Bill wasn't able to come stay with us this year, but stopped by with a picture of his 50 incher (19.5" girth) caught on August 2 so we could keep his wife at home informed by email!  Great fish and great picture, Bill.  We look forward to having you back again next year with some South of the Border Muskies, Inc friends.  

Meanwhile, on another part of the lake the same day, Tom Harvey (of South Dakota) found the fish he's been chasing for 20 years.  After a net problem last year with another 50 inch class fish, Tom's wife Lois snared this big 52 incher and I'm not sure who was more excited.  This was the last polaroid in the camera so we're hoping for a couple better shots when the 35 mm film gets developed.  I think we need a trip to the new Wal-Mart one hour photo lab in Fort Frances.  

This 54.5" hawg had a girth of 23 inches.  It's the first legal muskie caught by a Mylie's guest that I'm aware of since the 54" minimum came into effect.  Now you have to understand something about Dick and his boat partner, Gene Coyer.  Dick and Gene were the last ones out to fish and the first ones to come in for a rest in the afternoon.  I guess you don't have to fish real hard when you know where the big ones are.  Right, Guys??  Perhaps needless to say, but Dick's monster leads the way for the $50 gift certficate from Moore's Lures for the largest muskie of the year.  I would have to give Dick the unofficial Mylie's record for biggest muskie of the modern era (or at least since our time as hosts began in 1992.)  If anyone has any info on a bigger muskie caught by a Mylie's guest, please let me know via email (jwgaudry@hotmail.com).  

Well despite a big lead and 4 more mid 30 inch muskies, our First Wisconsin boys ended up getting beat by one little, lousy, measely, bloody point.  Now there seems to be a lot of confusion as to how the second place team came back from such a wide margin.  There was also some concern over whether or not everyone was registered properly by the hosting chapter so we're not sure what to think.  There may be an FBI investigation into the matter, but one thing is for certain.  We at Mylie's are very proud to host the great guys from the First Wisconsin chapter of Muskies, Inc.  Everyone was talking about "Mylie's Camp" over at that "other place" and the owners of the "other place" were awfully nervous that their little tourney was headed a mile or two west if the First Wis guys took the title and the right to name the next host of the challunge.  I haven't had a week that was more fun than this.  Being around to see the pictures of all those huge fish was really something.  

The total count for the chapter outing was more than 40 muskies over 30 inches (including 3 that were 50 inches or better.)  Len's 53, Dick's 54.5 and Paul's 45.5 were all personal best fish and that is quite an achievement in itself.  There was also a PB achieved by another group when Hank Daniel's got a 48 incher during an evening session (see photo a little farther down.)  We hope to get some pictures from those guys as well as they did excellent fishing muskies in the evening all week long.  

Daug Kauffman and Joe Aldworth of Wisconsin also landed 2 fish 50 inches or better during the week.   The first one (50") came on Day 1 of the tournament and the second (51") came Saturday night right before having to come and and pull out to go home after their 8 night stay.

                                                       Doug Kauffman                                    Joe Aldworth
                                                   50 inches of nice muskie                             51" x 24"  

After the hubbub of the tournament results died down on Friday night, there was some chatting about the great week that was.  Spots and lures were discussed and the Beaulieu's arrived again to do some muskie hunting.  Randy had been home all week just dying everytime I emailed or called saying another 50 incher was landed so he was anxious to get out there.  Dick and Gene took Randy out to their secret spot and showed him how and where to fish the structure.  Well wouldn't you know it, Ronda nailed this 52 incher on the spot Dick and Gene showed them.  That is one of the most classy things I've ever seen.  Muskie fisherman can be very tight with their spots and to have someone take you out right to a spot where they caught multiple 50 inch fish is almost unheard of.  Congrats to all our members of the 50 inch club this week.  Let's keep it going!!