ABOUT US 

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If you like Muskie Fishing.... You need to belong in Muskies, Inc.  Muskies Inc. is a 16,000 strong member organization with 50 chapters in sixteen states. Muskie Inc. first espoused the " Catch and Release' ethic and for the last 40 years has proved the value of releasing a healthy fish back to the water.Today, Muskie Inc. members have released over 200,000 healthy muskies.  

 

Purpose of Muskies Inc.  

 

• To promote a high quality of Muskellunge sport fishery

• To support selected conservation practices based on scientific merit and to carried out by authorized federal and state agencies

• To promote Muskellunge research

• To establish hatcheries and rearing ponds and introduce the species into suitable waters

• To support the abatement of water pollution

• To maintain records of habits, growth, and range of species

• To disseminate Muskellunge information

• To promote good fellowship and sportsmanship among men, women and children

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Check out our International website http://www.muskiesinc.org

 

History

 

  Muskies, Inc. was founded December 9, 1966 by Gil Hamm, a 62 year old building contractor from St Paul, Minnesota. Gil and thirteen others, Gary Bennyhoff, Richard D. Hammond, Robert Farinacci, Maurice Hurley, Gerald Palmer, James Peterson, Wally Wilbert, Richard Chapman, Rodric Guindon, Charles Huver, Arnold Lindall, Harold Meir, and Eric Rehnwall made up the original members.

     

  The first Board of Directors meeting of Muskies, Inc. was held February 28, 1967, at Gil Hamm's office in St. Paul, Mn.   Articles of incorporation had been filed and subsequently the I.R.S. granted Muskies, Inc. non-profit exemption under Section 501(c) (3) of the I.R.S. Code.  

 

One of the Board members, Darrell Trumbauer owned a bait shop and a commercial minnow hatchery at Battle Lake, Minnesota.  This facility was to become a Muskies, Inc. rearing pond for muskies and a stocking program that, over the years, exceeded a $1,000,000 in value to the Minnesota DNR.  The efforts to raise muskies in these ponds continued until 1980 when the ponds were drained, primarily due to increasing operation costs and water quality.  

 

  Over the years as many as six chapters of Muskies, Inc. have established rearing ponds. Their members have spent considerable efforts to raise muskies for stocking around the states.  In 1978 Muskies, Inc. went on a campaign to establish chapters around the area and Lany Ramsell established fourteen new chapters.

 

  The Board of Directors took Muskies, Inc. to a new level, and it would become an International Organization.  The first Chapter Challunge was held in Minocqua in October of 1977.  The Illinois Muskie Hunters challenged all chapters to a tournament.  Fargo/Moorhead won the "Challunge" and in April of 1979 the Muskies, Inc. "Newsletter" took on the new format of a magazine.  

 

  In 1984 Muskies Inc., in conjunction with the American Fisheries Society, put on an International Symposium on Muskellunge. World experts on the subject were brought together to develop beneficial relationships and exchange ideas.  The Symposium emphasized characterstics of trophy fish and unique biological characteristics.  

 

  The  papers presented and the proceedings at the symposium were published in a hard bound 372 page book entitled "Managing Muskies". This was a major undertaking and thousands of hours of volunteer time was committed to this Symposium.  T he Symposium was a a major accomplishment for Muskies, Inc.

 

  Unfortunately, on November 8th, 1984, Muskies Inc's founder, Gil Hamm, passed away.  But Gil left a terrific legacy in place and Muskies Inc continued to flourish.  The membership of Muskies, Inc. has been very active with a variety issues, including, but not limited to many biological studies, negotiations with Native American spearingpractices, youth fishing, and involvement in Camp Fish; publishing an excellent magazine for our members, developing research projects, tabulating muskies released by members tournaments among member chapters, etc.

 

  1991 was Muskies, Inc. 25th Anniversary year.  The anniversary banquet was highlighted by the first ten people to be inducted into the Muskies Inc. Hall of Fame.  Today Muskies, Inc. boasts 50 Chapters across the US and a membership exceeding 6,000 fishermen.

 

   Muskies, Inc. has done considerable work in promoting muskellunge as one of the greatest trophy sportfish, as well as efforts to promote the "catch and release" philosophy among it's membership and throughout the muskie fishing community.

 

  Today Muskies, Inc is the premier muskie fishing organization in the world and has become a strong and resourceful partner of state conservation management departments in many of the states where muskies are found. Today there are 35 of the lower 48 states with muskie populations and muskie fisheries management programs being conducted by state DNR's.