Wisconsin Northwoods Fishing – News Release

For Immediate Release

April 10, 2002

For more information contact Jim Elliott, Kinzie & Green 715-845-4251; e-mail: jim@kinzieandgreen.com

Step Aside Lambeau Legends. It's Musky Season in Wisconsin's Northwoods!

Wisconsin's Governor Scott McCallum is scheduled to join numerous other state officials and hundreds of anglers from throughout the Midwest at the first Wisconsin Northwoods Musky Opener May 25 in Eagle River, Wisconsin.

Musky season officially opens at 12:01 a.m., May 25 in Northern Wisconsin, and members of the Governor's Lac du Flambeau Area Promotion Committee are putting out the welcome mat for musky fishermen from all over the world.  The non-profit tourism committee, which promotes Wisconsin Northwoods Fishing, is composed of representatives from Vilas, Oneida, and Price Counties and the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation--a region that's home to 2,900 lakes.  

"The Wisconsin Northwoods Musky Opener is not a tournament, " says Conrad Heeg, executive director of the Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce. "It's a way to recognize and celebrate the world's largest concentration of freshwater musky-inhabited lakes in the world.  This is opening day for us, and we're inviting anyone who likes to fish for musky to join us for what we believe will be an outstanding 2002 musky season in Wisconsin's Northwoods." 

Heeg's optimism rings true with Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources.  "Abundance of muskellunge in northern Wisconsin is probably at an all-time high,” reports Steve AveLallemant, the DNR's northern Wisconsin fisheries expert.  Musky populations have grown in recent years due to both natural reproduction and stocking efforts by the DNR, AveLallemant points out.  In addition, many anglers are adopting catch and release techniques. In 1999, statewide surveys revealed that 98% of the muskies caught in Wisconsin were released.

"Catch and release makes the sport more exciting," says Heeg. "The muskies keep getting bigger, and we get closer to another world's record."   The Wisconsin Northwoods Fishing region Heeg represents already claims four world record musky catches. The largest Tiger Muskellenge was caught in 1919 in Lac Vieux Desert (just 20 miles north of Heeg's Chamber office). It weighed in at 51 lbs, 3 oz and measured 54 inches long!  In addition, Vilas County holds three world line class musky records, established within the last 25 years, with catches on Lambeau Lake, Big Crawling Stone Lake and Pokegama Lake.

"Frankly, there is no better place to be for anyone who likes to fish for musky," says Heeg. "This is the Mecca for musky fishermen.  This is Lambeau Field. "

To kick off Wisconsin's Northwoods Musky Opener, more than 150 state officials, fishing guides, celebrities and news media will attend a 7 a.m. welcome breakfast at The Eagle River Inn and Resort ( www.eriver-inn.com). At  8:30, state officials and news media representatives will board the fishing boats and join the local guides Heeg's lined up for a two-hour musky adventure.  A news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. at The Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce office followed by an 11:30 luncheon at The Eagle River Inn and Resort. And what has Heeg scheduled for after lunch? What else? Open time for musky fishing.

For more information, visit www.northwoodsfishing.com or call 1.877.491.3474.