Musky historian, Larry Ramsell, has developed a new program for anglers to get a very close weight "estimate" of their fish WITHOUT killing it. Read below for all the info:

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To all MuskieFirsters (and the world):

You asked for it and now you've got it! Steve noted that I would chime in with much more detail, although there isn't really a lot more to detail. Quite simply, to qualify one only need to capture, DOCUMENT FULLY as did Dean and Dominic, a giant that calculates to over 58 pounds using the "Modified Crawford Formula" (L X G/25 -8). This formula is easy to use quickly, and is as near accurate as humanly possible for fish of this caliber without understating fish weight. Nothing is perfect in this regard and it is still an "estimate", but it is an estimate that will be the same for all, based on fish measurement.

Proper, commercial bump (measuring) boards must be used for length measurement and a soft tape for girth measurement that is readable in a photograph. Obviously photographs equal to or greater than those obtained by Dean and Dominic are required, i.e., distant and close ups of both measurement and the close ups must be readable as well as a good shot of the fish being held...Dean and Dominic set the bar very high in this regard and left no doubt of the mammoth size of their fish.

And here is what I think you will find to be an interesting kicker; Should there be any questions or concerns of future contenders, YOU, the registered members of the MuskieFirst forum, will in effect, be the program Committee and will vote thumbs up or thumbs down on a questionable entry!

When a friend first called and asked me if we wanted to get involved in establishing a release world record, I said "Absolutely not! Are you out of your "frigging" (or something like that) mind?" But after stewing on it for a couple of days, I could see that there just might be a way to make it work on released muskies; something the majority have been clamoring for, for years. And here we are...we hope you all approve and that this program will continue to save untold numbers of giant muskies, while at the same time giving them their just recognition...