Ohio Huskie Muskie Club, Inc

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).

 

The 2016 OHMC and MI Chapter 19 Joint PM Bite was held Saturday August 20^th at Leesville Lake.  We had 36 anglers register and 5 fish caught.  Participants began showing up around 10 AM at the host site of South Fork Marina.  Keith Ott, the owner of the marina had a Big-top tent set up for the day’s activities.  Elmer McClure and Rick Simpson worked the grill cooking up some great burgers and dogs.  Tim Smith worked the raffles while Phil Jarvis and Fred Lederer jumped in and helped fill in gaps.  Meanwhile, John Ringenbach and Jason Chalmers conducted registration.  We took our fill of lunch and then Tim started drawing winning tickets.  Jason Chalmers won the trip to Chataqua, Dan Braun won the 50/50, and every participant won a raffle prize.

Soon, we all hit the water to take in a day of pleasant breezes and sunshine.  The fish just would not cooperate.  They were there for all to see, holding tight to the thermocline around 20 feet down.  Mike Sandridge used his clinefinder to let me know that while we were seeing water temperatures as high as 85 degrees at the surface, the warmth extended all the way down to a reading of 77 degrees at 20 feet.  The drop was nearly instant after that with a reading of 66 degrees at 21 feet.  So, with the fish so tight to the cline, some anglers chose to cut their spools loose and send-em way back.  Lengths of 120 and more were being employed and finally late in the evening a small bite window opened.  The frontal system had arrived as evidenced by the dark clouds near sunset.  The window was short, but for a few lucky anglers it proved to be enough before the rain showed up at the closing bell.

When we assembled at the tent a little after midnight, the tally board showed that Paul Shepard had landed a 38.50” (12.50 Point) fish that swam off strong.  I witnessed the catch and was really impressed with the speed and care which was taken to get a good release by both Paul and his uncle Jim.  Coming in third place with a 39.75” (13.75 Point) fish was OHMC past-president Fred Lederer.  Finishing in second place with a 41.75” (15.75 Point) fish was MI Chapter 19 past-president Mike Sandridge.  Meanwhile the winner of the lucky-dog big fish and first place was OHMC President Paul Anderson who caught two fish measuring 34.00” and 43.00” (25.00 points).  Our winners will be presented their trophies at the annual banquet this coming March.

I’d like to offer my most sincere thanks to all those who so generously volunteered their time and effort to organize and coordinate this event.  I was not coming to fish and had to lean on my support network due to work commitments.  When a last minute itinerary change allowed me to be home for a day, I took full advantage and scrambled to get my better half, my lucky dog and my boat out to the lake.  I was not surprised a bit when I showed up to find a well-oiled machine humming along.  We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful dedicated group of trustees.  Many thanks to all the members of both clubs that came out to support our groups.  I hope you all made some memories and I sure hope to see you again next month at Piedmont for our Fall Outing.

The 46th annual Ohio Huskie Muskie Club Open Summer Contest was held July 9th and 10th, 2016 at West Branch State Park. Festivities were centered in the park campground and most participants had a campsite near the headquarters. The group of anglers showed up with smiles and eager anticipation of the opportunity to catch the fish of 10,000 casts. We all set up our tents, campers, and in-vehicle sleeping accommodations. Soon conversations migrated toward catching-up with old friends and greeting new ones. It is truly a joy to call such a great group of people friends.

Temperatures varied from 86 to 65 degrees during event hours and the only precipitation was a light rain shower very late on Friday evening. There was picturesque mostly sunny skies with a light breeze to ease the heat for both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday evening, we assembled for dinner with the centerpiece being fantastic 16oz Ribeye steaks grilled by OHMC 2nd V.P. Rick Simpson. Meanwhile OHMC Secretary Tim Smith cooked his amazing fresh corn-on-the-cob after setting up the club headquarters. There were many side dishes and no one left hungry. We had OHMC 1st V.P. Jeff Ferjutz selling club merchandise while Trustees Mike Reed and Phil Jarvis sold tickets for the raffle prizes. A special thanks to OHMC Treasurer John Ringenbach for conducting registration, setting up the raffle tables, and banner.

After dinner, we paused for a moment of silence in memory of long-time OHMC trustee George Dickson. The members were informed that the club had donated an additional $1,000.00 toward the purchase of minnows for this year’s fingerlings. Next, we drew door prizes for every person in attendance. We had Rich Daniels win both our Rod and our 50/50 drawings. Meanwhile, Amy Kyler won the lure board. Finally, we drew Craig Kinney as the winner of the Grand Prize of the shimano curado 300 reel, a custom built Robert Neville rod, a week stay at Leesville South Fork Marina, and a lexan tackle box full of baits. Thank you to all who purchased tickets and donated time, materials, or both toward this year’s prize. Our club generated $2,762.26 from this prize and kept our treasury healthy and able to donate to help support the stocking of muskies as needed.

We had 40 anglers register and a total of 24 fish reported as being caught. First Place went to Chad Harmon for the second straight year. Second Place went to Chuck Harmon for the second straight year as the father-son team continue their recent hot-streak in OHMC events. Third Place and $175 Big Fish prize went to Kevin Proffit. Congratulations to our winners who will receive their trophies at our annual awards banquet in March of 2017. Thank you to everyone that came out to support our club!

All fish reported for the event: Chad Harmon (43.50”, 41 .50”, 38.00”, 36.25”, 31.50”, 35.00”; 80.75 points): Chuck Harmon (38.50”, 43.00”, 42.00”; 45.50 points): Kevin Proffit (33.00”, 31.50”, 47.50”; 33.00 points): Bob Basic (38.00”, 36.50”; 20.50 points): Fred Lederer (32.00”, 40.00”; 20.00 Points): Greg Starkey (32.00”, 31.00”, 31.00”; 16.00 points): Tom Morris (39.00”; 13.00 points): Rich Daniels (31.50”, 32.00”; 11.50 points): Dean Silverthorne (37.50”; 11.50 points): Kevin LaRoche (37.00”; 11.00 points)

The 4^th annual Ohio Minnow Fund Muskie Outing was held May 14^th and 15^th, 2016 at West Branch State Park.  There were 55 anglers registered and 25 fish reported as caught.  All monies raised will be used to support Ohio’s Muskie stocking program.

The event started on Friday evening as eager muskie anglers streamed into the campground with tents, campers, boats, and thoughts of big fish.  Everyone seemed aware that the weather forecast was for dire conditions, yet they still showed up.  Early Friday afternoon Kevin Proffit and Rich Daniels showed up and erected an enormous tent so that everyone could have a dry spot to call headquarters for the weekend (THANK YOU!).

As daylight broke on Saturday morning, we were greeted to donuts, fresh coffee, and some fantastic pancakes on the griddle by OHMC Secretary Tim Smith.  Meanwhile OHMC 1^st Vice-President Jeff Ferjutz and OHMC Treasurer John Ringenbach registered entrants.  The temperature had plummeted overnight and brisk wind along with torrential rain served notice that this event was not for the weak of heart.  Only the hardiest of muskie fishermen would brave these conditions as white capped waves snarled down the lake daring us to try to take one of her fish into our nets.

This was the first year that we aligned our traditional Division Day to be coincident with the minnow fund Event and we had 5 brave ODNR personnel show up in the downpour with hopes of hoisting a trophy fish.  By 8:00 we aimed for the lake with Bob Basic guiding for Curt Wagner, Tim Smith guiding for Jill Connor, Elmer Heyob guiding for Tim Parker, John Ringenbach guiding for Kevin Paige, and Paul Anderson guiding for Kevin Kayle.

At noon the guests and guides assembled for a grilled lunch that had been prepared by OHMC 2^nd Vice-President Rick Simpson, OHMC Trustee Mike Reed, and OHMC Trustee Chris Silverthorn (THANK YOU!).  Unfortunately, the fish did not cooperate and we were unable to get slime on any of our guests’ hands.  We were happy to have them and thanked them for their service in support of our muskie program.

The unsuccessful guides headed back out into the storm with a never-give-up attitude for more fishing with the rest of the crew.  Boats were tested, rain gear was tested, and anglers’ commitment was tested, yet onward we went.  The harshness of the conditions cannot be overstated as it felt worse than many days I have spent fishing in December.

By 7:00 the weary contestants assembled for a hot meal in a dry tent.  News of a few fish filtered about as we enjoyed Brauts, Dogs, and Burgers with all the fixins.  Warm beans, hot apple pie, and steaming corn-on-the-cob made the miserable conditions fade away if even temporarily.  The campground fell quiet shortly after dinner as most of us were ready for our warm sleeping bags.  Some fell prey to the harsh conditions and bailed for home, and for that, I cannot blame any of you in the slightest.

For those that braved the night, a snow-squall greeted us as dawn broke on Sunday morning.  The temperature was 35 degrees and the precipitation kept coming.  One thing did change on Sunday, and that was the bite.  For those brave souls that took to the water, the fish, perhaps out of empathy were biting.  We fished through the snow, sleet, rain, wind & waves and we caught fish.  Several nice fish including some huskies were landed as a clear trolling pattern emerged.

When the battle scared participants gathered for the final results, we saw a peek of blue sky for the first time in days.  The final tally had Joe Reynolds winning the Youth Big fish, Jeff Clark winning the $400 big fish pot, Jack Whyde in first place, Fred Lederer in second place, Josh Burns in Third place, Jeff Ferjutz in Fourth place, and Jeff Clark in fifth place.  I cannot thank you all enough for coming out and displaying your devotion to our sport and our stocking program.  Dry off, warm up, and get ready to enjoy better conditions as the season wears on.  Be safe in the knowledge that you will not encounter anything worse for the balance of this season.

All fish reported for the event:

Jack Whyde (24.75”, 35.75”, 33.00”, 40.00”, 20.00”, 31.50”; 36.25 Points): Fred Lederer (44.00”, 31.50”; 23.50 Points): Josh Burns (36.00”, 38.75”, 24.00”, 20.00”; 22.75 Points): Jeff Ferjutz (30.50”, 44.00”; 22.50 Points): Jeff Clark (44.75”; 18.75 Points): Dave Zastawny (44.50”; 18.50 Points): Matt Clark (40.00”; 14.00 Points): Mark Burns (30.50”; 13.50 Points): Jerry Rice (37.50”, 28.25”; 11.50 Points): Jack Moga (37.50”; 11.50 Points): Joe Reynolds (36.00”; 10.00 Points): Bob Basic (34.00”; 8.00 Points): Paul Anderson (33.00”; 7.00 Points): Nick Agnesi (32.00”; 6.00 Points).