WRMA IS OFF THE GROUND

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It is THE WORLD RECORD MUSKIE ALLIANCE

The WRMA is a dedicated non-profit group assembled to ensure all current and future Muskie records are genuine. The WRMA will employ qualified impartial resources to identify, analyze and verify all available evidence to present to the proper agencies to help them determine eligibility of records. The investigation and analysis of each record will require significant investments of volunteer time and service in addition to testing, communications and other necessary expenses. Each record represents it’s own unique expense, to give you an idea, we anticipate the costs related to examine the current all-tackle world records to exceed $10,000.00 !

Membership is $50.00, and may qualify for tax deduction as the WRMA will soon be officially recognized with non-profit status. Please consider helping us by volunteering your time, resource and/or money to help verify the integrity of the records, past, present, and future. For those that are active Muskies, Inc. members, we additionally ask for your support of this endeavor at the Chapter or International level of Muskies, Inc., to be voted on at the 2004 International Spring Board meeting.


All donations are appreciated, please make checks payable to WRMA:

World Record Muskie Alliance
PO Box 7613
Algonquin, IL 60102
Dan Koniewicz/Treasurer

Please direct any questions or information to Jerry Newman at Newman@stans.net

Who cares about the records? We do!


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I recently agreed to become one of the spokesperson(s) for the WRMA on the Internet and possibly in some print media. I have agreed to this because there are so many questions surrounding so many of the recognized record fish. Over the years, I've read many of the arguments for and against so many of these fish. It seems that many of the fish on the books have "issues". Some of the arguments I personally agree with, and some I don't. There are sometimes personal agendas involved too, which further complicates matters. But the bottomline is that we need to thoroughly and impartially review ALL of these records, and have a comfort level that each and every recognized fish is legitimate. The only way to do this fairly is to use impartial, credible and recognized experts in their fields to investigate, analyze, and determine the legitimacy of these records on a case by case basis, with opportunities for all parties to provide input and documentation to support or refute each one without the political bias that rages every time a W.R. discussion happens.

I honestly don't know how many of the current records will remain once this review is completed - maybe none, but I do know that I will feel more comfortable knowing that those that do remain when the process is over are more likely legitimate than they are fake. There will always be dis-believers, no matter how much effort or money is spent. But I believe that those of us that have been involved with muskie fishing in the media, as tackle producers, or as charter operaters need to get behind this effort, and support it, regardless of our affiliations, friendships, and politics. That is why I have personally volunteered to get involved. If I was not convinced that this was to be a truly non-partisan effort, I would not have stepped forward.

I would like to publicly ask all high profile and knowledgable members of this site to step forward. Our industry has more than it's fair share of politics. Let's put the politics aside and get our own house in order. Perhaps this will be a way to mend some fences and work as a team. Let's put these issues behind us once and for all so that we can get on with the job of promoting and improving a fishery that we all hold so dear.

Thanks!

Steve Wickens
STRIKE ZONE Muskie Charters

[Steve Wickens]

Hello Everyone,

As one of the founders of the WRMA let me introduce some information and answer some of the questions that have been raised. I see some sound questions asked by some serious people; these questions deserve serious and sound answers. Thank you for asking them! First, for some of you, wake up and smell the coffee. You are trying to defuse a bomb that has already exploded - either accept it or please, just move on.

Do we the members of the WRMA have all the answers at this time? Of course not. We will we do our collective best to answer them, absolutely and openly. We here at the WRMA feel strongly that all concerned sportsmen should be allowed to ask questions, and in turn they deserve honest and direct feedback.

Fellow muskie fishermen, let’s face some hard facts here. We are all part of a fresh water fishing sport that is considered by some to be truly an elitist passion. We hold the muskie in such high regard, because it is indeed the top predator - king of all fresh water game fish. Even the smaller specimens sometimes make our hands shake; larger ones have certainly made my knees nearly buckle more than once. Our brass ring, the all tackle world record, is deserving of authentication at the highest level, not just for us now, but for future generations as well. The WRMA will continue to do it’s best to deliver on this promise. If this can help to remove some of the fighting and dissension among us, so much the better. A WR that is truly authenticated will help to unite us, not divide us, as some would have you believe.

Just who is the WRMA, and who are the experts that we should trust with this all-important task of authenticating the brass ring of our beloved sport? The founders and active members are everyday sportsmen like you, who care enough about their sport to put their time and effort into something larger than themselves. We have over 60 members now, some of whom have already donated their $50. (A few who have donated much more.) and still others who have pledged their $50. Thank you for your support!
We are not incorporated yet, so we are all “just members” at this time.

If you’re considering a donation (we accept and appreciate all by the way, but membership will remain at $50.), your first question should be who is this Treasurer Dan Koniewicz and is he trustworthy? Dan is just a typical honest hard working family man. What might separate him from the pack is his devotion to the Fox River Valley Chapter of Muskies Inc.. He has held nearly every board position there spanning the last 20 plus years, including President and Treasurer. He is currently the Vice President, and one of the FRV founding members. Nobody at the FRV Chapter past or present, would ever question Dan’s devotion and honestly, because he is in a word, trustworthy!

Our hard working lawyer is Kim Presbury, who has been active almost since day one.
He stands ready to defend the WRMA on a volunteer basis if required, and will continue to steer us clear of the potholes and bumps that arise along the way.
Steve Rusteburg is working with and in charge of directing our Private Investigator. He has been active since day one and is a real hawk. (His father is a P.I., but not for the WRMA), so it certainly runs in his blood.)

Reid Frank is in charge of the photo analysis, or rather the photo grammetry, and he has also been active since day one. He is currently working with Larry Ramsell on data collection. Reid is attempting to secure a contract with the Director of Visual Geometry Solutions at Oxford University. We do not have a verbal commitment now; however, we are hopeful. This study will be followed by a peer review by another accredited university. This is not someone measuring in a dimly lit room with a ruler here, we’re talking the best available in the world.

We also have a team of writers Brian Wight, Rich Delaney, and Steve Wickens, who are our spokesmen. Ken Olesen is working on setting up a website for us for at no charge; hopefully he’ll have it ready for our official public opening, with additional information released sometime in the near future. There are many more who are also helping with their time, money and effort. As well as some who wish to remain anonymous, but have been, and will continue to be a huge help to us. Space here will not allow us to honor them with our applause; however, you know who you are and we sincerely thank you and the dedicated members above!

To our knowledge, no one on board has a secret agenda, or other aspirations after this for personal monetary gain. We feel strongly that would represent a direct conflict of interest in seeking the raw truth. We’re asking all of the members to please refrain from voicing their opinion publicly or otherwise. As in poker, the cards will speak for themselves in the end. The WR muskies are what they are, and everyone involved who has an opinion either way, please for the sake of the sport, button it. Any member who steps outside this guideline publicly or while dealing with other members, or our hired experts in an attempt to try to influence their opinion will cease to be a member of the WRMA. We are currently gathering all possible facts and statements positive and negative, doing our best to root out the entire truth and clean our own house so to speak. Our focus and most of our effort is on the current all tackle WR at this time. When that project is complete, we will move down the line to the next all tackle WR, and then to the power trolling record of O’Brien’s, due mainly to it’s historical significance. All fish studied will be put to the same acid test. Further, there is much interest in authenticating all the record muskies by some members, including the Hybrid division and even the 60lb fish. However, at this time, I can only personally commit to the Spray, Johnson and O’Brien records, and then I would like to move on. I’m confident that other members will pick this up and run with it after my tenure is up. If you consider Gil Hamm and why he originally started Muskies Inc., and where it’s at today, well the sky is the limit for the WRMA and what it can accomplish.

At this time we would like to ask Mr. Fenner to join us, and yes Mr. Fenner, some members are currently gathering information on the O’Brien fish to be put to the same acid test, so your check would be appreciated. We are the World Record Muskie Alliance and all who are able to set their biases aside at the door are welcome to join and participate.

Some members of the WRMA are also members of Muskies Inc. The WRMA is in no way associated with Muskies Inc. The WRMA will be present at the International meeting in March to discuss an outside study project, but we will not be asking for any funding at that meeting. The members of the WRMA would like to thank the entire Executive Board of Muskies Inc. International for allowing us the board’s valuable time at that meeting.

Jerry Newman