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Posts: 230
Location: St Paul, Minnesota | She gone!
Well done boys,
Top notch work with a great fish! Get that replica made and maybe work in some kind of screen that plays the release video on push-button command. That to me is worth more than any "official" record for other people to dispute with the ghosts of the past.
I hope to see you around at one of the expos so that I might shake the hand that held and released the Queen!
-C7 |
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Location: Contrarian Island | wow, great fish! ..but anyone fishing Mille Lacs looking for the state record should invest in a scale! just a thought... 
Edited by BNelson 11/30/2015 11:42 AM
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | bturg - 11/30/2015 9:41 AM
Again and to be clear...are we trying to figure out what the biggest muskie ever caught was (impossible) or the biggest one that someone bothered to kill and document.
And that folks is the conundrum...we will NEVER know for sure what "The Record" is.
Bob, it seems you are saying that because of the shenanigans that many of our muskie forefathers pulled, any attempt to establish a "modern day record" falls short as a true accounting of a world record for this species. Do you feel that the new record keeping is merely identifying "the biggest one someone bothered to kill and document"? |
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Posts: 8716
| No point in arguing records. At this point, let's take it for what it is. We have a length measurement. We have a girth measurement. While the various formulas are only an approximation, those combined with the pictures and video will tell you one thing for sure. That's a HUGE musky. I'm glad to see it was released, but it would have been nice to get a true weight, age, and find out what the heck it ate. |
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Location: 31 | Very well stated bturg! I would like to add that although we may not know what the true record is, we know what it not.
I would like to take a moment to add some clarification to some of the other posts regarding the record potential of this fish too. Nobody involved in the capture said it would have been a record in this thread, just that it could have been a record contender if it would have been kept.
With that said; there is simply no way to properly authenticate the weight of a released fish for a record, even if it was weighed on a certified scale. Please do not take this as a blanket endorsement by the MDMWRP to keep a record contending fish, because the MDMWRP certainly advocates proper catch and release (guys like Larry Ramsell were actually a big part of the release movement back in the 70’s). The main reason for the establishment of the MDMWRP by Larry was to help establish a legitimate weight record for the muskie fishing fraternity, one that we can rally behind. As a voting member of the modern-day records committee, I'm supremely confident we did just that with Seeberger’s muskie, and that we were able to authenticate an already dead muskie.
I can understand why many of you could careless about the records, and are 100% release. However, I personally feel that without the early Spray/Johnson/O'Brien research conducted by the WMA, and subsequent formation of the MDMWRP, there would a false sense of how big these fish can get, and true giants like this would not receive their proper place in history. IMHO, these gents did a remarkable job of truly authenticating this catch for us, and deserve even more credit than if they had kept it.
Thanks for sharing and congratulations again! |
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Location: MN | Thanks so much for sharing the pictures, video and story. It's seeing fish like these that give the rest of us the drive to keep pushing on in this crazy sport.
Funny thing about catching a big fish like this is there is criticism of the fish if released and there would be even more criticism of the fisherman if it were kept. Hopefully comments on here don't keep people from sharing these special fish in the future.
I agree, who cares about breaking an artificial record. Congrats guys! |
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Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | Lunger50:
Will start a new thread to answer your question. |
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Location: Metro | That is so awesome. I definitely need to make it back out to millacs |
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Location: Otsego, MN | Awesome fish, nice pics and video. Fun to watch! |
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Posts: 3136
| A world record out of Mille Lacs would be worth keeping,,,this would be a great testament and compliment to the Minnesota dnr muskie program to produce something like this in a program that's not really that old could preserve and expand their budget, Might help in getting more waters stocked too. |
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Posts: 69
| Once again, thank you all that have chimed in with the kind words. Dominic and I by no way shape or form tried to make this fish anything that it was not... The pics speak for themselves. By myself stating that I believed it was a contender for the WR meant just that. Not that is was the new world record (because it was not weighed), but that based on tried and true formulas this fish is in that 58lb neighborhood where the current WR stands putting it up there with the top fish. Best part of it is she is still swimming and next year she will be bigger! The release video will never get old! Dominic and I are still in shock over what we accomplished, and I think it is going to take a very long time to get off this high...And I am okay with that!
Dean Block |
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Location: varies | Hey Dean, what did she eat? using planer boards?..
Are there any deets your willing to share on your circus side show freak of nature slob of a honey catch?
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| Wow! Thats really all I have to say & Congrats to the anglers! |
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| Propster - 11/30/2015 11:42 AM
bturg - 11/30/2015 9:41 AM
Again and to be clear...are we trying to figure out what the biggest muskie ever caught was (impossible) or the biggest one that someone bothered to kill and document.
And that folks is the conundrum...we will NEVER know for sure what "The Record" is.
Bob, it seems you are saying that because of the shenanigans that many of our muskie forefathers pulled, any attempt to establish a "modern day record" falls short as a true accounting of a world record for this species. Do you feel that the new record keeping is merely identifying "the biggest one someone bothered to kill and document"?
To an extent yes. Example: I have a buddy up in AK whose son has about ten "World Records" in a bunch of different categories...line test, age group, etc etc. None of these are "the biggest one ever caught" but they are "WR". Like the exceptional fish caught on a fly rod earlier this fall..."a fly rod record". If the fly guys have their own record do we also need a trolling, casting and live bait record ? In the end any record fish is unlikely to be "the biggest ever caught" it is simply the one that someone bothered to document to a standard recognized by a specific record keeping agency. Simply put there is no way of truly knowing what the biggest muskie ever caught is...the guy who caught it may have let it go without another soul knowing about it...or not.
So that said some will want to keep records (and some will want to chase them) and the documentation of significant catch's is always interesting (I have read and enjoyed all of Larry R's books) but "the record" is always going to be a paper champion of sorts, at least in my opinion.
Again what a hog along with a host of other hogs that have graced these pages and the screen of my phone the last month or so...congrats to all involved !
Edited by bturg 11/30/2015 5:01 PM
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Location: Plymouth, MN | Simply amazing! Congratulations and great job on clean release!! |
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Posts: 69
| rodbender - 11/30/2015 3:03 PM
Hey Dean, what did she eat? using planer boards?..
Are there any deets your willing to share on your circus side show freak of nature slob of a honey catch?
Yes she was caught using a planer board, & I will say that there is only one lure in the world currently like it though, and it's currently in my basement:) Other than what is in my original post that's all I am willing to share with the world at this time... |
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Posts: 161
Location: Chicago, IL | Congrats, Dean and Dominic. I think you guys finally convinced my fishing partner who despises trolling that it is where it's at for the best chances at the biggest fish in a given system. Especially in the fall. Congrats again.
Kevin B |
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Posts: 46
| The best way to get past all the "world record" BS is to over and over again release and document fish in the world record category. Then the world record will become as irrelevant as the MN state record.
What self-respecting muskie fisherman would keep a fish to get the MN record when they know the "record" has already been beat so many times? Rise above it. And forget about every so-called record keeping organization ... unless, of course, that organization aligns with our C&R values and ONLY keeps records of released fish. What a modern idea!
Great fish and great RELEASE boys! |
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| dblockjr - 11/30/2015 6:18 PM
rodbender - 11/30/2015 3:03 PM
Hey Dean, what did she eat? using planer boards?..
Are there any deets your willing to share on your circus side show freak of nature slob of a honey catch?
Yes she was caught using a planer board, & I will say that there is only one lure in the world currently like it though, and it's currently in my basement: ) Other than what is in my original post that's all I am willing to share with the world at this time...
I'd have a hard time fishing with that lure again. Then again, I'd have a hard time NOT fishing with it again, too.
Congratulations!! |
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Posts: 75
| Congrats !! |
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| John23 - 11/30/2015 7:47 PM
The best way to get past all the "world record" BS is to over and over again release and document fish in the world record category. Then the world record will become as irrelevant as the MN state record.
What self-respecting muskie fisherman would keep a fish to get the MN record when they know the "record" has already been beat so many times? Rise above it. And forget about every so-called record keeping organization ... unless, of course, that organization aligns with our C&R values and ONLY keeps records of released fish. What a modern idea!
Great fish and great RELEASE boys!
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!
Thank you! |
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Posts: 98
| Did you have a scale on the boat? |
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Posts: 157
Location: Lincoln, NE | "The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope." - John Buchan
The coolest thing about this whole thing is that it's still OUT THERE. Will it have the same girth next year? Will it get to 56x30? 58x30? 60x30? Will it ever get caught again? That is what keeps us all up at night. Because of them, your very next cast or trolling pass could be THE ONE.
He said "world record contender" not "shattered the world record". Also how bad would it suck to kill a fish you thought was the world record, only to have it fall a half pound short and all be for nothing? I think they did the right thing.
I congratulate both of them on the catch and on the release. Because of them we all have another shot at this fish. That is a selfless act that benefits everyone who is in this sport. I don't think it needs to be "recorded" in an organization's record book. It has been recorded right here with pictures, story, and video. I'd rather see these pictures and watch the video than see some faceless guy's name from 1960 on a list somewhere. |
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Posts: 251
| Congrats, an amazing catch! Also a great release. State/World record quality even if not in the books.
Edited by timhutson1 12/1/2015 10:33 AM
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Posts: 556
| Congrats on a GIANT FISH--Great job documenting length plus girth---And the FANTASTIC VIDEO of it swimming away---WOW !!! you guys did it right !!!! |
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Location: Ontario, Canada | HUGE fish, great pics, especially the release shots! Thanks for sharing them! |
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Location: St. Lawrence River | Superb fish. |
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Location: Minnesota. | Jerry Newman - 11/30/2015 12:10 PM
IMHO, these gents did a remarkable job of truly authenticating this catch for us, and deserve even more credit than if they had kept it.
For me, this says it all - especially those last 11 words!
Jeremy.
Edited by Jeremy 12/1/2015 11:04 PM
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Location: Forest Lake, Mn. | I think someone is going to have to build a new addition onto their house just to hold the replica of that beautiful beast! Congrats on a huge fish. |
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Posts: 833
| Fantastic Catch, congratulations! Thank you for sharing your time with such a specimen with the rest of us. That fish is what the chase is all about. |
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