09/16/2026
❗ - Feel Good Story❗
Tom Kessler won the custom Muskie Bumper bump board drawing, but at the Sunday Awards Ceremony he came forward with an incredible gesture of sportsmanship. Already owning a trusty Muskie Bumper of his own, Tom asked if he could donate his prize back to the tournament—specifically for an angler in the Spruce Island Camp Junior Division.
As fate would have it, we had just the young angler in mind…
On Saturday evening of the tournament we heard from Nick Olson, who wanted to confirm that his son William’s 39.5" muskie had been properly registered. Not only was it William’s first-ever muskie, but he caught it in the exact same spot where his dad landed his first muskie more than 20 years earlier. While the top three Spruce Island Camp Junior Division anglers took home the official prizes, William’s unforgettable first fish—and that special full-circle moment with his dad—made him the perfect recipient of Tom’s donated custom bump board. Now William will have both the memory of his milestone catch in the 2026 Frank Schneider Memorial Muskie Tournament and a custom Muskie Bumper to mark it forever.
Huge thanks to Muskie Bumper and Tom Kessler for their generosity, and congratulations to William Olson on a first muskie he’ll never forget!
Stay tuned — we’ll share photos once William chooses the design for his custom bump board!
