Study challenges validity of Louis Spray's world record muskie
Mike Norris Outdoors - October 20, 2005

When presented with irrefutable scientific evidence, I would have to echo the catchy phrase of Chicago White Sox radio broadcaster Hawk Harrelson, who when after an opposing batter strikes out shouts “He Gone!”

The ‘he’ is this case is Louis Spray, the ‘gone’ is his 69-pound 11-ounce world record muskie. That is if the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, located in Hayward , Wisc, where Spray caught his record muskie in 1949 from the Chippewa Flowage, accepts the conclusions of an investigative study of the photos and mounts of Louis Spray's record muskie, and other evidence presented to the NFWFHF by the Woodstock based World Record Muskie Alliance.

The WRMA study, delivered to the NFWFHF on the 46 th anniversary of Spray’s catch, questions the validity of Louis Spray’s world record muskie. Through photogrammetric analysis and other evidence, the authors of the WRMA study claim the reported size and weight of Spray’s record muskie was physically impossible and Spray falsified the events involving his claim to the muskie record.

“Toronto-based DCM Technical Services, a photogrammetric analysis firm, was able to use the photographs of Spray’s record fish and mounts we provided to them,” said WRMA President Rich Delaney. The photo of Spray’s current world record muskie showed Spray with the fish, which was hanging in front of a brick building, and DCM was able to use the lines from the bricks in the building to make a three-dimensional grid from which they were able to ascertain the true dimensions of the fish.”

Delaney said the WRMA had a medical report that placed Spray at 5 ft 11 inches for all purposes wanted to give Spray the benefit of the doubt, so Spray’s height was listed at 6 ft. tall.

“We had an independent panel of expert’s estimate how far away Spray was the fish,” Delaney said. “In the DCM photo analysis we ended up going about 20 percent less that the panel estimated to once again give Spray the benefit of the doubt.”

DCM’s report, by Dan Mills, concluded Spray’ world record muskie was approximately 53-1/2 inches long give or take an inch and a half. Mills also concluded the width of the muskie at 8.7 inches wide plus or minus 1/2 inch. The results indicated Spray’s muskie was 10 inches short of Spray’s claim of 63-1/2 inches.

George Reis from Imaging Forensics out of Fountain Valley , Calif. reviewed the DCM report and concluded that DCM’s methodology, inclusion of valid variables and stated margin of error were appropriate for the images analyzed.

Another compelling aspect of the WRMA report is the section that analyzes the photos of Spray’s three record mounts versus the photos of the three record muskies Louis Spray was holding up. The muskie mounts are 15-1/2 to 16 percent longer on average than in the muskies shown in Spray’s photos.

Upon reviewing the WRMA report, Larry Ramsell, an honored member of both the Muskie Fishing Hall of Fall and National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, who authored of a book entitled “A Compendium of Musky Angling History” said, “the photo analysis has proven Spray’s fish to be somewhat less than what they were claimed to be.”

“My support for the Spray’s fish was I had always gone on the mountain of evidence existing, said Ramsell. “I would say (the evidence presented by WRMA) is more than compelling and I would not be surprised that the Spray fish is set aside.”

“But the current board of directors at the FWFHF will make the decision,” Ramsell said. “If they ask my opinion as record advisor, I will suggest they set all three of the Spray record muskies aside.”

The next muskie in line for the world record is Cal Johnson's 67 1/2-pounder, caught in 1949 from Lac Court Oreilles, but the WRMA has also submitted the photos of Johnson’s record muskie and mounts of his fish to DCM for photo analysis.

Ramsell's recommendation on a "stay" of the record is for the NFWFHF to wait until the WRMA completes the research on the Johnson fish.

A full copy of WRMA’s 93-page report is available for viewing at:

http://www.worldrecordmuskiealliance.com

Outdoors with Mike Norris is heard every Thursday from 3-4 p.m. on WBIG (AM-1280). For more information on his fish guiding service, Mike Norris can be reached at wallimike@aol.com