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Posts: 129
Location: North Metro - Twin Cities | What an awesome way to thank our veterans! Great job organizers, sponsors and guides and thank you vets for your service to our country!!!!!! |
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| the last day of an event like this one is always a mix of emotion: sadness that the trip is ending, but a real appreciation of what was experienced at the same time. Chris Piha's comment spoke for many when he said, "this has been the best week of my life!"
Thursday's fishing was hot and cold, depending on what boat you were in! Pete Maina and his pair of vets scored 3 in the morning, and Ed Spoerl's boat was visited by 5 muskies, including 2 45 inchers!
a surprise announcement today was that Joe Fittante donated a replica of the largest fish caught during the week. John Kriesel will have a repro of his gorgeous 49"er courtesy of Fittante Replicas!
for the last night the campfire was a busy place full of true relaxation for 20 of the most deserving veterans you could ever want to meet. a number of these vets saw combat up close and personal, and some spoke about how long it took to start to feel "right" once they got back home, if at all. one of Operation Muskie's goals is to help that happen for these guys, and if only for a week: mission accomplished!
(09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Mike 033b.jpg)
(09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Trent 101.JPG)
(09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Trent 114.JPG)
(09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Randy 2 001.JPG)
(09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Randy 2 002.JPG)
(09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Randy 2 010.JPG)
(09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Paul 013.JPG)
(09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Mike 055.JPG)
(09-07-03 Op Muskie 2 Mike W 029b.jpg)
Attachments
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 09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Mike 033b.jpg (173KB - 172 downloads)
09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Trent 101.JPG (38KB - 160 downloads)
09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Trent 114.JPG (49KB - 193 downloads)
09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Randy 2 001.JPG (126KB - 167 downloads)
09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Randy 2 002.JPG (145KB - 176 downloads)
09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Randy 2 010.JPG (106KB - 165 downloads)
09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Paul 013.JPG (103KB - 165 downloads)
09-07-02 Op Muskie 2 Mike 055.JPG (252KB - 168 downloads)
09-07-03 Op Muskie 2 Mike W 029b.jpg (128KB - 180 downloads)
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| additional coverage of Operation Muskie 2 can be found:
John Gillespie's Waters and Woods
http://www.thenextbite.com/tv/john_gillespie
television show, July 11-12
Milwaukee: WVTV Channel 18 - Sundays @ 10:30AM
Chicago: COMCAST SPORTS - Saturdays @ 9:00 AM (Beginning Oct. 2, 2004)
Chicago: TRIAX CABLE - three times per week (check local listings)
Minnesota: FOX SPORTS NET - Saturdays @ 9:00 AM
Grand Forks Herald / Northland Outdoors
articles by Brad Dokken this Sunday, July 5th.
http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/index_articles.cfm?id=125204&prope...
http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/index_articles.cfm?id=125205&prope...
http://www.grandforksherald.com/
Pete Maina's The Next Bite
http://www.thenextbite.com/tnb_tv
television show, January 2010
Mills' Fleet Farm "Field N' Forest" Outdoor Journal
article by Doug Peerbolt, spring 2010
http://www.fleetfarm.com/mff/company/newsletter.jsp
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| Operation Muskie 3 is tentatively scheduled for August 2010.
fundraising is already underway to help make sure that another group of our nation's best get a first-class thank you from the muskie fishing community.
YOUR support made it happen this year. thank you!
if you'd like to find ways to help for next year, visit the Op Muskie website:
http://www.operationmuskie.org/
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Way to go guys!! I am so proud to see another event like this, pulled off in honor of our veterans. Great to see the fish turn on for the last day as well. Equally satisfying to see Ed do so well last year in my absence, and kick some butt again this year putting his vets on some great fish. That guy flat eats, drinks, breathes LOTW Muskies. OM is so lucky to have him and all of the great guides for the week!
Cannot wait for the 2010 OM activities to get rolling, as I sure hope I can make that event to honor our brothers.
Lastly, thank you Mike for the great coverage. It has been a pleasurable week, seeing the smiles on our troops' faces, while staying with Frank Walsh at his Baystore camp, the finest of hosts.
Edited by Reef Hawg 7/4/2009 8:44 AM
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Posts: 39
Location: IL | Anyone here what the final Muskie count was for the event? |
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| there wasn't a formal tally kept, and there was a strong emphasis on keeping things non-competitive. i think it was probably in the neighborhood of 20-25 muskies over 3 1/2 days of fishing. everybody got something, be it muskie, pike, or bass... |
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Posts: 468
Location: Not where I wanna be! | Fantastic Post & Updates!
Glad to hear it went so well! |
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Posts: 134
Location: (South of the 218) | My family just returned home from a week trip to Warroad to see the grandparents. I was away from M1st for the week but pleasantly surprised to see the Warroad Pioneer's coverage of the Color Guard and breakfast at The Patch. And then to see the Grand Forks Herald run the pix and story of the of the 41" Northern and the 49" Muskie caught by a deserving veteran, really warmed my heart on the 4th weekend.
Being from Warroad, I was proud of my hometown sending those guys off the right way. Being a Veteran myself, I was proud of the guys that got to get together under favorable circumstances and share campfires. And being a Muskie1ster - makes me proud to be a part of another brotherhood that's capable of doing great things.
Thank you to all involved in the unimaginable logistics.
Thank you to all who served.
out
Kirby
Count me in for 2010 - p.s. - walleyes were biting on the south end of the lake! |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | GREAT JOB GUYS !!!!!!!!!!!
I'm Hoping my son can make it in 2010, he is due home from Afghanistan next month after a 1 year tour of duty.
It sure will be good to be his net man once again 
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Been away from my computer for a few days, so I'm a little slow in responding.
As Mike reported it was a great event again. To meet and fish with the folks who help keep this country free was a great experience.
I'd like to thank all the folks at MuskieFirst who so generously donated their time and expertise to the very successful on-line auction which greatly contribited to the funding of the event. To all the folks who donated various items and guide trips we and the Vets thank you very much. We couldn't have done this without your support.
I feel that this is a very worthy cause, (I'm an old Marine), and it's one of the high lites of my guiding career to take a Vet fishing. Hope to do it again next year.
Thank you all very much!
Doug Johnson
Edited by dougj 7/8/2009 5:15 PM
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