Ellie Davis is a youth member of Chapter 65. She loves to ......McLean located this 55-incher with...

Check out the NEW Youth Spotlight section on page 4 and the NEW Conservation

Highlight section on page 5.

Ellie Davis is a youth member of Chapter 65. She loves to fish and enjoys the grind with her Dad, Jonathan Davis. Below is a comment from Jonathan about Ellie’s beautiful 43.25 inch muskie she caught on Joe’s Valley Reservoir.

“We had been fishing for a couple of weeks and were in a slump; neither of us had caught a fish in about four. Ellie started to get pretty sad because she hadn’t caught one all summer. We pull up to a spot, and I tell her to cast on the point while I re-rig. Ellie hooks the fish and starts freaking out, worried it’s going to come off, Ha! Ha! We get the muskie in the bag, and Ellie is jumping up and down in the boat, yelling “I’m so happy”!” Man, it was great. She has me beat this year so far too.

Congrats, Ellie, on your fantastic catch and Dad, thanks for keeping the MI Youth mission alive. She’s the future of our sport thanks to you.

www.muskiesinc.org September / October 2020 .....MUSKIE 1

ContentsMUSKIE • VOL. 54, NO. 5

MUSKIE magazine is published six times each year and is the Official Publication of Muskies, Inc. PO Box 1509 Waukesha, WI 53187-1509Ph: 1-888-710-8286© Copyright 2020 by Muskies, Inc. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE COVEROur cover shot features a

fish we all dream about: that hyper-elusive “double-nickel.” While trolling, Alex McLean located this 55-incher with side imaging as she was chasing a school of ciscoes. He stopped, she hit at boatside on his second cast.

I really love shots like this that show an angler marveling at their catch. The eyes can be used to communicate with others and direct eye contact is a powerful form of non-verbal communication, whether we’re conscious of it or not.

Thus, looking directly at the camera can actually be distracting. When you photograph an angler gazing at their catch – and not the camera – it allows us to follow their line-of-sight to the fish, and keeps us looking at the fish (subject) as opposed to being distracted by the angler’s face. And the fact that Alex is not looking at the camera here communicates just how much he appreciates this fish. This strategy of photographing people not looking at the camera, but instead somewhere else in the frame, is a common technique many photojournalists use for more effective communication.

- Sean

1 About the Cover, Sean Landsman2 President’s Message, Jim Ashton3 Index of Advertisers4 Youth Spotlight5 Conservation Highlights6 MUSKIE News8 Figure-8, Sean Landsman9 Lunge Log, Kevin Richards20 Members Photos, Alison Willers 25 Chapter News and Views32 Regional News, Jeff MicholicBC Member Photo Contest, Alison Willers

16 Factors That Trigger the Fall Muskie Bite - Joe Bucher18 The 90-10 Concept - Ace Sommerfeld22 Trolling for Muskies: To Hold or Not to Hold - Chris Nielsen

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Regular Membership: ❑ 1 Year-$45.00* ❑ 2 Years-$75.00 ❑ 3 Years-$105.00Family Membership: ❑ 1 Year-$57.50* ❑ 2 Years-$100.00 ❑ 3 Years-$142.50Junior Membership: ❑ $30.00* Military Membership: ❑ $35.00*

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The fishing season of 2020 will be one to remember. COVID-19 has caused several tournaments and other chapter events to be reduced or even canceled. Our hope is for a return to more normal conditions next year. The good news is there is still time to get on the water before winter arrives and register your success in the Lunge Log.

The Muskies, Inc. (MI) Annual Board Meeting was held on Thursday evening June 9. The meeting included reports from Vice Presidents and Senior Regional Representatives

reviewing 2019 and current activities. Jeff Miller, VP Finance, reported MI finances are solid with more than $140,000 in checking and savings, the Symposium Fund, a new Endowment Fund, chapter insurance for 2021, and other accounts. At previous Finance and Executive Committee meetings and approved by the Board, the Gil Hamm Fund was renamed the Gil Hamm Legacy Fund. At this writing, the fund totals more than $177,000. The value of the fund will fluctuate with financial markets, but has done well this past year. Previously approved by MI Administration, the Legacy Fund will receive an annual contribution of $5,000 beginning in 2021.

Membership is holding steady, as reported by VP Rick Petzke. Due to the pandemic membership recruitment activities will be challenging. Still, a series of new member contests are underway and are sponsored by the Membership Committee with financial incentives for the most successful chapters. The Research and Fisheries Committee chaired by Jim Moore reported on MI’s continuing involvement and financial support for the Muskie Mortality Study and approved applications made by chapters to support various kinds of local activities. Youth VP Lila Warren reported on monies approved by her committee for chapter applications covering youth activities. Chapters are encouraged to request funds through the application process. Jeff Micholic, VP Internal Affairs, provided an overview working to provide guidance and support for regional meetings and chapter challenges, among other responsibilities. VP’s elected for two-year terms and continuing their service to MI include Moore, Warren, Miller, and Micholic. Elected and welcomed as the new VP of Communications, Steve Worrall has begun work with his committee addressing the magazine, website, and other communications activities. The position of Corporate Secretary is open as the Board thanked Jim Fritz for his two years of service and continuing MI membership. These are just

2 MUSKIE..... September / October 2020

Jim Ashton Muskies, Inc. President

[email protected]

The President’s MessageBoard of DirectorsExecutive CommitteePresident, Jim AshtonPhone: 636-227-5248Email: [email protected]

VP Finance/Treasurer, Jeff MillerPhone: 715-617-8782Email: [email protected]

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

VP Internal Affairs, Jeff MicholicPhone: 715-845-5025Email: [email protected]

VP Membership, Rick PetzkePhone: 715-212-1522Email: [email protected]

VP Communications & Marketing, Steve WorrallPhone: 715-362-1760 Email: [email protected]

VP Youth Activities, Lila WarrenPhone: 703-201-8358Email: [email protected]

Corporate Secretary, VACANTPhone: Email: [email protected]

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

Committee Members

Regional RepresentativesRegion 1 Term Expires *John Sadusky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2020 Curt Ellestad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2021 VACANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2022Region 2 *Tyler Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2020 Geoff Verges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2021 Ryan Hager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2022Region 3 *Colin Monahan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2020 Bob Sisson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2021 Todd Cook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2022Region 4 *Walter Krause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2020 Earle Hammond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2021 Frank A. Walter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2022 * = Senior Regional Representative

MUSKIE is published exclusively for the membership of Muskies, Inc. and subscriptions come with a paid membership. Muskies, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Membership classes and associated annual dues are listed on the form at the bottom of page one. Copies of MUSKIE magazine are available at $3.00 each from the Muskies, Inc. Member Services. Contributors grant rights for M.I. to publish once in MUSKIE Magazine, both the print and online versions, including

archives and on the Muskies, Inc. website.

the highlights of the meeting, and the minutes are posted on the website for more detailed information.

Members interested in seeking the position and serving on the Board should submit a short résumé to [email protected]. A description of the position and associated responsibilities are on our website under Bylaws. Following a review of MI’s Liability Waiver by the insurance carrier and additional review by legal counsel, a revised waiver has been posted on the website and sent to all chapter presidents and representatives. Use of the Liability Waiver is necessary for all chapters to be used for all tournaments/events ensuring protection for all levels of MI administration and for MI to be in compliance with the requirements of MI’s liability insurance carrier.

The year 2020 marks MI’s 54th year. Our thanks to all members who continue to support and sustain our mission focused on “Fisheries, Research, and Youth.” For now, stay healthy, observe the protocols suggested to protect everyone from the virus, and when you can… go fishing!

- Jim Ashton, FISH ON!

Issue Deadline DateNovember/December September 20th

January/February November 20thMarch/April January 20th (2021)

May/June March 20th (2021)July/August May 20th (2021)

September/October July 20th (2021)

2020 MUSKIE Deadlines

www.muskiesinc.org

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

ASSISTANT EDITOR - MAGAZINESean LandsmanEmail: [email protected]

PHOTO CONTEST EDITORAlison Willers Email: [email protected]

LUNGE LOG EDITOR - MAGAZINE Kevin RichardsPhone: (573) 280-2300Email: [email protected]

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

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

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

PRINTING ACCOUNT MANAGERSunray Printing Solutions, Inc. - Ashley Nyren

ILLUSTRATORS/CARTOONISTSCharles Weiss

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

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

Account Executive, Alex MosoffPhone: (608) 347-2830Email: [email protected], Numbers4NonprofitsMadison, Wisconsin

Merchandising Director, VACANTPhone: Email: [email protected]

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

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

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

BAKER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13BEAST BRAID LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13CHAOS TACKLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19DEADLINES FOR MUSKIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3FITTANTE REPLICAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 JOE BUCHER OUTDOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17LAKEWOOD PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7LAX REPRODUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15LURE PARTS ONLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8MUSKY TACKLE ONLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BACK COVERMUSKY HUNTER MAGAZINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24NEW CHAPTER CONTEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5RED WING LODGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6THINKING OF ADVERTISING IN MUSKIE MAGAZINE? . . . . . . . . . . 25TI YOUTH ROD PROMOTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4YOUNGS WILDERNESS CAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

INDEX OF ADVERTISERINDEX OF ADVERTISERSS

September / October 2020 .....MUSKIE 3

The Illinois HSA Board of Directors announced that summer contact days were canceled; working with Illinois DNR, they have rescheduled the IL High School Muskie Tournament to October 3, 2020.

The Chicagoland Muskie Hunters (Chapter 3) is very excited about their 2020 Youth Program. This year it is sponsoring the Rolling Meadows High School (RMHS) fishing team.

The sponsorship includes a $500 donation presented to Team Captain, Tim Jacoby, at their New Member Night event in March. The fully paid Muskies , Inc . memberships, which were donated by Muskies, Inc., are for any team member who wants to join. It also includes collaborative activities,

including a Guide-for-A-Day outing where Chapter 3 members will partner up with the kids for a day of muskie fishing on one of our local lakes. Hopefully, the kids will hook a few muskies, and in turn, a few will get hooked on muskie fishing. They’re also planning on having some chapter members speak at their team meetings. Of course, they will need to wait until some of the current COVID-19 restrictions are lifted before they can proceed with many of these plans. They’ve already had seventeen of the thirty-four RMHS fishing club members take advantage of the free Muskies, Inc. memberships, and they

hope to add a few more.

T h e C h a p t e r ’ s relationship with RMHS was already w e l l established.

They have been partnering with various RMHS groups and clubs for many years at their annual Indoor Fishing Flea Market, which was at the high school, and this year the fishing team came out to help them set-up and run the event.

Our long-term plan for our Youth Program is to sponsor a different fishing club at a local high school each year. We’re already looking at candidates for 2021.

- Frank Loye

The Capital City Chapter of Muskies, Inc. (CCMI) has conducted the Capital City Muskie School at Waunakee High School for many years. CCMI is grateful for the use of their beautiful facility for this event. CCMI is focused

on angler education, improving lake habitat, youth participation, fisheries improvement, and research. In appreciation, CCMI awarded two $1,000 scholarships to students pursuing an education in Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Congratulations to David Kienow and Zander Borowski.

- Fred J. Schulze, CCMI Vice President

The member will be selected at random or a parent can submit on their childs behalf. Just email our VP of Membership, Rick Petzke at [email protected]

and tell him WHY you feel your child should be the winner of such an amazing promotion. In order to be selected you need to meet ONE of the following criteria:

- ACTIVE Youth Member within your Chapter- ACTIVE Youth Member within your Chapter Events and/or Outings

The winner can pick from any TI Musky or Vexan Big Game rod on www.tackleindustries.com or www.vexan.com (USA shipping only).

*We will ask winners to send us a photo holding the rod and a paragraph about why they are a member of Muskies, Inc. (Please send once you receive the rod)

TI has also set up a special code on both websites for all members to get a 15% discount. At check-out just enter code: muskiesinc

2020 Youth Membership PromotionTackle Industries and Vexan will donate a fishing rod to an active Muskies, Inc. Youth member

to coincide with each issue of MUSKIE Magazine.


Youth.... spotlight ....

RMHS fishing team and Chapter 3 members who set-up the Indoor Fishing Flea Market in March.

The donation check of $500 from Chapter 3 was presented to the RMHS team.

Despite not having any tournaments or events due to state and local restrictions, the Indiana Muskie Chapter (Chapter 49) has remained busy. The chapter moves forward with the purchase of $7,500 in muskie fingerlings to stock in fall 2020. This is intended to offset, at least partially, the

Indiana DNR’s cancelation of the 2020 muskie stocking program due to COVID-19.

Please like their Facebook page at www.fb.me/indianamuskieclub49 to keep up-to-date with the latest chapter information.

- Fred Dobry, Chapter 49 Secretary

For 2020, to continue improving our muskie fishery in the Iowa Great Lakes, Chapter 29 received a grant from the Hugh C. Becker Foundation. This grant was used to purchase

minnows for our local fisheries b i o l o g i s t s . Biologists sort out the smaller fish before stocking the y e a r l i n g muskies in the Iowa Great Lakes (<13 inches), which are not stocked right

away. Instead, they are kept at the hatchery and fed with the minnows our chapter has provided via Hugh C. Becker Funds. Past data taken from telemetry studies here at the Iowa Great Lakes shows an estimated yearling survival once they reach the 13 inch mark is approximately 75%. We want to thank the Hugh C. Becker Foundation for making this possible.

- Joe Anderson


Conservation... highlights ...

Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery building.

Gollom Bait and Fish Farm Truck that will help with the stocking of the fingerlings.

Muskie fingerlings ready to be stocked.

Addendum:Similar projects/activities that may qualify per the

wishes and conditions of Hugh C. Becker include, but are not limited to:

• Muskie propagation by the Twin Cities Chapter 1, in their own ponds with their own equipment.• Stocking, by either raising muskie fingerlings or purchasing fingerlings/yearlings/adults for public use in designated waters.• Habitat protection and improvement.• Clean water (quality) protection and improvement.• Professional research by qualified personnel (not limited to Minnesota, but must include accountable data).• Expansion of the present muskellunge range (special consideration for the Missouri river system in North/South Dakota).The Twin Cities, Chapter 1, Committee will consider

projects based on their respective merits per criteria above, and awards will be published in MUSKIE. The principles of Muskies, Inc.; Youth, Research, and Fisheries, are guidelines inclusive in qualifying and evaluating proposals.

**** NOTE: Accountability reports (documentation of grant usage), including DNR letters, research papers, publications, University acknowledgements, and any other follow-up information for awards given in a particular year will be required before any individual or group is given consideration for future grants.

Hugh C. Becker 2021 Foundation AwardsApplication Period: November 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021 Mailing Instructions: The ORIGINAL and FOUR

copies (total of 5) should be sent to Hugh C. Becker Committee of Twin Cities Chapter of Muskies, Inc., postmarked no later than 25 January 2021, c/o George Selcke, 5217 Nolan Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55343-8996 (E-mail application will not be accepted).

Application Requirements: Requests are not to be more than five legibly typed pages and must include all the following criteria:

1. Name and address of the group, and a history of the group’s accomplished projects to date, if applicable.2. Demonstrate need: how will this project benefit the muskellunge program(s) in area, region, or range (Canada included)?3. What is the project and what is purpose of project?4. Where is this project taking place?5. What is the duration of this project/start and finish dates?6. What are the cost breakouts? Itemize equipment and labor, and provide quotes.7. Who will be involved? Name the project team, project manager/coordinator, and applicable means of contact (phone numbers).8. Submit “milestone” dates for progress reports and accountability.9. Can the requesting group match funds from another source? Please list.Other Considerations:- Cap on any individual grant/fund will be $10,000; incrementally within a year or over the course of years, unless the Grant Committee decides otherwise on any specific proposal.- Successful recipients of awards must give the Hugh C. Becker Foundation appropriate credit and acknowledge of the financial contribution in any product or any publicity relating to the project. - The Hugh C. Becker Foundation reserves the rights to edit all publications.- If this project fails to reach its purpose, through false reporting, deceit, and/or other unprofessional acts, the requesting group may be responsible for restitution (committee determination).- NOTE: No indirect costs (overhead) will be

awarded on research proposals.


Muskies, Inc. Hall of FameClass of 2020

The Muskies, Inc. Hall of Fame typically admits a new class of inductee(s) each January, and this year was no exception. The class of 2020 features a genuinely exceptional husband and wife team, whose activities over a long period reflect virtually all the criteria for induction. With this year’s class the Hall of Fame, with its 30-year history, now has 80 individuals representing some 20 chapters.

Jim and Carol Heffner of the Headwaters Chapter have been involved in both muskie fishing and the promotion of a quality muskie fishery through various Muskies, Inc. activities for most of their adult lives. Jim has kept careful records of muskies he has chased and caught for some 55 years.

They have been long involved in spreading the word of how to create, improve, and maintain a quality muskie fishery through sport shows, tournaments, newsletters, fishing contests, and various educational classes. They are involved in the Fishing Has No Boundaries program for disabled fishermen and women. From involvement with the chapter banquet to grant writing, there is probably no chapter activity they have not been a part of.

Jim and Carol have been on the Headwaters Chapter board of directors for some 15-20 years and have served the chapter in numerous positions. Jim has long served as the chapter representative to the Muskie Clubs Alliance of Wisconsin. This organization has long been involved with financing muskie research projects as well as rearing and stocking activities. Both work directly with the two major tournaments that the chapter conducts each year.

Carol has handled the advertising for the chapter newsletter and currently also serves as the chapter secretary. Both are certified WI DNR Angler instructors and have conducted youth fishing clinics each summer for over ten years. During these summer classes, they have now introduced over 500 youth to the basics of muskie fishing. They have always considered these youth mentoring activities

to be among the most important things they do.That Jim and Carol have practiced a lifetime of

conservation-minded activities is exemplified by all the muskie related endeavors they take part in. As representatives of Muskies, Inc. over the years, they have spread the MI gospel and interacted with law enforcement personnel, DNR officials and hatchery personnel, school and educational folks, Wardens, fisheries biologists, and muskie anglers of all ages, shapes, and sizes. They have done all this with an ever-present spirit of good fellowship and encouragement to all. Welcome to the Hall.

Steve Budnik is currently MI HOF Chair. After ten years of chairing this committee, he will be succeeded going forward by Greg Wells. Greg can be reached at [email protected] and at (920) 457-3720. Nominations for the Hall are open at this time and close each year on November 30. Please contact Greg for a copy of the HOF Criteria/Qualifications before submitting a nomination.


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Hard to imagine we’re already into September. It felt like yesterday that the first COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, and life came to a halt, but that was over five months ago!

Nevertheless, here we are moving into early fall. With it comes sweet relief from the summer’s oppressively hot temperatures. And yet, this time period brings its own challenges, including the dreaded turnover period and excruciatingly short feeding windows.

The fall is often a time when we casters begin incorporating more trolling into our outings. In this MUSKIE issue we have a couple of fantastic articles that touch on trolling, including when to put down the casting rods and what off-beat tactics you can use when dragging baits.

I am, admittedly, a terrible troller. For me, having to troll is like having to eat parsnips – “Anything else, PLEASE!” This year, however, I’ve come to embrace it more than I have in the past. My wife and I bought a small 12-foot john-boat to fish urban Ottawa waterways and have it powered with a small 55lb thrust trolling motor. Our boat is so slow; people walk faster on the sidewalk than us! Because we move so slowly, it means we can’t move very quickly between spots. Instead of twiddling our thumbs, however, moving slowly means an opportunity to troll to our next spot.

So, we’ve been trolling—a lot. I’ve never trolled so much. And yet, as much as I loathe trolling, it’s been working. Each strike has come while holding the rod, often shortly after pumping the bait. This strategy of giving your trolled bait a bit of a rip is something fellow Muskies Canada member, Chris Nielsen, discusses in his article on page 22.

CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR SMALL FISHING BUSINESSES!

This has been an extraordinarily challenging year for all of us, but none more so than for small business owners. Within the fishing community, there seems to be some businesses faring quite well, including lure manufacturers. While typing this column, a friend sent me a photo of empty shelves at Cabela’s. Two days ago, I was discussing record boat sales with a group of friends.

Unfortunately, not all businesses are faring so well. Lodge operators in the U.S. and Canada are hanging on by a thread, most notably our Canadian friends in northwest Ontario, who rely so heavily on American tourists. Some have had to fold entirely. These businesses are a labor of love, and it’s deeply saddening to know so many are struggling. It is incumbent on us, as a community, both now and into the future, to keep rallying behind the bait-makers, rod builders, tackle shops, and lodge owners that provide us with what we need to pursue the sport we love.

Be safe this fall, everyone. When you catch a big one, remember to release it, but before you hit the water, apply that sunscreen.

- Sean Landsman, Assistant Editor

Lure Parts Online, Inc., 580 North Street, Springfield, IL 62704

“...build better baits...”


LET’S START WITH LUNKERS AND WHY THEY MATTER SO MUCH

At the end of July, we had about 5,000 entries in the Lunge Log for 2020. That brought our all-time total to over 424,000 muskies. For decades our members have released over 99% of the muskies they catch – what a conservation achievement. From 1970 through 2015, the value of all the muskies released by our members was estimated at over $140,000,000; and that would just be for raising enough fingerlings to replicate the numbers and sizes released.

Big muskies are never in high density. That’s why successful C&R is so critical. Our Lunge Log and our annual Members Only Fishing Contest are fun and even include some prizes. But the real reason we have them both is to provide some incentives to encourage C&R and allow our organization to show the fishing world (and sometimes the IRS) the commitment to conservation our members share.

It doesn’t matter if you hope to end up in the “Top 10” or you just release one muskie this year, please enter your fish in our Lunge Log.

Over the past ten years, we have averaged 15 muskies per year at 55 inches or longer. We are currently up to four of those super-tankers in 2020. It will be interesting to see if we can hit average while the U.S. – Canadian border is closed. Just a note in that regard, for the entire period during which the border is closed, the Lunge Log will not be accepting entries for muskies caught in Canada by U.S. members or caught in the U.S. by Canadian members. The only exceptions would be for non-residents legally in the other country due to circumstances such as dual citizenship, permanent residency status, student visas, or essential worker status.

LUNGE LOGLUNGE LOG

Lunge Log Tables & Text Continued

on page 10-11

Every muskie release is a conservation action!Muskies released by our members to date: 424,255

JUNIOR: 47.5 inches, Fischer Smith, Chapter 6, Green Bay, WIWOMEN: 51 inches, Sandra Marzo, Chapter 22, Greenwood Lake, NJ (photo: July MUSKIE)MEN: 53.5 inches, Jamie DeGroot, Chapter 4, Fox River, WIWe’re going to see Fischer Smith in these Lunge Log

articles for a long time. He will be a Junior member for about six more years. His dad, Jason, sent us the photo with this note, “This is Fischer’s third 47.5 inch muskie, and he has a 49.25, still looking for his 50. He is driven to fish long hours if he can. During the hot summer, he had to put his muskie rod down when the

FISCHER SMITH

MAY LUNKERS OF THE MONTH

...by: kevin richards...

Rank Member Name Chapter Length Caught Lake Name State Lure1 Fischer Smith 6 47.50 05/25/2020 Green Bay WI Essox Assult2 Adison Thompson 16 47.00 05/31/2020 Chautauqua NY Tuff Shad3 Jaykob Prill 37 47.00 06/20/2020 Leech Lake MN Headlock4 Thomas Lyon 8 45.00 05/28/2020 Fox River WI Medusa5 Abbie Eakle 9 45.00 06/14/2020 Piedmont Lake OH Grandma Crank6 Eli Hopkins 28 44.00 05/29/2020 Kinkaid Lake IL Boss Shad7 Will Findlan 16 43.50 06/09/2020 Chautauqua NY Tuff Shad8 Cecelia Bond 19 43.50 06/27/2020 Chautauqua NY Boss Shad9 Ellie Davis 65 43.25 06/15/2020 Joe's Valley Reservoir UT Boggs Custom Lures10 Marissa Liske 6 43.25 07/11/2020 Holcombe Flowage WI Headlock11 Jack Ward 51 43.00 05/30/2020 Chautauqua NY Baker12 Jake Allen 13 43.00 06/23/2020 Chippewa Flowage WI Believer13 Brock Bohley 19 43.00 06/24/2020 West Branch Reservoir OH Boss Shad14 Travis L Pettis 30 43.00 07/01/2020 Flambeau River WI Medussa15 Benjamin Bond 19 42.50 03/25/2020 West Branch Reservoir OH Li'l Ernie

Juniors Top 15 as of 07/30/2020

10 MUSKIE..... September / October 202010 MUSKIE..... September / October 2020

Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points Junior Division (Rank)1 Brock Bohley 19 12 140 Juniors Fry (#1)2 Adison Thompson 16 11 108 Juniors Fry (#2)3 Preston Bond 19 10 105 Juniors Fry (#3)4 Cecelia Bond 19 6 72 Juniors Fry (#4)5 Marissa Liske 6 7 65 Juniors Fry (#5)6 Fischer Smith 6 6 63 Juniors Fry7 Ian Jakob Erb 23 10 59 Juniors Fingerling (#1)8 Luke Hopkins 28 5 58 Juniors Fry9 Travis L. Pettis 30 4 52 Juniors Fry10 Jack Leffelman 39 5 47 Juniors Fry11 Cooper Marshall 19 4 39 Juniors Fry12 Jacob William Weeks 6 3 37 Juniors Fry13 Abbie Eakle 9 2 35 Juniors Fingerling (#2)14 Evan Andrew Erb 23 5 33 Juniors Fingerling (#3)15 Ellie Davis 65 2 32 Juniors Fry

Juniors Division as of 07/30/2020

35363238

Avgerage Length38363638

39353638433342

Rank Member Name Chapter Length Caught Lake Name State Lure1 Alexander McLean 46 55.00 06/14/2020 Elk Lake MN Lake Edition XL Beaver2 Andrew Lacko 69 55.00 07/13/2020 St. Lawrence River NY Homemade Bucktail3 Spencer Berman 58 55.00 07/17/2020 Lake St. Clair MI Bull Dawg Jerk4 Tyler Herman 4 54.25 07/12/2020 Green Bay WI Cowgirl/Double Cowgirl5 Brian Rutten 15 53.75 06/19/2020 Plantagenet MN Hosebait6 Jamie DeGroot 4 53.50 05/24/2020 Fox River WI Spanky Fireball7 Harold Jacobsohn 35 53.25 07/24/2020 Boulder WI Deep Raider8 Travis Schaich 35 53.00 05/30/2020 Green Bay WI MO Musky9 Mark Steinert 41 52.75 05/16/2020 Alum Creek OH Stray Cat10 Tim McMahon 12 52.75 06/01/2020 Peshtigo River WI Mepps 511 Nick Ellis 39 52.50 05/23/2020 Fox River WI Ebone Destroyer12 Isaiah Hanna 9 52.50 06/22/2020 Stonewall Jackson Lake WV Tuff Shad13 Mark Weiss 21 52.00 06/18/2020 Vermilion MN Lake Edition XL Beaver14 John Harazin 1 52.00 06/28/2020 Metro MN JohnnyLure Bluegill15 Charles Schauer 12 52.00 07/01/2020 Wisconsin River WI Blue Fox

Men's Top 15 as of 07/30/2020

www.muskiesinc.org September / October 2020 .....MUSKIE 11www.muskiesinc.org September / October 2020 .....MUSKIE 11

water got too hot; he found smallmouth fun to pass the time.”

We shared a photo of Sandra Marzo’s 51-incher in the last magazine. That was the first 50-incher for the ladies in 2020; now, they have five.

Jamie DeGroot shared his story along with photos. “Phil Stodola and I started the morning on a different body of water, but after not having any action, we decided to go somewhere else. Shortly after our move, Phil caught a 45 inch. Right before sunset, I got this 53.5-incher, which crushed my bucktail and is my casting PB.”

JUNIOR: 47 inches, Jaykob Prill, Chapter 37, Leech Lake, MNWOMEN: 55 inches, Jessica Heller, Chapter 14, Vermilion, MNMEN: 55 inches, Alex McLean, Chapter 46, Elk Lake, MN (see Cover photo and page 1)Junior member Jaykob Prill’s first

muskie of the year was a dandy 47-incher from Leech Lake, his PB. Dad Jeff told me, “We were trolling the abyss, with Headlocks. We take turns while trolling, he was a little grumpy because it was my turn first that day, the rod goes off, I grab it, reel in a 30 inch pike. Jaykob smiled and chuckled, and said, “my turn.” An hour or so later, the rod goes off again, and he grabs it. We could tell by the line it peeled that it was a good one. Jaykob is standing at the back of the boat, extremely excited, fighting that fish. As soon as he saw it, his excitement elevated. He then began to boss orders to the net man (me). We get it in the bag, no issues, snapped some photos, an excellent quick-release, followed by a big slimy hug.” Folks, that’s what this is all about!

Our first two 55-inchers were the Lunkers of the Month in their respective divisions and are tied for the overall June Lunker of the Month. Both anglers will receive LOTM plaques at the end of the 2020 MOFC. Both muskies were from Minnesota. CONGRATS to Jessica Heller and Alex McLean.

JUNE LUNKERS OF THE MONTH

JAMIE DEGROOT

JAYKOB PRILL

ALEX MCLEANLunge Log Tables & Text Continued

on page 12-13

12 MUSKIE..... September / October 202012 MUSKIE..... September / October 2020

Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points City State Avgerage Length1 David White 18 76 967 Moundsville WV 392 Bob D. Marshall 19 70 821 Bowerston OH 383 Steve Ault 41 60 769 Hilliard OH 394 Maurice J. Potvin 41 64 749 Baltimore OH 385 Will Tolerton 19 60 695 Paris Oh 386 Jeff M. Hanson 8 58 674 Verona WI 377 Robert A. Basic 23 68 654 Youngstown OH 368 George Weber 41 44 590 Kettering OH 399 Bill Schultz Jr. 19 50 587 Bolivar OH 38

10 Tim McMahon 12 45 509 Hartford WI 3711 Rusty Welker 49 52 490 Kokomo IN 3512 Sam Reichenbach 18 42 424 Cadiz OH 3613 Dan Roberts 9 33 392 Elizabeth WV 3814 Charles Schauer 12 25 387 Wisconsin Rapids WI 4115 Ray H. Elkins 19 29 372 East Canton OH 39

Rank Member Name Chapter Length Caught Lake Name State Lure1 Jonathan Davis 65 47.00 07/16/2020 Joe's Valley Reservoir UT Custom Spinner2 Jaden Metzler 65 46.00 05/12/2020 Pineview Reservoir UT Llungen Spinner3 Larry A. Ramsell 13 46.00 06/24/2020 Allequash WI Jr. Cowgirl4 Jason Allen 70 46.00 06/30/2020 Otisco NY Rapala Jointed Minnow5 Philip Light 64 46.00 07/04/2020 Juniata River PA Homemade Fly6 Danny Kurttila 0 45.00 06/10/2020 Joe's Valley Reservoir UT Brushhog Jig7 Todd A. Reis 65 45.00 06/21/2020 Lake Tapps WA Ducktail8 Michael Floyd 57 45.00 07/22/2020 Lake Tapps WA Homemade Bucktail9 Fred Krause 65 44.50 07/22/2020 Joe's Valley Reservoir UT Big N10 Michael Floyd 57 44.25 05/23/2020 Mayfield Lake WA Savagegear 4Play

Men's Masters Division as of 07/30/2020

Hybrid Top 10 as of 07/30/2020Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points City State Avgerage Length1 Sharon Potvin 41 30 359 Baltimore OH 382 Nikki Swain 49 17 175 Upland IN 363 Adison Thompson 16 11 108 Franklin PA 364 Lisa Tenney 9 8 104 Belpre OH 395 Vickie Banks 52 8 84 Wellington KY 376 Charlotte Fuchs 19 8 73 No Canton OH 357 Natalie Fetzko 16 6 69 Jefferson Hills PA 378 Darlene Kelley 9 2 26 Salem WV 399 Lynne M. Dembiec 35 2 19 Hartland WI 3610 Nancy Hinkforth 35 1 6 Menomonee Falls WI 32

Rank Member Name Chapter Length Caught Lake Name State Lure1 Andy Patrick 52 48.00 07/04/2020 Chippewa River WI Homemade Fly2 Cory Campbell 50 46.50 06/07/2020 Marsh Creek Lake PA Fly3 Philip Light 64 46.00 07/04/2020 Juniata River PA Homemade Fly4 Andy Patrick 52 45.00 04/03/2020 Triplett Creek KY Homemade Fly5 Nicholas Lattanzio 50 44.00 02/19/2020 Schuylkill River PA Homemade Fly

Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points City State Avgerage Length1 Gordon Dixon 64 22 163 Shippenville PA 332 Andy Patrick 52 5 65 Lexington KY 393 Ray Hawk 9 5 51 Spencer WV 364 Nicholas Lattanzio 50 3 47 Reading PA 425 Philip Light 64 2 29 Bedford PA 41

Fly Top 5 as of 07/30/2020

Fly Division as of 07/30/2020

Women's Masters Division as of 07/30/2020

Rank Member Name Chapter Length Caught Lake Name State Lure1 Jessica Heller 14 55.00 06/29/2020 Vermilion MN Baby Beaver2 Isabelle Bogen 1 51.50 06/14/2020 Mille Lacs MN Headlock3 Sandra Marzo 22 51.00 05/15/2020 Greenwood Lake NJ 4 Inch Shad4 Katia Rivers 69 50.50 07/02/2020 Lake Waneta NY Baker5 Sharon Potvin 41 50.00 05/27/2020 Piedmont OH Xtreme Shad6 Katia Rivers 69 49.00 06/14/2020 Chautauqua NY Baker7 Anita Doenz 33 49.00 06/15/2020 Vermilion MN Mattlock8 Caitlin Hanna 9 48.50 06/22/2020 Stonewall Jackson Lake WV Bondy Bait9 Molly Sue Rouse 18 48.50 07/18/2020 Piedmont OH Tuff Shad10 Lisa Mortimer 0 47.50 06/23/2020 Lake Huron ON Dadson Bullet

Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points City State Avgerage Length1 Katia Rivers 69 46 652 Rochester NY 402 Eliana Latterman 16 20 253 Mars PA 393 Lisa Mortimer 0 12 139 Webbwood ON 384 Troylynn Millett 65 15 132 Logan UT 355 Angela Sondalle 8 9 106 Sun Prairie WI 386 Kim Wagner 65 8 92 Roy UT 377 Becky Dunfee 9 6 84 Belpre OH 408 Molly Sue Rouse 18 5 67 Martins Ferry OH 399 Donna Richards 5 5 53 Henley MO 3710 Becky Brown 50 3 51 Palmyra PA 43

Women's Top 10 as of 07/30/2020

Women's Division as of 07/30/2020

Rank Member Name Chapter Length Caught Lake Name State Lure1 Jessica Heller 14 55.00 06/29/2020 Vermilion MN Baby Beaver2 Isabelle Bogen 1 51.50 06/14/2020 Mille Lacs MN Headlock3 Sandra Marzo 22 51.00 05/15/2020 Greenwood Lake NJ 4 Inch Shad4 Katia Rivers 69 50.50 07/02/2020 Lake Waneta NY Baker5 Sharon Potvin 41 50.00 05/27/2020 Piedmont OH Xtreme Shad6 Katia Rivers 69 49.00 06/14/2020 Chautauqua NY Baker7 Anita Doenz 33 49.00 06/15/2020 Vermilion MN Mattlock8 Caitlin Hanna 9 48.50 06/22/2020 Stonewall Jackson Lake WV Bondy Bait9 Molly Sue Rouse 18 48.50 07/18/2020 Piedmont OH Tuff Shad10 Lisa Mortimer 0 47.50 06/23/2020 Lake Huron ON Dadson Bullet

Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points City State Avgerage Length1 Katia Rivers 69 46 652 Rochester NY 402 Eliana Latterman 16 20 253 Mars PA 393 Lisa Mortimer 0 12 139 Webbwood ON 384 Troylynn Millett 65 15 132 Logan UT 355 Angela Sondalle 8 9 106 Sun Prairie WI 386 Kim Wagner 65 8 92 Roy UT 377 Becky Dunfee 9 6 84 Belpre OH 408 Molly Sue Rouse 18 5 67 Martins Ferry OH 399 Donna Richards 5 5 53 Henley MO 3710 Becky Brown 50 3 51 Palmyra PA 43

Women's Top 10 as of 07/30/2020

Women's Division as of 07/30/2020

This note from Jessica is incredible, “I feel like I am still in shock from the whole evening, but it was certainly the catch of a lifetime. My dad hooked me on muskie fishing when I was very young, and as a Muskies, Inc. member himself, always valued the preservation and

conservation of our waters. We are proud to be Muskies, Inc. members, and seeing my picture on the MI Facebook page and in MUSKIE is a true honor.”

Congrats to all of these LOTM anglers! They will be receiving spools of 80-pound Beast Braid Line thanks to Joe Bucher Outdoors.

We have some very serious Junior Division anglers this season. Nine kids already have over 50 points. Brock Bohley is now leading the youth pack with Adison Thompson right behind. Adison is also third among our Women’s Masters Division – is that great or what? For the record, Adison’s longest muskie this year is 47 inches, but she entered three fish over 50 inches in the previous two years. Look out Masters Division.

There are so many stories in the two Women’s Divisions so far this season; Katia Rivers is on fire. She is the first among our women and 11th among all MI members. The photo she sent is her PB 50.5-incher. Katia has two secret weapons: her perseverance and the lures she tests for her best bud (last name Baker).

Sharon Potvin leads our Women’s Masters Division with 30 releases. She shared this 50-incher photo, her sixth such monster in the Lunge Log. Way to go!

www.muskiesinc.org September / October 2020 .....MUSKIE 13www.muskiesinc.org September / October 2020 .....MUSKIE 13

JUNIORS

WOMEN’S DIVISION

KATIA RIVERS

JESSICA HELLER

SHARON POTVIN


Steve Gould is still our Men’s leader, with 93 muskies as of this writing. You can see Steve’s photo in our previous issue, along with a couple other of our most successful guys.

We received a few photos of very chunky muskies from Men’s Masters contender Bob Basic. I had to share at least one of them. The overweight muskie Bob is displaying was “only” four-feet long. It is one of the 68 muskies he has entered into the Lunge Log this season.

MEN’S NEWS FLASH: Right before we went to print we got word of a 56.5 inch monster from Green Bay for Scott Zelten of Chapter 4. CONGRATS Scott.

Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points City State Avgerage Length1 Sharon Potvin 41 30 359 Baltimore OH 382 Nikki Swain 49 17 175 Upland IN 363 Adison Thompson 16 11 108 Franklin PA 364 Lisa Tenney 9 8 104 Belpre OH 395 Vickie Banks 52 8 84 Wellington KY 376 Charlotte Fuchs 19 8 73 No Canton OH 357 Natalie Fetzko 16 6 69 Jefferson Hills PA 378 Darlene Kelley 9 2 26 Salem WV 399 Lynne M. Dembiec 35 2 19 Hartland WI 3610 Nancy Hinkforth 35 1 6 Menomonee Falls WI 32



Fly Top 5 as of 07/30/2020



Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points City State Avgerage Length1 David White 18 76 967 Moundsville WV 392 Bob D. Marshall 19 70 821 Bowerston OH 383 Steve Ault 41 60 769 Hilliard OH 394 Maurice J. Potvin 41 64 749 Baltimore OH 385 Will Tolerton 19 60 695 Paris Oh 386 Jeff M. Hanson 8 58 674 Verona WI 377 Robert A. Basic 23 68 654 Youngstown OH 368 George Weber 41 44 590 Kettering OH 399 Bill Schultz Jr. 19 50 587 Bolivar OH 38

10 Tim McMahon 12 45 509 Hartford WI 3711 Rusty Welker 49 52 490 Kokomo IN 3512 Sam Reichenbach 18 42 424 Cadiz OH 3613 Dan Roberts 9 33 392 Elizabeth WV 3814 Charles Schauer 12 25 387 Wisconsin Rapids WI 4115 Ray H. Elkins 19 29 372 East Canton OH 39

Rank Member Name Chapter Length Caught Lake Name State Lure1 Jonathan Davis 65 47.00 07/16/2020 Joe's Valley Reservoir UT Custom Spinner2 Jaden Metzler 65 46.00 05/12/2020 Pineview Reservoir UT Llungen Spinner3 Larry A. Ramsell 13 46.00 06/24/2020 Allequash WI Jr. Cowgirl4 Jason Allen 70 46.00 06/30/2020 Otisco NY Rapala Jointed Minnow5 Philip Light 64 46.00 07/04/2020 Juniata River PA Homemade Fly6 Danny Kurttila 0 45.00 06/10/2020 Joe's Valley Reservoir UT Brushhog Jig7 Todd A. Reis 65 45.00 06/21/2020 Lake Tapps WA Ducktail8 Michael Floyd 57 45.00 07/22/2020 Lake Tapps WA Homemade Bucktail9 Fred Krause 65 44.50 07/22/2020 Joe's Valley Reservoir UT Big N10 Michael Floyd 57 44.25 05/23/2020 Mayfield Lake WA Savagegear 4Play

Men's Masters Division as of 07/30/2020

Hybrid Top 10 as of 07/30/2020

MEN’S DIVISION

Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points City State Avgerage Length1 Sharon Potvin 41 30 359 Baltimore OH 382 Nikki Swain 49 17 175 Upland IN 363 Adison Thompson 16 11 108 Franklin PA 364 Lisa Tenney 9 8 104 Belpre OH 395 Vickie Banks 52 8 84 Wellington KY 376 Charlotte Fuchs 19 8 73 No Canton OH 357 Natalie Fetzko 16 6 69 Jefferson Hills PA 378 Darlene Kelley 9 2 26 Salem WV 399 Lynne M. Dembiec 35 2 19 Hartland WI 36

10 Nancy Hinkforth 35 1 6 Menomonee Falls WI 32



Fly Top 5 as of 07/30/2020



Rank Member Name Chapter Muskies Points City State Avgerage Length1 Steve Gould 9 93 1,171 Jane Lew WV 382 David Dragisic 16 59 787 Mars PA 393 Chase Gibson 9 50 725 Mount Clare WV 404 Scott Donohew 19 54 625 Wheeling WV 385 Mark Richardson 69 70 607 Erie PA 346 Jason Schreiber 8 45 600 Mazomanie WI 397 Adam Boneham 23 49 578 Ravenna OH 388 Chris Jr. Chirichetti 16 50 478 Beaver Falls PA 369 Daniel Periard 0 35 467 Burton MI 3910 William A. Hall 9 34 456 Fairmont WV 39

Men's Division as of 07/30/2020


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We have space for two more fine photos, but please take a good look at all the tables too! Michael Floyd is a frequent name in our Hybrid tables and our Masters. So far, Michael has two of our Top 10 tigers, but the photo we’re sharing is #11 and another 44.25-incher. It was just too fat and too beautiful not to share. Thanks for the photo, Michael.

And how about our flyfishing fanatics. They are always catching something special. This issue’s fly highlight is a Fourth of July special from Andy Patrick. Look at that homemade orange fly. Andy said, “This was a great fish. My good friend Chris Willen took the picture.” Beautiful work to both of you, great fish, and a really cool photo!

Well friends, that’s all for now. Stay safe. Stay well. And of course . . . after the thrill of catching your next muskie, please do your best to carefully release it to fight another day; the future of our muskie resource will literally be in your hands!

– Kevin Richards, Lunge Log Editor

BOB BASIC

MICHAEL FLOYD

ANDY PATRICK

HYBRID AND FLY DIVISION

Fishing muskies during the fall can be both rewarding and frustrating. If it works out that your outing occurs with favorable weather, muskie activity is bound to be good. However, what some might consider “favorable weather” for muskies is quite different than that in July and August. Stable weather, a preferable condition of summertime, with a warming trend and southerly winds, rarely produces significant results in the fall. Instead, cold fronts are usually what trigger big autumn muskie bites.

In fact, the later you fish into the fall period, the more likely that a cold front is apt to trigger the big bite. This is not news to anyone who has spent a lot of time casting or trolling during the autumn months. However, muskie hunters who are use to summer patterns, and a warm-weather strategy, are often surprised by this fact alone. It is not a warm front that triggers a fall bite. It is a killer cold front that fires things up.

Wind direction alone often dictates the quality of the bite. Generally speaking, southerly winds so vital to a warming trend and a good bite during the summer period rarely excite the fall muskie angler. Instead, northern winds bringing in a cooling trend or an approaching cold front are preferred. Personally, I get excited in the fall whenever I see a northwest wind in the forecast. Not so much when I see anything out of the south.

On fall trips where muskies are being sighted regularly, the key to your success usually depends upon your ability to trigger strikes – which means a strong emphasis on mastering the figure-8 technique. For those reading this who are new to the sport, trust me when I tell you it is paramount that you perfect this tactic, or your catch rate will only be a fraction of what it could be. I can remember many fall trips where well over half of my muskie catches were at boatside. This is particularly true when the fish are following spinners or crankbaits. With that in mind, I relish the muskie follow on these lure styles since so many of these fall fish can be triggered on the figure-8 at boatside.

If the bite is noticeably “off,” your focus should shift to a singular purpose – be fully prepared in every way possible for one lone opportunity. Fall fishing is not always full of action. Honestly, it is more often the opposite. This is particularly true on weak weather patterns such as a day with no wind and bright skies.

Beautiful Indian Summer afternoons might be great for photos and breathtaking scenery, but they usually are poor when it comes to great muskie activity. One single opportunity might be all you get on such outings; make the most of it. Also, don’t be surprised if this solo strike occurs right after sunset as the light begins to wane.

One of my most productive go-to tricks during slow fall bites is to downsize. Bombing big baits have become more the norm today, and they sure do catch lots of big muskies. Today’s rod and reel combos along with superior quality braided line allow one to fish with oversized lures effectively on a regular basis. However, when the bite is off, no matter what the season, downsizing usually turns the tables. I rely far more on lures in the 4 to 6 inch range during lesser conditions and an overall weak bite. The key here is to test your good spots occasionally with smaller offerings when things appear to be slow. At the very least, always throw a downsized version of your most productive lure on any follower. An immediate cast-back with a junior version might be all that is needed to make the muskie commit.

Another trick I often employ on tough bite fall muskies is to slow down and concentrate far more on targets and cover. Remaining stands or patches of weeds, fallen trees on steep banks, and submerged man-made fish cribs are three targets that come to mind. Choosing lures that can be worked right next to these targets for extended periods with what I refer to often as “hang-time” can yield significant results. A personal favorite lure for this trick is a 5 to 7 inch slab-sided minnow bait. Another right choice is a suspending glider style jerkbait. I purposely jerk these lures with short rod

By: Joe Bucher

Be prepared to catch fish in the figure-8 during the fall, perhaps more so than

during the summer. Always stay on your

toes!


FACTORSTRIGGERMUSKIE

THATTHE FALL

BITE!

snaps combined with a lot of slack line when they are near cover, accentuating the lateral side-to-side action. If the lure is a floater, I might also let it rise entirely to the surface while it is right next to the target. If it is a suspending glider, I purposely allow the lure to swing dangerously close to a woody snag or thick weed patch before initiating another rod snap. This not only triggers strikes, but also reveals the presence of muskies since they will often rise out of the cover and depths to at least investigate the bait. By the way, once the lure exits the high percentage kill zone, I will speed things up quite a bit to trigger a potential strike from any muskie following and pick up time and make the most efficient use of my technique. Of course, always be prepared to finish any retrieve off at boat side with a figure-8.


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terminal tackle

When most people think about casting in the fall, they think about big baits, but the author advocates for downsizing to mix things up.


This 38 inch natural tiger was taken by the author

from a stretch of river that consistently

holds fish.

I am always on the lookout for moving water. A shoreline that’s been hammered by a steady wind for an extended period forces baitfish into a shallow water trap. Rivers and streams entering a bigger body of water not only offer current, but they could also be bringing in colder water. Reservoirs always feature current, and most have a channel that attracts fish. Water getting forced through neck downs creates its current.

Another fast track to a concentration of baitfish is locating cribs. I am amazed at the effort that goes into building and installing these fish magnets. Lake associations, sporting clubs, high schools, and more come together to install these habitats. That kind of community involvement is a testimonial to the success of cribs. You can start locating organized cribs by looking at a map before you hit the water. Once you’ve launched your boat, get close with a lake map and pay attention to your electronics; they will stick out like sore thumbs on modern electronics. Transitional areas between deep water and shallow flats are likely places to find organized cribs. Privately produced cribs are more random, but will be just as effective at holding fish. Drop a waypoint when you find one and you’ll have a place to go to during prime time.

Suspended fish can be so scattered on big lakes that trolling is the best method to locate concentrations. I’ll bet die-hard trollers will tell you they experience 90-10 in open water.

For many of us, 90% of our time on the water is spent casting. The other 10% is devoted to travel and dealing with fish. Our biggest challenge is keeping focused during that 90%. Watch every cast and be ready to go into a figure-8 before it’s too late. This is the time you spot fish to go after when conditions improve. It’s a time to hone your skills in regard to casting, working a

Muskie hunters deal with a lot of numbers. Most of the vital information we record involves numbers or statistics. Water temperature and depth are always monitored when we’re casting. Dates, times, even our boats are recognized by numbers. Two numbers that are intertwined with many factors concerning our sport are 90 and 10. Keep those numbers in mind, and you’ll develop a better understanding of muskies.

P e r h a p s 90-10 comes up most f r e q u e n t l y w h e n s o m e o n e talks about where the fish are. The adage that 90% of the fish live in 10% of the water has been around a long time. For the sake of argument, c e r t a i n b o t t o m f e e d e r s may be the e x c e p t i o n . When it comes to

muskie fishing, 90-10 is a great principle to follow if you’re trying to locate fish. I recall Brian Wright commenting on a section of river we ran across years ago. “There’s nothing to hold baitfish here,” he said. “We may as well find something that offers cover.” Now I troll through there rather than wasting time casting. Break a body of water down into small zones, and thoroughly search the most promising spots before moving to new areas.

A high percentage of fish live on the edge of something – rocks, weeds, wood, and other cover. Muskies follow suit when they are on the prowl. This is evidenced by the way a seasoned muskie angler pounds a weedline. They won’t turn their back and cast toward open water until all efforts toward shore have failed. And don’t expect them to go out very far. Most anglers move on to the next weedbed after a few cursory casts.

Tony Nimsger holds an impressive late season fish that was looking for food

during a major moon phase.

By: Ace Sommerfeld, MUSKIE Field Editor

the the 90-1090-10 conceptconcept


Nick Brenner alertly spotted this tremendous 47.5 inch fish in a pocket that had muskie written all over it.

figure-8, and trying new tactics. You can use this time to explore, provided you’re not in a critical moon phase or other peak time when you should be doing nothing but casting.

If you’ve considered yourself a muskie hunter for a few years, somewhere in your house, garage, storage shed, or boathouse there is a stash of big lures. Some of us have lures in all of them, and in the boat! Fact is, we love lures, but we don’t use very many. I’ll bet for every 100 lures you own, 10 of them are weather-worn, and the rest could pass as brand new.

That’s not a bad thing; in fact, it’s the way it should be. Few of us have the time or opportunity to learn the nuances of more than a few finesse lures. My mentors pounded it into my head to perfect a few lures specific to the waters I frequent. These days my tackle box fits in the crook of an arm. A million different lures fool muskies, but it’s up to you to get the most out of the one you’re throwing.

Gaining trust in a lure is a crucial component of developing self-confidence. You will concentrate at a higher level and get more enjoyment out of fishing when you feel like you’re doing everything according to plan. With equal confidence in a few lures, you never have to feel desperate or confused about what you’re casting. We’ll always have that special one, but I seldom start the day with mine. I try to save it for something to fall back on if number three or two are not getting it done.

Nick Brenner and I figure any fish hooked for more than five seconds has an excellent chance of ending up on a bump board. You’ve set the hook and have the fish coming toward you. You’ve already screamed at your partner to get the net. Then the unthinkable happens! The fish makes a perfect headshake and slips

the hook at the net. It’s a fact we have to live with… some fish are destined to get away no matter what we do. We’re asking a lot out of those little hooks. On the flip side, about the same percentage of fish get caught despite everything going wrong. I like to think it evens out; sometimes she gets lucky, sometimes I do.

Understanding the 90-10 concept is pretty easy for most seasoned muskie anglers. It seems like everything related to our passion is centered around extremes. Come to terms with the idea that 90% of your time on the water will be spent preparing for 10%, and you’ll be taking a considerable step toward accepting the realities of muskie fishing.

Capital City’s Angela Sondalle has had a terrific year on Wisconsin waters. This 36 inch beauty fell to her

jerkbait early in the season.

Isabelle Bogen of the Twin Cities Chapter was trolling Mille Lacs when she clashed with this 51.5 inch behemoth. Congratulations on your catch and your first entry in the Lunge

Log, Isabelle!

New York Muskie’s

member Jacob Skudlarek

holds his new PB, a 47.5 inch that

couldn’t resist his Baker lure while fishing Chautauqua.

P H O OT SP H O OT SMEMBERMEMBER

By: Alison Willers // MUSKIE Editor // [email protected]

Damien Rzepka of Chapter 69 caught this deep-bodied 45-incher during the NY opener while trolling. He writes, “He smashed a brand new jointed lure that Andrew Hulburt made within one minute of it being in

the water.”

Michigan’s Daniel Periard is putting his time in on Lake St. Clair this year and has been rewarded with several multi-fish days. This 43-incher is just 1 of 26 fish Daniel has entered in the

Lunge Log this year!


North Metro’s Nikki Bentley proudly holds her beautifully marked 34.5 inch

caught trolling.

Chapter 19’s youth member Ethan StClair caught and released a brute of a 37 3/4 inch fish while competing

in his Chapter Challenge at Salt Fork Lake.

Duane Drozdowski of Nittany Valley tied into this 35 inch Pennsylvania river

brute while casting a Cowgirl.


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Truth be told, I’m a caster. I know – what is a caster doing writing about trolling for muskies? Well, I’m not getting any younger, and casting big baits with fast retrieves isn’t as easy as it used to be. And I love catching muskies, and to do that effectively, sometimes trolling is the best approach.

I started thinking about this trolling thing a bit more last year after success with it. I didn’t spend very much of my time on the water trolling and still managed to put several muskies in the boat. Of particular note is that I had the rod in my hand on each of those four instances, working the rod immediately before the fish hit the lure. This seemed to be more than a coincidence, so I started giving the subject some thought. It seems to me that holding the rod while trolling simply puts more fish in the boat!

I didn’t come to this realization quickly or intentionally. It happened through a series of unique situations that more or less forced me into trolling. Nevertheless, I learned several important lessons!

BackgroundI’ve done a lot of fishing over the years for a wide

variety of fish. I have had the pleasure and the honor of sharing time on the water with people who are very good at what they do, including some very experienced and skilled trollers. I’ve also poured over anything related to muskie fishing and take advantage of any opportunity to pick the brains of experienced trollers. I’m always interested in what experienced trollers do differently, and why.

My first foray into exploring trolling techniques more deeply began with a 2019 fishing outing to the St. Lawrence River. As a member of Muskies Canada, Inc. (MCI), I fished a fall outing held by the Gananoque MCI outing. My partner was Matt Clay, an experienced Ottawa River troller. After some long trolling runs on a sprawling expanse of the St. Lawrence, I picked up my rod and started ripping it pretty aggressively. Matt looked back and commented something about the good old “Reynolds Rip.” Of course, I had no idea what he was talking about and stared at him blankly. Matt told me a story about Greg Reynolds, renowned locally in the Ontario muskie fishing community for holding his rod and working it aggressively. Greg would also give his baits just an occasional rip, or simply pick the rod up and let the bait drop back, apparently, with a high degree of success. I made a mental note to talk to Greg to learn more about his methods.

Pulling the Trigger to Catch More MuskiesIn any type of fishing, there are two critical phases

of the process. First, you need to attract a fish. That can be done through visible cues (color, size, shape, speed), noise, and vibrations. Once you have a muskie’s attention, you need to trigger them to strike. Anyone who has had numerous follows without a strike or used a camera while trolling to see how many fish take an interest in a bait but won’t commit, knows this can be the hard part.

While you are trolling, you need to be incorporating triggering moves at regular intervals to maximize efficiency and capitalize on any fish that are attracted to your bait. There are several ways to trigger strikes through boat control. Trolling in an “S” pattern is a common method to vary the speed and action of lures while trolling. When you turn, the inside line slows down, and the outside line speeds up, which varies the lure’s action. The same effect can be created when making “L” turns on or around critical structural elements such as reefs and bars. Controlling boat speed using the throttle can also introduce erratic, inconsistent behavior to lures that can trigger strikes. Another popular triggering method is to bounce your lure off of structure, usually the bottom, to give the lure an erratic action that often triggers strikes.

These methods can be very useful, but what if I told you there was a better way - or at least another way - with less chance of snagging your favorite lure? Why not incorporate triggering action by manipulating the rod with a series of pulls, drop-backs, and pause-twitch


By: Chris Nielsen

Trolling for Muskies:to hold or not to hold

A two-rod trolling spread on Georgian Bay. Lifting the rod out of the rod holder and giving it the occasional rip can be the difference

between a skunk or a day for the record books!

maneuvers? I suggest that they are just as effective, if not more so, with much less risk of wasted time and lost lures due to snags. According to Greg Reynolds, this method can increase your success by as much as 3 to 1 versus a rod sitting in the rod holder for the average troller. A bonus is that when a muskie strikes, you can get an appropriate hook set and ensure that the fish is well pinned and take the best approach to ensure that the hooks are not ripped out by too much pressure.

The MechanicsHolding a rod and manipulating a bait effectively can

be physically challenging and require some strategy to reduce fatigue. It is a bit more challenging to hold a rod when you drive a boat, or at least one equipped with a console and steering wheel. One way to reduce fatigue is to have a rod holder placed far enough forward that the driver can frequently place the rod in the holder to take breaks and rest their arm and shoulder. This challenge is also minimized if you have a tiller drive rig. However, passengers in the boat are free to concentrate on working their baits and triggering strikes. This may even keep them awake during a long day on the water, a challenge that some of my boat partners and I have struggled with at times after a long night of telling muskie stories. To keep things fair, consider switching up drivers and passengers to allow the driver to focus on the lures and rest their arm and shoulder. Don’t do this if your passenger doesn’t know how to drive a boat. Alternatively, to increase the overall effectiveness of the trolling pass, the driver may want to focus on boat control while leaving lure manipulations to the passengers. This is particularly important when working structural elements versus open water trolling. If the driver’s side rod holder is far enough forward, the driver can pick up the rod periodically to give it a rip and then place it back in the rod holder as a triggering move. A short line out on the driver’s rod will also ensure that bait closely follows the contours or weed edge being tracked to compensate for the lack of attention and action on that rod. Every bit helps, and as we all know, attention to detail can make the difference between success and failure in muskie fishing.

I have observed several MCI members with creative methods for obtaining similar results. Some use a roller/pulley and cord mechanism, similar to the one used to pull downrigger cables and balls close to the boat to give the bait quick, forward pulls, and a subsequent drop-back. Others use a leather glove to draw the line by hand while the rod is in the holder. Feel free to be creative as any triggering mechanism that makes the lure behave differently or erratically can be useful.

Where and When to TrollOne of the many advantages of trolling is being able

to cover lots of water at a precise depth, be it shallow or deep. I suspect that trolling can be effective at any time of the year and in most situations with appropriate modifications to meet the current conditions. I’ve had success running double-10 bucktails two yards behind a planer board to run right along a shoreline or over heavy, shallow cover. A spinnerbait on a short line under a planer board can be very useful under these conditions if weeds or wood are present. If you are holding the rod, you can control the planer board’s precise path and lure so that it is in the optimum location. While holding the rod and not using planer boards, you can make quick adjustments to the lure’s running depth by reeling in the line or letting more line out, and by holding your rod tip up high or putting the tip down in the water.


(Article continued on page 24)

Author, Chris Nielsen, with a St. Lawrence River muskie caught trolling on a flat-calm day.

Trolling open water with lures on a short line behind a planer board will keep the lures shallow and away from the boat so as not to spook high-riding muskies. Trolling Shadzillas or other paddle-tail swimbaits on short lines behind planer boards on waters where ciscoes or whitefish rise to the surface to feed, particularly in the evening and overnight, can be very effective. Although trolling can work anywhere and anytime, I would tend to spend more time trolling where fish are scattered and suspended or at depths where casting presentations are less efficient and effective.

Typical trolling baits can be very effective while holding the rod, as well as some baits that aren’t normally trolled. Baits like big rubber (Bulldawgs and Medusas) and jerkbaits like Bobbies can be fished a bit slower and get a bit deeper than usual, while baits like Suick Thrillers or Sledges can be fished quite quickly. Greg told me that he once won an MCI outing by trolling a Suick at seven miles per hour. Don’t be afraid to experiment – watch your lures on a short line to see how they react to different movements.

Another approach to consider is taking a trolling pass over good structure after you have cast. Perhaps try a deeper lure or make a pass farther out away from the shallows. The fish may be a bit deeper than you expected or may have followed your bait out away from


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the shallows and lingered a bit deeper after moving. Working the bait aggressively with rod in hand can further increase the probability of a strike during the trolling pass. And always work the lure back to the boat when you are done with a trolling run, incorporating some triggering maneuvers as you retrieve your lure. You may be surprised at how many times this can pay off with a fish given the short amount of time you spend.

Even if you are primarily a caster, like me, consider incorporating some trolling into your muskie fishing routine and holding your rod to increase your odds of triggering a strike. There’s a good chance it will put a few extra fish in the boat for you this season, mainly if you give your bait a good rip now and then.

BIo: Chris Nielsen is one of Muskies, Inc.’s Canadian members and serves as Muskies Canada’s Public Education Director. He has a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management and is a registered Professional Geoscientist in Ontario, operating as Vice President of the environmental consulting firm T. Harris Environmental Management Inc. Chris is a multi-species angler, although muskies are his favorite to pursue. He resides in Ottawa, Ontario, and can be reached at [email protected]. The original version was published in the summer 2020 issue of Muskies Canada’s Release Journal.

No. Chapter - President Name: Contact Information01..... Twin Cities - Jim Doyle: 952-920-9818 // [email protected]..... Fargo-Moorhead - Rick Eagleson: 701-237-4801 // (contact via phone)03..... Chicagoland Muskie Hunters - Greg Denny: 847-331-0400 // [email protected]..... Titletown/Packerland - Dave Rott: 920-327-2730 // [email protected]..... Pomme De Terre - George Donner: 816-678-1623 // [email protected]..... First Wisconsin - Josh Robska: 715-839-7089 // [email protected]..... South Side Muskie Hawks - John Daley : 773-704-3401 // (contact via phone)08..... Capital City - Winston Hopkins: 608-577-3184 // [email protected]..... West Virginia - Jim Moore : 740-667-3571 // [email protected]..... Heartland - Ryan Wilcke: 641-430-6961 // [email protected]..... Mississippi Valley - Sonny Stephens: 309-797-1803 // [email protected]..... Headwaters - Bill Jacobs: 715-891-5574 // [email protected]..... Hayward Lakes - Mike Persson: 715-634-4543 // [email protected]..... South of the Border - Len Szulc: 815-385-9026 // [email protected]..... Star of the North - Cliff Arola: 218-966-8220 // [email protected]..... Three Rivers - Joel Morrow: 724-859-3386 // [email protected]..... Quad County - Duane Landmeier: 815-695-1494 // [email protected]..... Hopedale - Charlie Alexander: 740-674-4089 // [email protected] 19..... Akron-Canton Muskie Maniacs - Guy Bechter: 440-310-6239 // [email protected]..... Between the Lakes - Damion Nevers: 920-207-4635 // [email protected]..... North Metro - Dan Mruz: [email protected] // (contact via email)22..... New Jersey - Cal Huntzinger : 908-319-2205 // [email protected] 23..... Cleveland - Robert Basic: 330-550-9890 // [email protected]..... Brainerd Lakes - Jim Kath: 218-821-3669 // [email protected]..... Central Wisconsin - John Carlson: 715-339-3635 // [email protected] 28..... Shawnee Muskie Hunters - Jim Beaty: 618-971-7806 // [email protected]..... Upper Great Plains - Joe Anderson: 507-236-6185 // [email protected]..... God’s Country - Mike Weidemann: 608-792-7722 // [email protected]..... Flatlanders - Dick Cholke: 815-222-1062 // [email protected]..... Lake Superior - Curt Ellestad: 218-390-8888 // [email protected]..... Milwaukee - Brian Mirek: 414-807-4122 // [email protected]..... St. Cloud - Ken Smith: 612-703-6239 // [email protected]..... Alexandria-Vikingland - Katee Campion: 320-293-7910 // [email protected]..... Fox River Valley - Dan Koniewicz : 847-682-9238 // [email protected]..... Central Ohio - John (Turk) Michel: 937-537-1110 // [email protected] 46..... Bemidji/Cass Lake - Chris Thury: 612-590-9785 // [email protected]..... Indiana Muskie Club - John Dobry: 219-743-4131 // [email protected]..... Penn-Jersey - Michael DiGuiseppe: 610-427-3499 // [email protected]..... Susquehanna Valley Musky Alliance - Jake Sheaffer: 717-329-4320 // [email protected]..... Daniel Boone - Chris Haley: 606-759-7610 // [email protected]..... Huskerland Muskie Hunters - Matt Tesarek: 402-676-1019 // [email protected] 54..... Southern Crossroads - Dean Peterson: 507-345-8701 // [email protected]..... Mid-Iowa Muskies - Charlie Ridgway: 515-306-1951 // [email protected]..... NW TIGER PAC - Michael Floyd: 253-833-1318 // [email protected]..... Lake St. Clair Muskies, Inc. - Charles Legarski: 586-873-9154 // [email protected]..... New Mexico Muskies, Inc. - Victoria Gantzer: 505-916-4028 // [email protected]..... Northwoods Chapter - Pete Stoltman: 715-356-9758 // [email protected]..... Wausau Area Chapter - Tyler Kennedy: 715-498-2016 // [email protected]..... South Central West Virginia - Jake Flint : 304-364-8878 // [email protected]..... Nittany Valley Musky Alliance - Patrick Krumenacker: 814-421-6502 // [email protected]..... Mountain West Muskie - Kristen Horrocks: 385-216-3003 // [email protected]..... New York Muskies - James Reynolds: 585-670-0422 // (contact via phone)70..... Central New York - Trevor Thieme: 315-571-4046 // [email protected]..... Virginia Chapter - Toby Tester: 540-354-7869 // [email protected]

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Remember to follow CCMI on social media, practice CPR (Catch-Photo-Release) and introduce someone new to muskie fishing!Make some memories.

- Fred J. Schulze, CCMI Vice President

The annual Odie Cutlip Memorial Tournament went on as scheduled. Thirty-six members and guests fished our Odie Cutlip Memorial Tournament the weekend of May 2-3. It was great to get out as our earlier Spring Mail-In Outing was canceled due to the virus pandemic. The team of Jim Moore and Steve Gould topped the tournament with seven fish; other teams caught three 48-inchers. Members encountered fish that had been tagged for the warm water release study, as well.

The chapter’s annual Ohio Lakes Outing also went on as planned at Salt Fork Lake and Piedmont Lake June 13 and 14. Dan Roberts and Brady Lewis took the top spot with four fish, and junior m e m b e r Abbie Eakle caught her p e r s o n a l best, a

45 inch giant. Our next outing will be on the Monongahela River in September. We are indeed fortunate to have been able to hold these events this year.Respectfully submitted,

- Mike Moschell, Chapter 9 Secretary

The age-old question that every muskie hunter has pondered at one time or another, “What is the best time to go fishing?” John D. Voelker, pen name Robert Traver, noted lawyer, author and fisherman answers this question for us once and for all. Stated, “The best time to go fishing is when you can get away.” How true in this day and age with all our lives being so consumed with obligations, real or perceived! Greetings from the Heartland! With water temps fluctuating in

the lower 80s, daytime air temps in the 80s and 90s, high dew points and humidity, our scorching Iowa summer has arrived. The pandemic, which has caused the closure of the Canadian border, has placed greater emphasis on muskie trips to Minnesota, Wisconsin, or staying home and utilizing local lakes and rivers. Up until the spike in water temps, Iowa muskie fishing has been underway at mach speed with several nice fish being moved or boated already this season while casting and trolling. With summer recreational boat traffic in beast mode and increasingly higher water temps, our members relied heavily on their electronics, especially side imaging, to help locate pressured muskies or fish that had found more suitable habitat or water temps.

Like everyone else, Chapter 3 is in a state of COVID-19 limbo. We have many exciting things planned, especially around our Youth Program, but until the restrictions are lifted, we cannot move on them. Our fisheries program was also hard hit by the pandemic. Because the Minnesota DNR could not do any netting this spring, we cannot procure any Leech Lake Strain Muskies to stock in Lake Geneva this year. However, we are moving forward with our inaugural Lady of the

Lake Tournament on Lake Geneva on October 17 with some minor modifications to make it more of a virtual event where we can practice safe social distancing. This event will include moving the post-fishing events outdoors, where we will have plenty of space to spread out. We’re very excited about this tournament. We’re hoping that this will grow to a point where it can be the primary source of funding for our annual Lake Geneva stocking effort. After the cash pay-outs to the winners, all the remaining proceeds will go towards the stocking effort. You can find out more information and sign-up for the tournament on our website, www.chicagolandmuskiehunters.org.We hope to resume our monthly general meetings in

September, but most likely, this will need to be another virtual meeting. This format worked very well for us in May, so although it cannot replace a face-to-face meeting, it will still be good to get back together as a group.You can keep up with all our chapter’s activities by following us

on Facebook: facebook/chicagolandmuskiehunters.Keep on Chuckin’,

- Frank Loye

COVID-19 restrictions continue to wreak havoc on our schedule and have forced the cancelation of several events and meetings, including the annual Lake of the Woods Outing. We’re hoping to hold our first general meeting in-person in months on September 14.The CCMI Board of Directors recently approved additional

stocking of Wisconsin strain muskies in Lake Monona and Lake Waubesa. We received a kind donation from Team Rhino Outdoors for the purchase of additional fish. Our Stocking Chair, Greg Voss, is working closely with Dan Oele of the WDNR for final approval to conduct PIT tagging activities this fall following strict social distancing and disinfecting protocols. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, WDNR staff will have to handle the tagging and stocking of the fish. CCMI will be there to observe and take photos while keeping social distancing.Our annual PIT Tag Challenge event is scheduled, fingers-crossed,

for Saturday, September 26. Our Vilas County event is scheduled for October 9-10. Check the CCMI website or Facebook for information on registering, cancellation, or changes.Our new CCMI Fall Musky Tournament sponsored by Chaos

Tackle scheduled for Saturday, October 17 is taking shape. Registration is limited to 100 boats, and the entry fee is $75/person for Muskies, Inc. members. The field is limited, so don’t delay in reserving a spot. All proceeds go to Capital City Chapter of Muskies, Inc. to promote and support muskie fishing in the Madison area.

Chapter 9: West Virginiawww.facebook.com/WVChapter09Muskiesinc


Chapter 3: Chicagoland Muskie Hunterswww.facebook.com/chicagolandmuskiehunters

facebook/chicagolandmuskiehunters.

Chapter 8: Capital Citywww.capitalcitymuskiesinc.org

Abbie Eakle(far left) with her PB, a 45-incher.

Chapter 10: Heartlandwww.heartlandmuskies.org

www.facebook.com/Heartland-Muskies-Inc-Chapter-10

Another Piedmont Outing muskie caught by Will

Sarsfield, a nice 33-incher.

(Text continued on page 28)


Thank you to all the Heartland members who were able to support our chapter with their participation in the Challunge. Thank you to everyone who was unable to participate but communicated their support and encouragement via social media during and after the event.A big shout out to all our fellow muskie hunters from Mid Iowa

Muskies and Upper Great Plains Muskies for their continued support of the Iowa Chapters’ Challunge series. It’s always great to get together with friends and talk about all things muskie! A super, special recognition to all the unsung, oft-forgotten “netters” whose skills made this all possible!

5. Our July 7 League Night was canceled due to the current Clear Lake water temp meeting or exceeding the 80-degree threshold for muskie survival. The optional “Big Fish” pot will be carried over to the next scheduled event on July 21, water temps permitting.6. The Heartland will be working with our Iowa Fisheries Research Team on applying for a Muskies, Inc. Gil Hamm Grant to purchase minnows to raise yearling muskies, PIT tags, and angler PIT tag readers. The tags and readers will further advance research on muskie size and techniques at stocking and survival data, and recycling rates regarding angler caught muskies.

HEARTLAND TO THE PMTT! Heartland members Josh Clausen and Kyle Fredin will be partners, as well as Ryan Wilcke and Alex Templeton in the second leg of the Professional Musky Tournament Trail (PMTT). The PMTT will be on Saturday,

August 29 and Sunday, August 30 on Spirit and Okoboji Chain of Lakes, Iowa. Josh and Kyle are coming off winning first and second place, respectively, for the longest fish with Ryan tying for fourth place in our June 20 Iowa Chapters’ Challunge described above. Alex, a successful multi-species angler and guide on Clear

Old business and agenda items from our June 9 and July 14 business meetings:

1. Our June 2, League Night was canceled due to the threat of inclement weather. 2. The 2020 Iowa Muskie Tournament Trail (IMTT) events scheduled for June 14 at Big Creek Lake, Palo, IA, and September 13 at Clear Lake, IA, have been canceled because of the COVID-19 restrictions. We intend to reschedule all three original events in 2021! 3. There were 14 members who participated in our June 16 League Night, which featured sunny skies, 16 mph SSE winds, 82-degree air temp, and a water temp of 73. The evening produced several follows, but no eaters. The “Ritz Phantom” is still on the loose! The optional “Big Fish” pot will be carried over to the next scheduled event on July 7. 4. The first leg of our 2020 Muskies, Inc. Iowa Chapters’ Challunge hosted by the Heartland was completed on Saturday, June 20, from 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Clear Lake, IA. There were 35 anglers Heartland members, 12 Mid Iowa Muskies Chapter 55 members, and three Upper Great Plains Chapter 29 members.

Partly cloudy skies greeted anglers, six mph NE winds, 67 degrees air temp, and 75 degrees water temp. After dealing with brief midday rain and warm afternoon temps, ten muskies were boated with others being moved or, unfortunately, lost at boat side.Our Heartland was honored first place in the Challunge followed

by Mid Iowa and Upper Great Plains. The Challunge results are as follows in descending length order:

Josh Clausen (Heartland) 45 inch (big fish award winner) and a 44 inchKyle Fredin (Heartland) 40 inchColby Dickes (Heartland) 38 inchBob Graham (Heartland) 38 inch (His first Heartland muskie and new member as of our June 16 League Night)Gene Julius (Heartland) 37 inchRyan Wilcke (Heartland) caught a 37 inch muskie. Ryan and his cousin/boat partner, Colby Dickes, had moved this same fish, which I dubbed the “Ritz Phantom” on consecutive League Nights. Ryan also netted the fish himself! Perseverance was the key to finally sticking this elusive muskie. Congratulations, Ryan!Jonah Williams (Mid Iowa Muskies) 37 inchAidan Cooper (Mid Iowa Muskies) 36 inchJoe Anderson (Upper Great Plains) 32 inchSpecial Mention: Dylan Humberg caught a 24.5 inch walleye, Adam Jeppeson caught a largemouth bass, and Chris Doane caught a northern pike.

Kyle Fredin with his 2nd place, 40

inch muskie.

Ryan Wilcke and his 37 inch “Ritz

Phantom” muskie.

Josh Clausen with his 1st place

muskie and his plaque.

Lake, was unable to participate in the Challunge. The Heartland is very proud of all four of these members and will be rooting for their success. Best of luck, gentlemen! HEARTLAND MEMBER PROFILE! Brian Buehler (76 years

young) is retired from electronics manufacturer Nortec in Garner, IA. and resides in his home town of Clear Lake, IA. He is the father of two daughters, Kelly and Kristi, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He has been an avid muskie angler in Iowa and Minnesota for 34 years and Muskies, Inc. member for 25 years, where he is listed in the “Masters Division” as having amassed 252 catches. Brian is also a charter member of our original Heartland Chapter, founded in 1995. He also has the distinction of having held the Iowa state overall muskie record from 1971 to 1974 with a 45 inch tiger muskie. Brian has also won the prestigious Leech Lake “Musky/Northern Derby Days” three times, placed second twice, as well as, various showings of third place. He hunts muskies out of his blue 1989 Lund Fury 1600 powered by a 50 HP Evinrude and equipped with Bottom Line electronics. Brian’s favorite “go-to” presentations are casting a silver, single bladed, black skirt bucktail or Phantom Softail in Bleeding Sucker pattern. Brian’s favorite lake is his home water, Clear Lake, IA. His longest muskies are both 52 inches, one of which was caught in Clear Lake and the other at Forest Lake, Minnesota. Brian’s bucket list includes trips to Eagle Lake, Ontario, and Lake St. Clair. Besides muskie fishing, he has enjoyed hunting and watches NFL, Iowa and Iowa State football. Brian has regularly attended chapter business meetings and has been an active member of Heartland events. He has done a wonderful job of sharing his knowledge, expertise, and love of muskie fishing with his family and the Heartland members. Brian is a highly respected member of the Clear Lake fishing community, and the Heartland is delighted and proud to have him as a member! NEW 2020 HEARTLAND MEMBERS: Jadyn Dickes (wife of

member Colby Dickes), Pat Thompson, Lena Bruellman, Logan Kalm, Brian, Mindy, Keegan and Tinley Lund (family), Tony Hargrave, Coy Jelmeland, Brady and Andy Heard (brothers), Cale Fredin (son of member Kyle Fredin), Derrick Barnes, Devon Mullenbach, Jeremy Houdek, Bob and Cindy Graham (husband and wife). Wonderful to see family members joining to experience muskie fishing together! Welcome to the Heartland! 2020 Chapter Events/Calendar:September 8, October 13, November 10, and December 8 (7:00 p.m.): Business meetings are held monthly on the second Tuesday at “The Other Place” restaurant, Clear Lake, IASeptember 1 (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): League NightSeptember 15 (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): League NightSeptember 19 (7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.): Second leg Iowa Chapters’ Challunge, Okoboji Chain, IASeptember 26 (7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.): Upper Great Plains Chapter 29 Tournament, Okoboji Chain, IA October 11 (12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.): League Night Finale and Awards CeremonyOctober (date/times TBD): Third and final leg Iowa Chapters’ Challunge, Brushy Creek Lake, IA

Finally, please visit our website and Facebook page, listed in our chapter banner above, for details and updates on any of the items discussed above and much more of interest to Heartland members and friends.Be kind to one another, and here’s to everyone’s personal best

muskie in 2020!- Michael Wentworth, Chapter 10 Secretary

As of July 19, the COVID-19 is on the rise in most states, including Wisconsin. Due to the health danger, the Hayward Chapter has canceled its Kids Fishing Day, August 2, and our Fall Tournament October 2-4. We have a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 1, which we’ll decide on as we get closer to that date.Our chapter is in good financial condition so we can miss this

year’s tournament and be fine. Since the DNR has scaled back on its activities, we do not have any projects needing funding at this time. We will resume our operations as soon as it’s safe to do so. The following chapter members have reported these catches:Youth Division: Ross Suzan with 2 fish for a total of 25 points. Women’s: Vicki Shumway with 1 fish for a total 18 points.Men’s: Kris Gottwald with 3 fish for a total of 23 points, Steve Truver with 2 fish for a total of 22 points, Al McElroy with 2 fish for a total of 20 points, and Jack Ketelhut with one 1 fish for a total of 15 points. Masters: Larry Ramsell one 1 fish for a total of 20 points and Mike Persson one 1 fish for a total of 19 points.

Have a safe fishing season.- Mike Persson

The effects of COVID-19 have impacted almost everything, even our chapter’s activities. We have not had any meetings since the start of the virus. We had to cancel some of our events like our Awards Banquet, tournaments, and youth events. As Ohio starts opening up, we are finally able to start having some activities, but they have to be run differently from the past. We got the word right before our Annual Chapter Challenge at Saltfork that on June 6 and 7, the campgrounds would be open, and our event was approved. Members from Chapters 16, 18, 19, 23, and 41 attended. We had a shore lunch for everyone during the event, but we had to change from a sit-down dinner to a drive-by take-out order. Food was prepared there at the lake, and the boats would come to the dock and pick up their meals and continue back to fishing. In the end, it all worked fine. We want to thank everyone that came and to everyone involved to make the challenge a success! There were 60 anglers with a total of 25 fish caught. Elmer McClure won the Challenge for Chapter 19 with his two fish, a 35.5 and a 36-incher.Our next event on our schedule was our joint tournament with

Chapter 23 on July 18 and 19. There were 39 anglers, and 33 fish caught. You got to pick which lake you wanted to fish between Lake Milton or Westbranch. Mike Adamski won the tournament with his five fish and took big fish too with a 43 inch fish. Congratulations! Second place went to Jason Basic with his three fish, and Joe Tenebria took third with his two fish. It was great to see everyone and a great time for all! We had a lure raffle at the end with the final results of the tournament.Our next tournament will be our Leesville night bite on August

22. I hope everyone stays safe, and hopefully, this virus will be over and the thing of the past!

- Kevin Proffitt


Chapter 13: Hayward Lakeswww.muskiesinc-hayward.org

Chapter 19: Akron-Cantonwww.facebook.com/Muskies Inc. - Chapter 19 Akron/Canton

Muskie Maniacs


Below are our chapter events which are open to the public:August 15: Lake Milton Chapter OutingSeptember 19 and 20: Ed Garland Memorial Tournament will be held at Pymatuning Lake October 10: West Branch Reservoir which will be a one-day tournament and all proceeds will be donated to the Ohio Minnow Fund

Hopefully everyone will be able to come out and join us in these upcoming events. Stay safe, and good fishing.

- Robert Basic

Oh, 2020, what else do you have in store for us? Are you just getting warmed up, or have we endured your worst, and we can start planning some normalcy in our lives? We at the Brainerd Lakes Chapter (BLC) are trying to make the best of the given situation and conducting business as usual when possible. With the COVID-19 restrictions, our budget planning has been challenging with our original planned income sources negated in most cases.

As we continue to re-plan our events, our ability to donate needed funds is held paramount. For instance, we have reduced our spending on monthly meetings by using our internal talent to discuss fishing local waters during interactive Q&A sessions. This has been very informational and well-received, and it saves us the cost of a guest speaker. Don’t get me wrong, we will get back to having some top names visit our chapter and share their knowledge in due time, it’s just that for now, we need to tighten our belts so we can maintain our planned commitments to our chosen recipients.The chapter does have a trio of on-the-water events

planned this fall, starting with outings on Leech Lake September 19, and on Lake Roosevelt October 18. These are both Muskie Hunter of the Year events and are great

opportunities for members to up their standings and take home the annual award. We are also moving forward with our 2020 BLC Muskie Shootout, pending any further impact from COVID-19 restrictions. The Shootout is open to the public, so spread the word and join us for a great weekend of muskie fishing. The date has been moved up one week for 2020 and will take

place on October 3 and 4 at Huddles Resort on the south end of Leech Lake. We are excited to showcase another of the great resorts on the lake this year, and the gang at Huddles is looking forward to hosting our event. Mark your calendars and check our Brainerd Muskies Facebook page or visit www.brainerdmuskies.com for all the details and registration information. Leech Lake has big water and requires extra caution in the fall months, but do not let that hold you back as there are plenty of sheltered areas that hold fish if the wind decides to blow. October is a time of transition for all species in the lake, which can make fish location unpredictable but all the sweeter when you put together a pattern that produces!Our chapter is also proud to support Muskie Mission Complete

once again this fall. Muskie Mission Complete is a nonprofit veterans support group that hosts an annual event where 12 selected veterans get the opportunity to fish with volunteer professional muskie guides and receive direct instruction and tips from the pros. This is an all-expense-paid trip for the veterans who get to spend time with others that can relate to the issues they may be dealing with and make new friends. This year’s event is based out

Hello everyone, from Cleveland Chapter 23. We hope everyone is doing well and with summer in full speed ahead so has been the muskie fishing. We kicked off June with the Craig Champlin Memorial Tournament. It was held at Lake Milton. We had 19

angler’s sign-up, and there were 33 legal muskies caught and released. Congratulations to Ethan Erd who took first place. Ethan fished with his grandfather Tom Morris and showed a lot of veterans how to do it. Second place went to Denny Albright and third place went to Robert Basic. Big fish went to Jarry Fisher. He caught a beautiful 45 inch muskie. At the end of the tournament, to

keep everyone safe, we gathered in our boats and met at the east side of the lake and went over the final standings and held our raffle right on the water. We want to thank everybody who came out and supported our tournament. Thanks again! The summer joint tournament with Cleveland Chapter 23 and

Akron-Canton Chapter 19 was in July on Lake Milton and West Branch reservoir; you were able to fish either lake. We had 39 total angler’s sign-up, and there were 33 legal muskies caught and released. Congratulations to Mike Adamski (Akron-Canton), who caught five muskies and took first place. Mike also won the big fish

pool with a nice 43 inch muskie. Second place went to Jason Basic (Cleveland Chapter). Jason landed three muskies. Third place went to Joe Tenabra (Akron- Canton) with two muskies; congratulations again. This tournament is always fun, and enjoyable, and we look forward to having each year with the two chapters.

Chapter 24: Brainerd Lakeswww.brainerdmuskies.com

Jason Basic took home second place with three

muskies total.

Jarry Fisher won the Big Fish place with his 45

inch muskie.

Chapter 23: Clevelandwww.facebook.com/ MuskiesIncClevelandChapter

Ethan Erd with his first place muskie.

(Text continued on page 30)

of Anderson’s Grand Vu Lodge on Leech Lake. Check out their website at www.muskymissioncomplete.com/event. Are you a veteran? The application process for the September 17 - 20, 2020 retreat is now closed, but applications for the 2021 event begin in December.That is all for now. See you on the water!

- Brett Sande, Chapter 24 Representative

The Flatlanders are like every other chapter facing border closures and COVID-19 restrictions. We have put all of the chapter events on hold to keep our members safe. It is an unusual year with the hot summer driving water temperatures up and limiting the bodies of water that we can fish. Some of our members did get out before the heatwave and put some fish on the board. Most notably was Cindy Stenzel getting a 52 inch monster on Lake St. Clair. Not to be outdone, her husband landed a 54 inch the next morning. We are anxiously awaiting better conditions and get back to all of our regular activities. Check our website for updates www.flatlanderschapter.com.

- Dick Cholke, Chapter 32 President

Greetings from the FRV Muskies Chapter. We hope everyone is having a fun summer. Our chapter is currently on summer break, but we continue to be impacted by COVID-19. As of mid-July, we are now in Phase 4 of the Governor’s Restore Illinois plan. Outdoor activities have become very popular in northern Illinois, but public gatherings are still limited to 50 people. We have had to cancel or reschedule several of our outings, including our Take a Kid Fishing and Take a Vet Fishing events. With the Canadian border closed, we have had to cancel our Lake of the Woods Outing.As of this writing, our chapter has monthly meetings scheduled

for the second Wednesday of every month, starting in September.Below is a listing of the fall activities we have planned:September 20: “Challunge” on the Chain Muskie TournamentSeptember 25 – 27: Popp’s Resort on the High Falls Flowage OutingOctober 22 – 25: Suckerfest on Lake Namakagon in Cable

Please see our website for updates.Finally, our chapter raises funds for various social related events,

but we also help fund the stocking of muskies in our local lakes. For 2020, our chapter will spend our stocking funds as follows: $1,000 to Lake Geneva, WI$2,000 to Long Lake, IL$3,150 into the Fox Chain, ILIf you are interested in following what our chapter does

throughout the year, please visit our website at www.frvmuskie.com. Visit our Facebook page for current events if you would instead connect via social media. Our general meetings are held at Chandler’s Chophouse (Schaumburg) on the second Wednesday of each month, with the exception of our summer break, which takes place June through August.

- Joe Erkenswick

Despite the pandemic, Chapter 41 held several of our tournaments under controlled conditions to keep anglers as safe as possible. Our first tournament was at Clear Fork Reservoir, and it wasn’t very pleasant. Due to the inclement weather, there was no keeper fish. Our next tournament, the Russ Doddridge had 27 entrants, and the winner was Bill Lambert with a 41 inch and a 35 inch, second was Elmer Heyob with a 47 inch, and Cliff Honeycutt with a 45 inch muskie. Ten legal fish were landed. Our Nite Bite had 26 fishermen participating with Justin Knecht coming out on top with a hefty 47.5 inch jigging fish. Chris Gombola came in second with a 41.5-incher followed by Jack Worline and his 39.5 inch catch. Five fish total came out to play that night.Our Annual Kid’s Benefit at the Park of Roses in Columbus, Ohio

was canceled. Every year we hold a catfish stocking at the ponds and hand out free rods and reels to every kid in attendance and throw in a barbecue to boot. Later, the volunteers head to a local eatery and enjoy some socializing. It’s always a great time for members and some inner-city youth, but we will have to wait for next year and hope we can resume the tradition under more normal circumstances.

The highlighted anglers for this month are no strangers to success on the water. Maurice and Sharon Potvin are riding high in the standings for MI this year. Sharon leads the Women’s Master Division with 30 fish, and Maurice is only a few points out of first in the Men’s

Masters Division, with 41 as of this writing. They operate their guiding charter, Just 4 Muskies Guide Service, helping put fish in the boat for clients. Check them out on Facebook. Four footers are a regular appearance on the red Ranger boat. Justin Knecht and his Hefty Hookers (on Facebook too) have been hot so far with no signs of slowing down. Steve Ault is also high on the Master’s leader board this year with his 41 muskies.

Chapter 41: Central Ohiowww.centralohiomuskies.wixsite.com/centralohiomuskies

Chapter 32: Flatlanderswww.flatlanderschapter.com

Kevin and Cindy Stenzel

with a 52 inch LSC muskie.


Kevin Stenzel with another LSC monster.

Chapter 39: Fox River Valleywww.frvmuskie.com

Sharon’s husband, Mauric Potvin, with another

four-footer.

Sharon Potvin with a nice four-footer.

(Text continued on page 32)www.muskiesinc.org September / October 2020 .....MUSKIE 31

Since my last newsletter, we have been fortunate to hold two tournaments. The first tournament, which was scheduled for Curwensville Lake on May 17, was moved to Tionesta Lake. In this tournament, four fish were caught. The first-place spot went to Camron Call with a 46 inch fish. Second place went to Ryan Frantz with a fish of 36 inch muskie. Matt Dixon won third place with a 31 inch fish. Our next tournament was the Glendale Lake Shootout, held on

June 13. This tournament was originally scheduled to be a two-day tournament. Still, with recent restrictions and a huge bass tournament the next day, we were only permitted to have a one-day tournament. In this tournament, two fish were caught. Adam Luther took first place with a 37.5 inch fish and it happened to be Adam’s first muskie. Congratulations Adam, welcome to the addiction. Second place went to Dave Commons with a 35.25 inch fish. Since no other fish were caught, we drew for third place.Upcoming Tournaments are as follows:Saturday, September 12 (7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.): Fall Tiger Hunt on Curwensville Lake. *Picnic to follow the tournamentOctober 8-10 (Thursday-Saturday): Beast of the East Musky Fly-Fishing Tournament on Northern Allegheny River, Tionesta Lake and Tionesta Creek (Outflow of the dam to the confluence with Allegheny River). For more information, contact Matt Dixon, NVMA President, or Josh McDunn Beast of the East tournament director.Sunday, November 1 (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.): Hawg Hunt on Glendale Lake (Prince Gallitzin State Park)Canceled Events: As of writing this, we were informed that the Apple Cider Festival at Glendale Lake is canceled. Therefore, we will not have our booth at the festival. This news is unfortunate as I feel this festival has been a great way to introduce people to the sport, and it has led to quite a few new members signing up.

Elected Board Members: At the Glendale Lake Shootout, we held our biannual elections for board members. I would like to thank Bob Griffith for his help with our chapter over the years. Bob has decided to resign from the position of Chapter Treasurer. For those who don’t know Bob, the work that he has done since the beginning of the chapter has been critical in getting the chapter to where it is now. I would also like to congratulate our new board members. Matt Auman has now taken on the responsibility of Chapter Treasurer. Josh McDunn has become our new Beast of The East Tournament Director. We have also decided to create an Assistant Tournament Director position, which was appointed to Cody Fye. The remaining positions held by board members have stayed the same; Matt Dixion (Chapter President), Dave Commons (Chapter Vice President), Matt Brown (Chapter Representative), Dave Alexander (Chapter Tournament Director), and Jason Fredrick (Chapter Secretary).Fundraiser: NVMA completed its second beer raffle fundraiser.

Congratulations to Richard Green, who won. The monies accrued from this fundraiser will be used to promote the muskie fishery in our state.Stocking: It gives me great pleasure to let our members know that

we have decided to adopt a local lake in our area to start stocking with muskie. Some members may be familiar with Yellow Creek Lake, Indian County, and some of the trophy muskies that have been caught out of there in years past. Unfortunately, the lake had been cut from the stocking program, so we hope that our continued efforts will help the lake return to the muskie fishery that it used to

Chapter 41 is representing with some exceptional talent at the wheel as it does every year. Sadly, our Region 3 Chapter

Challenge at Chautauqua, NY, has been canceled along with our Lake St. Clair event. Meetings will resume sometime at our chapter’s watering hole. Our July chapter meeting at the lake was attended by eight members who kept a safe distance from eachother. We discussed the tax-exempt status efforts by the national organization and what

we need to do locally. It’s been a tough year organizationally for the chapter, but if there is one thing you can count on with muskie anglers, we will grind it out as long as it takes. Best of luck to all.

- Dan Collins

We are also excited to resume our event schedule this fall. On October 3, we will host our popular Guide-for-A-Day event. Registered participants will enjoy a full day of guided fishing with one of our chapter members on Webster Lake, one of the premier muskie lakes in the Midwest.October 10 will be our annual Barbee Muskie Madness Tournament

on the Barbee Chain of Lakes. This tournament is sponsored by Ye Olde Tackle Box and is typically one of our largest tournaments each year. We wrap up the 2020 tournament schedule with the Fall Brawl Tournament sponsored by Chaos Tackle on November 7. The Fall Brawl will take place on Tippecanoe Lake.We hope many can make it to these remaining events. As always,

and especially this year, we are grateful for the many sponsors and anglers that make our chapters work possible.Please like our Facebook page at www.fb.me/indianamuskieclub49

to keep up-to-date with the latest chapter information. See you on the water. Stay safe!

- Fred Dobry, Chapter 49 Secretary

This year has been an interesting one, to say the least. While we are in the middle of a global pandemic, the US/Canadian border has remained closed to all non-essential travel. While I tend to believe that muskie fishing is an essential part of life, Canadians do not share that opinion. Fishing for pleasure has been deemed non-essential; we are not allowed to cross into Canadian waters. With two-thirds of Lake St. Clair being in Canada, this has severely limited the fishing grounds. However, this has not stopped us from fishing, and I do think that social distancing by being out on the lake is the best way to go. We decided to continue with the Bondy Bait Musky Slam again this year, which was on July 25-26. The tournament boundaries were changed to be only in American waters to comply with the border closure. I will give you a full report on the results in the next magazine. I hope that everyone is staying safe during these times.

- Adam Penzenstadler, Chapter 58 Secretary

Chapter 64: Nittany Valley MuskyAlliance Chapter

www.muskiesinc.org/chapter64www.facebook.com/NVMAInc

Chapter 58: Lake St. Clairwww.lscmi.com

www.facebook.com/lscmi58

Chapter 49: Indiana Muskie Clubwww.facebook.com/indianamuskieclub49

Justin Knecht won the Nite Bite tournament with this 47.5-incher.

The entire MWM team sends a huge thank you to Kim Wagner (Former Chapter President) and her partner Kay Moore (Former Chapter Secretary), for all their hard work and dedication. They were the main contributors to starting and leading our chapter for the last four years. Without them, the chapter would not have grown to what we are today. The chapter wishes the K2 team a happy retirement. We are excited to see and hear about their future adventures! We want to welcome our newest members Kenny Birdsall, Zach

Hedrick, Duane Ward, Payton Anderson, Jeremy Hardy, and Karl Pauly.June 20th was our first one-day Chapter Challunge, and we had

an unbelievable turnout. We even had multiple members from

be. Currently, our plan is to stock it this fall. Minnow Fund: I am also happy to announce that our chapter has

donated $3,000 to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission’s Minnow Fund. This donation will help ensure that the hatchery’s muskies are going to be fed a continual supply of minnows to help them reach their fullest size potential for stocking.Signage: NVMA, along with the PFBC and three other Muskies,

Inc. groups in Pennsylvania, are working together to get signs posted at various muskie lakes around Pennsylvania, showing how to handle and release muskies properly.

- Matt Brown

The season started a bit slow for many of our anglers due to a cold spring and lagging water temps, but fortunately, the muskie gods answered our calls and turned up the heat. Our requests were heard loud and clear because once the water temps got out of the 50’s they wasted no time escalating through the 60s and 70s. Like much of the rest of muskie country, many of our inland waters have kept the red mercury over the 80-degree mark for the better part of the last month. As a chapter we acknowledge there is no hard science on the 80-degree mark and fish mortality, but we ask our members to use their best judgment and to fish responsibly. There will be much to discuss when the results of the West Virginia warm water study are made public. Fortunately, NY has a large saint of a river comprising its northern border with Ontario that goes by the name of Larry and is called home by some of the biggest muskie that swims this planet. With COVID-19 and the fluctuating water temps, our members

could not be more appreciative of our newly launched Esox Invitational (EI), which allows members to competitively fish at their convenience. Despite the cold early season bite, members registered 22 fish over 30 inches in May, and seven members received payouts. Once the vegetation and water temps got rolling in June, the bite picked up. Members registered 39 qualifying fish, and again seven members received payouts. Entries have slowed for July as members demonstrate respect for the fish and the possibility of increased mortality related to higher water temps. Hopefully, with some cooler temps in the forecast, members will be able to put a few more fish in the bag before the month-end. However at this time, “traditional” in-person tournaments continue to fall into the TBD category. Chapter membership has seen steady growth this year, we suspect, due to the versatility of the EI and our current members’ efforts. Chapter 70 continues to work with our state Department of

Environmental Conservation. Members have been tagging fish and collecting data in the state’s top tiger muskie fishery, Otisco Lake. Data from this work will help fishery managers with future management decisions. Additionally, the chapter has been working with one of the regional hatcheries whose funding was cut due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter has offered to purchase equipment vital to rearing fish, which will be stocked into our regions inland waters.We’re looking forward to the remainder of the season, and we

hope everyone is staying healthy and able to get out as much as possible!

- Michael Ellis


Regional NewsRegional NewsCHAPTER PRESIDENTS, CHAPTER

REPRESENTATIVES, AND ALL MEMBERS- Jeff Micholic, VP Internal Affairs

Greetings friends,This summer, an important topic requiring the attention

of Muskies, Inc.’s (MI) administration regarding updating the language of our Release of Liability Waiver to ensure that chapters would be protected from claims related to COVID-19. All chapters hosting tournaments or events must use the MI Release Waiver. The waiver will help participants understand the risk of injury or harm involved with your chapter’s tournament or event. The participant’s signature will show that they waive their right to sue for damages or injury they may suffer within the scope of the release. To print a copy of the Release of Liability Waiver from the MI website, members should go to the Home Page on the MI website, scroll down the left sidebar, and click on Policies/Docs. Then, scroll down to Documents & Procedures near the bottom of the page and click on the first bullet point 2020 Release of Liability. These waivers will be available as a print document or a fillable digital document. It is the intent of MI for every chapter to use these documents to protect the chapter’s leadership, chapter members, and the organization of MI. Also, you should know that Bemidji Cass Lake Chapter

of Muskies, Inc. (46) will host the Gil Hamm Memorial Challunge at Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge on Lake Bemidji September 7-10. Members can search “Gil Hamm” and browse a website with the tournament rules and details. They can also contact Chris Thury, Chapter President and tournament director, at (612) 590-9785 for more information.Finally, be aware that Region Representatives will soon

be sending invitations for the upcoming fall meetings. Each region shall schedule and conduct an Annual Meeting in October or November, according to the chapters of said region’s convenience, and shall consult with the Vice President of Internal Affairs in scheduling such meeting. Annual Regional meetings shall include the election of a Regional Representative each year and the filling of any Regional Representative vacancies that may exist. Vacancies for Regional Representative positions will occur in most of the regions this year. Please take the opportunity to become involved in the conducting business of your chapter, region, and MI. Feel free to contact me [email protected], your Senior Region Representative, or volunteer from the MI website. As always, be safe out on the water, good luck fishing, and

enjoy the many benefits of MI membership.

Chapter 70: Central New Yorkwww.facebook.com/MuskiesIncCentralNewYork

Chapter 65: Mountain West Muskiewww.muskiesinc.org/chapter65


John Remen’s recapture in 2020

at 43 inches.

A total of 171 pounds of garbage was taken from Pineview Reservoir.

Kim Wagner

Joe took home the smallest and biggest

fish awards of the tournament.

Joe Weisner and Teve Jeppesen took home

the second place award with three fish, 32.5

39.5, and a 38-incher.

www.muskiesinc.org

Wisconsin to Washington jump state lines to attend. There ended up being a total of 12 boats and 25 anglers. The tournament code word for the day was “LLAMA.” There was plenty of action, and the teams put a total of 14 fish in their nets. The first-place spot was taken by Jaden Metzler and Tyson Vineyard with three fish (38, 38, and 36.5-incher).As we all know, everyone is continuing to have challenges with

the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter has still been able to perform our regular Adopt-A-Beach cleanups at Pineview Reservoir. In the most recent event, the team collected 171 pounds of garbage with assistance from 11 members. This event continues to impact Pineview Reservoir positively and encourages the public to be mindful of their garbage. While performing our Adopt-A-Beaches, the team has received many thanks from the public. Each time we are one step closer to solving the problem.Officer Position Changes as follows:Chapter President – Kristen HorrocksChapter Vice President - TBDChapter Secretary – Clark BailyInternal Affairs – Joe Weisner

Our chapter events have been going great, and we have had multiple leader board changes. Currently, Nick Granato leads Topwater with a 45-incher. Jonathan Davis leads July Lunker of the Month and Big Fish with a 47-incher. Mark Craythorn leads Non-Motorized with a 41.5-incher. This year’s tagging has been very productive, and a total of 56 new

fish have been tagged. This brings the grand total of tagged fish to 349 in Pineview Reservoir. We have also received unbelievable information regarding some of the recaptures from years’ past. The most impressive recapture thus far was tag #240 that grew 8.5 inches from 2018 to 2020. See below two pictures.The team is excited to see what is to come the next couple of

months, as the big fish are on the move. From all of us at MWM, we wish you the best of luck the remainder of the season.

- Ryan Elizondo, Kristen Horrocks, and Brian Klein

Kay Moore

Third place went to Jim Becker and Taylor Weisbender with two fish, a 37.5

and 38.5 inch.

Initial capture in 2018 and

tagging at 34.5 inches.

MEMBERphoto cont

est By: Alison Willers MUSKIE Editor [email protected]

MUSKIES, INC.PO BOX 1509Waukesha, WI 53187-1509

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

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Share your member photos or enter the Photo Contest by contacting Alison Willers at

pictures@ muskiesinc.org. If you are interested in being a featured sponsor, please contact Alison Willers at [email protected], or Kevin Richards at [email protected] and mention

the Photo Contest.

Congratulations to long-time member Kevin Wegner on this stunning photo! One look at the fins on this 42.5 inch river brute and you start to imagine what all these fish have encountered while dominating the Wisconsin River. The seemingly remote, untouched tree line, perfectly offset by the bright blue of the sky and water, frames Kevin and his catch. Terrific photos capture a moment or story, and I like how one glance at this photo reveals the river setting where this trip took place. A final detail that makes this photo captivating is the direction of Kevin’s gaze. It is different from many images we see, leaving you wondering what Kevin is looking at and analyzing; a river feature, the current, or possibly the direction of his next

cast!

Kevin Wegner

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