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Take a kid fishin’

Lake Vermilion Guides League event provides ‘ton of memories’

Jodi Summit
Posted 7/22/15

LAKE VERMILION - It was a picture perfect day on the lake. And organizers of this year’s “Take a Kid Fishing” event couldn’t be happier.

“The kids had a ball,” said one of the …

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Take a kid fishin’

Lake Vermilion Guides League event provides ‘ton of memories’

Posted

LAKE VERMILION - It was a picture perfect day on the lake. And organizers of this year’s “Take a Kid Fishing” event couldn’t be happier.

“The kids had a ball,” said one of the organizers, Phil Bakken, a member of the Lake Vermilion Guides League, a group that helps organize the event.

Now in its sixth year, Take a Kid Fishing assembles a huge cast of experienced volunteers, including boat operators, fishing guides, and onshore helpers and fish cleaners. The event included over 100 children, ages 10-15, out with 50 boat operators, for an afternoon on Lake Vermilion, along with another two dozen-plus volunteers on shore.

In four hours of fishing, the young fisher-folk caught 216 bass, 39 walleyes, 2 northerns, 4 trout, 6 perch, 69 sunnies, and “a ton of memories.”

Guides used their cell phones to take photos of kids in action, sending them back to the event home base at the Fraser Bay Landing, where Dan Strone, from Fortune Bay was able to print up copies for the kids to bring home with them.

Highlights of the day included a 28-inch walleye, and three lucky boats of kids who got to go into Trout Lake for the afternoon. At the shore lunch, dozens of great raffle prizes were awarded, including a lifetime fishing license, a replica mount, and tickets to Twins games.

The event’s goal is to introduce a new generation to the hobby and sport of fishing.

The entire event was free for all the participants. The day started with boating safety and fishing lessons on shore. Each participant took home brand new rod/reel combos and a stocked tackle box, along with a new hat. After fishing, children and their families were treated to a fish fry, hosted by Fortune Bay.

The guides league and their volunteer crew are now getting ready for their next events, Take a Vet Fishing, set for Sept. 3. And planning for next summer’s Take a Kid Fishing is already underway. Search for Take a Kid Fishing on Lake Vermilion on Facebook to keep up-to-date.

Sponsors for this year’s event included: Lake Vermilion Resort Association, Sportsmen’s Club of Lake Vermilion, Fortune Bay Resort Casino , Lake Vermilion Guides League, Lake Vermilion Fire Brigade, North Star Printing, Minnesota Sea Grant, Wiehle Family and Friends, and the Eisentrager Family.