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Location: Appleton,WI | 1,057 fishermen entered the 26th annual National Championship Musky Open in Eagle River, WI, over the weekend, with 153 muskies being caught and released.
Winning first place was Blair Best of Appleton, WI, who caught four muskies measuring 42 3/4, 39, 36 and 35 3/4 inches. Taking second place was Ken Wienke of Marshfield, WI, who also caught four muskies measuring 38 1/2, 36, 36 and 35 1/4 inches.
Eric Larsen, owner of the Rubber Hairy Tackle Co., caught three fish and placed third with 47-, 41 1/2- and 38 3/4-inchers. You needed three muskies to place in the top five.
Largest musky of the event was a 49 1/4-incher caught by Brian Pettingill of Indianapolis from Catfish Lake on a spinnerbait. Second-largest was a 49-incher by Jim Scharl of Waupun, WI, from Plum Lake on a twin-ten bucktail.
The winner of the tournament boat was Don Pestka, owner of Super Slayer Tackle Co. and one of the tournament's most ardent supporters. Don has donated thousands of lures to this event for use as door prizes and has fished the tournament for as long as I can remember.
The event was filmed by Discover Wisconsin for a show about Eagle River that will air sometime next year. In fact, a DW film crew was on the water Sunday morning talking with and filming Todd Perigo of Rhinelander, WI, when a 42-incher suddenly showed up and Todd caught it in a figure-8. The entire catch was "caught" on film. Todd and his wife, Barb, won the husband/wife trophy ... Barb also got a 39 1/2-incher.
Congrats to all the successful anglers!
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