potential new record Muskie!!!

[SRT8 smoker craft]

it's funny how that 65lb ski could swallow that 70lb ski that was posted recently, I even saw a youtube vid saying it was 70 lbs LOL. this fish is a beast a true monster

[davey buoy]

nice catch,my dream for sure! ,catching a fish like that amazing,letting it go "priceless"

Edited November 29, 2011 by davey buoy

[MCTFisher9120]

Now that's a Musky...40's pfft lol

 

What a achievement!

[mercman]

Great Zeus !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Looks like a legless alligator !

I am gonna try really, really hard ,to beat that record out of the water.No way i'm gonna do it, but what fun i'll have trying

 

Congrats on the once in a lifetime fish !!!

[highdrifter]

Son of a motherless goat.. What a fish!!

[FUSION]

Wow! True giant...

[Gregoire]

That fish makes a 50 incher look like bait.

[Grimace]

That is incredible. What a monstrous fish. Congratulations to the captain for putting that guy on that fish.

[Rich Clemens]

Man, I don't think my back could handle somthing like that. Hat's off to the lucky angler.

[captpierre]

Still drooling. On the website downriggers seem to be used. For muskie or salmon?

[Pigeontroller]

Another huge fish to Rich Clarke's credit!

[thepositer]

Just amazing in all respects. Rich earned it, appreciated it and released it. Good on him. Respect! I still know that many people would have killed that fish just because they are insecure and glory seekers. What confounds me is why the MNR, IGFA, & Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame do not officially provide protocol as to verifying size of released musky. You can only claim world or Ontario/state record status if you kill the fish. Just wrong and does not promote conservation. To me the protocol should be good photos of: length and girth measurements; and net weight of fish in a proper wet sling with weights and measures Canada (or American equivalent) certified scale. Right now everything released is just contested and refuted. Even O'Briens fish is currently being refuted (namely by Larry Ramsell). Why? Just ridiculous.

[fishindevil]

thats a true monster for sure !!!! holy crap ...WOW...

[solopaddler]

What an unbelievable fish, congrat's to everyone involved.

 

I'm all for releasing big fish, but a potential world record? No way would I have put it back.

 

(Am I the only one willing to admit that? )

[Roy]

He did the right thing. The problem with thinking that you would have kept it is yes, it might be a good idea if it indeed was a record. Where it goes bad is that most people think they have the world record when they have anything over 50". That would just kill a whole lot of fish. You're allowed to keep one legal (size) fish but it just ain't a good idea. Also, unless you do this for a living and a world record would help your business. You're life would never be the same. With all the knowledge out there we still can't come to a clear decision as to which fish is really the world record. I just wouldn't want to be a part of that game. Fishing is supposed to be fun.

 

So congrats to Rich and his guest for catching a beautiful massive fish and letting it live.

[lew]

I agree with Roy about trying to claim a world record.

 

Some of those folks that actually care about record sized fish are absolutely fanatical about it. I read alot of different musky boards and some of these guys darn near come to blows thru their computer screens fighting about it.

 

Jeeez, their still arguing about fish that were caught back in the 40's

[grimsbylander]

He did the right thing. The problem with thinking that you would have kept it is yes, it might be a good idea if it indeed was a record. Where it goes bad is that most people think they have the world record when they have anything over 50". That would just kill a whole lot of fish. You're allowed to keep one legal (size) fish but it just ain't a good idea. Also, unless you do this for a living and a world record would help your business. You're life would never be the same. With all the knowledge out there we still can't come to a clear decision as to which fish is really the world record. I just wouldn't want to be a part of that game. Fishing is supposed to be fun.

 

So congrats to Rich and his guest for catching a beautiful massive fish and letting it live.

 

 

Very well said.

 

Congratulations to both those gentlemen for catching such an impressive fish and hats off for displaying true sportsmanship through it's live release. Most impressive!

[muskymatt]

Keeping a fish like that, legitimate record or not, would open one up to criticism, character question, honesty scrutiny and many other negative possibilities, it's pretty evident that some people/organizations/associations are almost religious about the whole muskie record issue. They could be called fanatical but I think it's more of a sickness.

 

I'm sure there are many other fish of that caliber that have been silently slipped back into the water by good muskie anglers who want to avoid just that type of negative publicity, not wanting to be part of the muskie record circus.

[Rich Nelson]

I agree with Roy. It might have been a record ( if the sizes are accurate) then again maybe not.

A musky that size has no problem eating a 5-10 lb fish. U catch it one day it might weigh 50 lbs. After a big meal it could weigh closer to 60. Really no point in dpeculating, because we will never know...

[sauce]

A fish like that is something truly special. How old could it be? How much longer will that fish live? How many generations of musky has it spawned? Will it spawn again?

If I had caught it, I would have probably released it too. I don't fish musky but I consider myself a trophy hunter. I think I would be extremely satisfied to release a potential record of any species. No regrets. I think that's how these guys feel. That fish is most likely still swimming. How many people can say they caught a 5 foot long musky?? Who cares what it weighs, its huge. No one can dispute it. Or maybe they rounded up on the measurement? Maybe its only 4 feet 11 and 3/4"

[bucktail]

Simply mind boggling!!

There are so many giant skis on his website it's crazy. Congrats to both!!!!!

[solopaddler]

He did the right thing.

 

That's a matter of opinion.

 

 

Keeping a fish like that, legitimate record or not, would open one up to criticism, character question, honesty scrutiny and many other negative possibilities

 

Seems a little extreme to me.

[Tom McCutcheon]

That's a matter of opinion.

 

 

 

 

Seems a little extreme to me.

 

Very extreme but it is happening right now as I type this. The Obrien fish was caught in the 80's. Killed and verified for length and weight by respected and knowledgeable people, and then verified again by a very respected biologist.

It is now being questioned and those people who were involved reputations are also being questioned. Some of those are no longer with us to defend themselves.

That is why Muskymatt has his opinion.

 

A decision that would be tough to make for sure, but in the end it is your decision, and no one should condemn you for that choice.

Just my opinion and I am pretty sure what I would do. I know I caught it and to me that is all that matters.

By the way, the fish in my avatar was 54" X 23" and is still swimming. I am 6'5" and just under 300lbs. It looked a lot bigger in the net than it does in my arms

Edited November 29, 2011 by Tom McCutcheon

[bubbles]

He did the right thing, great catch, I would have let it swim for sure.

[Musky or Specks]

JEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!