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Location: north central wisconsin | I am sure most here, have heard and read about the 1955 Leech Lake Muskie Rampage. I was just wondering if anyone had a couple photos of this event that could be blown up to a large size. Thanks in advance!
Edited by Reef Hawg 4/3/2008 10:27 PM
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Location: Apple Valley | Reefhog,
Check with Outdoor News. Seems like every year they do a story around Minnesota muskie opener with pictures. Maybe Rob Kimm can help you out.
Brian
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Location: north west wisconsin | http://wcco.com/local/Finding.Minnesota.Walker.2.368767.html |
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Location: north central wisconsin | Thanks guys. I did find a few more pics, and got them to 'upsize' pretty nicely. Cool vid' Floyd! |
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| NORTHERN PIKE & MUSKIE (ISBN: 0865730377)
Sternberg, DIck
This book has a horrific shot of a group of guys with two or three dozen fish haning from a line. I bet it took that lake a full generation to recover from that slaughter. |
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Location: north west wisconsin | is it this one?
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 MUSKIERAMPAGE.jpg (41KB - 269 downloads)
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | >>>(same pic)
Edited by stinger 4/4/2008 3:48 PM
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| You got it, the second one is what's shown in Sternberg's book. Just imagine if C & R were in vogue back then... |
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Location: So. Illinois | What do you think they did with all those muskie? Its hard to imagine that they all went to the taxidermist. The average size on these fish is amazing. |
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Location: north west wisconsin | most likely they kept only the big ones and they probably ate em. |
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| This is a good reminder of why I/we practice C&R...
Some nice fish though  |
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Location: Minnesota | If you are going to use them, I would get permission since these are copyrighted photos. Some are from the Walker Pilot, there are a few around from the Grand Rapids newspaper, and a few from the Cass County Historical Society.
Here are a couple that I had scanned for something else.
(OldCassCounty126 (Medium).jpg)
(OldCassCounty114 (Medium).jpg)
(OldCassCounty095 (Medium).jpg)
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OldCassCounty114 (Medium).jpg (89KB - 1044 downloads)
OldCassCounty095 (Medium).jpg (63KB - 402 downloads)
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| I know a local place where you might just get to see something like this once in a while..that's nuts! |
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Location: (South of the 218) | brmusky - great photos...
did you get permission to post those? And what project was it that you were using those for? Just interested?
- I've seen something similar with LOTW Northerns from the early 80's - I think it was Cal's Resort.... I'd like to have some of those photos scanned if you know anybody that could help me with that.
out |
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| You can either right click on the images here to save them to your computer, or hit print screen then open a photo editing program and open a new file, hit paste, and then crop out the picture and paste it on another new tab..then save it as a jpeg |
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA | crazy how big and many they keep back then
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Location: North Metro | Not really surprising to me that they kept those fish. That was the culture back then. There was about ZERO fishing pressure on Leech Lake and Muskies were still hard to catch and when you did get one, YOU KEPT IT!. How would you really "Let it GO?". No matter what the little harvest there was back then, it most likely didn't make a real impact on the fishery. Think of the limited ability of anglers in 1955- no GPS, no sonar, no fancy and efficient rods/reels. What type of boats and motors were available in 1955? Nothing like we have today. Our ability to fish effectively today and the rising interest in muskie fishing has no doubt more of an impact on muskies than at any time in history. This statement echoes how important catch and release really is right now. |
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Location: Iowa | I know one of the guys in that picture - one of my grandma's friends. I have never gotten to sit down and talk to him about it.
Cast-n-Blast, I think you nailed right on the head and I don't think anybody could of said it better.
Jeremy
Edited by jwelch 4/8/2008 11:43 PM
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Location: north central wisconsin | There were articles written about 'angling' for Muskies on Leech as far back as 1897, that told of taking 300 lbs of Muskie from the lake one day and only 200 the next. A fair weekend, the author said. The fishery did become depleted, which was partly to blame for the clamor for a stocking program in the early to middle 20th century, finally taking hold in the early 80's. While, the methodology was crude back then, people were still effective, lawlessness abounded, and fisheries did realize impact. Luckily, the native lakes in MN have the best track record anywhere of natural reproduction, which saved a fishery from collapse back in the day.
Edited by Reef Hawg 4/14/2008 10:41 AM
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Zero fishing pressure on Leech back then?
You are quite mistaken.
Killing of muskies most certainly had an impact in those days. In the 70's and 80's catching a 50"er, even seeing one was much more of a rarity than today.
The change isn't due to stocking, but C&R.
JS
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Location: MPLS, MN | You didn't need a GPS to catch Muskies in Portage Bay in those days. Too bad those weed beds have mostly disapeared. |
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Location: Hastings, mn, 55033 | "That said, people like to talk about how the catch and kill mentality had run most rampant in WI. With 900+ Muskellunge waters here, it was just more glaring here, than it was on the 40 lakes with Muskies in MN 50 years ago. Harvest was as big of an issue there, relative to the number of lakes where it was possible."
Unfortunately the "catch & kill" mentality pervaded for a bit longer in WI. Harvest continued to be a factor in many places in WI through the mid '90's and may still be in some localities. |
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Location: North Metro | OK-maybe my statement of "about ZERO" fishing pressure was a bit exaggerated, but I was just using it as a way of comparing the apples to oranges in my point that there were just a fraction of muskie anglers who exclusively pursued muskies in 1955 as compared to today. Yes I certainly understand that catch and release is responsible for the phenomenal fishery we have here in MN and do my part to release them right as well. Just wanted to clarify my statement. |
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Location: north central wisconsin | Harvest continues to be a factor in MN as well. I actually see a good number of harvested fish, and pics of such when over in my favorite haunts there. Other than little johnny's and incidentals, it seems the stocked/introduced lakes, especially, in MN have quite alot of folks who'd rather they were not there....
That said, this wasn't meant to be an us against them thread. I'd love to see more pics from the Rampage of 1955? Does anyone else have relatives or friends who were around then? Was it just relegated to 1955, or were there more 'glory' years out there, that were just not given the press? Also, I am not interested in debating the harvest of fish, either, during the 'rampage' as I am just researching the fact that people were just plain catching Muskies wide open for a period in time for several reasons.
Edited by Reef Hawg 4/5/2008 11:05 AM
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Location: North Metro | I don't think this has turned into an us against them thread at all. I hope no one read any defensiveness into my last post, I just wanted to clarify what I said. I think it is a good discussion on an interesting topic.
Dan Craven knows a lot of what happened during the 1955 Rampage and has written at least one article about it in Esox Angler I believe a few years back. You may want to contact him if you are interested in getting more info? I am sure there are others on this board that know more about the History of Leech Lake as well. |
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Location: north central wisconsin | Cast and Blast. Hey, you've added some very insightful and thought provoking discussion to this thread. I think you are definately right. We should stop to think and realize first off that people back then, kept every fish of every species they caught, end of story. And, as you said, if technology had been much better, they'd have realized a bigger impact alot sooner, possibly?....
Thanks for the tip. I think I'll contact Mr. Craven. Some great stories came out of Federal Dam back then. I also talked to Larry Ramsell, and I am pretty sure that the books I just orderred from him, have some information regarding the great summer of '55.
Edited by Reef Hawg 4/8/2008 11:03 PM
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| Cast-n-Blast - 4/4/2008 9:09 PM
Think of the limited ability of anglers in 1955- no GPS, no sonar, no fancy and efficient rods/reels. What type of boats and motors were available in 1955? Nothing like we have today.
Maybe this means we don't need $50,000 worth of crap to catch muskies. How on earth did they catch them without GPS, sonar, lures that look so real people try and eat them occasionaly, $500 reels that almost cast themselves, rods that could be part of the space program, line that could pull a Mack Truck, leaders that are invisible under water, etc. etc? How on earth did they catch fish??????? |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Nothing wrong with the advancements made in the sport since the 50's, on all counts. |
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| No argument with that at all. The point I was trying to make was I think we all, myself included, fall into the trap of the next newest and better thing. Comment doesn't fit into this tread well, just came to my head. I like the new stuff just as much as the next guy. |
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Location: Rhinelander. | I'd like to know what could have triggerd such a bite. Be interesting to know the weather pattern for two weeks prior and the week after. Was it an extreme front?
I have no clue but know back in the late 70's I recall a sat in june that was strange. It was first sat. in june and my friend and I saw more muskies in one day then I had ever seen in any one month. They followed like crazy and we caught our share that day. It hit 90 degrees and that night,you guessed it as it froze. I think a front of that proportion can really make them crazy.
Maybe some kind of hatch that the muskies were keyed into also that could cause this. Anyone have any thoughts on it?
Pfeiff |
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Location: north west wisconsin | from what i have got out of everything ive read just looking for photos for Jason is that it was extremely hot for a couple weeks before that and all the tubilees had died, dead fish floating everywhere, so their food source was scarce (sp) i read that somewhere i dont remember where but im sure there is more to it than that. |
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Location: Rhinelander. | Thats for that reason. I figured something fairl drastic had to happen to cause such a frenzy. Thanks again........Pfeiff |
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| Last summer Don, not too far from Rhinelander, I witnessed people walleye fishing and pulling out a musky every 5 or so casts. It was a typical fall day, the front moving through was not too big but was one of our last good storms of the year last year. I still have no idea what was going on, it had to be a major abundance of baitfish or something. Not sure if I should say where the spot is just because of how many people literally hammer it each year, and each year there are more people. That day the biggest fish pulled out was a 49.5" 33lb beauty caught by a guy who had just brought my dad a big walleye to mount from the day before. It was exciting as all hell to watch, until a husband wife and 2 kids about 14 and 17 showed up. While talking with the dad about musky fishing and how crazy this was, and hearing about how his kids have caught 800 muskies combined over the past few years (He really said that, I'm not making it up), I was watching one of his kids over his shoulder, he must have had really good eyes let me tell you..because 3 casts in a row he hooked a different musky on, not in the mouth either. After watching a little longer I gathered that these kids were intentionally trying to snag the fish. I said my peace and they left. It was one of the sickest things I've seen in fishing, especially when the mom was on the other side cheering them on..I mean cmon what do you do in a situation like that? I think we will being seeing a lot more stupid stuff like that to come, just with how many more people each year are becoming interesting in Musky fishing.
Long story short, how many of those leech lake fish in the pics were caught by not snagging em? This day I am talkin about, the fish were willingly hitting like bluegills on crawlers..but I think some of the ones these kids were snagging were fish others were releasing and were recuperating. I wish I was alive back when Muskys were "abundant" in our area, I know they still are good in numbers but I wonder how many are as big in some of the lakes, as shown in that pic..that's pretty nuts! |
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| reading about the July 1955 musky massacre over coffee this morn, I found this detailed and informative article the delves into some of the questions in this old thread
https://sportingclassicsdaily.com/when-the-muskies-went-wild/
Edited by curdmudgeon 4/28/2024 6:54 AM
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| sworrall - 4/6/2008 12:30 AM
Nothing wrong with the advancements made in the sport since the 50's, on all counts.
how did the quote age re: FFS? just joshing, its all good.
time goes round, tech advances, fish get hammered harder, or do they? Those 1955 guys sure slaughtered a lot too with ancient gear. In fact, low-tech gear in this case probably killed some muskies from spooled reels or broken line leaving musky swimming away with lure lockjaw. Not to mention the culture of the days.
Edited by curdmudgeon 4/28/2024 7:05 AM
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Location: Duluth | Saw a big GB fish on another forum. Guy said it was. 60lbs because he put it on a scale, but released the fish.......
Picture is of him doing vertical gill hold. Some things don't change |
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| CincySkeez - 4/28/2024 10:22 AM
Saw a big GB fish on another forum. Guy said it was. 60lbs because he put it on a scale, but released the fish.......
Picture is of him doing vertical gill hold. Some things don't change
The guy was a walleye fishermen on the Peshtigo river. He was not fishing musky and may not know anything about holds, etc. Accidental catches happen. |
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Location: Chisholm, MN | curdmudgeon - 4/28/2024 7:04 AM
sworrall - 4/6/2008 12:30 AM
Nothing wrong with the advancements made in the sport since the 50's, on all counts.
how did the quote age re: FFS? just joshing, its all good.
time goes round, tech advances, fish get hammered harder, or do they? Those 1955 guys sure slaughtered a lot too with ancient gear. In fact, low-tech gear in this case probably killed some muskies from spooled reels or broken line leaving musky swimming away with lure lockjaw. Not to mention the culture of the days.
There could be easily more fish caught on a given day on leech now. You’d just never know it. They all go back mostly unharmed. |
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| Kirby makes a good point. The story of Suick lure was that it got musky for 30 straight days from Pelican. Guessing all or most got thumped. With a 50" limit, doubtful that many musky are kept from Pelican (legally) in a decade. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | curdmudgeon - 4/28/2024 7:04 AM
sworrall - 4/6/2008 12:30 AM
Nothing wrong with the advancements made in the sport since the 50's, on all counts.
how did the quote age re: FFS? just joshing, its all good.
time goes round, tech advances, fish get hammered harder, or do they? Those 1955 guys sure slaughtered a lot too with ancient gear. In fact, low-tech gear in this case probably killed some muskies from spooled reels or broken line leaving musky swimming away with lure lockjaw. Not to mention the culture of the days.
Given that was 16 years ago, it ages pretty well. HUGE advancements in all technology since then. |
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Given that was 16 years ago, it ages pretty well. HUGE advancements in all technology since then.
It does age well and I thank for providing such a thoughtful forum over the years. |
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| Curdmugeon thanks for the Classics article.Best 'summary' I've ever seen.Most all of the well known characters included.Pence,Arnold(almost in diapers then),Ogle,Utke,Chuckie Neruerer,Bridge.A notable omission would be Roger Halvorson.
Good stuff. |
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Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | I concur with DickP on all counts! |
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| Larry was a great story of these fish in his Compendium book along with above mentioned Northern pike & Muskie book and Muskie mania book. My mom's family is from Deer River and my great uncle left there in the 40's to start a lumber company here in Colorado but he went back on vacation in 1955 and got a 36 pounder during the Rampage and lost a fish over 40# fishing on a launch when a lady reeled her lure over my uncle's line and the fish got off. I have not been up to there town in years but my uncle had a picture of all the Muskies in his office. Next time I'm up there maybe if it's still around I could get my relatives to give it up. |
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