|
|
Posts: 135
| Operation Muskie will host its 8th and final event this summer. It has been a difficult decision, but the organization feels it is necessary to make 2015 the final year. Since this is our last year, we are asking for the final push to support this great cause to support our Veterans. Our Veterans make enormous sacrifices to serve our country and to defend our freedom. Your support of Operation Muskie demonstrates your dedication to support our Veterans.
Operation Muskie continues to meet its mission: "Putting Thanks Into Action!" Operation Muskie began in 2008 and is an extremely successful non-profit organization, providing our Veterans with an opportunity to relax after recent combat deployments. Each year this event pairs 20 Veterans with 10 world-class muskie fishing guides for an all-expenses-paid, fully-guided "welcome home" at world-famous Walsh’s Bay Store Camp on Lake of the Woods. Operation Muskie 2015 is scheduled for Jun 29 – Jul 3. We are now preparing to support 20 more Veterans and bring our total number of Veterans supported to 160! For more information on Operation Muskie, please visit: http://www.operationmuskie.com/home.html
Our fund raising campaign will begin at the Milwaukee Muskie Expo. We will have an auction Friday night, Feb 13. We will be posting more information in the near future. Please plan your trip to the show to include Friday night. In addition, we will have a booth with raffles and OM items for sale. Please stop by to visit and support. In addition, we do expect our annual online auction later this spring.
Operation Muskie could not happen without the continued support of many sponsors. Many different companies, lure manufacturers, guides, resorts, muskie clubs and individuals make very generous donations. A special thanks to MuskieFIRST for many years of outstanding support, enabling us to solicit support from the muskie community! Everyone working together enabled us to sustain this adventure to support our Veterans. THANK YOU!!!
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 397
| I want to thank all those involved for getting to be a part of Operation Muskie. It was truly a trip of a lifetime, and gave me the chance to make new friends and memories i will never forget. The hard work and effort by all involved was nothing short of amazing, and the support of all who made donations to this cause. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| Who do I contact to donate lures for the event? I'll get busy to make some lures worthy of the cause. I'm sad you are bringing this to an end, it was always one of my favorite outings to donate to.
Please PM me with contact info.
Thanks to all involved and to all who have served.
Beaver |
|
| |
|
Posts: 265
Location: McGuire AFB, NJ | Sad news indeed. Lets make this last trip a memorable one! You can count on the support of the entire Llungen Lures family. See you all in Milwaukee,
Chris |
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| Thanks Beaver! You have been a great supporter... we appreciate it! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| Chris,
Thanks for your service in the USAF. As a veteran, you had the opportunity to participate in Operation Muskie. You have been a HUGE supporter of OM. And now you are leading Llungen Lures to an even higher level of support.
Last year Llungen Lures provided a TON of lures for the auction and several spinner baits for each Vet during OM 2014.
Class act AFChris... thanks for your service... thanks for your support! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 5874
| Wish I had known this before I made my vacation plans. I would have promoted the Milwaukee Muskie Expo Bait Swap & Social to donate to OP Muskie one last time. It was an honor to help out the previous years! Perhaps M1st, or someone else, will take it over this year, and send one more Veteran.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 265
Location: McGuire AFB, NJ | To put things in perspective, there is little doubt in my mind that OM changed the course of my life and brought me into this business. For those of you that don't know, that's where I met Chad for the first time which laid the foundation for a friendship that continued while I was at Southern Illinois.
I have always and will continue to state that the week I spent up on LOTW with the OM crew was and will remain one of the highlights of my life. What a special opportunity.
It was truly an HONOR to be provided an opportunity to give back to the organization. The sheer amount of coordination and man hours that goes into OM is impressive and requires the full backing from the industry.
Both Cari and I love serving in the AF. There are some striking similarities between Veterans and Musky fisherman. Values such as hard work, dedication, passion, and perseverance are the foundation for success in both. Cari and I will be taking leave and spending some quality time together in Milwaukee. Please stop by the booth and say hi. To the supporters and staff of OM; the countless hours, dedication, and support truly make a difference.
Chris |
|
| |
|
Posts: 910
Location: Hastings, mn, 55033 | Well time I must admit something...Back in year 2 I believe it was I turned enough "bullethead" globe bodies to donate 1 for each vet and guide, plus a couple for the auction. A family illness delayed the completion of those lures in time, and the bodies were stuck in a box were they have sat since. Each year when winter comes and the announcements for that years event are made the guilt returns, but nothing gets done.
So WHATEVER it takes they will be completed this year! And I will try to get a couple other baits done for the auction, or pull some out of my personal box if needed. Such a worthy event and reading stories from guys like Chris and the many others who talk of what a meaningful experience it was for them makes me really wish I had made it more of a priority before.
Thanks to all who have worked so hard to make this happen the past years and this one. And thanks most of all to those who have served. I apologize for my lack of effort.
Edited by castmaster 1/16/2015 5:15 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| Thanks to all the replies and PMs offering to support OM 2015!
Fri night will be a great night at the Milwaukee Muskie Expo. We will have quite a few of the OM Guides there, including Paul Klein, Norm Wild, Todd Forcier, Jim Best and maybe few more.
Just like last year, we'll be auctioning off 4-6 Lakewoods crammed with lures. Many of the lures are coming from the OM guides. They are donating some of their lightly used, extra, second... lures.
Plus we'll have a few high quality raffle items at the OM booth so please stop by! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| Just a reminder that the Op Muskie primary find raising event will be Fri night at the Milwaukee show. There will be a live auction with great gear, lure packages and much more. We will have several Lakewoods crammed with lures to auction off. Most of the lures were donated by Operation Muskie guides.
Please plan your show visits to include Fri night. Come by the auction to meet many Op Muskie guides and Vets that participated in Op Muskie.
Throughout the show, we will have raffles at the OM booth. Please stop by our booth. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2
| I also want to add that Dick Pearson, Doug Johnson, Pete Maina, and Joe Bucher have each donated 5-7 signed lures for the auction and/or raffles at our booth. To help fill the Lakewoods we have I put together a collection of lures that have always worked for me in open water/suspended muskies. Todd Forcier has a collection of his best lures for the WI river and flowage waters. Ed Spoerel has included some of his favorite baits that give him his awesome success on lake of the Woods. And finally Jeff (Mr. OM) Wiegand has donated a great combination of high end lures that he has no clue how to use< so he figures that someone might as well put them to good use.
We have a classic framed musky print from Scott Zoellick, some great rod and reel combos and a lot of OM memorabilia to auction off as well.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 397
| Good lord I am going to have to bring all of my stash cash!!!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| I'll stop by your booth and drop off some lures that I made from Redwood reclaimed from an 1850 Oregon silver mine. Collectors or anglers, you just have to have some lures that are 500 years old. You can auction them off as you wish. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| Thanks Beaver! You have been a great supporter of OM. I know your custom lures will go HUGE in the OM auctions!
I sent you a PM.
Thanks for supporting a great cause!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| Here are the signed lures from Pete Maina. Too bad they don't look like they caught fish... 
We'll have lures lots with signed lures from Pete Maina, Dick Pearson, Joe Bucher and Doug Johnson... LEGENDS!
Don't miss Fri night at the Milwaukee Expo!!
Attachments
----------------
 Pete M lures.JPG (143KB - 370 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| Here are the Dick Pearson autographed lures... opportunity to own a legend's lure!
Attachments
----------------
Dick Pearson lures.JPG (113KB - 347 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| Here are Doug Johnson's autographed lures... he included a note for each... some with a great story of what was caught. Can't imagine the stories hidden in these extraordinairy specimens!
Attachments
----------------
Doug Johnson lures.JPG (282KB - 330 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| GREAT NEWS... John Gillespie of Water & Woods will be hosting the live auction Fri night at the Milwaukee Muskie Expo! For those of you that attended last year, it was an awesome evening. John G has been a HUGE supporter of Operation Muskie. John Gillespie and Pete Maina filmed the Water & Woods show on site during OM. They have not only made Operation Muskie very special for the Vets, but have significantly supported OM financially since the first year in 2008.
Thanks to John Gillespie for hosting the auction... be there Fri night for a great time, opportunity to win auction items, and to support a great cause! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 265
Location: McGuire AFB, NJ | Cari and I put these together last night and they will be added to the mountain of other awesome donations already collected. You'll have to wait to see what's inside till Friday night 
Attachments
----------------
Ammo Tins.jpeg (88KB - 406 downloads)
Ammo Tins1.jpeg (104KB - 376 downloads)
Ammo Tins2.jpeg (110KB - 372 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| LLUNGEN LURES comes through AGAIN! Very cool... want to auction them off without knowing what is inside? That would be like Price Is Right...
Thanks to Chris & LLUNGEN Lures for their continued supported of Veterans through Operation Muskie! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 17
Location: Grand Forks AFB | Will there be an On-line Auction this year at all?
Esox |
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| There will be an online auction. Still working on details. Not sure if we will have a silent and/or live auction. Expect it to be mid to end of Apr. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | Will you guys be at the Wisconsin Musky Expo? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 397
| hope it is a live auction always a fun time!!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 135
| Sorry... we will not be at the Wisco Expo.
There will be a LIVE auction. Still firming up the dates. Expect it to be mid-end of Apr.
If anyone is planning on making donations (lures, equipment, guide trips, resort stay...) I request to have all of the donation in by end of Mar so I can finalize the auction lots.
Thanks! |
|
| |
