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August 2025 BLC Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

I would first like to wish the high school musky tournament anglers luck tomorrow in the state tournament. Also, there were a few of these kids that helped park cars on behalf of BLC at the Crow Wing County Fair. I would like to give them a round of applause. Our chapter sent five teams up to Lake Vermillion to compete in the tournament. On the topic of youth anglers, we have our youth night next Tuesday August 12. If you have a youth member that would like to get signed up let us know. We are also looking for volunteers to help put this event on. At this event kids receive free fishing rods and gear. They participate in several stations ranging from minnow races to AIS education.

We have a few chapter fishing events coming up this month. The first one is this Sunday on Deer and Moose lakes north of Grand Rapids. Where the Grand Rapids Chapter has challenged us to a Chapter tournament. Winner gets bragging rights and a traveling trophy. Then the last week in August is the Gil Hamm tournament held on Lake of the Woods. This is a 3 day event. As of now we have 2 teams heading up to fish in this event. This event is fun for all ages. If you are interested in fishing, please get in contact with either myself or Jody.

We are getting to that time of year where we need to be mindful of water temps. Muskie Inc is built on conservation. The last thing any of us want to do is harm the musky fisheries we all fish.

Fair Chase and Tight Lines   

Levi Stifter

August 12th Meeting

Youth Night

August is Youth Night and will be held at the Nisswa Community Center. Thank you to all that signed their kids up in record time! We filled all spots in less than 24 hours.

Volunteers needed! If you would be interested in volunteering to help us make everything go smoothly, we could still use some extra hands. Contact any board member or respond to this email if you are willing to help.

Meetings are open to the public and FREE to attend! Chance to win various prizes from lures or maybe a rod in our meeting raffles. Come to hear and share fish stories and more. One random door prize drawing for those in attendance. Bring your friends!



* 2nd Tuesday of the Month - Nisswa American Legion - 7 pm *

August 10th

MHOTY Outing - Deer and Moose Lakes

August 12th

Monthly Meeting - Youth Night - Nisswa Community Center

September 2nd

MHOTY Outing - Cedar Lake

September 9th

Monthly Meeting - Guest Speaker - Bob Weeks

2025 Gil Hamm Chapter Challunge

Gil Hamm, along with many others, was instrumental in the creation of the Muskies Inc organization, seeing the importance of musky conservation for future generations. Going back more than 40 years ago, Gil Hamm and the others from Chapter #1, the Twin Cities Chapter, decided that bringing everyone together for a fishing event couldn’t have been a better idea (I think we can all agree)!

The Fargo-Moorhead Chapter of Muskies Inc will be hosting the Gil Hamm Chapter Challunge this year. Join them for this annual event, coming together as a greater Muskies Inc nationwide event. Get to know your fellow musky fishing peers from around the country and have a great time fishing on world class waters.

Where: Red Wing Lodge - Lake of the Woods

When: August 27th - 29th, 2025

Details:

•6 people per team.

•Unlimited numbers of teams per chapter can fish the tournament.

•No cost per individual to enter - the BLC picks up the cost per team entry. 

•Participants must find and pay for their own lodging.

•Contact Jody Young at 218-821-3727 to sign up

We currently have two teams with room on the second team for two more anglers. Please let Jody know ASAP if you would like to participate!.

For more information and updates, check out the Gil Hamm Chapter Challunge website.

http://www.gilhammchallunge.com

Jeff Young Memorial Muskie Shootout

October 4-5, 2025

We are just two months away! The Jeff Young Memorial Muskie Shootout will once again be heading back to Agency Bay Lodge on Leech Lake. Agency Bay Lodge has been a great partner for us and they help us put on a great event. He hope you will be able to join us on October 4th and 5th this year.

2025 BLC Muskie Hunter of the Year (MHOTY)/Outings Schedule

June

•  28th; Bemidji Memorial Tournament - all lakes “fair game”
• 7am-3pm

July 

• 15th; Lake Alexander - Ladies get double points for muskies caught
• 4pm-10pm
• 19th; Lake Miltona - potluck at Noon
• 7am-10pm

August 

• 5th; Lake Shamineau - Kids get double points for muskies caught
• 5pm-10pm 
• 10th; Moose & Deer Lakes
• 6am-4pm

September 

• 2nd; Cedar Lake - sponsorship night - fish must be caught using a BLC sponsors lure
• 4pm-9pm
• 20th; Leech Lake
• 7am-3pm

October 

• 11th; Pelican Lake
• 8am-3pm
• 25th; Lake Roosevelt
• 9am-4pm 

**Schedule subject to change**

** Potluck picnic to follow after most outings**

Find our entire outing schedule, results and MHOTY standings on the website.

BLC Memorial Outing

September 13

Mantrap Lake - 7am to 5pm

This is separate from the MHOTY schedule and is run a bit more like a tournament style with prizes for the winner as well as big fish pot and raffles afterwards.

Fall Outing

September 20th to 28th

Lake Vermilion - Muskego Point Resort



Stay for one day or the entire week. Discounted lodging rates available. This is just a casual get together that the chapter has organized for many years and not tied into our official outing schedule/standings. Contact Jody at 218-821-3727 if you have questions.

2025 Release Standings

Current Release Standings

If you would like to participate in our 2025 release contest or be eligible for a free replica, please make sure to check out the above link and scroll down for requirements. Also remember that it can pay to participate in our release contest. All fish registered the previous month will go into a monthly drawing at our monthly meetings for a $25 Musky Tackle Online gift card. Must be present to win!

• Because of Youth Night, the July release drawing will be held at the September meeting. So we will draw for both July and August winners at that meeting.

BLC 50” Club and First Muskie Club

Catch a 50”+ muskie during the 2025 Muskie season, or catch your FIRST muskie and automatically get in for an annual, commemorative shirt!

Here’s how it works:



• You must be a current member in good standing as of the time the fish was caught 
• Submit a release form, minimum, to the BLC

Send us your photos - we’d love to be able to post these to social media, use in the newsletter, submit to MUSKIE magazine, use at the end of the year, and more! These photos can be of any fish caught throughout the season, not just the biggest fish - all Muskies matter!

Release forms can be filled out online through the Muskies Inc Lunge Log or through the BLC site. Pictures can be sent to our release chairman Nathan Stifter at nathanstifter60@gmail.com throughout the season.

NOT the actual shirt that you will receive. Image for attention only!

Bump Boards for Sale

As a board (no pun intended) we made the decision to invest in some new bump boards for the Jeff Young Memorial Muskie Shootout that we hold every fall on Leech Lake. We did this to add both the chapter and shootout logos to the boards. But we also wanted to support an operational bump board company in Muskie Bumper. The original bump boards for the Shootout were from T's Tackle and they have not been in business for a number of years now.

So that means we have a bunch of bump boards that we need to find new homes for! Are you in need of one for yourself or know someone that is? These are all in excellent condition, with the majority still looking essentially brand new. And we are selling these for just $70 each. A similar bump board purchased brand new will cost over $120. So this is a great deal and they will be first come, first served.

We will have a few available at each of our monthly meetings until they are gone. If you would like to reserve one to make sure we have one for you at our next meeting, just respond to this email to let us know.

Discounts for BLC Members

The BLC has worked hard to grow our list of sponsors. And we have partnered with several of them to bring you discounts through their companies. As a BLC member, you can get discounts through the following BLC sponsors.

• Highway 3 Marine
• Musky Tackle Online
• Net Buddy
• Precision Propeller
• Stealth Tackle
• Tutt's Bait & Tackle

Find details of all discount offers here

CHAPTER SPONSORS



Please support our great sponsors that support us. We wouldn't be able to do the things that we do without their help!

Special offers from select sponsors for BLC members.

Connect with us

Collect Data to Help Manage MN Muskies

When you're on the water, you can help the MN DNR more efficiently manage our muskie fisheries by collecting data. Click on the below images to enlarge. Also see the BLC website and scroll down below the calendar of events for the year for additional details, including some in depth information on Pit Tag readers and how to submit this data to the DNR.