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| Hi everyone,
If you have ever fished the Rhinelander Toyota Hodag Muskie Challenge, Thanks for fishing it, if not this year might be a good year to start.
This year is a year of change for the Hodag! New prizes, new sponsors, more money and most importantly more fun.
Several changes are in store for this year that will make this tournament bigger and better than before.
-Rhinelander Toyota is our new major sponsor
-Heckels Eagle River Marina is another new sponsor
-$20,000 guaranteed first place prize! While this is not a change, it is worth talking about!
-This is probably the most exciting. If you are the first person to catch a 50 inch or bigger musky during this 2 day tournament you will take home a brand new 618 Ranger Fisherman!
The field is limited to 200 teams on 5 different “Lake Families” in and around Rhinelander. Entry fee is just $250 per boat for a chance at over $50,000 in cash and prizes.
Tournament dates are Sept. 19-21. With rules meeting and registration on Friday night and fishing on Saturday and Sunday. Entry forms can be obtained from the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce by calling 1-800-236-4386. More details are available at www.rhinelanderchamber.com
Thanks.
John Stellflue
Rhinelander Toyota
Hodag Muskie Challenge Tournament Director
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Sounds like a good time John, I'm looking forward to it! |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | sounds like a good tourny,anbody need a partner,pm me and we can talk about it. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | John forgot to mention, MuskieFIRST will be covering this event streaming LIVE from the virtual weigh ins. We may have a few 'coverage' surprises, too... |
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| Hey Steve is right, my bad on that one. Yesterday was a busy day for me. Thanks to Steve and M1st for helping us out!
One other thing that I forgot to mention that I will put up here now.
For years the tournament format was as follows:
Registration Friday night
Mandatory rules meeting Saturday morning where both people have to attend
Fishing Saturday and Sunday
Awards cermony Sunday afternoon
Many anglers complained that this format made it necessary for at least one extra trip to tournament headquarters. So this year with the price of gas being at or above $4.00 per gallon we are combining the rules meeting with registration! One less trip to tournamnet headquarters.
We are also going to have free beer and food on Saturday night with coverage of the days fishing from M1st.
Hope to see you there.
John Stellflue
Edited by Oneida Esox 7/2/2008 8:39 AM
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| Is the headquarters still at the Taj? |
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| Yes all tournament off water activities will be at the Taj Mahall.
John |
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Posts: 686
Location: Tomahawk, Wisconsin | In it to win it!! Great tournament, what happened to the polish princes from Salmo???? |
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Posts: 639
Location: Bloomington, MN | What happened to Salmo as the sponsor? The entry forms that I filled out 3 months were for the Salmo Hodag Muskie Challenge. It's not like I need another Salmo hat! Is there a 50" in the Moen Chain?? |
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| We are really looking forward to covering this event. We will we pulling all the stops on this one, showcasing some innovative new ways to cover a muskie event like no one else has done before.
Zach Boudreau
OutdoorsFIRST Media |
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| Hi Guys, Salmo was our sponsor for 4 years and this year they decided not to sponsor this year, so Rhinelander Toyota contacted us and they are very excited to be on board. The first mailing that went out did indeed say Salmo and quite honestly that should have been changed. That said a new mailing will be going out in the next few weeks.
As far as 50" in Moens, well my guess is that there is one or two in there!
Zach, we are also excited to have M1st on board. We are looking forward to what you guys do in terms of media coverage!
This is a year of change for the Hodag and myself and the new committee want to fill this tournament up again and pay out a LOT of money! I would say that if someone catches a 50 incher and the field is full we could give away over $75,000 in cash and prizes! Now keep in mind that the $20,000 for first place is guaranteed.
Hope to see everyone there.
John |
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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | Hey I just thought of something do we get any Toyota Cash if we catch a fish on a Toyota brand lure, like the $50 each day for big fish on a Salmo?.............hmm where do I get a Toyota lure.......I here they are starting to toss the Prius in MN because the #10 cowgirls aren’t quite doing it with so many people tossing them, plus they just don’t belong on the road up there. The problem with the Prius is that you need to reel real fast because the battery really weighs them down.
All kidding aside, I know John has been busting his hump for this tourney this year, there is no doubt it is going to be bigger and better than ever.
Nail A Pig!
Mike
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Posts: 686
Location: Tomahawk, Wisconsin | Best wishes John on the tourney, we are in as usual, Clark there is a 49.875 waiting for you on first lake!!!!!:) Thompson, George, Julia or bust for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | My partner and I have fished it for 20 years. It is always a great time.
What am I going to do with a Ranger Fisherman? Oh well, I have time to work that out!
Don't sign up for Crescent Lake, it is fishless! Go somewhere else! |
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Posts: 639
Location: Bloomington, MN | The Hodag Challenge is a professionally run and FUN tournament to fish. I had fished Pelican for many years (always skunked), and decided to be based closer to the tournament headquarters last year. If I hadn't booked about a year in advance, I would choose Pelican due to the 1 less required Rhinelander jaunt, except for the trip to pick up a check the size of a Prius hood and the new Ranger. The tournament only allows a certain number of boats on each lake/lake family so the pressure is not overwhelming. Since OutdoorFIRST is involved once again in this tourney, I think it would be great for the MFirsters to get together Saturday night after the free beer is gone! |
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Posts: 2361
| I hope to be prefishing at least a couple days for this tourney. |
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Posts: 714
Location: Rhinelander, WI | Hey all lots of room left in this tourney, and it's a great event. If you are planning on fishing it and haven't yet registered do so ASAP as the folks that are running the thing will really benefit by knowing how many people are planning on coming.
Nail A Pig!
Mike |
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Posts: 256
Location: Janesville | We sent are money in in june and have not heard anything back if we are in it and what lake group we recieved. Who would we call to verify that we are in . Thanks Matt |
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| Matt contact the chamber should be a number on the link Oneida provided. I also reg. in june and just recieved the reply.
By the way crescent has really been SLOW lately.......NOT!!!!!!!!
Good Luck!
Nail A Pig!
Mike |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | MRoberts doesn't know what he is talking about!
Crescent Lake had a total freeze-out last winter!
There was a chemical spill there this spring that has killed all plant life!
Three weeks ago a UFO crashed into the deepest spot in the lake and has been releasing radioactive wastes ever since! Everyone within 3 miles of the lake has been evacuated, and will not be able to return for 10 years or more! Hwy. 8 won't be open for atleast 5 years!
By accident the DNR restocked the lake with lampries, zebra mussels, Chinese Carp (the type moving north in the Illinois River), and gobies!
A 150' sinkhole has opened up at both the public landing and the private landing by the Bible Camp, leaving both unusable!
Somehow all the water is gone, (NASA saw it from space) it was just like the tragedy at Lake Delton!
This all is so, so, so sad for anyone who was considering fishing Crescent Lake during Da' Hodag!
I'm happy that I was able to provide a public service in that atleast I was able to let everyone know in time to register for another lake and lake group!
Good luck to everyone on their other lake choises.
My partner, DH Buc, and I will sacrifice our fishing time to patrol "the open sewer" that Crescent has turned into, even if it only saves the life of one fisherman!
Edited by Steve Van Lieshout 8/10/2008 12:05 PM
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| Is the bank still going to allow Heckel's be a sponsor with going bankrupt and everything? Doubt it. If they gave money or prizes up front, the tourney may lose it. You will want to double check on that part of it. |
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| HI, We've got the boat part of the deal covered. The first 50 incher caught will walk away with a Ranger 618 Fisherman with a 150 horse motor on it!
Once again, if you win the tournament and catch a 50 incher you could walk away with roughly $75,000 in cash and prizes.
Lot's of food, prizes, friendly conversation and a weekend of fishing that isn't like some tournaments that put a ton of boats on small waters. We really spread the teams out on the 5 area lake families.
John Stellflue
Tournamnet Director
Rhinelander Toyota Hodag Muskie Challenge |
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Posts: 639
Location: Bloomington, MN | Here's an EXCLUSIVE MuskieFirst.com member offer!!! If there are any boatless MFirsters out there that want to fish the Hodag and are willing to fish the Moen Chain (if there are any openings remaining) and stay at Larson's Resort (www.larsonsnorthaven.com), I will bring my boat for thier use. Larson's as of this evening still have 2 cabins open for that weekend. Larson's is a registration station, and their cabins are the Cat's Pajamas. The charge would be to fill up the 6 gallon gas tank if all is used, buy me a beer, keep the boat on Moen Lake, shallow fishless lake 2nd , the Hawg Trough 3rd Lake, or have me trailer to the the lovely lakes named "4th & 5th" due to Pelican River Rocks if pre-fishing(but not during the tourney), and if placing mention my name when you are on the stage when you are getting the BIG check. This is the lake chain you will probably get your name on the board, if not win it on since the horrific tragedies that have happened recently on Crescent (#*^@ radio-active UFO's). The boat is a 16' 4" w/ a 82" beam Princecraft w/ a 40 HP Honda tiller, two trolling motors, interesting spacious front deck, two depth finders, a GPS, and a portable live-well with the pump good enough for the short jaunt on the beginning of the Moen Chain to the dock with your 40.75" with non-substantially barred bronzey markings on your Hodag fish. There is/was a bar with great food within walking distance from the friendly confine's of Larson's. Thursday night is fresh farm raised, smacked on the Noggin Todd/Stearns County (insert banjo music "here"), MN T-Bone steak night at the cabin called "Pine"!! Body count notice is required. If you are totally interesrted in winning the tournament and with a 50" for the sparkle craft, please contact Larry's Landing on Pelican Lake due to the convienent landing and Hallmarky level lakefront accomodations, and be sure to bring GOOD coffee for Larry!! If you are sincerely considering my offer, please P.M. me or email me at [email protected]. 38 days untilthe Hodag Muskie Challenge Time!!!!
Edited by Clark A 8/11/2008 11:00 PM
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| Matt, I just checked and you and your partner are locked in on Crescent.
See you in Sept.
John |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | Good news for those who used to fish Crescent Lake before the travesty (noted above) of bad luck that hit the formally beautiful lake, the DNR thinks that the lake will be fishable in only 3 years! 2011 will come soon enough! |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | do you need a live well to move the fish to get measured,if not what could you use if you need one.Also do they allow one man teams,I called and there is still openings,I asked a buddy if he wants to fish it with me if him and I can get off work,but I could end up fishing solo if they allow it, in my crappy boat. |
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Posts: 639
Location: Bloomington, MN | Pelican will have judge boats, since it is the only lake that does not allow transport of fish under 50". The other lakes require a "container" large enough to transport a live 34"+ muskie to one of the registration centers. If no one needs to use my boat, I will bring my portable live well for their use on any lake. |
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| Casting55, you can fish the event alone, but the entry fee will still be $250. There have been solo fisherman in the past. You do need a suitable container to transport a fish, unless you fish Pelican.
John |
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| Has any one heard or know the where-abouts of Steve Vanbussen. Is he fishing the Hodag or not? |
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