Wisconsin’s 39th Annual National Championship Musky Open drew 1,146 anglers from 14 states, who caught and released 117 muskies in three days. The August 15 to 17 Eagle River, Wisconsin, tourney is a family fun fishing event open to everyone from 8-year-old kids to adult husband-and-wife fishing teams. It’s billed as the largest amateur musky tournament in the United States, and anglers flock to the famed north-central muskie town to participate.
No tournament cash is up for grabs, just bragging rights. Anglers entered in the event are eligible for raffle prizes. The top prize for the raffle this year was a fully rigged 18-foot Recon boat, motor and trailer, which was won by Eric Roder, of Merrill, Wisconsin.
Bob Sommers of St. Germain, Wisconsin, was the Open winner totaling four fish that tallied longer in length than his competitors catches. All fish are measured in front of a witness when it’s caught and then released. Sommers wasn’t specific about where he fished. But it’s believed it was in his St. Germain hometown region. The event is open to anglers fishing dozens of waters encompassing seven different family of lake systems in and around Eagle River. Sommers caught his fish on a large Mepps musky-size spinner.
“I talked to Sommers and he showed me his Mepps Musky Flashabou lure and it was chewed to ribbons by muskies,” Chris Opper, a Mepps spokesman, tells Wired2fish. “It’s a 1.25-ounce single silver blade spinner, with black Flashabou tail that’s been really hot for muskies.”
The four muskies Sommers caught according to the In-Fishermen Muskie Length To Weight conversion chart would have weighed 14 to 17.5 pounds for the three smaller fish. The largest 43-incher, according to the chart, could have weighed 21 pounds.
The biggest muskie in the Open measuring 47 inches and estimated at 32 pounds was caught and released by Darrell Fritz of Rothschild, Wisconsin. He said his musky was boated on Voyageur Lake. His prize catch will be made into a replica musky mount by Fittante Taxidermy in Antigo, Wisconsin.
There were 79 husband and wife teams fishing in the Open. Peter and Chelsey Blicharz, of Three Lakes, Wisconsin, won that part of the event with two fish – a 36.5-inch and a 40.25-inch musky, for a total of 76.5 inches.
Youth anglers this year numbered 43, and the top young musky catch was made by Simon Conklin, of Wausau, with a 36-incher. Next year’s 40th Annual Musky Open is already planned for Aug. 21-23, 2026. Contact the Eagle River Chamber of Commerce for more information at 800-359-6315 or email: events@eagleriver.org.
