RIP to a Musky Legend – Slick Paint Jobs – Musky-themed Christmas
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Musky-themed Christmas
The holiday season is officially done.
It was a weird one with all the craziness we had in 2020, but still pretty cool connecting with family members and reflecting on the year.
I'm guessing most of your relatives don't share your burning passion for musky fishing, but that doesn't mean you can't musk-ify your holiday get togethers – just ask these hardcore musky-heads:
Lovin' these Christmas musky cookies from Mark Koopman:
And check out these sweet Christmas trees.... decorated with musky baits of course!
One from Alex Boutin (left) and one from Tom Braatz (right)
Buying a present for your musky-obsessed loved one can be a double-edged sword.
On one hand, you know what they're passionate about. On the other hand, they've probably got every musky bait known to man hanging on the wall of their garage.
Thought this gift from Skip Lindgren was a good happy medium:
Guessin' this thing will collect dust during musky season, but should help him get through the long, cold winter....
Also, I'm not a cribbage expert, but I'm pretty sure this board is a few peg-holes short of the official regulation size. 😂 Really cool piece though!
RIP Tom Gelb
We lost a true musky fishin' legend on Christmas morning.
Tom Gelb proved to the world that you don't need a big boat and expensive electronics to catch big muskies.
He has a long history in the musky industry that includes an excellent book (Musky Strategy) and several MASSIVE northern Wisconsin muskies.
The photo above is a 51 pounder (53 x 28.5") caught in Vilas County (Nov. 30, 2006) on a Harley Davidson blue DepthRaider. #RowTrollin
Here's a nice quote from Jim Saric on Gelb:
"Tom was known for analyzing and dissecting many aspects of the sport. He pioneered the impacts of moonrise/set on muskies, how suspended muskies relate to the thermocline, as well as some cold water figure-8 techniques. All of this is now common knowledge to today’s musky angler, which is testament to Tom’s impact to the sport. He will be missed."
Our thoughts & prayers go out to Tom's family and friends!
Fresh Paint
We really enjoy seeing lesser known baitmakers kickin' out interesting, unique baits. The outta-the-box paint jobs are our favorite – here's a few cool ones:
Really impressed by these baits from Dan Johansson in Sweden. Not sure if he's trying to mimic something with the green patterns, but I'm getting some serious burbot vibes from the brown baits on the bottom:
Really diggin' this match-the-hatch firetiger look from Remobaits, also in Sweden:
Not sure if I should be impressed or creeped out by all these eyes starin' back at me:
In all seriousness, looks like some really cool baits from RP Baits out in the Netherlands.
Last but not least, turns out there are some Americans with artistic ability, too. 😉
Check out these mean muggin' gliders from Booher's Custom Lures:
Definitely going to be huntin' down more cool, unique stuff like this in the future. If you stumble on anything worth sharing, send it our way 👍
Stimulus Checks
Sounds like the government might be giving us (Americans) some of our money back sometime soon – which is big news if you're hurtin' financially.... or your musky gear needs some updating. 😉
$600, $2,000 – whatever it is – you know musky-heads will be throwing together their post-Christmas wishlists, while they wait for those stimulus checks to clear.
And once it hits the bank account.....
Should be no problem if you're single.
Might be a little tougher if your significant other happens to be the fiscally responsible one in the family:
And nothing is worse than taking the dreaded walk of shame into your favorite musky retailer....
We feel your pain, and we're here for ya!
QUICK HITTERS:
– Musky Hunter TV starts back up Jan. 2nd (link)
– Keyes Outdoors starts back up Jan. 3rd (video)
– Winnipeg River musky fishing w/ Maina (video)
– Maina on rigging suckers for fall muskies (video)
– Lost footage & big muskies w/ Todays Angler (video)
– Fly fishin’ for Virginia muskies w/ Blue Ridge (video)
– Bass Pro Shops purchases Sportsman’s Warehouse (link)
THIS WEEK'S MONSTER MUSKIES:
Big congrats to Mark Hayman on crackin' this 50.5 inch Hayward hawg fishin' with local guide Jeff Evans. #NorthwoodsBiggun
Not the longest fish in the lake, but an absolute sumo swimmer from Ben St. Louis on Lake St. Clair. He caught this 48.5 x 25.5" porkbelly fishin' with guide Spencer Berman.
Love hooking them, netting them, and holding them, but nothing beats watchin' them leave! Great release shot from Joey White. 🔥
How bout this big, clean, late fall silver-sided gorilla? (via @muskie_fish_tank)
Wanna be featured on Musky Insider? Send in your recent trophy musky photos by replying to this email. You might just see your pic in next week's newsletter. 🤙
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