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| I want pictures of Muskies over 48". Please post them here, on this thread, with a short story about the catch. This one runs to Jan 1, 2003.
The winner will get their choice of any Scroll art piece from Worrall's Woodworking (see worrallswoodworking.com), a NEW MuskieFIRST 7' Graphite rod, built specifically for us with our logo on the rod, and a shot on the front page. The judge will be the immutable Zach Boudreau, mystery man.
We are looking for photo quality, and the quality of the story. Let's ROCK!![:bigsmile:] [:bigsmile:] [:bigsmile:] [:bigsmile:] [:bigsmile:] [:bigsmile:] | |
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| Here's a 50 I got this year. Fishing bullrush. I actually explained the story in another post, but here goes again. We were fishing shoreline bullrush that extended out about 100 yards or so from the shore. There were some areas that were patchy, so we could throw our spinnerbaits into pockets and crank em out of there without ripping any of the whips out. I kept the boat about 15-20 yards from the rush, that way we get the lures deep into isolated pockets, or make short casts along the edges to cover more water.
We came up on a patch that was 30-40 yards out from the shoreline bullrush (which you can see in the background of the picture), so I flipped a cast over my shoulder, and behind me to this isolated patch. I was facing shore keeping an eye on the bullrush edge I was following. Looking in the opposite direction as I began to reel......BOOM! Fish hit! Imagine facing 12:00, reeling in a lure from 6:00, with the rod pointing at 3:00. Not the ideal position to set the hook, but it worked. The fish took several POWER runs in the shallow water, taking drag out of my Calcutta each time until it jumped, twisted, and flipped on it's last run.......that was it. In the net, 50 1/8", and released to fight another day.
LOOK AT HOW GREEN THE FISH WAS!!!!!!!
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/Picture 100.jpg[/img]
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| [img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/Picture 004.1.jpg[/img]
Here's the release! It was quick! | |
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| The link for Worrall's Woodworking is at the bottom of this post. On our site you'll find the muskie photo plaque (now with a bigger picture area) and the muskie wall plaque that many of you have seen on this site along with about a hundred other things, with new items added every week or so, depending on how much free time my wife and I have.
Good Luck to all.
Brian | |
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| The conditons were right with a good northwest wind and cloudy skies I figured the fish in the reeds would go. Papa joe and Mikie were with me in my Tuffy as we aproached the spot. We were pitching spinnerbaits, little topwater and I had a custom white squirko with an orange tail. We moved two mid fourties fish then as I was in mid retreive when a nice fish 47" class smashed my bait. Gave me two good head shakes and took a dive...before I could say get the net she came unpinned. We continued on and I pitch the bait up into a pocket of reeds. Two jerks and WHAM..I got another one.
He jumped completly out of the water like a monster with a wide open jaw, just shaking her head. She landed and then swam by the boat like a torpedo with a full head of steam after her fanastic jump. Papa Joe was net man and got her on the second pass by the boat. Mikie jumped on the trolling moter as it was windy and I did not want to drift thru the reed bed.
The muskie had eatin the entire Sqirkko and had the front hook in the back of her tongne. I got out my snippers, and got the bait out with the use of jaw spreaders. We got all the cameras together and I took her out for her 10 second show. Then we let her go and she took off like a flash. Team work in the boat makes it very much better. Thanks to Papa joe and Mikie for doing such a good job with my third largest muskie.
48.25"
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/DSC01800.3.jpg[/img] | |
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| It was the our first match in the MFWW. We decided to head to Chautauqua Lake in New York on a hot and humid Sunday. We just bought two new 10' out rods with lead core line with our hand made fcarbon leaders and ready to put them to the test.Stopped to rent a boat and found out it was fish for free weekend. Things are starting to look up, so we got our gear loaded and out we went. No clouds and the temp is rising by the hour. Mid 80's by 10:00. The lake was a zoo by 9:00 and it was getting very tough to troll. We were doing battle with every thing from the Chautuaqua Bell to kayakers and four Amish men in a row boat. Around 11:00 AM one of the new rods started to take line and we both looked to see a musky brake and jump out of the water. I told Judy to grab it and set the hook, she said no way you do it,I do not want to be the one to lose that fish,you do it. So I grabbed the rod and the fish was all ready hooked good. After a short battle a nice 48"er in the boat. About 1 hour later the other new rod went off and we boated a nice 37". We really like our new rods now! Not bad for the first time on the lake.
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/0017.1.jpg[/img] | |
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| My good friend Don couldn't make our annual Canadian trip, so at the last minut I got my girlfriend to go and spend the week with me. We did pretty well boating a few fish, and losing a few as well. the fun all came to a head when on the last night of the trip we went to a spot that we both lost two fish a piece and one of hers was a beast. When we got to the spot there was a boat with two guys from Neenah aboard so we waited for them to finnish the drift. We started the drift where they had just been when the water erupted behind her Stan Durst Toipraider. I looked over to see 50+ inches of musky straight up in the air after it missed the bait. We finnished the drift and were going to make the 13 mile journey back to camp and work one last nice fish we'd seen there, but she said "lets drift this one more time". I agreed and we started over. She had a low forties fish grab her topraider at boatside, but the big one was nowhere to be seen now. We got to the end and I said "ok last cast of the trip Monica"(I'm not jiving ya'll either). She got her topraider in first and was putting in the back boat light as it was 10oclock. I got my surf stir 8 feet from the boat when it dissappeared. Long story short, first 50 was soon getting pupils dilated from Olympus flash!!!
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/my 50.5.2.jpg[/img]
Oh yeah, the owner of our lodge became convinced us Wisconsonites are built like cows and have an extra stomach or two to store the extra case or two of Labbatts. | |
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| Thanks for bending the rules Steve
Well it was Sept 16th, the day after the PMTT pros left town after the Cass Lake tourney. It was mid 70's and calm, a beautiful day.....for perch fishing with my wife and daughter that is. I didn't move any fish in the early AM, so after some perch fishing and a few hours in the water and on the beach with my kid, the wind picked up a bit out of the south and a slight chop started started to form on the surface.
"Looks like a good time to go give 'em another try." I thought, so we headed out for some mid-day plug slinging.
I went to a steep breaking weed edge and positioned the boat in 22' of water and started lobbing an 8" Shaker in Pastikas White Chrome Flash. I must admit, I never would have been throwing white if it hadn't been for Slamr telling all of his success stories.
I was trying to land my casts on the weed edge and then jerk-jerk-pause...my way back to the boat. I was letting the pauses last as long as ten seconds or so hoping to trigger fish that I thought would have moved deep because of the sunny conditions.
Well, on cast number 5, during one of the pauses, a fish slammed my lure. First it came to the top with it's mouth wide open looking like a white 5-gallon bucket splashing around on the surface. Then she dove deep down the break. I followed her out to 30 feet of water and let her do all her fighting out there away from the weeds. After several powerful runs, she was slid into the net.
We drifted almost to shore while I was cutting hooks, so I told my daughter to hold the video camera and my wife to grab the still camera as I readied the measure board. I slid her out of the net and took a quick measurement and then stepped right out of the boat with her for the release. My daughter came in the water as well and petted her while I walked her around.
Having stopped at the Mall of America on the way up, she thought petting stingrays and sharks was cool, but petting a muskie was much cooler
Beav
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/Cass-Lake-9-16-02.3.jpg[/img]
<*BEAVERTAILS~{.....not TALES
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| Hey Guys,
Thought you might enjoy this pig. I am concerned that it was only 47"....but with a 25.75" girth, i thought they might let it slide.
Here is my oldest of three children, Weston Hunt, 12 years old in this pic, with a 47" pig we caught out in the West Arm, of Eagle Lake. It was truly exciting.
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/Picture 015.jpg[/img]
It was getting near sunset, and we'd seen this fish earlier. I ran the same depth we'd seen her before, but to no avail. So, I ran out off of the edge, and the water exploded about 25 feet from the boat. Weston kept his composure, and didn't set the hook on the explosion. He continued to reel the Slammer Top Dog in at a slow, steady pace.
The fish lunged at the bait for a second time, at the side of the boat. I was in the back, and hollared for him to take it around the front of the boat. And like a magic trick....abbra cadabbra, the fish ate the bait as he went from one side of the boat to the other.
The fish fought and screamed line off the real. I was totally sure it was his 40....but, after netting her, a measurement, it worked out to about 37 pounds.
I was proud of this 12 year olds nerves of steal. Definitely one of the best musky fisherman I know!!
Donnie
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| I vote for Weston Hunt... Donnie, and he's a Packer Fan to Boot!!!
Great job...
Still haven't figured out how to post a picture, but why after that seeing this fish..
WOW!!!
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| Great fish Weston!
This also proves my point that any fish held by Jason Smith or Scott Jenkins will always look bigger than people of my stature. From now on, I'm holding all my fish for pictures from a kneeling position[;)]
Beav | |
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| Hey guys,
By the way....even though this fish looks huge, it will really show you the size, when you realize my oldest son is 5'9", and 180 pounds.
Thanks for the positive input...yes, we ARE Packer fans!
Go PACK!!
Donnie [8)] [:bigsmile:] [8)] [:bigsmile:] | |
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| Hey Guys,
Here's another one, then I'll send one more; a 48"er of my 8 year old Colton caught in Indiana.
This is of my oldest son Weston's 51"er he caught on Eagle 7/6/01. We had fished hard all week for just a few smaller fish. It was a tough week, especially considering Weston hadn't caught one fish on Eagle all week.
So, we were on the last day of our 6 day trip. I caught a 46"er at 5:15 p.m., a 44"er at 5:40 p.m., and a 47"er at 6:20 p.m., while each time I caught a fish, I'd pass my bucktail onto to the little fella. At this point, I was up 5 muskies to zero for the week on Eagle versus Weston. I was feeling frustrated for the little guy too!
We went to a weedbed I'd fished all week....never having seen a fish there. Then, all of the sudden, he sets the hook high and HARD!! I look over to hear him yell, "This isn't a weed dad!" (He had set the hook on 596 weeds for the week!) As I heard the words leave his ever gaping mouth, the fish cleared the water by 4 feet. It beat me down by 3 seconds, I let out such a whoop, hollar, and skip!! The battle ensued!!
It was aweosme to see the fish wrestling Weston at boatside! I couldn't believe the power, in which this wonderful, toothy critter, put on this earth to enhance our worth, had. She was magnificant!
I scooped her up quickly, when I had the chance. I couldn't believe how big she was. I was so happy for Weston....and NO, it wasn't a tear in my eye, I think a bug got in there....or was it a blade of grass....or my finger. Who knows? But the happiness that followed was the greatest day of my musky fishing life. The love shared between father and son, in such a triumphant moment, is second to none.
Anyway, I wish you all a great 2003!!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Donnie [:)] [;)] [:)] [;)]
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/Picture 016.2.jpg[/img]
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| This is my largest for the year 51" caught in canada. Had it up three times the day before I caught it. It always followed a granny same spot a nice shelf off a point with scattered boulders dropping from 5 to 10 feet of water with scattered cabbage growing in between the boulders .Classic ! The next day 20 min before moon rise we hit that spot I took about 10 casts with my favorite topwater with no show. Dropped my topwater rod picked up my cranking rod with that same granny she followed the day before dropped it right where she always came from and second jerk she slammed it.Right after she slammed it she went air bourn and then stayed deep. Caught her the day before the full moon.[:bigsmile:]
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/51Canada 2002.1.gif[/img]
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| I caught this 54.5 monster on LOW on Sept19, 2000. My partner and I had seen this fish several times durung the week. After dinner we walked down to the boat and both felt it was a big fish evening so we decided to run and gun our big fish spots. Our third spot of the evening was a great spot with reeds turning into a weedy bay which turned to a point running a 100 yards out to a rock reef. We had seen the fish on the flat between the point and the reef. As we were turning out of the bay I remembered a small hump in open water to he outside with a few weeds on it. I turned and fired my favorite after dinner lure, a black with white stripe burt{skunkburt} to the hump. I must have landed it on his head, the first pull the fish had it and the fight was on. After a five minute battle the fish came to the net and I finally remembered to breath. We kept the fish in the net for a couple seconds while my partner got the camera a 60 inch tape out. Our 48 inch ruler was no match. After a couple quick pictures the fish was released to fight another day. Watching her swim away was awesome. Jim
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/jims musky.5.jpg[/img] | |
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| Hi Guys,
Thought I'd keep posting a few as the week went on. Here is a picture of a solid 49.5" that could of gone 50...
Good friend and boat partner many weeks each year, Craig Eversoll, caught this beauty on Eagle Lake, about 2 miles from the boat landing. It was a brutal year the first week of November up there this year, but we suffered through it. It paid off!
This was the largest of 5 fish over 45" for the week. Craig was throwing a bait made by his father, Johnny Eversoll, that is called the "Granny."
We set up in about 22 feet of water, and started heading north, and fishing the tip of this finger that comes off of an island right in Vermilion Bay. I was budy setting out the sucker, when Craig made his second cast. He set the hook hard, and his rod doubled over. The excitement was unbearable. It was 8:40 a.m., and we had just started for the day.
After a long, tough, head thrashin' battle, the beast came to net! I was the second happiest fisherman in Canada at that point.
Ten minutes later, Craig caught a 44"er....awesome start, eh?
Hope you are enjoying these pics!
Donnie
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/Craig.Eversoll.110102.49.5.4.jpg[/img]
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| Thanks Jason... it was thick from one end to the other and to tell you the truth it fooled us when it was first visible. The two guys in the front of the boat didn't feel me set the hook and because of all the gear we were wearing they didn't hear me say "there's one" either. The water is very clear so the first view we had of it was one of those 'head swinging / mouth wide open' deals - pretty cool.
I've caught longer fish but I must say this is one that I'm pretty darned happy about. Fishing with three great guys and caught on my Dad's bait - pretty cool.
Craig | |
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| Musky Alan,
I would love to see the pic of the 49"er!! It is sometimes tough to post a pic.
This is a buddy of mine, Rich Matzelle, holding another fatty from Eagle Lake.
Donnie
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/matzellepig.1.jpg[/img]
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| I speak with no fork tongue. (A poor attempt at humor if you checkout the musky's tail). This is a picture of my 49 incher caught this August at Lake of The Woods. I caught it the last morning of the trip. I had prevously caught a 40 incher that we worked for three days that was raised on a spinnerbait, topwater, and a crankbait, and finally got her on a Marv's spinnerbait. Anyways I decided to try the area again the last morning, with a crankbait was bumping rocks, I thought I was snagged then pulled on it and then I felt the head shake and hit her with all I had. She bulldawg through the whole fight and brought me to my knees twice. This so far is my best fish of the year. Good Fishing, Al
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/Scan2.2.jpg[/img]
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| Here is another nice fish we got this year! It was fun. We were fishing the new moon of September. I was fishing with a new friend, and good musky angler by the name of Dave Fladten. We had planned a trip to Andy Myer's Lodge with the Capital City Chapter of Muskies Inc., and the Michigan Muskie Alliance. It was a blast.
Anyway, we were throwning Granny's, made by Johnny Eversoll, and Bull Dawgs. I had a huge fish try to commit suicide, just 15 minutes prior to catching this beast.
This beast ate an all black Dawg in the sun, over 33 feet of water....it was awesome!!
Donnie[:praise:]
[img]http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/files/Fladten 35 lb.jpg[/img] | |
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| Zach will have this one judged tomorrow...stay tuned![:bigsmile:] | |
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| so who won it? | |
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| who won? | |
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| Commanche Jim's first shot was Zach's choice, followed very closely if not tied by the Eversol shot submitted by Donnie. The stories were also close!
The winner is Commanche Jim!!!!!!!
Honorable mention goes to ALL the rest of the shots. All are spectacular, and the stories great. Thanks to everyone who submitted a picture. Donnie, it would have been a lock had you not been so honest. The nearly perfect picture of that hog in a young man's grasp is a classic, but the fish was 47".
Commanche Jim, go to worrallswoodworking.com to select a plaque, and call Brian to order the piece. Congratulations! The rod is ordered, I am hoping for delivery in early Spring.[:bigsmile:] | |
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| TTT, just to be sure the winner responds! | |
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| BTTT, just to be sure the winner responds!
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| Gentlemen, thank you very much. This is the first contest I have won in I don't know how long. In fact, I can't remember winning a contest at all.
Thank you. With all the other great pictures of those hogs, I didn't think I had a chance. Maybe the story helped, as it was a pretty lucky catch considering the circumstances I put myself in. I look forward to the woodwork, the rod, and the picture on the home page.
Muskie First Rules
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| Steve,
Did Zach judge this? My vote is for Weston!!
Donnie [:bigsmile:] [:bigsmile:] | |
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OK, new CONTEST!!!