FISHING — Washington is outstanding in the latest Lunge Log, the international “brag board” where Muskies Inc. members in North America post their longest catches (and releases).

Tops on the MuskiesInc.org “Longest Releases” for 2012 is a 46 incher hooked on June 16 by Ed Walzer at Lake Merwin Reservoir in Cowlitz County.

Just behind that bruiser in second place is a 45.5 incher hooked May 4 by Douglas Wood at Silver Lake in Spokane County.

Just as impressive is that these two Washington lakes plus Mayfield, Tapps and Curlew in Washington produced nine of the top 25 tiger muskies recorded by Muskies Inc. across North America this year.

Not making the list was the biggest fish of all: a 10-year old, 49-inch, 40-pounder landed by Washington Fish and Wildlife Department fisheries biologists doing a survey last week at Curlew Lake in Ferry County. 

See the story here.

The biologists say they turned up more fish of that size while electroshocking — and those fish are still there!

FISHING — The Newman Lake Open Muskie Tournament is set for Aug. 18 sponsored by Mountain Muskies, the local Muskies Inc. chapter.

Registration starts at 6 a.m. at Newman Lake Resort.

A mandatory meeting for participants starts at 6:45 a.m. Competition runs 7. a.m.-5 p.m.

Preregister: Doug Wood at (509) 263-7235 or email douglasjwood@gmail.com<mailto:douglasjwood@gmail.com> 

See www.mountainmuskies.com for rules.

TOURNAMENT FISHING — Mark Kendall, teamed with Doug Wood, caught the 34-inch tiger musky (above) to top the 11 anglers Saturday in the Silver Lake Mountain Muskies Tiger Musky Tournament in Spokane County.

The second place team of Herb Zielke and Don Grove wwere just a half an inch shy with one musky measuring 33.5 inches

Those were the only two tigers the 11 anglers caught during the day-long tournament, reports Douglas Wood, president of the local Mountain Muskies chapter of Muskies, Inc.

Both of the fish were released.

“Many more were seen, but not caught,” Wood said.

FISHING — A standing offer to replicate the first 50-inch tiger musky caught and released in a Washington tiger musky tournament was honored this week.

In September, Chris Gades of St. Maries caught a 50-incher in Muskies Inc. tourney at Curlew Lake. It wasn’t just big for the area. According to Muskies Inc., it’s the biggest tiger musky recorded in North America in 2011.

Gade, a Colvile native, unhooked the fish, measured it, posed it for a photo and released it unharmed in the lake, as required in the tournament.

Lax Reproductions of Conover, Wis., came through with its promise to honor this milestone fish. Using the photos Gades provided, the company prepared a replica of the lunker, which was presented to Gades by Doug Wood of Spokane, president of the Mountain Muskies Chapter.

A tiger musky is a sterile cross between a northern pike and a muskellunge.  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has planted the hybrids in seven lakes in the state to control rough fish and provide a trophy fishing opportunity.

Washington rules require any tiger musky less than 50 inches long to be released alive, but tournament anglers release all of their fish.  

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