphysboro, IL. Host: Shawnee MuskieHunters Chapter #28.

2008April 3, 4, 5

2008 Spring board meeting, Hosted byTitletown Muskies, Inc., Chapter #4

Radisson Hotel & Conference Center,2040 Airport Drive, Green Bay, WITelephone: 800-333-3333

Contact Jay [email protected]

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Special events listings are provided atno charge to Muskies, Inc chapters.To list your chapter's event, email to:

[email protected]

or by ground mail: Jim Smith,15045 W. Double Tree Way,Surprise, AZ 85374-8568.

Please send announcementsat least 2 months in advance.

Chapter News and ViewsChapter News and Views

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No. Chapter, Address Phone #01.....Twin Cities, 414 Division St., Excelsior, MN 55331..........................................952-380-121802.....Fargo-Moorhead, Box 2021, Fargo ND, 58107................................................701-298-903203.....Chicagoland Muskie Hunters, 7600 Kilbourn Ave, Skokie, IL 60076 ...............847-677-001704.....Titletown Muskies, Inc., 3097 Inverness Lane, New Franken, WI 54229 .......920-866-970505.....Pomme De Terre, PO Box 5, Hermitage, MO 65668 .......................................417-745-238106.....First Wisconsin, PO Box 122, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 ...............................715-726-889607.....South Side Muskie Hawks, 5211 S. Narragansett Ave., Chicago, IL 60638......773-581-865008.....Capital City, PO Box 8862, Madison, WI 53708...............................................608-669-504609.....West Virginia, 1270 Federal Road, Little Hocking, OH 45742 .........................740-667-357110.....Heartland, 239 8th St SE, Mason City IA 50401..............................................641-424-082711 .....Mississippi Valley, 5301 11th Ave “C”, Moline, IL 61265 ..................................309-797-180312.....Headwaters, PO Box 652, Eagle River, WI 54521...........................................715-477-291313.....Hayward Lakes, PO Box 609, Hayward, WI 54843 .........................................715-634-454314.....South of the Border, 28926 W. Big Hollow Rd, McHenry, IL 60050.................815-385-902615.....Star of the North, 29957 La Plant Rd., Grand Rapids, MN 55744...................218-326-495816.....Three Rivers, 119 Bus Lane, Renfrew, PA15136.............................................724-789-786617.....Quad County, PO Box 185, Plano, IL 60545....................................................815-695-149418.....Hopedale, 15 Township Rd 125, Dillonvale, OH 43917 ...................................740-769-726919.....Akron-Canton Muskie Maniacs, 10957 Northwood Ave NE, Bolivar OH 44612.330-874-277320.....Between the Lakes, PO Box 61, Sheboygan, WI 53085-0061 ........................920-564-322621.....North Metro, PO Box 41216, Plymouth, MN 55441 .........................................952-469-215522.....New Jersey, http://www.mi22.com/ ..................................................................................TBD23.....Cleveland, 5611 Alber, Parma, OH 44129........................................................440-221-576024.....Brainerd Lakes, 9143 Lone Pine Road, Brainerd, MN 56401..........................218-821-366926.....Central Wisconsin, PO Box 263, Medford, WI 54451 ......................................715-748-263027.....Central Illinois, 1191 Sandra Lane, Monticello, IL 61856 .................................309-264-373028.....Shawnee Muskie Hunters, PO Box 602, DeKalb, IL 60115 .............................815-756-323129.....Upper Great Plains, 1788 Hwy 4, Estherville, IA 51334...................................712-362-250130.....God’s Country, PO Box 1461, LaCrosse, WI 54601 ........................................608-786-406231.....Penn-Ohio, 309 Spring St, Jamestown, PA 16134...........................................724-932-581532.....Flatlanders, 5776 Vesper Drive, South Beloit, IL 61080 ..................................815-389-462233.....Lake Superior, 2031 Hwy. 33 S., Cloquet, MN 55720......................................218-879-271235.....Milwaukee, PO Box 28842, Greenfield, WI 53220...........................................262-442-626037.....St. Cloud, 312 18th Avenue N., Sartell, MN 56377 ..........................................320-656-116038.....Vikingland, 609 S. Otter Ave., Parkers Prairie, MN 56361...............................218-338-544139.....Fox River Valley, 1253 Cobblers Crossing, Elgin, IL 60123.............................847-741-977141.....Central Ohio, 603 Bennettwoods Ct., Cincinnati, OH 45320 ...........................513-231-196142.....Hoosier Muskie Hunters, PO Box 501371, Indianapolis, IN 46250 .................317-577-805044.....Colorado, 3739 Sawgrass Trail, Castle Rock, CO 80109 ................................303-668-408945.....Kentucky, 212 Linden Ave., Southgate, KY 41071...........................................859-441-166646.....Bemidji/Cass Lake, 11551 Misty Meadows Rd, Bemidji, MN 56601................218-759-009847.....Michigan Muskie Alliance, PO Box 512, Caledonia, MI 49316 ........................616-447-168848.....Arrowhead, PO Box 82, Virginia, MN 55792....................................................218-482-521749.....Webster Lake Musky Club, PO Box 670, No. Webster, IN 46555 ...................574-834-166950.....Penn-Jersey, 372 Kingwood Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406 ..........................610-962-063251.....Ohio Valley Muskie Hunters, 211 Mann St., Bowerstown, OH 44695..............740-269-121652.....Daniel Boone, 813 US 62, Maysville, KY 41056..............................................606-759-761053.....Huskerland Muskie Hunters, PO Box 394, Valentine, NE 69201.....................402-376-274354.....Southern Crossroads, 1524 Country Club Rd, Albert Lea MN 56007 .............507-373-181855.....Mid Iowa Muskies, 2940 SW Meadow Ridge, Ankeny IA 50023 .....................515-289-1583

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April’s meeting is our annual awards night andswap meet. Trophies are handed out for the lunk-ers of the month, biggest Illinois fish, most fish,etc.. The swap meet is always a great time toexchange some seldom used tackle for somethingsure to catch the big girl. This years contest win-ners are:

Fish PointsMen’s Masters—

Jeffrey Aromi 42 45Men’s Release—

1) Mike Baratta 6 1122) Bill Davis 9 1053) Kevin Lynch 6 101

Junior Release—1) Joey Pribyl-Shay 10 992) Maxwell Lucansky 3 30

Longest Release—Mike Baratta–54”–LOTW

Il. Big Fish—Team Rosset–43”–Fox ChainLunker of the MonthJune Bill Davis–45”–Dryberry

Mark Podobinski–45”–PardeeJuly Mark McDermott–50.5”–VermilionAug Mike DeSantis–53.5”–LOWSept Roger Tryczynski–47””–CrowOct Mike Baratta–54”–LOWNov Jeffrey Aromi–49.5”–Lower Fox River

Outings WinnersWebster Lake—Mike Sherkey–43”FRV—Jim Valenta–35”Fox Chain—Paul Hortenstine–38”254 Releases—non-kept

See you on the waterGreg Denny

On Monday February 12th the CCMI club held itsannual awards banquet at the Park Ponderosa inMcFarland Wisconsin. After a social happy hourand dinner, the presentation of awards began. Ourmaster of ceremonies was Craig Eversoll who hasbeen crunching the numbers and presenting theresults for several years. The final number of fishcaught and released by club members in 2006 was1,394, which is a record. Craig presented datacomparing fish caught by length and month for thelast several years. The data shows a steadyincrease in length of fish caught by CCMI membersespecially in the Madison lakes. Individual awardsfor 2006 were as follows. Junior open – ColtonHunt (48”); Womens open – Lynn Steyer (49”),Mens Open (Brad Nelson (52.5”), Masters – JeffHanson (51.5”). The lunker of the Month awardswere May -Bill Buechner (48.5”); June – JoeAldworth, Jeff Hanson, Gary Mahr (47”); July – DonHollatz (51”), Aug- Bill Buechner (53.5”); Sept –Michael Winther (53.5”); October – Dan Squire(47”) and November – Adam Oberfoell (51.25”).Other awards given were (1) largest Dane countyfish caught - Jeff Hanson (49”); (2) Largest Hybridcaught – Sue Eversoll; (3) Largest true caught –Bill Buechner and Michael Winther (53.5”) and (4)largest fish caught by a junior – Colton Hunt (48”).Our rookie of the year was Kevin Pamulak who

caught 96 fish. He also was the first to register fishin 2007. The final two awards were a drawing forgraphite mounts. All members who caught andreleased fish 45” and larger were eligible. After wesaw the pictures and heard the stories of 103 eligi-ble fish, the lucky winners were Jeff Hanson (fishcaught anywhere) and Joe Aldworth (fish caughtonly in Wisconsin). On behalf of all CCMI mem-bers, congratulations to the 2006 winners.

Reporting: Gary Hoffman

We had an excellent turnout for our AnnualAwards Banquet and Business Meeting on 2-10-07at the Vienna (WV) Community Building.

Secretary John Kaltenecker summarized theminutes of the 2006 Business Meeting. DarleneKelley, Treasurer, gave the Financial Report. Webegan 2006 with $8093.93 and ended the yearwith $8097.46. Much of these funds are dedicatedto particular projects and are not available for usualclub expenses.

Jim Moore explained our 2007 Budget whichwas approved earlier by the Executive Committee.Our expected income is about $6000.00 which willequal our anticipated expenditures. We try tomaintain sufficient funds in reserve to function forone year.

A few years ago we voted to continue to requirewitnesses for fish to qualify for awards. PresidentMoore needs those members registering fish on-line to notify him and keep a list of their witnesses.

WV Waters Access Surveys were distributed.We thank WV DNR for this opportunity to makerecommendations regarding stream access.

Jim Feaster has been our Member’s OnlyContest Chairman for many years but cannot con-tinue this responsibility. Gary Fields volunteeredfor this assignment.

Tournament/Outing Schedule for 2007:Spring Mail-In – March 31-April 1

Chair: Sharon CraneDNR Broodstock Collection – March 31

Contact: Jim MooreNorth Bend Lake

Leesville Lake Outing – April 21-22Odie Cutlip Memorial – May 5-6

Chair: Darlene KelleyStonewall Jackson Lake

Piedmont Lake, OH – June 23-24(dates pending)Chair: Jim Moore

North Bend Lake, WV – September 29-30Chair: Darlene Kelley

Fall Mail-In – October 27-28Chair: Lewis & Karen Shepherd

Elections were held to fill vacancies on theExecutive Board. Ken Squires was elected to atwo year term, Dave Powell and Bob Hoce wereelected to one year terms.

Bill Crane, Sharon Crane, Jim Feaster, JohnKaltenecker and Jim Moore were inducted into theinaugural class of the WV Chapter Hall of Fame.Each of these individuals have given generously oftheir time and talents to Muskies, Incorporated.They have combined for more than 150 years ofservice to the WV Chapter.

Thanks to Sharon Crane and Irma Jones forpreparing the soup beans with ham. Also, we aremost grateful to Don Cox who donated lots of tack-le for auction from the estate of Don Smith in mem-ory of Smitty. A beloved charter member of the WVChapter, Don Smith passed away in 2006.

John Kaltenecker, Secretary

Headwaters Chapter 12 of Musky Incorporatedis looking forward to a busy and active new year.Its difficult to think about musky fishing while writ-ing this letter with almost 24 inches of hard water.At our February meeting we had our elections andvote result for the position of Regional VicePresident.Congradulations to Fred Brogle Whowas voted our new RVP

Barb Neddo who has chaired and handled ourFish Recording and Fish Report for the last 6 yearsis retiring In appreciation for all her hard work Barband Tom Neddo was awarded a plaque to show theappreciation for her hard work, thanks again Barb..

Our off water activity in February and Marchinclude our Headwaters 12 chapter hosting a openmeeting with our local DNR and Marine biologist toreview upcoming legislation, proposed changes,and upcoming issues. This meeting has workedwell in the past to create a network of governmentagencies and public clubs interested in theimprovement of our musky fisheries. Upcomingevents will be on April 27th and 28th home show atthe eagle river ice arena. Headwaters chapter willhave a fishing pond and will be looking to sign tomembers.

Our first chapter outing chaired by Jim Rechlitzand Roger Sabota will be held on May26th. Thisouting allows members to fish at a lake of therechoice and we will have contest results food atOneida Village in Three Lakes following our openwater fishing.

Headwaters Chapter 12 will be hosting the 27th

annual Spring Classic Musky Tournament will haveregistration on June8th. with June 9th and june 10th

being fishing dates This tournament is chaired byJeff Miller, and Jim and Carol Heffner. The tourna-ment will be at the Hiawatha Hide-Away on theEagle River Chain. The Tournaments dates areJune 8th, 9th and 10th.This is a long standing pre-miere tournament that fills up fast. Additional infor-mation can be found atwww.headwatersmuskies.com

Our membership meetings are open meetingsand our held the first Wednesday of each month atEagle River Inn at 7:00 pm looking forward to see-ing new members stopping by.

Regards Glenn MatulaSecretary Headwaters chapter 12

The Hayward Lakes Chapter has set it’s calen-dar of events for 2007 and we will review our up-coming events each month in this column. We wel-come members of other chapters who might bevisiting our area to join us. Our annual awards ban-quet was March 3rd, the award winners have beenlisted in previous issues. We don’t have a meetingplanned for April but we will meet the first Tuesdayof May, the 1st. There will be a business meetingat 6:30 ( board members are asked to attend, allinterested members are welcome), the generalmeeting starts at 7:30. Our guest speaker is SteveGenson of Genson’s Muskie Hunts. Steve guidesin our area of northwestern Wisconsin and also onsome of Minnesota’s best lakes. He is also fea-tured on the Keyes Outdoor television shoes.


Capital CityP.O. Box 8862, Madison, WI 53708608-669-5046 – Gerard Hellenbrand

www.capitalcitymuskiesinc.orgMeets: 2nd Monday 7:00 PM Park PonderosaMcFarland, WI

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HeadwatersP.O. Box 652

Eagle River, WI 54521715-477-2913 – Paul Hansenwww.headwatersmuskies.com

Meets 1st Wednesday 7:00 PM

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Hayward LakesP.O. Box 609

Hayward, WI 54843715-634-4543

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West Virginia1270 Federal Road

Little Hocking, OH 45742740-667-3571

http://westvirginiamuskiesinc.orgMeets: No definite schedule-call

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ChicagolandMuskie Hunters

7600 Kilbourn Ave.Skokie, IL 60076

847-677-0017 – Dean [email protected]

Meets 1st Tuesday 7:30 PM, Park Ridge VFW 10West Higgins Ave., Park Ridge, IL.

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Our June meeting will be Tuesday June 5th at7:30 with guest speaker Mike Cookas. Mike guidesin the Hayward area where he has been fishing for35 years. Mike has also fished lots of other NorthAmerican waters and has been a member ofMuskies Inc. for many years. Both of these meet-ings will be at The Wisconsin Beer Hunter’sRestaurant, 10 miles east of Hayward on highway77 east.

Looking further ahead, our Annual Kids FishingDay will again be the first Sunday in August and wecan always use more guides and kids too! Our 30th

Annual Fall Tournament will be the first weekend inOctober, the5th, 6th, 7th, this year. Our other meet-ings and events will be announced as the datesbecome closer.

For more information call Mike Persson at 715-634-4543.

Good Fishing, Mike Persson

By the time you read this, the awards banquetwill have come and gone, the swap meet is done...the only thing to look forward to is fishing!Hopefully by now most of us have been on thewater, especially now that we have an open year-round muskie season in Pennsylvania.

Well, I guess I should cover some club businessinstead of daydreaming about warm weather andfishing. Our April meeting will be on the 9th at theNorthside Sportsman’s club, starting at our normaltime of 7:30 PM. The May meeting will be a littledifferent. It will be held at the Sportsman’sWarehouse on Mt Nebo Pointe Dr., right off of 579N. A couple members will be bringing their boatsand showing some possible layouts for a muskierig. This meeting will be Sunday May 20th, atNoon.

While we are on the subject of different meet-ings, we are going to have an “on the water” meet-ing in August. Since attendance at our summermeetings is typically pretty low, the board thoughtthis might be something to try. It will be August 12th

at Lake Arthur. We will meet at one of the launch-es, have a very brief meeting to cover the clubbusiness and then we can hit the water. This is nota tournament, there will not be a fee, it is just achance to hit the water and maybe fish with some-one new. To this end, we will have a sign up sheetto match up non-boaters with any open seats.

Our V.P., Mike Yerman is trying to keep ournewsletter alive. It is too important a resource tolose, especially for the members that cannot makeit to the meetings. But because we do not yet havea Newsletter Director, we are going to switch froma bi-monthly newsletter to a quarterly newsletter.

One last thing, if you submit your release formsto M.I. online, remember that you still need to get acopy to our Release Director, Fred Francese.Fred’s address can be found on our website,http://threerivers.muskiesinc.org , or just bring theforms to our monthly meeting.

See you next month!Rich Dollish

Club Secretary

The club’s focus this year is education directedat the fishing public. As such a number of ourmembers attended the Parsippany show in aneffort to both conduct a raffle and speak with inter-ested anglers on proper catch and release ofMuskies. Special thanks goes to Pat Marshallwho conducted a seminar on the topic. Watch oursite MI22.com for future events of this sort includ-ing an April date at the Pequest Hatchery.Anyone can volunteer ( contact Kevin Johnson ifinterested) and we expect to have a large mobileaquarium filled with all of NJ’s gamefish includingMuskies on display. As mentioned last month,we’ll be gathering at Lake Hopatcong in May foran outing including Guide For a Day by those whochoose to do so, plus those NJDFW people whocan make it and everyone is invited for a fun day offishing plus lunch. Meetings continue throughJune on the last Tuesday of the month, 8 pm atLake Arrowhead clubhouse.

Submitted by Gordon Campbell ,VP Chapter 22.

April 2007

Shawnee Muskie Hunters Calendar for 2007

April 14 Lake Clean Up - Kinkaid Lake (ScottDonovan [email protected] and JimBeaty [email protected] will be the contacts forthe Kinkaid Lake Clean Up on April 7th...8:00 am toNoon at Paul Ice Ramp...please sign up inadvance. Lunch will be provided. We need lotsof boaters!)

April 15 Board Meeting, 7 P.M. PhoneConference

April 19-20-21 Cabin Fever, Green River, KY

April 28-29 10th Annual Spring Warm-upTournament, Kinkaid Lake (IMTT)

May 5 Guide For Day & Meeting after dinner @Paul Ice Ramp on Kinkaid Lake @ 7 am

May 6 Guide For Day continues…if interestedplease contact Manuel Santa Cruz [email protected] or (618) 610-5003 or David Artrip @ [email protected]

June 9 Kids Day, Murphysboro Lake, IL 9:00 amto 1:00 pm at Murphysboro Lake (Just W. ofMurphysboro)...please sign up in advance. Weare expecting 50 kids this year, and need lots ofvolunteers. Non-chapter members are encour-aged to help. Contacts are Shannon [email protected] and Jim [email protected]

June 13-14-15 Chapter Challenge in LakeHolcombe Area, WI Our Chapter ChallengeChairman, Steve Burian, has made reservationsfor two cabins for the Gill Hamm ChapterChallenge on the Holcombe Flowage in NorthernWisconsin June 9th to the 16th. We would like tofield at least 2 teams of 6 members. This is a goodtime to fish for muskies and really get to know fel-low members of the club. Steve said the cost perperson for the weeks lodging and dock spacewould be about $175 or less depending on thenumber going. This will give you a chance to fishnew water at a reasonable price. Contact Steve at(618) 656-7007 or e-mail him at [email protected].

2007 Gil Hamm Chapter Challenge... (We have2 cabins... the extent of the small resort, we’ll haveit all to ourselves), not too far from where theChallenge festivities will be held daily either bywater or road. HOPING TO MAKE A GOODSHOWING FOR OUR CHAPTER SO PLEASECONSIDER JOINING US THIS YEAR! Expectingthe cost for the week per person for accommoda-tions to be about $175.oo, maybe less dependingon how many go. Please contact me if you areinterested or have any questions, you can call oremail [email protected] home phoneis 618-656-7007.... Just a quick mention that wealways have a great time at this event, even if weTo All of You Who Are Interested in going to


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Three Rivers119 Bus Lane, Renfrew, PA

724-789-7866 – James P. [email protected]

Meets 2nd Monday 7:30 PM, Northside SportsmansClub, Wexford, PA.

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New Jerseyhttp://www.mi22.com/22

ShawneeP.O. Box 602

DeKalb, IL 60115815-756-3231 – Gary Dew

(815) 529-1159

Meets: varies-call for schedule.

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Wisconsin in June to Participate in the don’t catchany fish....

June 24 Board Meeting, 7 P.M. PhoneConference

July 14 Shelbyville Bellow Dam Fish Outing &meeting & Lunch @ 12:00 P.M.

August 12 Board of Directors Meeting, 7 P.M.Phone Conference

September 14-16 Prairie Lake Outing in JimEdgar Panther Creek (W. of Springfield) meeting &camping Jim Beaty is setting this up 618-971-7806(Prairie Lake Weekend that will start Friday,September 14th thru Sunday September 16th.Panther Creek is located in the Jim Edgar PantherCreek State Fish & Wildlife Area, 10149 CountyHwy 11, Chandlerville, IL 62627. There is a nolimit HP lake, but the entire 210 acre lake is “nowake”. There is no fee for launching a boat. Wehave reserved 3 cabins (#2, 3, & 4). The totalcost of each cabin is just $85.00 each for the twonights. Check in is 3:00 Pm and check out is 1:00pm. Each cabin will handle up to 6 people with 2bunks and 1 full size bed. Electricity is available,fans might be needed. Tents can be put up nextto the cabins if needed. This will be a great timeand we have places for camp fires and the possi-bility of a few nights fishing. The lake is very clearand has reports of 48” muskies being caught in

2006. There are pureand barred muskies inthe lake.

October 20 Guide ForDay & Meeting (7 pm)after dinner @ Paul IceRamp on Kinkaid Lake

October 21 Guide ForDay continues…if inter-ested please contactManuel Santa [email protected] or(618) 610-5003 or DavidArtrip @ [email protected]

October 27-28, 7th

Annual Fall BrawlTournament, KinkaidLake (IMTT)

November 3 Outingfor Veterans & BoardMeeting If You AreInterested In Helping LetManuel Santa Cruz [email protected] or(618) 610-5003 or DavidArtrip @ [email protected]

November 10-11 IMTTIL State MuskieChampionship, LakeShelbyville

December 1Christmas Party Place ToBe Announced Later

Thank you to JimBeaty who came toPonderosa on February17 and shared informa-tion about the chapter’sinvolvement in the EagleLake stocking program ofhybrid muskies whichwe’ve donated $2000. forthis year. We’ve alsocommitted to donating$1000. for the next two

years for this program with the Illinois MuskieAlliance which acts as the voice of all Illinoismuskie associations. Jim and Manuel attendedtheir meeting last week and presented our firstdonation in person.

Thank you to Lenny Goldsmith who came toPonderosa on February 17 and spoke about hispast experiences of fishing in Eagle Lake whileJim passed out maps and literature about Eagleand other lakes.

2007 Lunker of the MonthJanuary 8 Scott Donovan 47 Kinkaid

Muskie Gale!Shannon Beaty-Dingus

[email protected]

In last months chapter news, you might havenoticed I said the chapter awards banquet washeld on February 24th.

Most of you know this isn’t how it actually

turned out. We had to cancel the banquet for thatnight thanks to some nasty winter weather. It wasmoved back to the next week on March 3rd.

Again I have to write this article before theevent is held, so hopefully it takes place withoutany more bad weather. As far as awards go,everything I listed last month remains the same,so again congratulations to everyone and thanksto those who helped put the banquet together.

On March 14th chapter members from our club,as well as members from the Heartland and Mid-Iowa chapter, are meeting with some of the stafffrom IDNR fisheries bureau to discuss the futureand status of the muskie program in IA. I will begiving details of the meeting next month, since Iam currently writing this before themeeting.Chapter events for 2007 have beenupdated on our website.

We are also interested in making somechanges so if anyone has any recommendationson how we can improve the chapter webpageplease let me or other board members know.

The chapter website can be found at http://muskieclub.com. I also encourage every-one to keep promoting our sport and more impor-tantly the Upper Great Plains Chapter. I can’tsay enough good things about all our members.Lets continue to grow and get new faces into ourchapter so they can also see all the good we cando for our sport.

Sincerely,Pete Hildreth, Chapter Editor,

[email protected]

LAST CALL FOR THE SPRING “CHALLUNGEON THE CHAIN.”

The 21st. Is just a few short weeks away. If youhave not sent in your entry form you need to getthat done! Last year we filled the field and had toturn teams away. Don’t be one of those left out ofthe action. After a day of fishing we have a greathot meal and beverages. Two tables full of fantas-tic raffle prizes and the Grand Prize Drawing for aweek long , trip for two at The Angle Outpost,Northwest Angle on Lake of The Woods Canada.

Remember to purchase your tickets for ourelectronics “Mega Raffle.” All proceeds from thisraffle go to our Youth, Fisheries and Stocking pro-gram. Help us to build a fishing future for your chil-dren. Prizes are: Third Place, A 30 GB iPod (Retail$ 240.00) Second Place, A Nintendo Wii (Retail $400.00) and in First Place the one we are allcrossing our fingers for, a 42” Daewood PlasmaTV! (Retail $2000.00) We are selling tickets for$5.00 each or a book of five for $20.00. We will beselling them right up until the time of the drawingat our September 12th. Meeting. You DO NOThave to be present to win.

We ask to please help your club out in sellingthese raffle tickets. You received some via themail. We ask that at the least you can sell thosetwo books and hopefully ask us for some more!

The first of our season outings to Lake Kinkaidis “In the Books !” Watch here and the website forothers. Lake Shelbyville is next up from May 4th.To 6th. June 1 to June 3 will be North WebsterIndiana and in the Fall will be a return to the FoxRiver in DePere-Green Bay Wisconsin in Octoberfrom the 12th to the 14th. These areas are allgreat fish catching opportunities. Circle these


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39Fox River Valley

1253 Cobblers Crossing, Elgin, IL 601230847-741-9771 – Rich Gallagher

www.frvmuskie.com

Meets: 2nd Wed (Exc June/July) Poplar Creek CountryClub, 1400 Poplar Creek Drive, Hoffman Estates, IL.

Upper Great Plains1788 Hwy 4

Estherville, IA 51334712-362-2501

Meets 3rd Thursday , Legion Club, 1709 OkobojiAve., Milford, IA.

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dates and join us for a weekend get-away. Furtherinformation can be obtained from the website.

We invite you to join us again for our SummerFishing League. We listened to your feedbackfrom last year and have changed the fishing timesa bit to provide us all with another terrific Summeron the water. June 10 Sunday, July 8 Sunday andAugust 12, Sunday are the months. Five to Elevena.m. are the times. Watch here, the website andthe newsletter for details.

On behalf of the Board of Directors I would liketo send out a Huge Thank You to our President,Rich Gallagher and his family. All of us on the BODdonate large blocks of time and effort to the better-ment of the club. Rich and his family take this ded-ication to an entirely different level. I wanted tomake you aware of the mountains of time this mangives to the club that helps to make it one on theTop Ten Chapters in the Nation! Our Hats are off toyou, Rich, and your Wonderful Family. Thanks!

Our speaker this month will be Joel “Tuff Daddy”Michel. He has a very informative presentationlined up on S E Wisconsin Muskies. IN May we willhave Don Cain on Lowrance Electronics. After thatwe have the Summer Fishing League and meetagain in September with Todd Forcier onWisconsin / Petenwell Flowage Muskies.

Regular club meeting dates are the secondWednesday of the month at the Poplar CreekCountry Club. The accommodations are the bestand they also offer a buffet style dinner starting atsix p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. meeting. The weekbefore the meeting the web site will have the buf-fet menu and cost. See you there!

Until Later,Return ‘em to the water Healthy and Remember

Our Troops.JT

Chapter 50 has had a very busy winter.Numerous members contributed to our first everSportsman Trade Show Booth at the Valley ForgeConvention Center and also at Cabelas inHamburg, Pa. Our focus was on raising revenuefor our local water stocking program, attractingattendees for our Musky School Program and pub-lic education of Muskies. We managed donationsfrom many companies and even our own mem-bers for our raffle, which profited over $1000 at theValley Forge show. Our members also conductedseveral seminars at both sites on different aspectsof musky fishing like Muskies 101, Cold WaterRiver Muskies and Trolling for Muskies.

When all was said and done, the club reallypulled together to make these appearances a suc-cess, and it was a great learning opportunity forfuture shows.

We still have several openings for our MuskySchools in May. Anyone interested may downloadan application form from http://www.mi50.com

Our Club Awards Banquet will be April 12th atCrawdaddy’s in West Chester, Pa. Winners for the2006 season were as follows: Masters Division 1st

place-Greg Ridge, 2nd place Matt Lysek. Men’sDivision 1st place – Sebastian Musemeci, 2nd placeTodd Ewing Big Fish Local Waters - Todd Ewing.

Our 4th Annual Club Tournament is scheduledfor May 12th at Beltzville State Park. We will havea cookout after at the park and prizes for the win-ners.

Penn JerseyMatt Lysek, President

215-822-2472Website: www.mi50.com

Meets at 7pm on 1st Wed. at Casey’s Bar on Corner ofCherry and California Rds, Quakerstown, PA.

50

“We have someone different arriving today.” Announced Harold.“At noon?” Keg asked.“When else?!” Kodie said and continued, “Why is he different

and how do you know, Harold.”“Is he not of this earth?” Added Keg. “I suppose he wants to fish

Walleye? Or Bass…or?”“He’s from out east and has never been fishing, but wants to go.

He knows nothing about fishing, period! But…” Harold let it trailoff.

“But what?” Keg asked.“Better brush up on your English….keep a dictionary handy.”“This should prove interesting,” Said Kodie.“Precisely!!”“Huh?” Keg gave Harold an inquisitive look.Kodie cocked her head.We were sitting by the big window when a Silver Cloud drove

up. A gentleman stepped out and stood for a moment. He was tall,well groomed and fully dressed in Safari clothing. He looked to be inhis forties, cleanly shaven, a businessman’s crisp haircut, very slightlygray on the sides and wearing the latest small glasses. (How does any-one see out of those little things~) He went to the trunk (or boot) ofthis vehicle and fetched his leather luggage. He looked about seem-ingly trying to find a…

“I think he’s looking for a ‘Porter’” I said and continued, “ Lets’go get his luggage and take a gander at that Rolls.”

“I’m with you!” said Keg.“Welcome to Lonesome Lodge! I’m Keg and this is Bob Jenkins;

we’ll get your luggage…..nice Rolls…..”“Pleased to meet you gentlemen. I’m Thaddeus J., and thank

you for the complement. I just purchased this machine. It has beenfully restored to when it was new in ’58. I am fond of the vintagevehicles.”

“Ahhhh,” Said Keg.“Shhhhh…”“Pardon?”“OK”Thaddeus J. asked, “Is Harold about.? I spoke with him.”“We’ll take you to him and you can register.” Keg answered.“He’s the proprietor.” Said Thaddeus J.“Yeeesss!” Said Keg.I looked at Keg and he got my glance as he continued. “Harold

has been here for years and knows Lonesome Lodge back to front!”“This place is fantastic. Harold was precise in his description of

this Castle.” Said Thaddeus J.“We’re glad that you like it.” Keg responded.“You people are most hospitable.” Thaddeus J. said.We both said, “Thank You Sir!”We headed inside to the front desk where Harold was standing.

“Welcome to Lonesome Lodge, Mr. Thaddeus J. We are pleased thatyou are here. We’ll get you registered and settled; then you are invit-ed to the Dining Room for lunch.”

“Thank you Harold.”We escorted Thaddeus J. to his room and as we turned to leave-

he held out his hand with some $$ to Keg.Keg responded, “Your monetary consideration is well appreciat-

ed, but I’d rather you disperse your gratitude at Rods’ Shop forMuskie Tackle and, I’m sure that Albert will appreciate your generos-ity for his services rendered at the Marina.”

“ I shall do that.” Thaddeus J. said as he withdrew his extendedhand and pocketed the $$.

“WOW!” I said to Keg as we were walking back to the frontdesk, “You picked up on that lingo fast!”

“Yeh, it all came back to me all of a sudden…..dammit!”A short time later, we all met in the Dining Room for lunch.Bill perked up as the high dollar words flowed from Mr.

Thaddeus J. He followed suite with a choice few of his own. Theywere fast friends. Keg rolled his eyes while the rest of us sat dumbfounded trying to figure what’s been said.

We made it thru lunch and then took Thaddeus J. to visit Rod.Introductions were made and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rod take tosomeone so serious. He seemed to know exactly what Thaddeus J.was saying by his body language but now and then would give Kegand me a look of ‘Where the hell you find this dude!’

Thaddeus J. got his Muskie Tackle and we headed for theMarina.

“Howdeya think Albert will take to Thaddeus J.?” I said to Kegin a real low voice.

Before Keg could answer, we were at the Marina.Keg said, “Good Afternoon, Albert, this is our new guest,

Thaddeus J. Thaddeus J., this is Albert, he takes care of the Marina.”Albert stuck out his hand and said, “Velcomed ta Lonesome

Lodge, Mr T. I seed yew bin o’ver ta Rods’ place fer sum Muskiestuff.”

Mr. T. hestitated…..“You won’t get anything…..except mebbe a little Muskie Fever.”

I said.“I’ve had my shots.”Mr. T. then shook Albert’s hand and said, “Is this where the Esox

masquinongy exist?”“Vhud he say?”“He wants to know if there are Muskies in this lake.”Vhy din’t he say sew, dere all ‘round ‘ere. Dey bin bumpin’ da

dock all mornin’. Den, deres Shin Vhiskered Sharlies Boys o’ver dereby Sharles Point ‘N…..”

“Now……what did he say?” Asked Mr. T.We all laughed together.“This place is fascinating!” Mr. T. said.“I tink sew….it’s purdy vell built.”

To be continued...

The Visitation ofThaddeus J.


☞Proper Muskie

Holding Techniquesfor MUSKIE Magazine Photos includ-

ing Covers, Article Support, PhotoContest Entries

& Member Photos

Nighttime Beauty-John Arrigoni submittedthis well exposed evening shot of his49" x 23" released up on Wisconsin's

Pewaukee Lake. Congrats!

“Distant Time” - another beautiful scene overWisconsin's Okauchee Lake as submitted by

Scott Kietzmann. Great colors.

“Freeze out”- Late season scene captured by ErikJacobsen and Brian Hanson. Well composed.

“Lines” - Michael Winther of the Capital Cities Chaptertook a few tips from Juris and captured these parallel

lines while trolling the Fox Chain up in Green Bay.

“Take a Woman Fishing”- here's Capt. RoyKalmerton showing Nancy the fine points

during an outing sponsored by his WolfpackAdventures. The scene took place up on LacVieux Desert in 2006. Looks like a fun time.

“Over and Out” - Ryan Wyszynskiwith a standard over the shoulder

release of a Minnesota 49.Never too many of those.

“Speakers” - Featured presenters at the 2007 CoolwaterFisheries Workshop held in NJ and sponsored by Chapter22 with help from Chapter 50 and MI. Each presenterreceived custom lures from Fishtek.com, Bklures.com aswell as Ch 22's Scott Kline and Mike Giambrone along withsome fine pieces by Ch 50's Matt Lysek and SebastianMusumeci. Great job all around.

“Ready to Go” - Duane Nichols of the Flatland Chaptermade good use of the coat rack up in Canada. An

unusual shot.

“Setting an Example” - here's Veronica Berg up on the FoxChain with a clear biggie as photographed by Rich

Gallagher. Good job on that horizontal hold!.

“48 on the loose”- Gary Schofnersubmitted this great water shot of

Dan McNeilis' 4 footer up on LeechLake. Another exemplary fish photo..


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