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| huge fish released by Dale MacNair on the St. Lawrence this weekend...WOW.
57" x 33"
nice work Dale!
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Wow, what a fish! Congrats to him! |
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| gotta love the east coast...nice fish swim out that way for sure. Nice catch and release...Ben |
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Posts: 129
Location: Glenmoore PA | wow, amazing fish and release too! |
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Location: Twin Cities | That's awesome, stupid big! Thanks for letting her go! |
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Posts: 1636
| WOW! |
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Posts: 210
Location: VA | WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats on a real PIG!
DR |
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Posts: 25
| Amazing!
Congrats to the angler who caught it! |
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | HOLY MARY! I ran the numbers in a calculator and got 77.59 pounds!!!! |
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| Awesome fish and congrats to the angler! It doesn't even look very long because of how freaking fat that thing is! Unreal. It says a heck of a lot about the angler to release a world record class fish.
Edited by Baby Mallard 11/30/2008 8:54 PM
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| Wow. what a pig! Looks like world record potential to me. We'll never know. |
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Location: Illinois | Very nice fish CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! |
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Posts: 480
| That's what is all about , P - I - G ! congrats to all aboard, looks like they make a great team. Duff |
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Posts: 720
| How do you descirbe something like that. What a truly amazing fish from a truly amazing body of water.
Congratulations,
Dave |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | Thats not so big! My 4 year old is almost half the size!
WOW!
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Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Monster. Probably a world record by weight as discussed at the Symposium by Dr. Casselman.
Mr. Ramsell, what do you think? Unbelievable release! |
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| Yep, record.
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Posts: 1270
| Truelly a HUGE fish but it sounds like it wasn't weighed so it's no record. |
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Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Not officially. He released it. Doesn't change how undeniably huge the fish is.
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Posts: 180
Location: Kinkaid Lake, IL | UNREAL...Nice release on a true world class fish. Props to the angler for his ethical decision to release her back to the system. What did she eat? Let me guess. A Believer??? |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Now thats a fish. |
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| Wow, that is amazingly full. That is the most incredible fish I have ever seen. Congratulatons and to put it back says so much about you. I wonder what it has been eating?
Neil Michelin |
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Posts: 2024
| Dale's catch is one for the books. Gigantic is an understatement. Further proof that the St. Lawrence has that "something special" quality few other bodies of water possess.
Having snorkeled the St. Larry a couple times it is EASY to see how such large fish can grow in the system. I've never seen suckers or perch as big and in as many NUMBERS as in that system. Despite the rampant over-harvest and battles with VHS that the St. Lawrence has had over the years, it is still awesome to see it kick out dream-like fish pretty much every year.
Congrats again, Dale! |
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Posts: 1060
Location: Medford, WI | AWESOME.....SIMPLY AWESOME to finally have somebody catch a fish of this caliber. And the best part....the release! Obviously, a true sportsman. Congratulations on a beautiful fish!
-Jake Bucki |
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Location: Right Here | Amazing.... Congrats.
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Posts: 556
| thats a huge fish |
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Posts: 271
Location: davis,IL | A truly incredible fish, I think it would have been interesting if he had kept the fish, what would the controversy be regarding it's weight and weigh in. Who would he need as a witness to the weigh in to calm all the nay sayers? |
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Posts: 1530
| truly a slob. to some the species is far more important then records. .congrats to the anglers that looked beyond. |
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Posts: 1296
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | Mr. Worrall:
I believe Dale has accomplished something that we all dream about. There is no question in my mind that this is one of the largest, if not the largest (known) release EVER!
Was it a potential world record? Perhaps. Unfortunately we'll never know, but fortunately for the water where caught, it was released. The genes from that monster can only help to rebuild the VHS devestated trophy fishery in the upper St. Lawrence River.
To put things in perspective, formula's built from "dead" fish should not be applied using measurements taken in the heat of battle on a "live" fish. I do believe however, had that fish been kept, it would have qualified for our new Modern Day Muskellunge World Record Program's minimum of 60 pounds! Please don't take that comment to infer I think it should have been kept, quite the contrary for the reason noted above.
I believe all muskie anglers should rejoice over this fish which proves that the occassional exception to the rule does indeed exist out there in trophy class waters. My hat is off to Dale for the catch of a lifetime; many lifetimes actually. That he chose to release this giant is a great tribute to him and all release muskie anglers. |
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Posts: 1086
| Woooooow! Too cool!
Amazing.
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Posts: 134
Location: (South of the 218) | I like to let my kids hold my fish - that way, the fish look bigger!  I don't think that Dale would need to use that little "trick" in this case.....holy schnikees what a catch! - Awesome.
Out |
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Posts: 4266
| Holy Crap!!! My hat is off to you.
Some guys walk the walk, but you just ran a marathon!
What a way to start the winter 
Congrats,
Beaver |
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Posts: 468
Location: Not where I wanna be! | Truly a remarkable fish!
Congrats on the trophy of a life time! |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | Unreal size on that thing; my most sincere congratulations!
S. |
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Posts: 2361
| I don't concur with 60 lbs. nor a weight record, but holy cow what a fish! What a release! And the fish of not only one lifetime but many, many lifetimes. Wow.
I would give anything to know what that thing had in it's belly. Looks like thanksgiving dinner and a small child! |
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Posts: 221
| Now you have to wait till I catch one that big for your replica!!
Amazing. Hats off for release it. If it were me she'd be comin home. That fish is worth some $$.
Darcy Cox |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | CPR record for sure. Trolling? Sucker? Lure? We need some details. |
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Posts: 292
Location: SW MI | OINK, OINK! What a hog! Congrats |
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Location: Des Moines IA | Gander Mt Guide - 12/1/2008 8:23 AM
CPR record for sure. Trolling? Sucker? Lure? We need some details.
By the looks of the mast and huge boards, I would guess he was trolling. I compliment the angler on the release. How do you get a replica made of a pig like that? I hope that if it were me, I could release her as well. |
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Posts: 342
Location: Passaic, NJ - Upper French River, ON |
"The McNair Fish."
Congrats Dale on catching a great fish, releasing it, and getting one named after you.
Can we get the details ?
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Posts: 311
| Rick has a 57"X30" mold from a fish that was brought in a couple years ago from a "special lake". He'll have to add some mass on to the body to achieve that enormous girth. He has done it many, many times, therefore a replica can be made.
BTW, Awesome catch Dale.... |
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| I can't imagine the fear I would have seeing that monster attached to my line. I would probably stop breathing until it was in the net. PANIC CITY!!!
L X G/25-10=65.24 lbs. A world record maybe but not for sure. |
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| For those of you wondering what he was using, I think it was a seal on a quick strike rig.........
Amazing Fish!!!!!
Edited by muskydeceiver 12/1/2008 10:20 AM
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Posts: 335
Location: Minnesota | I can't get over the mass on that fish. Just lifting that fish out of the water is an acheivement.
If he ends the year on that fish does he smile all winter?
Congrats on an absolutley huge freak of a musky. |
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Posts: 561
Location: Monee, Illinois | Very nice fish |
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Posts: 193
Location: Mayer, MN | Not knowing the fisherman, he looks to be a sturdy built gentlemen. That fish in my scrawny arms would look even more ridiculous. Especially considering I have the same waistline as the fish at 33".
Can't wait to read about more details. |
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Posts: 699
Location: Hugo, MN | muskydeceiver - 12/1/2008 6:20 PM
For those of you wondering what he was using, I think it was a seal on a quick strike rig.........
Amazing Fish!!!!!
ROFLMAO!!!!
CONGRATS TO DALE WHAT A PIG AND LOOK AT THE BACK ON THAT THING IN THE RELEASE PHOTO!!! |
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Posts: 1296
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | Just talked to Dale on the phone and boy is he ever excited! He plans on getting the catch details out soon. He did tell me the fish jumped clear out of the water when fighting it!!
By the way, saw on another post that Dale is around 300 pounds... |
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Posts: 74
Location: thunder bay | congrats dale that's a moster a fish we all dream about |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | unreal. |
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Posts: 2067
| Oh my, you have to love huggin a fat girl!!! |
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Posts: 413
Location: Madison WI | That fish is an absolute freaking monster!! Congrats dale on the fish of a lifetime. I really wonder what that fish has in its belly because it looks like it ate a medium sized dog. This fish is truly one of those very few "super fish" |
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Posts: 654
Location: MPLS, MN | I wonder how huge it would look with a verticle hold, I mean this guy not only didn't wack it he supported the fish in every way. Congrats! |
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Posts: 1636
| I really wonder what that fish has in its belly because it looks like it ate a medium sized dog.
Fish actually start developing eggs this time of the year... so add that to a couple meals and you got a huuuuge belly! |
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| WOW!! That release shot is unreal! Obviously, it looks huge in the other pics, but I've never seen a release shot on a fish that big. Awesome!
Congrats on the fish and thank-you for releasing her! By the looks of it, you guys were probably battling some pretty cold conditions! Way to go!
-Chris
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | NICE FAT FAT FAT FAT FAT PIG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Someone on one of the posts said the fish made a jump out of the water, WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CPR AT IT'S BEST !!!!!!!!!! |
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Posts: 576
Location: WI | That is the most incredible release photo I will ever see!! |
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Posts: 568
| flat out jaw dropping. !!!!! any idea if the whole catch/release story will be told to some media outlet ? would love to read the whole story --- looks like it was caught after dark ! dedicated anglers ! |
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Posts: 250
Location: Pittsburgh, PA | wow huge fish
how many of you would have released
i dont think i would have |
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| how many times that fish was caught before dale???10,20 who know that prove 1 thing cpr work
congrats to you dale!!! |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | AWESOME! Doug Johnson |
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Posts: 5
| See some pigs have fins. Great job on a great Muskie!
Gary Enos |
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Posts: 129
Location: North Metro - Twin Cities | Unreal! Is it the biggest since Ken O'Brien's 65 pound 58 x 30.5? |
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Posts: 271
Location: davis,IL | Stupid question here but!! is this fish entered in the "Big Fish Contest"? I had entered a 51.5" in July, and would love to win a free replica, but, anybody who can boat a fish like this and then be enough of a sportsman to release it, I think should win the contest. Hopefully a couple molds would be made to bring to the shows, I think all of us would love to marvel over this impressive fish. |
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| My Friend, You have won the Muskie Lotto.
Congrats, what a fish. |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Very impressive, congratulations!! |
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Posts: 130
Location: Chicago | Well done, Dale!! |
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Posts: 1237
Location: South Portsmouth, KY | Nice! Oink Oink!! |
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Posts: 162
Location: East Troy, WI | i'd love to see what that fish eats in a week... looks like a whale!!! thats seriously crazy big |
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | I keep going back and looking at that FAT belly...and it is NOT just the side facing the camera...look UNDER the fish and you can see it has another bag of MASS hanging off the side of the fish nearest the angler....like it has big saddle bags hanging off either side of its frame...unreal...congratulations to a true sportsman. |
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Posts: 2024
| The bulge is almost rectangular shaped. Maybe she ate the Christmas Story "Lamp Leg" box ("Fra-gee-lay. That must be Italian."). lol
The other interesting thing is the fish appears to have a relatively small head for the size of its body. She's well proportioned for her body. Is this indicative of good health? Could she have many more "fall feeding frenzies" before her time is up? Sure nice to think so! |
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Posts: 162
Location: East Troy, WI | yeah im going to post again because the fish is freaking HUGE... to quote Quint from Jaws "i seen one eat a rocking chair one time"
just think, someone will probably catch it next summer or next fall... that would be cool |
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Posts: 202
| I have to say that Mr. Spray better be happy that Dale is as big of a catch and release nut as he appears because she just might of bumped him to 2nd.
Way to go on an amazing catch!! |
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Posts: 4266
| After focusing our attention on the belly of that fish, I would guess that she is sporting 10# of eggs per sac at this time. It doesn't look like belly fat to me, it looks the kind of egg sacs that a world record muskie would have. Any biologist can back me up or put me in my place, but doesn't that look like the area for eggs and not for food?
Looks like that rig is made for trolling up big muskies in cold weather, with big rails and storrage for the Great Lakes type planer board set-up. And doesn't that belly...not the fishes.....look like it was just made to cradle a fish of world record proportions? A much better picture than some short, fat guy struggling to hold a fish up off the ground.
He'll be on The Tonight Show bythe end of next week.
Congrats to all who made that all possible.
Beaver
Edited by Beaver 12/2/2008 2:30 AM
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Posts: 2
| AMAZING FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazining Angler to release such a fish!!!!!!!!!!! this One will be talked about forever !!!!!!!!!!! Way to go Dale . Mauler |
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Posts: 221
Location: Detroint Lakes, MN |
This time of year muskies would be starting egg development.
But not be anywhere near full egg mass.
The fat they put on in the fall turns to eggs, so basically they weigh about the same now as they would with fully developed eggs in spring.
So, 6 of one 1/2 dozen of the other I guess.
That fish is crazy big. I really would love to know how old it is.
JS |
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| WOW! Will you take me fishing there someday? What a gorgeous girl!
MAJOR kudos for releasing her, too. You have my respect! |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | WOW,... A true Whopper!!! Congrats,.
I can imagin how hard it was to get out of the net.
Jerome |
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Posts: 8831
| I would like to have heard the conversation that went on when they first got a look at it. Gives a whole new meaning to the word "big", doesn't it?
Congratulations to the lucky angler! |
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| i wish to dale free believer for the rest of his life and a nice replica |
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Posts: 2
| well I have been thinking of this pig all day so I came home and measured my 9 year old that is only 52"es tall and weights 67lbs. damm that is a big fish congrats again!!!!!!! mauler |
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Posts: 311
| I just got off the phone with Rick, and Mr. MacNair has chosen LAX Reproductions to replicate his "once in many lifetimes" catch. According to Rick, he will try a have this fish done for the Chicago Show.
Congrats to both of you!!!!! |
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Posts: 1316
Location: Lebanon,Mo | Congrats to you Dale,looks like the St.Lawrence has proven itself again with monster fish. |
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Posts: 1887
Location: syracuse indiana | wow what a whopper.. and thus isnt burger king....bill |
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| Larry, Dale is bigger then I am and that should give you an idea of the frame holding that Monster!
Capt. Larry D. Jones |
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Posts: 5
| I just finished talking with Sal and Julie about posting this . We all would like to thank you for the praises and comments on releasing a beautiful Muskie back into the St.Lawrence River. yes the fish hit my rod , my lure , I landed the fish . But without Julie and Sal keeping the boat off the rocks , and Sal with a perfect net job . We would of lost this fish , or caused harm to her.
As she swam to the depths of the St. Lawrence all I could think of was : someday someone will have a chance to experience what we did and see her again and her grandchildren.
Dale MacNair
Ottawa, Ontario |
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Posts: 148
| AWESOME Dale- A huge congrats! Great photos too- hard to argue against the enormity of that fish - I wait all year for threads and photos like this!
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Posts: 193
Location: Mayer, MN | promusky63 - 12/3/2008 9:04 AM
I just finished talking with Sal and Julie about posting this . We all would like to thank you for the praises and comments on releasing a beautiful Muskie back into the St.Lawrence River. yes the fish hit my rod , my lure , I landed the fish . But without Julie and Sal keeping the boat off the rocks , and Sal with a perfect net job . We would of lost this fish , or caused harm to her.
As she swam to the depths of the St. Lawrence all I could think of was : someday someone will have a chance to experience what we did and see her again and her grandchildren.
Dale MacNair
Ottawa, Ontario
Thank you for giving us all something to help pass the winter months.
Are we going to get an interview Muskiefirst staff like we had for Neil Michelin's Huge Muskie? Can't wait to here the excitement in the angler's voice. |
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Posts: 299
| Congrats Dale! Great fish! Thanks for sharing the photo and putting her back. Thanks for validating super fish are out there, and that dreams can come true. Can't wait to see the replica. Rick Lax does a great job. |
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Posts: 57
| Someday? HOPE |
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| This is a seriously large fish, world class no doubt..but not something that doesn't occur from time to time on similar or the same bodies of water. It is nice to see one make the internet though... |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | "from time to time" being like once every 25 years? |
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Posts: 366
| Amazing catch. Congrats to the anglers who were there to catch and see a fish of this caliber. I have a better chance at winning the lottery, than I do ever catching a fish this size. Truly remarkable. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | This musky should be mounted on a DOUBLE SIDED mount by RICK LAX, THAT WOULD BE SO COOL !!!! that fish took a big jump out of the water when Dale was landing that BEAST. |
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Posts: 311
| PIKEMASTER - 12/7/2008 8:26 AM
This musky should be mounted on a DOUBLE SIDED mount by RICK LAX, THAT WOULD BE SO COOL !!!! that fish took a big jump out of the water when Dale was landing that BEAST.
Dale did order a double-sided replica. Dale will also be in Rick's booth during the Chicago show. I will definately shake his hand for letting this beast go |
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| awesome, can't wait to congratulate Dale in person!
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Well said "It says a heck of a lot about the angler to release a world record class fish"
Congrats on a fish of a lifetime. Living the dream. Even more cudo's for being a leader by example. Catch & Release is why fish get to grow this large.
I heard the boat by him got a look at it and said it was a sixty pound + class fish. You know it's a giant fish. Possible WR? It could have been but we will never know. He knows what he caught, thats what really matters. Sixty pounds release club. Thats something.
Nice to see her go back and produce more baby future World Records. "U DA MAN"
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | Breathtaking!! I cant wait to meet you Dale. We will be at the Chicago Show in the Pastikas booth. I will deffinately shake your hand. Hats off to you for being a great example to all other Musky fishermen and women everywhere. Michael and Michelle King, Talonz Wooden Lure Company |
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| Dale is up on cloud nine right now I hope over this accomplishment. She is out there, waiting .....To eat again. How hard do you think that water will get hit again the next year ? There are a few trophy hunters that get freshwater gamefish like that to eat on a consistent basis. Dale is, from what I hear a guy that does just that. Bob Crupi, Jed dickerson, Mike Long, Jerry rago, & Paul Duclos. All released world record bass, or near world record bass because of the CPR movement. That ethic was partially drivin home by Musky anglers....There are a list of names that go down in history...Dales is one of them.. |
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| huge fish...
i would have kept it.
congrats |
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Posts: 2
| Wow.Nice |
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Posts: 34
| 33" is bigger than my pants size!! |
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| My sincerest congratulations. Dale, you have stood at the mountain top! And then you went beyond and released the fish of every musky fisherman's dreams. It isn't about a record, it's about the fish. Thanks. My hat is off to a true fisherman.
sl |
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Posts: 1530
| wow now that i think of this . merry xmas dale. thank you for the greatest gift yet in the muskie world. releasing our future gift. |
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| The photo of the fish is fantastic!!! What a girth!! Congratulations to you on both the catch and release!!!! |
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Posts: 86
Location: Wauwatosa, Wisconsin | Nice big fat girl!!!! congrats |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | "Sixty pounds release club."
If him and I got ours on the same day, he'd be in the club by himself. Zero doubt. How did Rick do the mount when there wasn't another one to make a mold from? |
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