2009 Petenwell Musky Challenge

[Todd Forcier]

Our 2009 Petenwell Musky Challenge had 75 boats competing for a pay-out of $8,700.

Saturday (day 1) was a cool windy day, with wind gusts of 40 mph. Morning water temps started off at 56 degrees and warmed to 59 degrees. We used four boat landings, with boater’s choice.
Saturday’s conditions proved brutal for boat control, however the fish were cooperating. The first fish came just after 7:00 am and throughout the day every time the phone rang it was followed by two more calls. Fish were active through the whole flowage from the river to the back waters, to the back bays. Glide baits, twitch baits and bucktails seemed to be the productive lures. By day’s end we had 15 fish caught with 10 being tournament legal. Saturday’s largest fish was 40-1/4 inches.

Saturday’s banquet was at the Ridges Golf Course and Banquet Center. After an excellent meal we held our annual fundraiser for stocking. Some of our new sponsors this year were: Just Encase Tackle Boxes, Moonshine Lures, Leaders & Lures, Skeeter Boat Center, Glowin’ Outdoors, Legacy Lures and Tackle Industries to name a few.

We held our 2nd annual “Operation Musky Raffle”. I am proud to announce we raised $1,210 to help fund this great event.

Sunday (day 2) was a completely different day. Sun was already out and the winds over half of what they were on Saturday. As we drove around we seen everyone was continuing the same patterns as the day before, working areas over with a variety of lures. As we started to get phone calls of fish caught, once again each call would be followed by a second. By day’s end there were 8 fish caught with 4 being tournament legal. Sunday’s largest tournament fish was 40-1/2 inches.

We had the great honor of having our local Fisheries Biologist, Justine Hasz with us all weekend. Justine spent the two days in the boat with me and we witnessed all the fish we could. After these fish were measured she then implanted them with micro chips. She recorded each fish’s length and later when the flowage gets surveyed; if any of these fish get captured they’ll be able to record their growth rate.

Saturday’s “On the Water Raffle” winners were Mike & Peter Hryc and Sunday’s winners were Scott Cisewski & Pete Elsen. Both teams each won a lure retriever from Frabill and lures from Undertaker & T-N-T Tackle Company.


Our 2009 Petenwell Musky Challenge winners are:

5th Place (tie) –
Al Subera (Friendship, WI) & Brian Smith (Nekoosa, WI) and Bob Poenitsch (Kewaskum, WI) & Randy Poenitsch (West Bend, WI). Both teams caught a 39-1/2 inch musky, 52 points and each team got a check for $200.
4th Place –
Jacob Thompson (Plover, WI) & Steve Weyers (Stevens Point, WI) caught a 40 inch musky, 54 points and a check for $800.
3rd Place –
Mike & Amy (Mike’s daughter) Keyes (Nekoosa, WI) caught a 40-1/4 inch musky, 55 points (Saturday’s big fish) and a check $1,500.
2nd Place -
Dan Frick (Wis. Rapids, WI) & Jeff Daniels (Rudolph, WI) caught a 40-1/2 inch musky, 56 points (Sunday’s big fish) and check for $2,500.
1st Place-
Rick Pelner (Nekoosa, WI) & Dave Frei (Campbellsport, WI) caught two fish a 38-3/4 & 36-1/4 inch muskies, 88 points and a check for $3,500

From all of us at the 2009 Petenwell Musky Challenge we’d like to congratulate all our winners.