# Potential World Record Musky....



## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

and it was released. A huge 57" x 33" musky caught in the St Lawrence River this past November. I guess a weight calculator estimates the pig to be just over 65 pounds. WOW!

http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=46505&posts=17&start=1


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## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

Crittergitter-
This truly is an amazing fish! I saw it in the beginning of December right after it was caught on the Muskyhunter website. The string of messages on the thread associated with this fish brought a lot of big names out of the woodwork! That type of fish is the reason most of us persue this amazing creature!!:B -Gabe


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## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

The fact that he released it speaks louder than anything he could say verbally. He deserves every good thing that will happen.


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## Muskie_Guy (Mar 14, 2007)

muskies inc weight calculator says

Length 57 inches 
Girth 33 inches 
Weight 77.59125 pounds


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## Blue Pike (Apr 24, 2004)

The fisherman -- Daie MacNair

Now that is no little guy holding that fish, and it still looks big.

Can't hide big. It look's bigger than Louie's, much bigger.


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## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

Dale is a 300lb man. I believe there that Dale and the replica will be at the Chicago show.


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## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

That fish is a blimp!!! BUT- I like the release photos more !!!


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

It sure would be nice to know what she weighed. Can't wait to read the story behind the catch. I don't know if I would have been able to let that one go..


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Here's an interview:

http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/watch.asp?id=1287
And here is the story...

http://www.fishinfo.com/fishing-articles/article_462.shtml


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

Sure can be classified as a Monster Fish....Beautiful..That St Lawrence River still has some surprises in it...Know of at least one with the Catch and Release of that big girl...Congrat's.
BIB BIG MUSKY....C.L....


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## Tall cool one (Jul 13, 2006)

That takes a real man to release that! Kudos to him for letting goood sense rule and not let his ego get in the way,TC1


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Awesome fish and a good story. Those St Lawernce muskies are beatiful.


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

I admit, it is awesome that this fish was released. The thing is, Dale MacNair and Sal have kept multiple 50+ inch fish in his day, and some people are questioning why he would keep say a 54", then release a potential world record. 



"How ironic is this: Sal and his fishing buddy Duckboat have been killing big fish to everyone's dismay for years, and when Sal gets this guy one I wish he had weighed to clear up the record books, back she goes. Oh well. All the more reason to take up a collection to buy Sal a scale, 
What a big fatty. No doubt record class."


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

MuskieJim said:


> I admit, it is awesome that this fish was released. The thing is, Dale MacNair and Sal have kept multiple 50+ inch fish in his day, and some people are questioning why he would keep say a 54", then release a potential world record.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is duckboat = Dale MacNair? According to the Larry Ramsell article, Dale has only been muskie fishing for a year and his previous best was 51.5 inches caught earlier in 2008. I have no way of knowing whether he kept the 51.5 fish and if he did, maybe it was too injured to survive...


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

Awesome fish man! Releasing a fish that is a potential record, takes a lot of balls! You got to give it to the guy, however it can never truely be acklowledged as a record if not weighed on a certified scale. That is, for some, the painful fact/truth. 

I'll guarantee that if I caught it and it was close, it would be coming home! So that makes him a better man????

After the days of Art Lawton, Louie Spray, J. J. Coleman, Percy Haver and more...there is no record unless it is certified. Not only by scale, but also by biological investigation. Most of you probably have never heard these names....Either way, there are consequences for releasing a fish or keeping a fish. Any angler should be prepared to handle both regardless of his/her decision....If it were me, and I released the fish, then everyone would know that it was NO record of any kind...if kept, it would be or damn close to it!


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

I completely agree ShutUp. That fish would be DEAD as a doornail. In my opinion, releasing the fish may be saying a little more than "I'm a catch and release advocate." I open admit and respect the fact that the fish was an absolute monster! But releasing it takes no more balls than killing it. I am 100&#37; C & R and have yet to keep a musky, but these guys who have been fishing for 5 years who think releasing the 20 fish they've caught makes them some musky pro get under my skin.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

I truly get it that for musky fishing the politically correct thing to do is to release all fish to better the fishery.....yada yada yada. However, what is the rate of return on such a release. This fish is 57"s long for crying out loud! Do we expect it to become 58", 59", 60"s? Is there a cutoff? Who's to say a 57" musky doesn't die of old age in February. No spawn, no future genetics, no more catching it. Seems kind of futile to me. Now, don't get me wrong. I have never caught a musky that I would even ponder keeping it or not. I hope to some day. If I feel it has a chance to age and grow then she'll go back. However, a 50-52"r in Ohio is in trouble in my boat, and the rest go back.

I don't fault this fisherman for releasing the fish. His fish, and his choice. I am just saying that I don't really get it.


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## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

Jim-after listening to the telephone interview of Dale Macnair; it reminded me of something. ***YOU STILL OWE ME A 10" Black Perch Grandma!!!!!!!!!!! Is it just a coincindence that the beast was caught on my favorite trolling lure? I THINK NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! -Gabe
*It was caught on a Jake though.-SAME THING:B 

 Maybe Jake Satonica will give you one since he almost barfed on you at the tournament last year.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

crittergitter said:


> However, a 50-52"r in Ohio is in trouble in my boat, and the rest go back.
> 
> I don't fault this fisherman for releasing the fish. His fish, and his choice. I am just saying that I don't really get it.


Oh LordThere he isIt feels like a big onePlease dont let me lose himIve never caught one this big before. Ill try not to horse him, and if I land him, I promise to release himand make a graphite replica if my wife says its ok. Thank you for the RapalasAmen.

critter -
I think you need to change your closing----You got some bad karma there...You tell the Lord you'll release the big one but you're telling us your gonna keep it......


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Snakecharmer said:


> Oh LordThere he isIt feels like a big onePlease dont let me lose himIve never caught one this big before. Ill try not to horse him, and if I land him, I promise to release himand make a graphite replica if my wife says its ok. Thank you for the RapalasAmen.
> 
> critter -
> I think you need to change your closing----You got some bad karma there...You tell the Lord you'll release the big one but you're telling us your gonna keep it......



Ha Ha Ha! That's just in my sig line cause I thought it was a funny commercial. I have kept plenty of big ones.


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

Jake Satonica (owner and maker of Grandma lures) and all-you-can-eat tournament buffets are one bad combo. lol. We sat next to him at our tournament dinner, and he almost barfed all over me. I would've demanded at least 5 free lures. 

Lets be realistic guys. We (the Musky Fisherman) are for the most part a catch and release community. Very rarely do you see a Fish Ohio musky kept just because. But we're not talking a Fish Ohio. If any one of us brought up an absolute boss that would beat the current state record here in OH, it would be very difficult not to keep. Let alone a fish that would compete with the WORLD RECORD. I said, and do, admire the guy for releasing this fish. But why? As Crittergetter said, how much longer could this fish possibly live? Granted, I'm not God, so it's hard to say if the fish is in her prime or on her way out. I don't think more of Dale for releasing it, nor do I think less of a guy for keeping a trophy fish. So why wouldn't you keep it ? Not even for the fame of having your name in the books forever, but even just for your own knowledge of knowing , THIS is how much the fish weighed. Instead, the guy has every musky website on the planet oggling.


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## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

Jim-
You do have to admit that Dale's fish in no way, shape, or form had the appearance of anything but- IN HER PRIME. That fish was not on the downslope at all and may have the genes to spawn many more broods with those same phenomenal genes! 
*I would say his heavy conscience(about murdering lesser fish) and serious doubts about the fish beating out the O'Brian fish influenced the release. The amount of pure speculation and uncertainty surrounding the fish are turning him into a celebrity even without having the record. Dale and his Rick Lax replica will without question be the number 1 draw at the Chicago show this weekend. -Gabe


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

MuskieJim said:


> Lets be realistic guys. We (the Musky Fisherman) are for the most part a catch and release community. Very rarely do you see a Fish Ohio musky kept just because. But we're not talking a Fish Ohio. If any one of us brought up an absolute boss that would beat the current state record here in OH, it would be very difficult not to keep. Let alone a fish that would compete with the WORLD RECORD. I said, and do, admire the guy for releasing this fish. But why? As Crittergetter said, how much longer could this fish possibly live? Granted, I'm not God, so it's hard to say if the fish is in her prime or on her way out. I don't think more of Dale for releasing it, nor do I think less of a guy for keeping a trophy fish. So why wouldn't you keep it ? Not even for the fame of having your name in the books forever, but even just for your own knowledge of knowing , THIS is how much the fish weighed. Instead, the guy has every musky website on the planet oggling.


I have to agree. I know if I had a beast to overtake Joe D Lykins fish I'd have to get it officially weighed. I took my nephew (12 at the time) up to the Niagara River for a muskie hunt and he hooked a 49". However even though it was a fall fish it only had a 19" girth and weighed I think 22 pounds. This was some 15+ years ago before C&R was so popular. The guide told us it probably was on the 18th hole of life so Nate ended up with a trophy for the wall...I'm still loooking for a longer fish as he set the bar high in terms of length....


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## Jackfish (Apr 15, 2004)

I think it's great it was put back.... even if this fish didn't have a spwn left in her, I would guess that alot of her buddies will swim free as a result of this. It would seem to make the guy wanting to mount his 20lb fish hesitate for a moment knowing one 3 times the size was put back. I think the release was great, and good for musky fishing. 

Some of the comments about them keeping other fish, could be alot of reasons for that. On this round, they did what they thought was best and hats off to them for that.


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

Jackfish said:


> I think it's great it was put back.... even if this fish didn't have a spwn left in her, I would guess that alot of her buddies will swim free as a result of this. It would seem to make the guy wanting to mount his 20lb fish hesitate for a moment knowing one 3 times the size was put back. I think the release was great, and good for musky fishing.
> 
> Some of the comments about them keeping other fish, could be alot of reasons for that. On this round, they did what they thought was best and hats off to them for that.


You think its great huh? Well you know what I think and KNOW is even greater? The fact that there are guys out there who fish 2 and 3 days a week for these fish and are releasing 30", 35", 40", 45", etc, etc. muskies over and over again....That, to me, is not only more impressive but also does way more to maintain and help our muskie fishery. The plain and simple fact is that it really doesn't make much of a difference whether or not that big hog was released, its one big old fish. More importantly, all those immature and developing fish that truly are reaching their prime are released back into the wild so that they have the opportunity to become hogs themselves. And do you know what the success/survival rate of a female muskie's offspring is in our part of the country? If so, I'd like to hear your answer.

Again, I would NEVER want to take anything away from this man's great achievement in catching what is truly a monster muskie. However, the thought of people worshipping him for letting the fish go, is quite comical and somewhat disturbing....especially when I know several men who release up to a hundred fish per season year after year. Muskie fishing has come a long way since the days I started and even before then. All muskie fanatics should be commended for doing their part these days....Rarely do I see a true muskie-man whacking a muskie for dead, but if a guy wants to kill a fish within the confines of the law, it is his legal right and we have NO right to condemn him! If it angers you, direct it toward the management who allows it instead. I purposely killed one muskie in my life.....a 52 1/2" that was my first fish over fifty and number #347 in my books. The previous 346 were released. In the early 2000s when I was guiding, I proudly posted my personal trophy on my website and was crucified for killing that one fish. I was crucified by, so called, fellow muskie fishermen who did not even know one thing about me. This should explain my sensitivity to this whole issue, so excuse me for going on and on. Bottom line is this&#8230;if you feel the need to worship the guy, worship him for CATCHING a huge fish not for releasing it because that&#8217;s a personal decision and nobody else&#8217;s business! Me personally, I feel I did my part over the years to help boost this muskie fishery and help get it to where it is today. Therefore, if I want to keep a fish legally, I feel I put my time in for it and deverve it if its something I really want to do and nobody should take that away. Not even the band wagon jumpers! 

Finally, and once again&#8230;I think it&#8217;s a damn shame that none of us will EVER know how big that fish really was. Its hard to even speculate, but I'd be willing to bet that it was nowhere near O'brien's record. And I&#8217;m sure the taxidermist will do a Hell of a job making that reproduction look &#8220;Record&#8221; like.

Another FINALLY(sorry)....after I went through all these numbers in my head....57" X 33" on the muskie weight calculator works out to be over 77 lbs.! Does anyone even realize the magnitude of this???? This fish would potentially SHATTER any previous record by 7+ pounds and Obrien's legit record by a whopping 12 pounds. Are you kidding me? If those numbers are even close to being accurate, I personally think it was assenine to let that thing go, but thats just me!


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## AnthHol (Jul 24, 2007)

I would in no way shape or form consider myself an experienced muskie fisherman, however, i do understand the countless hours and days that go into catching a minimal number of fish. Due to this fact IMHO there is absolutely no problem with keeping a fish of this caliber. Yes it would be incredible to let all your fellow fisherman get a chance at this trophy but lets face the facts, THEY WONT. I very rarely rarely ever keep any fish I catch and usually just a steelie or two for the eggs per year. I don't know that I could release a fish of this caliber of any species if it was in my hands and i knew it could be a possible record. I commend him for what he did, I can understand why he would want to let it go but on the other hand I wouldn't think any differently had he kept it. To each his own.


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## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

> You think its great huh? Well you know what I think and KNOW is even greater? The fact that there are guys out there who fish 2 and 3 days a week for these fish and are releasing 30", 35", 40", 45", etc, etc.



I agree and in fact this may be exactly how his fish got to be as big as it is. The message sent (intended or unintended) by releasing this fish will hopefully get more people to release 100+ fish per year.


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

Maintaining a fishery properly is, quite simply, all about being sensible. It is un-natural, IMO to practice extremes either way....releasing and or keeping. The teaching of releasing every fish ever caught is unnecessary. However, the teaching to respect the species, appreciate it, handle it properly and keep only what you will use is essential. I will guarantee there are more guys out there who fancy themselves as 100&#37; C&R guys that eventually kill more fish than those who do it purposely....All due to ignorance or cutting corners. Nuff said here, some folks just don't get it!


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## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

> I will guarantee there are more guys out there who fancy themselves as 100% C&R guys that eventually kill more fish than those who do it purposely....All due to ignorance or cutting corners. Nuff said here, some folks just don't get it!



Once again I agree with you. Education is the key.

I don't have any more respect for him because he released a huge fish than I would if the fish were a 36". However the "perception" by those new to the sport could and should encourage them to learn how to release fish of all sizes properly so that they have the opportunity to grow that big. 

If someone wants to keep a legal fish (for mounting purposes) I do not have a problem with it but I would try to explain the benefits of releasing the fish and having a replica made. 

At a stocking rate of 1 fish per acre (low density) at $10 - $15 per fish (big dollars) it is (in my opinion) easy to see why releasing them is beneficial if done properly.


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## fffffish (Apr 6, 2004)

Just be glad they dont taste like perch


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## fishingfoolBG (Oct 30, 2007)

I give all the credit to the world for releasing a fish that size. Seeing someone releasing a fish like that will encourage more people to understand the practice of catch and release. 

Why is there an argument going on when all someone is mentioning is a nice catch. Why cant we leave it at that and congratulate him on his catch. 

Great Catch FFBG


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

OK, let me just put it quite bluntly and get right to the point here....no more cream coating for this sensitive society.......I think the guy did a huge dis-service to muskie fishing, as a whole, by releasing what they're claiming was a 77lb+ muskie. Which would clearly shatter the current world record and which would lay to rest any sceptecism about a fish that big and give modern day biologists so much more valuable information about a fish/fishery that size, etc.....But again, nobody will EVER know now....thats why I have my doubts.

A few years ago I began to disconnect myself from the muskie fishing community, that I was once very active with, for various reasons....one being that it was not "fun" for me anymore and the other was an attitude. An attitude that was made very clear when these discussion boards came along and everybody could voice their opinions and beliefs. Its a shame that many muskie fishermen and fellow sportsman have acquired this attitude which reflects little difference from that of your basic "tree hugger". A perfect example is when In Fisherman used to promote what they called "Selective Harvest" now days, its "Catch and Release"..blah blah blah...How about we just teach "Common Sense"? I really want no part of that anymore and do my part as an individual to respect and assist the fishery through my own experiences and actions and how I teach those directly connected to me. No more clubs, no more tournaments, no more BS...Life is so much less stressful and muskie fishing is so much more enjoyable for me today....We just go out there and fish and enjoy the pastime with family and friends. Enjoy life gentlemen.


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

I post this as food for thought. I release all my muskies every year, but I do try to think these matters through and be reasonable with those who see things differently. I've posted something similar to this before, if you've read it and remember, well, I apologize, but here it is.

I was an avid bass fisherman at one time. A friend of mine built a lake on his property and asked that I help him stock it. I caught five nice, healthy 3 to 5 pounders one day at a local lake and threw them into my livewell. I then transported them to his place and put them in his lake, which was about 3 years old at the time and stocked with tons of panfish.

It turns out that a number of guys fishing on a nearby bridge were pretty impressed with my luck that day and you can imagine what followed. By the next morning, the word around the town campfire was that I was loading my freezer with trophy bass. 

Fisherman, as a group, are often like a bunch of old women when it comes to spreading rumors and shredding each other. I actually found humor in the rumors that were spread about the stocking incident and made jokes about it for quite some time.

There is another property with a nice lake nearby, which is made available to the local Boy Scouts Troop. I was asked by the owner to help stock that one with a fewer larger bass and I did.

So-called "serious" bass fisherman values similar to musky guys. Many of them consider the bass to be a noble creature, worthy of releasing 100% of the time, etc, etc.

In Ohio at least, bass guys have a ball in the spring when the big females are on the nest (and just before and after). They look forward to the spawning season because the fishing can be excellent and some of the biggest fish of the year are more catchable in a shorter amount of time.

If the catch and release logic is taken to its logical conclusion, no bass fisherman should _ever_ fish when the females are guarding the fry. Pulling one from the nest allows other fish to decimate the fry. The result is that hundreds of thousands of "potential future trophy bass" are eaten by other fish during the time the bass is out of the water or recovering from the event. 

Furthermore, a truly talented bass fisherman catches more bass than the average Joe (who goes out a few times each year and maybe eats a few bass each year). A talented tournament caliber bass fisherman can easily catch say 100 bass a year, if not way more. If the mortality rate for a caught and released fish is only say 5%, the tournament guy is killing far more fish each year, than the guy who slings a few into the pan now and then.

Or how about using plastics, which sometimes result in a gut-hooked fish? 

You can go on and on with this and the musky thing is very similar. How many guys do you see on places like Leesville when the waters warm and the night fishing heats up around the 4th of July...when the mortality rate for caught fish is at its peak? I've heard things like, "It looked like a small city out there last night, with all the lights from guys night fishing."

If you fish, and release them all, you're still "killing" fish now and then. 

Truly want to see them all survive? Want to see them all remain healthy and unharmed? Be careful what you wish for.

A lot of guys catch a musky and keep it. It is their first experience with a fish of that caliber and they can't wait to show their family, father, cousin, friends, etc. It is often how they "get involved" in musky fishing and become "die-hard experts" like "us." Yea, yea, I know, they need to be "educated" about the value of catch and release and all that good stuff. I just think that a little more tact could be exercised at times and I think we should allow a little more latitude for those who might be elsewhere on the proverbial learning curve.

The idea of "promoting" the sport of musky fishing _requires more money and more involvement by new people_. If not, as us crusty old diehards retire from the sport because of advancing age or death, there will eventually not be enough voices to catch the attention of the DNR and the taxpaying public. Ironically, newbies who catch a musky and keep it are often targets for criticism. Additionally, when newbies ask for help, the truly knowledgeable guys get tight-lipped...because they naturally don't want "more pressure" on their local waters and hot spots. 

Now of course, there are exceptions to all of the above, but hey, its winter and I thought I'd throw in my two cents for consideration.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

vc - That's worth more than 2 cents. Thanks for the post.


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## TIGGER (Jan 17, 2006)

I got to see the replica and Daie Macnair at the Chicago Musky show. An amazing fish to see in person. Many people were getting his autograph. It was hard to walk by that area with all the people viewing the fish.


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

TIGGER said:


> I got to see the replica and Daie Macnair at the Chicago Musky show. An amazing fish to see in person. Many people were getting his autograph. It was hard to walk by that area with all the people viewing the fish.


Yeah just like those wax figures of famous people in wax museums.....

Too bad you didn't get to see the real thing in person or anybody else for that matter. Still NOT a record and NEVER will be.


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## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

Just wanted to let everyone know that Dale and his replica are scheduled to make an appearance at the Ohio Muskie Show.


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## BITE-ME (Sep 5, 2005)

Can't wait to see Ohio's record broken. Some day soon I hope.


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

That would be something, huh George? Keep throwing those big baits and who knows what'll happen. Haha. And thanks for the update Weatherby. I'm excited to see this mount. Do you think they would mind if I measured the replica's girth and legnth, just for my own knowledge? lol.


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## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

Jim-
I'm not gonna let you take that mount into the bathroom stall! -I saw your new little message at the bottom of your posting!


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

1roofmusky said:


> Jim-
> I'm not gonna let you take that mount into the bathroom stall! -I saw your new little message at the bottom of your posting!


Gabe - Is that why they call it a "mount"?


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## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

Snake-
I think it is! The macnair fish won't be the first one he's tried to "mount"-Jim fell in love with that "Jumping Musky" near the entrance of the Ohio show last year! :B


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## 1roofmusky (May 20, 2008)

MuskieJim said:


> That would be something, huh George? Keep throwing those big baits and who knows what'll happen. Haha. And thanks for the update Weatherby. I'm excited to see this mount. Do you think they would mind if I measured the replica's girth and legnth, just for my own knowledge? lol.


Jim-Just make sure that big fish doesn't have any knowledge of YOUR length and girth when you're done with the examination !!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## esox62 (May 19, 2006)

vc's post was great,[ excellent point on targeting bedding bass..i did the same thing as a little tyke,but then i realized what was really goin on and put down my pole and fed the spawner nightcrawlers since she dont eat while spawning anyway, figured id help her out a bit} ,and i agree wholeheartedly with shutups post also..."no clubs,no tourneys{HATE]no fecal matter...just fish and teach...i would have harvested that big bitch{BOSS-jim..lol}in a heartbeat... records need to be set straight. was just reading a post tonight on muskiefirst and those guys actually still think spray is king.lol. detloff must die...!you cannot look at macs fish compared to sprays,let alone ishis,williams and numerous others and believe spray at all...especially after all the documentation done by ramsell and all others over the past 20 years...this 70 year falsehood just gives us and our sport a bad name, and its stank for years...someone has to kill the beast to set it straight......... you boys have a good one at the musky show..a.k.a. luckymusky, tom pallotta.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

esox62 - remember, its all about $$$$ , not about the record holder. The Wisconsin tourist people want to keep the record there in hopes that they will continue to attract more fisherman. Thats why they went after Lawtons record- it wasn't about the fish/fisherman but state bragging rights to attract tourist $$$$...


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## Blue Pike (Apr 24, 2004)

Amazingly huge fish.


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