Muskallunge set sail September 7, l943 from Pearl Harbor on the first of seven war patrols. Check out our 30 second summer video below! Email: [email protected]. Sign Up, FaceBook

Yet More Nails in the Coffin of Louie Spray’s World Record Muskie Claims, Lederer & Cummings Win PMTT Cave Run Spring Shootout, Minn Kota® Wins in “Best Boating Accessories” Category with new Raptor™ Shallow Water Anchor at ICAST 2020. Not long after, in the March 1950 issue, Sports Afield magazine published a Cal Johnson authored article touting the great musky fishing in the Hayward, Wisconsin waters. Next time you are in Hayward, view the Johnson mount and see how it was enhanced by carefully examining these several features on the mount and see how it was made to make it appear to be the size claimed. “Home of World Record Muskies”! “Take a Kid Fishin” How many you remember the first fish you caught, or more importantly, remember the first time you went fishing? Kennedy later served on four other subs prior to ending his naval career as a commissioned officer. So that’s what happened.
With a low camera angle, the fish in front and Johnson leaning back, the fish “appears” to be above Johnson’s head. Twenty minutes later, McQuillen had the 23.7-kilogram (52-pound, 4-ounce) muskie netted, and a new Men's 10-kilogram (20-pound) line class world record. The electrics traveled at a modest 28 knots, but had the advantage of leaving no tell-tale surface turbulence in their wake, as did the earlier steam-driven projectiles which they gradually replaced. So, knowing the best musky violators in the area, he put out the word that he was in the market for a big one. Walleye, crappies, large and small mouth bass, jumbo perch, musky, and plentiful panfish. Lee White joins electronic technician Steve Gillett at the 52 Boats Memorial, San Diego — all generational gaps aside. Note the musky’s four pectoral fins, located fore and aft in pairs. 5 World Record Muskies have come from Hayward’s lakes, and the jaw bone of a record musky was found in 1999 in an area lake. In short, technology mimicking nature.” Image courtesy lakestclair.net, Muskallunge was decommissioned in 1947 and laid up for a few years, then loaned to the Brazilian Navy and returned in 1968. Merchant shipping had been scarce for months, so the captain decided to target lesser prey with the deck gun. “To our total amazement up pops this Japanese fellow, a survivor from the transport we sank. In addition, as he had done in 1939, Spray built a box and put the fish on ice in his bar and had patrons make their guesses as to length, girth and weight in a contest with a monetary prize for the winner. Moments later a second “fish” lanced into Durban’s number four hold, causing serious flooding. Spray’s record catch was bested by the United States Navy, when on December 13, l942 the fleet submarine Muskallunge (SS-262) slid down the ways at the Electric Boat Company in Groton, CT. Paint peeling off the bulkheads, trash everywhere. And what of Louis Spray? The ties that bind are reflected in the engraved names of 3,506 sub sailors “on eternal patrol” — lost in action and honored at this site. One or more “ashcans” detonated close enough to the sub to cause serious leaks. Back to 1949: Louie Spray evidently couldn’t stand the fact that Cal Johnson had claimed a bigger Hayward musky than he, so he sent a telegram to the Johnson celebration advising, “Don’t give the award (a new car) yet. The outbound Muskallunge held a bellyful of 24 “fish,” as the 3,000-pound torpedoes were labeled. In the waning days of 1942, an avid fisherman by the name of Louis Spray forfeited his 1940 world record musky title, together with all bragging rights. Cal Johnson had been a life-long lover of the Hayward area and in fact had his home on an area lake. Besides carousing and terrifying the natives, we went deer hunting. And here’s the ship’s captain, the lord our god, standing there with a .45 automatic strapped to his waist. Maybe my bare chest.. “, Nothing could have prepared Kennedy for what happened next, and to this day he remains somewhat shaken.

The counter-attack went on intermittently for eight hours. At 0952, a sharp-eyed Japanese lookout aboard transport Durban Maru gave the alarm. Box 690 10360 Hall of Fame Dr. Hayward, Wis 54843, © 2020 Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame |. In this previously unpublished photo Johnson’s fish looks its actual size and nowhere near 5 feet long…Johnson’ was only 5 foot 7 inches tall! Believe me, disputing his credibility has put me in the hot box from family and devotees. Spray was an entrepreneur and successful business man and could usually figure out a way to make a buck.

Louis Spray poses with the largest of three record-breaking muskies he caught in his lifetime (69 lbs/11 oz). He did this by convincing them to believe “HIS” version of things instead of them following the facts. Now meet Leland D. White, another Californian (Chula Vista), who says he goes to exercise class twice a week and is still adept at mixing a “just so” before-dinner martini. So over-zealous was Dettloff that he went to any lengths to remove the contender to Spray’s 1949 fish. The new record – and we’re under oath here – was nothing short of colossal. Three months later Scanlon was ordered to join a certain Atlantic fleet sub for temporary one-day duty.

Lee retired in 1960 — a half-century ago — as a chief petty officer after 23 years active duty. A year later, Musky narrowly escaped an 8-hour depth charge pounding after sinking a 7,160 ton transport off Cam Ranh Bay, French Indo-China. The muskie measured 61-1/2 inches. Charles Kennedy helped commission Muskallunge and served aboard for two war patrols before transferring to Bergall (SS-320). It truly is a shame, but this magnificent mount has contributed to the world record musky confusion. So now for the icing on the cake…King Louie’s 1949 world record claim has been so intensely defended by John Dettloff since 1992, that he went incredibility far overboard shaming himself, the Sawyer County Historical Society, Musky Hunter magazine, The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame (NFWFHF-who ultimately upheld the Spray record, despite the vast amount of proof against it) and the town of Hayward, Wisconsin! The new record – and we’re under oath here – was nothing short of colossal. Home to world record muskies and the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, Hayward, Wisconsin is your vacation destination for excellent fishing! The radar range shortened until suddenly a cluster of three sea trucks came dimly into view. Moments later a bomb exploded close overhead – it shook the boat badly and scared hell out of me.

To set the stage, I sincerely believe that the ailing, and knowing that he was dying, Cal Johnson had altruistic motives when he decided to pursue a Hayward record “claim” in 1949. Obviously taxidermy enhancement took place with the 1939 fish as well, both being done by renowned Hayward taxidermist Karl Kahmann, one of the then Hayward “Town Fathers” and former Chicago Field Museum taxidermist.

“We talked about our lives past and present, anything and everything” Lee recalls of their meeting. Like all subs, we had food stashed in every possible nook and cranny and the mess cook thought he might have moved the control switch by accident. Here is another photo of the fresh Johnson fish, making it look bigger by holding it well out in front of himself. So Mr. Johnson, after making claims beforehand in an area bar that he would catch a new world record musky, proceeded to do just that…and everybody cheered. I’m sure this was a move that the IGFA now regrets after the WRMA Johnson Protest, due to the position it put them in having to defend a record that they never sanctioned in the first place! At any rate, my goal in writing this piece was to shed additional light on these phony Hayward record claims with new information fairly recently obtained, present my hypothesis’ as to why I believe these shenanigan’s happened in the first place and also as to why the current and past “powers that be” here continue to perpetuate these shameful musky lies. His responsibilities were many, including attending to the 300-ton bank of batteries that drove the ship when submerged. The silhouette comparison photo was graciously provided by the WRMA. Dettloff was so extremely upset with the IGFA for not recognizing Spray’s musky after he got Lawton’s record set aside, that he was beside himself, but then he made the best of that situation by badgering the IGFA (I have copies of the letters) into dumping their then current world record and replacing it with Cal Johnson’s fish, despite the fact that it never underwent world record scrutiny in 1949 by them or anyone else. Steel ships, iron men. Then sudden return fire from one of the Japanese vessels struck Whitman, killing him instantly. “By pure chance a former Muskallunge shipmate who was still on active duty, Val Scanlon by name, happened to be at a Navy pier when the boat came in and tied up,” Lee recalls. A one quarter page Chamber of Commerce ad screamed “World’s Record Muskies! Prowling off the Palau Islands in her assigned sector, and using radar, Muskallunge detected a distant enemy convoy at 22,000 yards. Hayward Lakes Visitors& Convention BureauSawyer County, WI, USA15805 US HWY 63PO Box 1055Hayward, WI 54843. I say “likely” since that fish hasn’t undergone the professional scrutiny that the other claimed records from here have, but it is probably legitimate. Selecting a target, Muskallunge commenced firing its main deck gun. “We tried sneaking off at a couple knots – no good,” Lee recalls. On more than one occasion he made that point pretty clear, and in salty language we all understood.”, Leland D. White, CMoMM(SS) Leland White served as motor machinist mate aboard Muskallunge from launch to layup — 40 months. The current all-tackle world-record muskie measured 60 1/4 inches and weighed 67 pounds, 8 ounces, a fish caught by Cal Johnson in 1949 at Lake Court Oreilles near Hayward, Wisc.