Category: Events

The 2017 OHMC Summer Contest was held July 15^th and 16^th at Salt Fork Lake in Cambridge, Ohio.  We had 33 anglers register and 30 fish reported being caught.  Chad Harmon claimed First Place for the third year in a row.  Fred Lederer earned Second Place and Stephanie Neville earned Third Place.  Our winners will receive their trophies at the next annual banquet.

The campground filled in on a sweltering Friday evening just in time for a torrential downpour.  Fortunately, the brief rain event was the only precipitation we would see this year.  The weather was near perfect for the weekend with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid 60’s.  Water temperatures ranged from 80 degrees to 85 degrees.

We started out Saturday morning with our traditional coffee and pancakes during registration.  Soon the armada took to the water to test their skills.  Early in the day, it was apparent that this was to be an event for the record books as the fish showed up in the nets early and often.  Regular reports from various anglers of a successful release kept our spirits high as everyone knew the bite was on.

I personally witnessed several releases and every angler was fast and efficient to get the fish back in the water quickly.  There was one floating fish that a member put in his cooler to be enjoyed as table fare.  I admire this approach and feel that while we do our best, occasionally a fish dies.  Much better to not waste the meat and my hat goes off to the member that tried to revive a fish that wasn’t his, but in that failed attempt recognized the opportunity to have a meal.  That is the only fish that was seen floating during event hours and may not have been an outing anglers fish.  There was an extraordinary number of non-members fishing all over the lake on Saturday.  I’m very proud of our members for their skills in getting so many quick, successful releases in adverse conditions.

Saturday evening we all came in for a well-deserved break to enjoy another great Steak cookout.  Thank you to Past-president Fred Lederer and Honorary Trustee Jerry Rice for once again doing a great job on cooking our steaks to perfection.  Tim Smith once again treated us to fresh corn-on-the-cob and for that and all the other work he does, I sincerely thank him.  Nearly all of our trustees showed up and each one jumped in to help where needed.  We are genuinely fortunate to have such a fantastic group of dedicated individuals.

We drew our raffles at the conclusion of the dinner and saw the following results: Herb Stephens won our Rod-n-Reel; Bill Lambert won our 50/50; and Bill Lambert also won our 2017 Grand Prize.  Thank you to everyone that purchased those tickets.  This is our best fundraiser and allows us to function in a financially stable manner and generously donate significant dollars toward the Minnow Fund.  In addition to the raffles, we drew door prizes and every person that signed-up received a free bait or another nice prize.

Sunday morning was a cloak of fog but that did not slow us down.  We poured into the lake to get some more of the incredible fishing.  Most of the anglers that entered, either caught or netted a fish.  There were a few exceptions to that and I must confess that I was disappointed to keep my cold streak alive by seeing no slime on the deck of my boat.  I did, however, have a great weekend with old friends and new friends as well.  The camaraderie of our group is second to none and I am truly appreciative of every person that took the time to come out and enjoy a weekend with our club.

When the dust settled the following were all fish turned in for the event:  Chad Harmon (Big Fish ($135)); Chad Harmon (47.00”, 36.00”, 49.25”, 44.50”, 34.50”, 36.00”) 91.25 points;  Fred Lederer (46.00”, 38.00”, 35.50”, 44.00”) 59.50 points;  Stephanie Neville (36.50”, 32.00”, 31.50”, 32.50”, 30.25”, 35.50”, 32.50”) 48.75 points; Jenna Lederer (43.00”, 39.00”) 30.00 points; Kevin Proffit (31.00”, 49.00”) 28.00 points; Phil Jarvis (33.50”, 37.00”) 18.50”; Rick Simpson (42.50”) 16.50 points; Tim Smith (41.75”) 15.75 points; Bill Lambert (41.00”) 15.00 points; Kate Patton (38.00”) 12.00 points; David Baio (35.00”) 9.00 points; Rich Welk (30.00”) 4.00 points; Jeff Ferjutz (30.00”) 4.00 points.

 

 

 

 

 

The 5^th annual Minnow Fund Muskie Outing was held May 6^th & 7^th, 2017 at Clear Fork Reservoir in Mansfield, Ohio.  Thirty (30) anglers came out to test themselves against all that mother nature can dispense on an early May weekend.  The rain was torrential and the wind had white-caps on even this small reservoir.  Temperatures dipped down to 35 degrees and somehow it felt even colder.

Even with the harsh conditions, spirits remained high as all participants knew that they were helping to support the best vehicle we have for demonstrating our appreciation for the muskie program in this great state.  We had raffles, some great food, and even better stories and companionship.  However in the end, the fishing was as you might expect given the conditions: Lousy.  There were only six (6) fish reported as being caught during the two day event.

Preceding the weekend activities, we had OHMC members that showed up to serve as a Friday fishing guide for our ODNR guests during our annual Division Day event.  Eleven (11) ODNR members came out to brave the elements and all walked away without a fish to show for their dedication.  That’s what this was, true dedication, to show up shows how much dedication they have to our program.  A huge thank you for coming out goes to; Curt Wagner, Kevin Page, Rich Zweifel, Nick Radabaugh, Tim Parker, Kevin Kayle, John Windau, Kurt Koschalck, Steve Niekamp, and Doug Sweet.  Also, an equally big thank you to the OHMC members that served as guides; John Ringenbach, Tim Smith, Elmer Heyob, Phil Cummings, Robert Neville,               Stephanie Neville, and Phil Jarvis.

For the weekend event the following fish were caught:  Jason Chalmers – 48.00” (22.00 Points) (1^st Place); Matt Clark – 42.00” (16.00 Points) (2^nd Place); Kyle Jones – 40.00” (14.00 Points) (3^rd Place); Elmer Heyob – 39.00” (13.00 Points); George Smart – 35.25” (9.25 Points); Jerry Rice – 33.25” (7.25 Points).  All winners will receive their trophies at next year’s awards banquet.

The 56^th Ohio Huskie Muskie Club Annual Awards Banquet was held on April 1, 2017, at McCalls Banquet Center in Canton, Ohio.  The attendance held steady relative to recent years and all those in attendance were treated to good food, friends, and laughter.  A total of 115 OHMC members and guests along with 5 vendors were in attendance.  Every person in attendance received a door prize consisting of one of three custom painted baits created by Greg Them of Xtreme Muskie Lures.

During the business meeting, members voted on the lake nominations for our 48^th  Annual Open Summer Contest in 2018.  The winner was Piedmont, with the event to be tentatively held on July 14^th and 15^th pending park approval.  Elections for officer positions were held during the business meeting.  The OHMC officers for 2015 are as follows; Paul Anderson, President; Jeff Ferjutz, 1^st Vice-President; Rick Simpson, 2^nd Vice-President; Stephanie Neville, Secretary; John Ringenbach, Treasurer.

Before the banquet meal started there was a pause for a moment of silence for all the club members who had passed last year and for those individuals that are in the military and may be away from their families.  Next, we took a moment for a blessing of the meal by club member Mary Jill Brown.  The food was very good with a buffet that included Baked Chicken, Sausage and Peppers, McCalls Signature Potatoes, Green Beans, Rigatoni, a Garden Salad, Rolls, and Cake.  We all had a great time and lots of fun with the fish stories that were being told.

ODNR attendees were: Curt Wagner, Fisheries Biologist, District 3 (Akron); Rich Zweifel, Acting Inland Fisheries Program Administrator; Phil Hillman, Fish Management Supervisor, District 3 (Akron); Mike Greenlee, Fish Management Supervisor, District 4 (Athens); Debra Walters, Fish Management Supervisor, District 5 (Xenia); Ed Lewis, Fisheries Biologist, District 2 (Findlay); Kevin Page, Fisheries Biologist, Inland Fisheries Research Unit (Hebron); Rich Carter, Executive Administrator Fish Management and Research Group; and Scott Hale, Assistant Chief, Central Office.

Special thanks go out to all the vendors that set up a booth at the banquet this year, and also all of the Ohio Huskie Muskie Club supporters who donated to the club.  Please patronize these companies as they make our events a success.

AWARD RESULTS FOR OHIO LAKES, MUSKIES CAUGHT

Ohio Huskie Muskie Club Inc. Annual Banquet Awards Winners, for club member’s recognition of outstanding catches and achievements in the 2016 season.

Joe Blackwell “Mr Muskie” Award

Tim Smith

Woman of the Year Award

Gloria Roberts

H.E. Pooch Curry Award:

Richard Reeves – 51.50”

Piedmont

July 13, 2016

The Matthew Smith Memorial awards were as follows:

Boys “Released”

Fischer Himes – 37.25”

Girls “Released”

Ashley McCartney – 45.00”

The Royalty Awards:

King “Released”

Richard Reeves – 51.50”

King “Trophy”

Greg Bozick – 51.00”

Queen “Released”

Kathy Mitchell – 51.00”

 

Dr. Dunmire Plaque Awards:

Patrick Klingensmith (41), Greg Bozick (35), David Baio (30), Kevin LaRoche (22), Chuck Harmon (20), Richard Reeves (19), Ray Elkins (17), Kathy Mitchell (16), Will Tolerton (16), Chad Harmon (15), Dennis Mitchell (14), Bob Marshall (11), George Weber (11), Dennis Braun (8), John Thompson (8), Paul Anderson (7), Sherman Champlin (6), Charlotte Fuchs (6), Nick Smith (6), Jason Basic (5), Bill Brant (5), David Brown (5), Tom Hannen (5), Bob McCloud (5), Sam Ringenbach (5), Mike Sandridge (5), Bill Schultz, Jr. (5), Tim Smith (5), Bob Basic (4), Linda Hannen (4), Lee Himes (4), Tom Morris (4), John Ringenbach (4), John Savu (4), Jeff Heiser (3), Ray Hinchcliff, Sr. (3), Fred Lederer (3), Josh Marshall (3), Ashley McCartney (3), Jerry Rice (3), Rick Simpson (3)

10 or More Release Awards:

Pat Klingensmith (275), Greg Bozick (150), David Baio (99), Kevin LaRoche (86), Bob Basic (73), Bob Marshall (71), Will Tolerton (66), Chad Harmon (62), Bill Shultz, Jr (61), Chuck Harmon (58), Jason Basic (52), Richard Reeves (52), Ray Elkins (51), Sam Reichenbach (46), George Weber (43), Dennis Mitchell (39), Kathy Mitchell (38), Tim Ritter (34),Beau Chumley (29), Charlotte Fuchs (27), Tom Morris (27), Chuck McKnight (25), Josh Marshall (24), Sherman Champlin (23), John Thompson (23), Dennis Braun (22), Lee Himes (19), Tom Johnson (19), Nick Smith (19), Paul Anderson (18), Jim Cook (18), Tom Hannen (17), John Ringenbach (17), Mike Sandridge (17), Tim Smith (17), Bill Brant (16), Linda Hannen (15), Ray Hinchcliff, Sr. (15), Philip Jarvis (14), Fred Lederer (14), David Brown (13), Tony Crisp (13), Chuck Land, Sr. (13), Elmer Heyob (12), Ashley McCartney (12), Jeff Heiser (11), Bob McCloud (11), John Savu (10), Rick Simpson (10)

The banquet is now history and it is now time to start some actual muskie fishing, Thank you to everyone that attended and to all of those people that helped make the event a great success.

 

Ohio Muskie Show: January 20-22, Makoy Center, Hilliard OH

Muskie Max: March 4-5, Doubletree Hotel, Cranberry PA

OHMC Annual Awards Banquet: April 1, McCalls Banquet Center, Canton OH

OHMC & ODNR Division Day: May 5, Clearfork Reservoir, Mansfield OH

Minnow Fund Muskie Outing: May 6-7, Clearfork Reservoir, Mansfield OH

OHMC Summer Contest: July 15-16, Salt Fork Lake, Cambridge OH

OHMC & MI Chapter 19 PM Bite: August 19-20, Leesville Lake, Leesville OH

OHMC Fall Outing: September 30 & October 1, Caesars Creek Lake, Waynesville OH

Hawg Hunt Hoedown: November 11, West Branch Lake, Ravenna Oh

The 2016 OHMC Fall Outing was held at Piedmont Lake on Saturday, September 24^th and Sunday September 25^th, 2016.  Most of the anglers showed up Friday evening for registration being conducted by Treasurer John Ringenbach.  The full complement of the board of trustees was on hand to greet our guests and answer any questions.  Soon the daylight faded and the cold beverages began to flow.  Nobody got carried away though as we were all focused on the opportunity at hand.  Piedmont has been very kind to our group over the last six years.  We all felt that there would be lots of fish caught during this event.

Early Saturday morning, the boats slipped off their trailers and disappeared into the mist of a cool autumn morning.  Within the first hour of fishing, while some of us were still drinking coffee and registering anglers, there were reports of fish being caught.  Yes, this was surely going to be an event with lots of fish caught.  Most of us remembered our boat keys and were on the water early in the day.

We had father-son teams, husband wife teams, brothers, friends, and lone-wolf anglers all searching for their own version of a successful weekend.  As for myself, I had a very successful weekend, saw my friends, ate good food, and enjoyed a fantastic two day boat ride.  Going 0 for 5 on fish really doesn’t bother me in hindsight, sure I’d like to have caught fish, but I never measure an outing’s success by the number of fish in my net.

By Saturday evening, it was apparent that the fish were not cooperating.  Piedmont was being greedy for the first time in many years.  We assembled for some brontosaurus-burger sized ribeye’s cooked to perfection by Jerry Rice and Fred Lederer.  We had the corn-on-the-cob that has become a staple of our events thanks to Tim Smith.  Members showed up with so much great food that it even exceeded my high expectations.  Thanks to everyone that brought side dishes.  Next, we drew our raffle prizes.  Our general raffle featured lots of great baits and other miscellaneous goodies, from which the membership selected.  I was fortunate to win the rod-n-reel combination, Bob McCloud won the lure board, and Phil Cummings won the 50/50 which he promptly donated back to the Minnow Fund (THANK YOU!).

A handful of us headed into the darkness for some night fishing hoping that the lockjaw of the daytime had turned into and evening feeding frenzy.  But, alas, all we did was wash baits and enjoy the amazing view of the nighttime sky without any light pollution.

Sunday, the bite finally picked up with several anglers reported fish hitting the grandmas and jakes.  The casters carried this event though as those of us who primarily troll took it on the chin this time.  At 3:45 we assembled for the tally of results which read as follows:  43 anglers registered and 17 fish 30 inches or larger reported as being caught.  The Big-Fish side pot of $195 went to Chuck Harmon with a beautiful 47” beast.  First place went to Dave White, second place went to Chuck Harmon, and Third place went to Jeff Ferjutz.  Congratulations to all our winners who will receive their trophies at our annual awards banquet in March.  Thank you to our entire board of trustees for all your hard work and to all our members that showed up to make this another successful event.

All fish reported as being caught:  Dave White (33.00”, 41.50”, 43.50”; 40.00 points): Chuck Harmon (37.00”, 47.00”; 32.00 points): Jeff Ferjutz (38.00”, 39.00”; 25.00 points): Chad Harmon (34.00”, 35.5”; 17.50”): Matt Clark (41.25”; 15.25 points): Jason Chalmers (40.00”; 14.00 points): Fred Lederer (38.00”; 12.00 points): Jeff Clark (35.00”; 9.00 points): Gloria Roberts (34.00”; 8.00 points): Greg Starkey (32.00”; 6.00 points): Greg Hastings (31.75”; 5.75 points): Chuck Land (30.00”; 4.00 points).