Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Steve, I'd like to update you and the Outdoors First fans about a project that Al Lindner and I are undertaking. It's a multi-species fishing tournament built around fun and fund-raising. It's for all species, all skill levels and all ages may participate.
The event is one-day, Saturday, June 5, on Gull Lake, just north of Brainerd. This is the second annual Minnesota Fishing Challenge. Funds raised go 100-percent to Minnesota Teen Challenge, the faith-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs in the Twin Cities, Duluth and Brainerd. There are separate centers for teen girls, women, teen boys and adult men.
The tournament is a 2-person team event with a $100 per team entry fee. This allows teams to fish for anything and enter everything. The specific divisions are walleyes, bass, pike and panfish. There is also a mixed-bag division (one fish of each species). And, special trophies go to the team catching the largest dogfish, sucker, eepout, bullhead and carp.
Prizes include guided fishing trips with Al and Ron Lindner, Walleye Dan, Perry Good, Rich Boggs, Tim Anderson, Chris Meyer, Ron Anlauf, Butch Blasing, Bill Rosner and many other exciting on-water excursions. MinnKota trolling motors will be awarded, as will Navionics chips, resort stays at famous Witch Bay Resort on Lake of the Woods and two separate trips to Pahsa Lake Cabins for adventure fishisng north of Thunder Bay in Ontario.
Perhaps the most treasured prizes will be rods and reels signed by TV personalities, industry leaders and pro anglers. Rods and reels signed by Tommy Skarlis, Babe, Steve Pennaz, the entire Lindner crew, Mike Gofron, Mark Brumbaugh, Cody Roswick, the Northland team, Dan Plautz, Sam Anderson (and a rod signed by Dave Anderson's grandsons), John Butts, Tom Neustrom, Ted Takasaki, Gary Roach, Bruce DeShano, Mark Fisher, Mark Martin and many more. Four rods from the In-Fisherman crew are the rod and reel combos that Steve Hoffman used to catch his personal best blue cat, the rod Steve Quinn used to catch his biggest smallie, the rod that Rob Neumann used when he caught his personal best largemouth and a rod from Doug Stange.
Each team will receive the necessary materials and information with their confirmation package to raise a minimum of $500 for Teen Challenge. Last year, teams averaged $1,000 each, with the top fund-raiser recording $5,340. There is a rules meeting and dinner in Brainerd the evening prior to the tournament, followed by the fishing fun on Saturday.
Steve, it would be great to see a number of teams from the Outdoors First family of fans become involved. Both Al and I would appreciate the participation. To enter online or for more info, go to mntc.org/fishingchallenge. Or, call Melissa at 612-238-6184. People may also contact me directly at [email protected] (651-356-5676). Thanks for sharing this on your site. Jim Kalkofen |
