Who is Hugh C. Becker?
Hugh C. Becker was one of the Twin Cities Chapters first members.
He was 89 years old when he passed away January 15, 2007.
Hugh was born July 1, 1917, and grew up in south Minneapolis where he was an excellent student athlete at Washburn High School and the University of Minnesota, lettering in Big Ten baseball in the 1938 to 1940 seasons, and he was the Minnesota weight-lifting champion in his class.
Hugh earned two degrees from the University of Minnesota, one before and one after World War II. After graduation in 1940, Hugh served in the US Marine Corps as an artillery officer and participated in both the Guadalcanal and Okinawa campaigns. After the war Hugh worked as a Physical Therapist at the Veterans Administration hospital in Minneapolis, and retired from this position in 1972.
Hugh began fishing for muskies in the 1940s. In 1953, many years prior to Muskies, Inc. “catch and release” program, he began his own tagging program.
During the next several years Hugh gathered considerable data on recaptured tagged muskies and shared this information with Dr. Crossman of the Ontario Royal Museum and Art Oemcke of the Wisconsin DNR. This early data demonstrated the catch and release concept to both biologists and anglers.
Hugh joined Muskies, Inc., in the developmental stages of the organization and contributed to the club in many areas. He served on the Board of Directors for more than twenty years and ran the Members Only contest for seven years.
At Hugh’s suggestion to Gil Hamm, membership and participation in Muskies, Inc., was open to women and In 1976 Hugh initiated and funded a three-year tagging program directed by the Minnesota DNR. This study satisfied the Minnesota DNR to approve the “catch and release” as a viable muskie conservation effort.
Because of poor health, Hugh stopped fishing in 2002. But in the 55 years of muskie-fishing in the U.S. and Canada, Hugh enjoyed the success that goes with hard work and dedication to the sport. This includes catching muskies over 40 pounds as recently as October, 2000.
2010 Hugh C. Becker Fund Grants Announced
Central Ohio Chapter #41
Fish Tank for pick-up truck for St. Mary’s Fish Hatchery in St. Mary’s, OH.
March 2010…..$7,600.00
Twin Cities Chapter, #1
Minnesota statewide commitment to purchase additional “feeding troughs” for increased production of muskies at the Waterville, MN Hatchery.
March 2010…..$1,500.00
North Metro Chapter, # 21
Provide for eight (8) additional “trap nets” for Minnesota DNR area fisheries, statewide, for use in Spring ice-out muskie spawning and surveys.
March 2010…..$6,300.00
Pomme de Terre Chapter #05
Netting to cover and to protect (from predation) muskie rearing ponds at the Lost Valley Hatchery in Warsaw, MO.
April 2010……$1,400.00
Ray L. Rector of Bridgeport, WV - member of West Virginia Chapter, #09
Complete his Eagle Scout project of stocking muskies in Deegan Lake with the cooperation of the West Virginia DNR.
April 2010….. $1,000.00
Southern Crossroads Chapter #54
Purchase of “PIT tags” to be used primarily in Elk Lake, MN for tagging fingerlings and adult muskies. This equipment will be utilized statewide in both Brood Stock Lakes and Study Lakes.
April 2010…...$9,000.00
Capital City Chapter #8
Fund the continuing study of evaluating the different strains of muskies that have been stocked in the Madison, WI, area lakes (Waubesa, Monona, and Kegonsa).
May 2010….. $9,000.00
Twin Cities Chapter #1 Assist in the “ genetic broodstock diversity” study by Loren Miller at the Department of Fisheries , Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota.
May 2010….. $6,900.00
Twin Cities Chapter #1
Assist in the “genetic structure study” by Loren Miller of both Minnesota and Wisconsin Muskellunge project at the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota.
May 2010…… $1,000.00
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Angler opinion survey to determine the quality of muskie-fishing and management within the State. Headed by Dr. Dan Isermann and Dr. Kristen Floress.
June 2010……$8,500.00
University of Illinois - Dr. David Wahl
For supplies to help fund the “dam escapement “ study by the University of Illinois, Natural History Survey which is headed by Dr. David Wahl.
June 2010…… $2,000.00
Dr. James Diana and John Molenhouse
Provide funds for the on-going study to identify spawning habitat to determine home ranges, examine diets, and tract seasonal movements of Great Lakes muskellunge in Antrium County Chain of Lakes in Michigan.
June 2010……$ 6,300.00
Between the Lakes Chapter #20
Support of youth involvement in the “Turning Leaf Challenge”, muskie-fishing training and outing in Northern Wisconsin.
June 2010…… $2,800.00
NW TigerPac Chapter #57
Support in acquiring a building at the Meseberg Hatchery for the raising and stocking of Tiger muskies in the State of Washington.
July 2010……$9,000.00
New Mexico Muskies, Inc. Chapter #59
Procurring minnow feed at the Rock Lake Hatchery in Santa Rosa, NM, for the improvement in growth and survival of (raising) Tiger muskies.
July 2010……. $ 5,400.00
West Virginia Chapter #09
Assisting the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources in upgrading and renovating the Snyders Run Rearing Pond in Lewis County, WV.
July 2010……. $10,000.00
Leech Lake Watershed Foundation
Habitat protection project for Lantern Bay of Woman Lake , MN.
August, 2010…..$ 5,000.00
Leech Lake Watershed Foundation
Acquire shoreline land adjacent to the current DNR AMA land at Five Mile Point on Leech Lake, MN.
August 2010……$10,000.00
Twin Cities Chapter #01
Purchase of “Pit tags” for the next phase in ascertaining the growth and survival of fingerling and yearling muskies stocked in Minnetonka, White Bear , and Bald Eagle Lakes in the Twin Cities metro area.
August 2010.....$4,600.00
Twin Cities Chapter #01
Stocking muskie yearlings in conjunction with the Minnesota DNR in White Bear Lake, MN.
September 2010……$4,200.00
Muskies Canada, Inc.
Lake Simco Muskelllunge Restoration Project which began in 1997 for purposes of restoring a self-sustaining muskie population; hopefully creating a quality trophy fishery.
September 2010…… $10,000.00
Fox River Valley Chapter #39 in conjunction with Illinois Musky Alliance and Illinois DNR
Stocking efforts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin
September, 2010……$ 5,000.00
Fargo Morehead Chapter #02
Continued support in stocking of muskies in Many Point Lake , MN.
October, 2010…….$5,000.00
First Wisconsin Chapter, #6
Stocking muskies in Lake Wissota,WI.
October, 2010…….$2,500.00
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