has evolved into a very high profile sport/business. You need only look at the plethora of off-season Musky shows that mushroom up from Minnesota to New York to observe the marketability of Musky fishing. Yes, I know that many will say that not having a record release category will only encourage people to keep their Musky rather than release it. Why does someone keep a Musky? For some who are new to the sport, a first legal fish is a trophy. An accomplished and caring Musky angler will keep a Musky only if there is little or no possibility of a successful release. For other Musky anglers, its bragging rights or the possibility of a "pay day" that motivates them to keep their catch. These Musky anglers are going to keep a "pay day" fish whether a release category exists or not. They are not on the water for the experience unto itself but rather they are chasing the "pot of gold" at the end of the "Musky Product Endorsement Rainbow". As I stated earlier, the record release category is a noble idea. The problem is that there are some Musky anglers out there that have less than noble intentions. Feedback I recently received an E-mail that questioned this article...specifically taking exception to the concept of a "Payday Fish". It was evident from that E-mail that the sender has not recently looked at catalogs and magazines that use Musky personages to sell lures, videos, rod/reel combinations and 'How To' fishing adventures as well as Musky books.
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