Wausau Area Musky Open

Saturday, July 12th marks a special occasion for the greater Wausau area as the 1st inaugural Wausau Area Musky Open will take place on local waters. The event, put on by the Wausau Area Chapter of Muskies Inc., is a catch and release musky tournament with the sole purpose of raising money for stocking area fisheries. Tournament Director and Wausau Area Muskies Inc. member Todd Bohm is quite excited about the event. “Our goal first and foremost is to raise money for local stocking,” explains Bohm. “We expect the tournament to be a fun and family oriented event with participants having the chance at some really great prizes thanks to our excellent sponsors,” Bohm continues.

Fishing hours will run from 6:00 AM-4:00 PM on Saturday, with a mandatory meeting being held at the tournament headquarters, Dale’s Weston Lanes, Friday the 11th beginning at 7:00 PM. Anglers looking to fish the tournament may choose from 1 of 5 Wausau area groups: Lake Wausau/Rib River, North of the Wausau Hydro Dam to the old Brokaw paper mill dam, North of the Brokaw paper mill dam to Merrill, the Wisconsin River below Domtar mill to the Mosinee dam, or Lake DuBay. Only 19 boats will be allowed on each lake group so availability is on a first come first serve basis.

In addition to prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and a ‘big fish pool’, the Wausau Area Muskies Inc. chapter will furthermore be offering a prize package for the junior angler catching and releasing the largest musky. Lax Taxidermy of Conover, Wisconsin and the club have also teamed up to offer the angler catching and releasing the largest musky measuring 48” or larger a free graphite replica – a prize alone worth a minimum of $600.

Wausau Area Muskies Inc. Vice President Jason McFarlane hopes for a solid turnout. “With any inaugural event you have to hope that your advertising endeavors pay off. It’s going to be a great event for a great cause and regardless of turn-out, it’s something that will only continue to grow with each new year,” McFarlane shares. Anglers looking for more information on the Wausau Area Musky Open Fundraising Tournament or membership in the Wausau Area Chapter of Muskies Inc. may find all the information on the club’s website www.wausaumuskies.com.

Not doing anything this Saturday? Come on out and support stocking muskies in North-Central Wisconsin; regardless, I guarantee you walk away a winner. I’ll see you on the water…

Tight lines,