Robert Zemelsky Musky Heist

The Robert Zelmelsky Musky Heist occurred in 1963 in Spooner, Wisconsin, and involved, as the name implies, Spooner-area angler Robert Zelmelsky. According to the published reports1, Zelmelsky claims to have reeled in a mammoth 70 lb muskellunge from the Namekagon River, what would have then been a world record. Before taking any pictures of the fish, Mr. Zelmelsky promptly brought the musky into the Hayward, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources office to get it officially measured and weighed. There the DNR employees immediately seized the fish and ordered Mr. Zelmelsky off the premise. Mr. Zelmelsky called the Hayward police, who at first seemed receptive to Mr. Zelmelsky's claims, but then allegedly sided with the DNR upon arriving at the scene2. Of course, the skeptical side of this story is that Zelmelsky did in fact catch the world's largest musky, but, since he is from rival Spooner, Wisconsin, and not Hayward, which prides itself on having the largest musky ever recorded, the DNR and police did everything they could to make sure this news would ever see the light of day. Unfortunately for Mr. Zelmelsky, he had very little evidence to support a case3. The DNR and Hayward Police prompltly discredited everything Zelmelsky had to say, saying he had an axe to grind from a recent and unrelated DWI arrest4. The future would not be bright for Zelmelsky. Claimed by family members to have been caused by the heist--Zelmelsky's one true shot at fame--Zelmelsky fell victim to mental illness5.

1. "Musky Mistake?", Spooner Advocate, June 1963, www.spooneronline.com
2. "Angler Angered", Sawyer County Record, June 1963
3. Washburn County Justice Department Log Book, 1963
4. "Musky Mistake?", Spooner Advocate, June 1963; "Angler Angered", Sawyer County Record, June 1963
5. "The Powers of Grief", Spooner Advocate, September 1978, www.spooneronline.com

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