Something to shoot for...

[imgonnamisshim]

Here is a new goal for everyone this year...

Hall of Fame upholds Spray's world record muskie catch

ROBERT IMRIE

Associated Press

HAYWARD, Wis. - The muskellunge that northern Wisconsin fishing great Louis Spray caught in 1949 can keep its title of world's largest, the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame decided Monday.

The Hall of Fame's board of directors rejected an Illinois fishing group's challenge to the record, saying the group used flawed science in trying to prove Spray's muskie was smaller than he claimed.

"The world record muskie record will not be overturned. We feel in many ways it has been further validated by our investigation," Hall of Fame executive director Emmett Brown said after the board voted 8-0 with three abstentions to deny the group's challenge.

The World Record Muskie Alliance contended the muskie - listed at 69 pounds, 11 ounces - couldn't have weighed that much and said Spray, who some call the Babe Ruth of muskie anglers, "perpetrated a fraud of historic proportions."

The alliance hired a company to analyze photographs of Spray's muskie - the mount of it was destroyed in a fire in 1959. The study, which compared Spray's known height and the fish's reported 63 1/2-inch length, concluded the fish weighed no more than about 55 pounds, suggesting Spray filled it with something before it was weighed.

But the Hall of Fame's board decided the alliance's analysis was "inconclusive at best" and its own photo analysis suggested Spray's muskie was around 63 inches, Brown said.

Rich Delaney, president of the Woodstock, Ill.-based World Record Muskie Alliance, said the decision shows the Hayward-based Hall of Fame is biased in favor of a northern Wisconsin fisherman, and the record will continue to divide muskie anglers.

"I really believe there are very few people outside the people in that room today who believe in the fish," Delaney said. "I would say the story has hardly gone away."

Brown said the Hall of Fame's investigation should end the muskie controversy, but he acknowledged it probably won't.

"I suppose there is some people who won't let it rest. They are free to think along those lines, but we have put it to rest," Brown said.

The alliance, formed two years ago, contends Spray - who was 84 and forced to use a wheelchair because of arthritis when he committed suicide in 1984 - even persuaded a taxidermist to make the fish longer to perpetuate the hoax.

But at least 10 people who saw the weighing and measuring of Spray's muskie signed affidavits, Brown said.

"The documentation was very well put together. It was comprehensive and left no doubt about what the people signing the documents saw and witnessed," Brown said.

In a 93-page report submitted to the Hall of Fame board, the alliance claimed Spray was an "incredible cheat" who figured out a way during lean economic times to make money off his large fish.

The board called the alliance's challenge an unfair attack on Spray's character and noted he received only $30 in merchandise from a magazine for the record fish.

Spray's fish was the world record muskie from 1949 to 1957, when a muskie caught by Art Lawton of New York in the St. Lawrence River got the honor. Spray's fish got the title back in 1994 when a Hall of Fame investigation proved the size of Lawton's fish was exaggerated.

The next-largest muskie behind Spray's is a 67 1/2-pounder caught in July 1949 by Cal Johnson, a one-time outdoors writer in Minneapolis.

A replica of Spray's muskie is prominently displayed at the museum in the "Louie and Inez Spray Memorial Room." The shirt, pants and shoes Spray wore the day he hauled the fish out of the Chippewa Flowage fill one display.

His muskie is one of 4,000 records involving 125 different fish species recognized by the Hall of Fame.

[lots of luck]

The National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Shame may be the new title. Way to protect your guy Hayward, WI.

[Random guy]

Quote:

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and the record will continue to divide muskie anglers.

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Exactly what we have all got from this debate. Yes Mr. Spray was one heck of a musky angler, was his musky the record it claimed to be? That I believe we will never truly know. I think too many factors that can not be verified will always leave this as a mystery to what fish was the record and what fish was not the record.

I look at this whole debate in a different light, all of the record fish involved in this debate are big impressive fish and all should be admired as good catches by good anglers. I have better things to figure out like where my next big muskie is going to come from.

[ddsbyday]

I just wonder if someone hooked a 63 1/2 incher would you kill it for a chance at the record. I don,t buy the record and I don't much care either way. Fish like humans can have hormonal problems causing rare but dramatic differences in size. Had this fish been returned to the water many offspring could be showing up now. Generally these genetic anomalies have a much shorter life span than the average for the species so I would be interested to know if any age testing was done on the fish. To bad a scale from the fish wasn't saved because I am sure the technology exists to determine what the fish had for breakfast the day it was caught. If not it will be coming soon.

[imgonnamisshim]

I thought it was super interesting how much information there is out there about this debate. I have yet to hook a "big one" (well actually hook anyone), but I've heard the challenge and the fight is awesome-I can't wait. I'm curious though as to why it is coming to a head again now. I'm also curious as to why there had to be a group over and above the World Record Muskie Alliance to deal with this matter.

As I said before, I am definitely behind on all things muskie, but I am curious as to what has caused the debate. If anyone can fill me in, I would appreciate it greatly.

[Scoot]

OK- I'm editting my post to not be quite so hot-headed.

I don't agree with this decision and I believe that politics played a large role in the decision making process. Nothing I can do about it except go catch my own 63 1/2 inch monster.

Have a nice day.

[TMan]

Enough already..."can't we all just get along?" Those who let themselves get wrapped up in the record debate will be divided. Those of us who only care about our own next conquest will be at peace. As MLK said, "I have a dream", and right now mine is about a double nickel with an insane girth.

June is only 5 months away fella's (And gals!).

Tackleman

[Cooter]

I'm like Switzerland here but does anyone know how big the critics think it really was - both length and weight?

Also, even if the Spray fish was determined to be smaller than claimed, would not another Hayward area fish become the world record? Just think if you look at it that way the bias factor aspect from the HOF becomes less of an issue.

[Hockey Guy]

None of this will matter anyhow next year. I plan on turning in a 75" 80-pounder by the end of next season. I've been fattening-up my neighbors yippy little ankle biting toy poodle! I just know he's going to make great bait by next season. Does anyone know where I can buy a good shark fishing hook?... I might need one of those.

[TMan]

Hockeyguy, 80 incher huh, tell me that wouldn't look like a surfacing submarine when it came up... Make sure you use a quick strike rig, it'll help to keep your neighbors little ankle biter lively and swimming for it's life a little longer...yip yip yip - sploosh!

Yeah, I know, I'm getting bored of ice fishing already....

[Random guy]

I would dye the poodle fur red first.

[Cooter]

If anyone is interested in Pete Maina's thoughts on this subject, he has an article in the beginning of the latest Esox Angler.

Red poodles? Maybe we could start a breeding program aimed specifically at a producing shiny, red coated ones