Prediction- big ol' muskies

[Scoot]

I'm sure others have thought about it and commented on it too. If I had to guess, I'd say that the state record for sklunges is in serious threat in the very near future. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it toppled this fall. Also, it wouldn't surprise me to see the world record get knocked off in the next few years too. Anyone agree or disagree?

BTW, I'm not talking about yet another lame story about the one that was caught at lake X with no picture. I'm talking about an official change in record.

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Scoot

RodsbyEngel: custom made fishing rods

[Muskie-searcher]

I agree with you that the state record is in serious jeopardy of being broken. I am not sure the fish will be big enough to quiet all the controversy surrounding the different world record claims that are out there though. If I had to make my guess, I would pick the beast to come out of Mille Lacs.

[lots of luck]

Did either of you guys see my post of the Muskie that was caught and released on Mille Lacs a couple weeks ago. Look through the past posts, near state record.

51" x 29"

[RuKiddingMe]

I'm positive that the State Recrd has already been broken a few times over. The only problem is in this day of catch and release the fish are still swimming. I guess that isn't really a problem though is it... haha

As for the World Record, I'm very skeptical that the fish was as big as they have in the record books...

Only time will tell.

Now for the real question. If you had a fish in the boat that is pushing the State/World Record, what would you do, having no way to know for sure???

I have to beleive I would get measurements and pics and release it.

RU

[Muskie-searcher]

I have always said there would have to be absolutely no doubt in order for me to keep it. That said if I did catch a 65 X 30, or something so enormous that its life had to be on the decline anyway I might consider bringing it in. Otherwise if the fish was not a guaranteed 60 plus pounds I would be puting her back right where I found her, hopefully with a photo.

[outdoor ran]

I'm with rukidding. I think the state record will go down. I think the world record is bogus.

[squeedunk]

I think the state record will remain the same for a while because I think most muskie fisherman would release the fish if they caught it. I caught one in the fall of 2002 that many people have given me **** about letting go because it COULD have been the state record but I think I would release it again if I caught another. It was the prettiest sight in the world watching that fish swim back to the depths. And, yes I do have plenty of pictures so it is not a "fish tale". I know of several lakes in the state that have great potential for the state record, Mille Lacs, Vermillion, and some others I won't mention but I think the record is safe until some once-a-summer fisherman gets lucky and decides to keep it. There is too much talk going on with the world record for me to care about it anymore. I hope someone gets a 75 pounder to settle the arguement once and for all!
~Squeedunk

[Trailblazin]

The state record will not be broken by a muskie fisherman because most will let em go.

It will be broken by a walleye fisherman because he will bring it in.

As or me, I would probably let a state record go. If I know it is pushing a world record, it MAY have to come with me.

Cathc a Pig!

[TheGuy]

What do "they" say the world record is and what lake is it from?

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Get the Net!!

[RuKiddingMe]

They "Say" it's 69 pounds 11 onces caught by Louis Spray on the Chippawa Flowage.

RU

[Big G]

I thought I read an article where Louie Spray said he lied? Or am I thinking of another person? I just read the article about 2 months ago in the Musky Hunter mag.

The record will be broke soon in our state. Probably in the next year. The world record will not be caught here......... There are too many other bodies of water that produces much bigger monsters than our state..............

As for me, if I catch a record fish........its coming home with me..........I'm big on CPR, but sometimes it is getting out of hand..........Fish that big are going to die very soon, meaning they are towards the end of their life span. It is very possible that the fish may die if not handled properly because of the massive size. You see fish that big and they are bleeding, or they are being held wrong and it is "cracking" the back........Or the fish is sooooo big, they lay it on the floor........these fish may not die instantly, but they will expire very soon.

The only fish that has beaten the old state record is the current state record.........everything else is just a story.............

[Trailblazin]

The only record-keeping organization anywhere that lists the Lawton fish is the NYDEC. Both the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and International Game Fish Association ruled independently in 1992 to throw out the Lawton fish.

Among the many items in the evidence against the Lawton "world record" were additional pictures of the same fish as was submitted to Field & Stream magazine (which was the record keeper at the time). On the bottom of those very pictures -- in Lawton's own handwriting -- were the weights of the fish pictured, and on all of the photos EXCEPT the one submitted for the record, Lawton had written 49-8. His records also included two fishing contest entry forms -- one for a local contest, one for the Field & Stream record application -- and everything was identical on the two forms except the musky's size. On the local contest form the fish is listed at 49-8, on the F&S form, 69-15.

I have reviewed all of the evidence against the Lawton fish and have no doubt in my mind that the two current record keeping organizations acted correctly.

The Hall of Fame lists Louis Spray's 69-11 as the world record, the IGFA lists Cal Johnson's 67-8 as the record. The reason the IGFA does not list Spray's fish is because club rules stipulate that a fish cannot be shot, and Spray's was shot before landing. (Shooting fish before landing/boating was a common and accepted practice in Wisconsin until about the mid 1960s, when it was outlawed.)

[RK]

Hiya,

My guess is the state record has already been 'broken' a couple times. There are a couple fish that I know of that have been caught an quietly released that are beyond impressive. The guys that caught them don't care about records or anything else, and in fact they'd prefer to stay anonymous altogether (one I know would kill me if I posted his name here, much less what he caught). They just caught the things and turned them loose like they always do.

Scoot's right though - there's a window open right now in MN for a real monster to be caught. The first couple generations on Mille Lacs and Vermilion are peaking, as well as on a few other lakes that where muskies were introduced about the same time. Plus the fruits of catch and release are really beginning to show on many of the state's natural muskie lakes. And, there are a few low population density sleepers out there that can produce a giant. It's an exciting time to be a muskie angler in the state. And I get to go fish Leech this weekend...yeeha!

Cheers,
RK

[MJCatfish]

RK,
Well said. Good luck on Leech. I was there for 1/2 day a couple of weeks ago and raised two fish. They were monsters, going estimated 50 + each.

Please send a report as to how you do. No specifics necessary, just how you did.

Go get 'em-
MJ