October 10, 2024

Today marks the three-week countdown to the end of our visitor season at our location in Hayward, Wisconsin. The thirty-first of October is always a bitter-sweet day for myself and my wonderful staff. Sweet because when we close our doors, we can stand back and reflect on the previous season’s excitement and accomplishments. And those accomplishments have been many. As many of you know, we completed a total remake/transformation of our forty plus gardens and eighty plus memorial benches and plaques this past year. They look great and they will continue to shine for many years to come. Additionally, we upscaled our playground and added an inside game room for our guest’s pleasure. All of this has come with great expense, but it has always been our mission to make our “Shrine to Anglers” look its very best. I believe we have accomplished that. These upgrades would not have been possible without the generous support of The Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association, Treeland Resorts/Pat’s Landing, and a few other benefactors. Thank you all very much. It is very much appreciated.

But we’re not finished yet. Weather permitting, on October 28th we will start the demo and reconstruction of our concrete stairwell and ramp system leading to our iconic Big Musky. And then next spring we will complete the project of upgrading our nearly forty- five-year-old pond. Our pond still holds water, but the vagaries of our often-brutal winters and warm summers have taken their toll. Problem solved – fix it!

This past July our Hall of Fame Selection Committee held its annual meeting and selected five outstanding legendary individuals to round-out our Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Please go to page five in this issue for a peek at their biographies and considerable accomplishments in the realm of fresh water sportfishing. None of this could have been accomplished without the great work and expertise of our national committee of electors. They are all giants in their respective fields and are listed on page three. I will always be grateful for their input and advice. Thank you.

Happy Holidays!