For these big fish, Minnesota is No. 1 in the U.S. (Read it and weep, Wisconsin.)
CHRIS NISKANEN
Minnesota is the best state for muskie fishing in the United States - and arguably in North America - and Steve Jonesi has the bookings to prove it.
The insurance agent from East Bethel, Minn., has clients booked for 60 days this summer and fall, a number unheard of a decade ago, when Minnesota's muskie reputation was beginning to take off.
Moreover, one of Jonesi's clients, Jody Dahms of Lakeville, caught and released a 53-pounder last fall that threatened to topple the 54-pound state record.
It was one of a dozen 50-pound-plus fish reportedly caught on Lake Mille Lacs last year, muskie experts say.
"Ninety-nine percent of my time will be spent on the big pond,'' Jonesi said. "For big fish, I'd have to say it's No. 1."
Jonesi planned to be back on Mille Lacs Saturday, the Minnesota muskie opener.
Jim Saric, editor of Musky Hunter magazine, called Mille Lacs and Minnesota's Lake Vermilion the two best muskie lakes in the United States.
"I've filmed television shows on both of them,'' he said. "They're clearly head and shoulders above the rest. The state of Minnesota is clearly the top muskie state in the U.S."
The story is different across the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. Hayward, Wis., has a storied muskie-fishing history. It's home to the world-record muskie and holds an annual Musky Festival. (Wisconsin historically spells muskie with a "y.")
Yet, despite Hayward's muskie fame, muskie guide Larry Ramsell has seen his business plummet. He says his clients are heading to Minnesota.
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