OHMC Business Meeting votes

At the upcoming Business meeting before our banquet, the members will be asked to vote on the 2021 Summer contest lake and the election of officers for 2020.  Also up for a vote is a revision of our Event and Award guidelines.

Major changes from the prior rules include:

  • Elimination of the Trophy Awards (awards for kept fish) for men, women and junior boys and girls.
  • Designating the Pooch Curry award as the award given to the male member, regardless of age, with the longest released fish for the year. Prior to this change, kept fish were included. This award would also replace the King Released award.
  • Designating the Gloria Roberts award as the award given to the female member, regardless of age, with the longest released fish for the year. This award would replace the Queen Release award.
  • Empower the Board of Trustees with the ability to set the tournament schedule for the upcoming year at the November board meeting, except for the Summer Contest lake which would continue to be set by the members at the Annual Meeting.

These changes are being made to align our awards with the desire to release as many muskies as possible to insure the future of the fishery.  A member clearly has the option to keep a personal trophy, the Club, however, will not be providing an award for the kept fish.

The changes also reflect the reality of how the Trustees determine the fishing events for the year, based on the experience of the prior year, the desire to encourage angler participation in our events, and the activities of the other muskie clubs in the state.

The Board is recommending a vote for the motion to adopt the revised Rules and Guidelines.

Here are the full guidelines to be voted on by the members:

CRITERIA FOR AWARDS BANQUET

The Annual Awards Banquet shall be held during Spring of each year.  The exact date and place of the banquet shall be determined by the Board of Trustees.  The membership shall be given a minimum of thirty (30) day’s notice.  All members who are current paid or free members qualify to get their recognition through trophies, plaques, and jackets for outstanding catches and achievements.  Qualified anglers who catch and register their muskellunge catches during the season by submitting their catch data to the Division of Wildlife, thru the Muskie Angler Log will receive their awards at the following annual banquet.  Some awards are based on the point system which is a point per inch to the nearest ¼ inch.  Length shall be submitted at the time it is registered on the MAL thru the Division of Wildlife.  No points shall be awarded without the proper information on length.

  1. A complimentary dinner ticket to the Annual Awards Banquet may be given to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources personnel directly involved with the Corporation and any other personnel that the Executive Board of Trustees decide to invite.
  1. A complimentary dinner ticket shall be given to those who catch their first Regular Huskie Muskie, measuring at least forty-two (42) inches in length, whether it be kept or released.
  1. Certificates are printable when those who qualify for Regular and Honorable Mention muskellunge catches register their catch on the Muskie Angler Log.
  1. Muskie Award. This award was named in honor of Joseph Blackwell.  It is presented to the male whom the Board of Trustees feels has done the most to support the Corporation and promote the sport of muskie fishing in the state of Ohio.  The award given shall be a plaque shaped like the state of Ohio.
  1. Woman of the Year Award. This award is presented to the female whom the Board of Trustees feels has done the most to support the Corporation and promote the sport of muskie fishing in the state of Ohio. The award given shall be a plaque shaped like the state of Ohio.
  1. Pooch Curry Award. This award was named in honor of our first president, H. E. Curry.  It is presented to the male who caught the largest released muskellunge in Ohio as determined by the length of the fish only, irrespective of age of the angler.  The award given shall be a plaque shaped like the state of Ohio.  The angler will also receive an Ohio Huskie Muskie Club, Inc. jacket.
  1. Gloria Roberts Award.  This award was named in honor of our longtime member Gloria Roberts.  It is presented to the female who caught the largest released muskellunge in Ohio as determined by the length of the fish only irrespective of age of the angler.  The award given shall be a plaque shaped like the state of Ohio.  The angler will also receive an Ohio Huskie Muskie Club, Inc. jacket.
  1. Matthew Smith Memorial Award for Juniors. These awards are presented to the anglers sixteen (16) years of age or less at the time the muskellunge was caught.  No one who catches a muskellunge after their seventeenth birthday is eligible for these awards.
  • Boys Release – This award is presented to the male, 16 years of age or less, who caught the largest released muskellunge as determined by length only. The award given shall be a trophy.
  • Girls Release – This award is presented to the female, 16 years of age or less, who caught the largest released muskellunge as determined by length only. The award given shall be a trophy.
  1. Dunmire Award. This award was named in honor of Dr. Laverne Dunmire.  It is presented to the anglers who caught three (3) or more Regular Huskie Muskies, measuring at least forty-two (42) inches in length, whether it be kept or released.  The award given shall be a plaque.
  1. Released Award. This award is presented to the anglers who caught ten (10) or more released muskellunge, measuring at least thirty (30) inches in length.  The award given shall be a plaque.
  1. Tournament Champion Award. This award is presented to the angler with the most tournament points for muskellunge caught during the Club’s fishing events.  The scoring method of only counting 30-inch fish or longer. A thirty-inch fish = 4 points and one additional full point for every additional full inch, measurements rounded down to next ¼ inch, ¼” = .25 pts.
  1. 50 Inch Award. This award is presented to the anglers, irrespective of age, who caught their first fifty (50) inch or larger muskellunge, whether it be kept or released.  The award given shall be a plaque.

 

Annual Fishing Events

The Board of Trustees at their November meeting shall determine the fishing events, their locations and dates to be held in the upcoming year.  The lake for the Summer Contest is determined by a vote of the membership at the most recent Annual Meeting.   Ohio Huskie Muskie Club fishing events are decided by a majority vote of the trustees.  Every effort should be made to rotate events among the ODNR program lakes or lakes that are stocked by the ODNR to ensure members from throughout the state will have the opportunity to fish a lake near their home.

The format and tournament rules for each event will be determined by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees.

For all two-day events, a trophy will be awarded to the First (1st) and Second (2nd) Place finishes using the scoring method of only counting 30-inch fish or longer. A thirty-inch fish = 4 points and one additional full point for every additional full inch, measurements rounded down to next ¼ inch, ¼” = .25 pts. The muskie must be released.  The trophies shall be awarded at the Annual Awards Banquet.

For all one-day events, a trophy will be awarded to the First (1st) place finisher.  All entries must be released.

For all our events, the following guidelines apply:

All lake horsepower limits are strictly enforced.

All boating safety equipment is required.

It is unlawful to operate a watercraft under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

All state and local boating rules and regulations shall be observed.

Swimming or diving from watercraft is not permitted.

All fish must be caught during tournament hours, using legal sport fishing tackle (rod & reel), in strict compliance with local and state laws.

Valid fishing license required.

Courtesy and sportsmanship shall always be maintained .

Violations of local or state fish and game laws during the tournament shall be grounds for disqualification from the tournament and shall forfeit any trophies or prizes won.

Any protest on violations of Tournament Rules must be presented to the Tournament director prior to awards on Sunday.  Decisions of the Tournament director are final.

Ohio Huskie Muskie Club, Inc., Ohio agencies and tournament officials shall not be liable for any loss, damage or liabilities occurring during the tournament.

Please help us maintain our status as one of the most elite fishing clubs in America.

KEEP OUR WATERS CLEAN.

 

DIVISION DAY OUTING

The annual Division Day Outing was started in 1984 by Everett Smith, President at that time.  The purpose of the Division Day Outing is to keep open communications and relations between the Ohio Huskie Muskie Club and the Division of Wildlife.  It is also to promote sport fishing for muskellunge and to give the invited Division of Wildlife guests a chance to experience one of the state’s great pleasures: the thrill and anticipation of landing one of Ohio’s largest game fish, the muskellunge.  This is a day when members of the club volunteer to take employees of the Division of Wildlife out for a day of muskellunge fishing.

A plaque in the shape of Ohio shall be awarded at the Division Day Outing and shall be presented to the Division employee or honored guest, who caught the largest muskellunge based on length only, whether it be kept or released.

 

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