Cops-N-Bobbers Event with Eden Prairie Let’s Go Fishing
Nineteen Eden Prairie Safety Camp graduates, four Eden Prairie police officers and four Let’s Go Fishing-Eden Prairie Chapter crewmen participated in a first-ever Cops-N-Bobbers fishing excursion last Thursday on Lake Riley.
Mayor Ron Case delivered Eden Prairie pins to the youth as well as perfect summer weather. After splitting the crew between two Let’s Go Fishing pontoons, the captains ushered their respective boats to their favorite fishing spots.
Sgts. Brent Dupont and John Wilson were on one boat, patrolmen Jayden DeVibiss and Spencer Barrie on the other. The kids came with various degrees of fishing experience.
“I caught a sunny once,” said one third-grader.
“I caught a northern this big,” said a friend, while extending his third-grade arms as wide as he could.
Seniors Enjoy Mix of Elements on Wall Lake
Blue skies and sunshine made it a perfect day to be on the water.
With the assistance of Let’s Go Fishing, four senior citizens from Fergus Falls went boating Wednesday afternoon on Wall Lake. They toured the shoreline of the entire lake before returning.
Three volunteer members and two Let’s Go Fishing volunteers — Arlin Schalekamp and Will Lindquist – set off on the cruise from a dock at Elk’s Point. The point is located on the eastern shore of the 726.67 acre lake, located three miles East of the city.
Dan Karst, who has acted as president of the Otter Tail County chapter of Let’s Go Fishing for the last 12 years, watched the group as their foray around Wall Lake began at 1pm. Sitting on the deck of a big Crestliner pontoon pushed by a Mercury outboard, the seniors and their aides, all in lifejackets, basking under a warm June sun.
Read the full story on The Daily Journal…
Want to spend some time on the water this summer?
Boating, fishing and water recreation are a huge part of life for people in the Detroit Lakes area.
But what about those who do not have ready access to the water, either due to decreased mobility, or a lack of someone to take them there?
“This will be our 12th season,” says Dave Hochhalter, one of the chapter’s founders, and its current treasurer.
The start of the 2019 fishing season may still be a few weeks away, but LGF already has over 80 trips scheduled, Hochhalter added; technology advancements on the chapter’s website, detroitlakes.lgfws.com, have made it easier than ever to do so.
Once a group is registered with the local LGF chapter’s scheduler, Betty Hochhalter, anyone in that group can go to the website and schedule a date and time from the list of available slots, he added.
“It’s just a matter of a couple clicks to schedule a trip,” Hochhalter continued. “Our volunteers can also see what trips are out there, put their name down and they’re booked for that day.”
Let’s Go Fishing – Bemidji has served more than 5,000
Let’s Go Fishing Bemidji was formed in 2005. Thanks to donations and grants we are able to offer this program in the Bemidji area. Since our inception, we have purchased and worn out our first pontoon and then purchased a second one.
This program offers seniors, handicapped, veterans and youth the opportunity to get back out on the water to fish or just enjoy a boat ride at no charge. Fishing trips and cruises are scheduled five days per week June through August, providing all equipment needed on our handicapped-accessible 26-foot pontoon. Most trips last 2-3 hours. All this is at no charge to the participant. Since inception, we have taken out over 5,000 people on the pontoon.
The mission of Let’s Go Fishing is to serve older adults, youth, veterans and disabled. Whether they are part of a housing community or still living in their residences, older adults benefit greatly from joining with others and taking a trip on the Let’s Go Fishing pontoon. We have had families taking out senior family members. Seniors doing what they remember doing and thought they would never be able to do it again. We have had individuals with serious health issues who find a reason to smile for the first time in months. Read the full story at Bemidji Pioneer…
Hook, Line and …
On one Eden Prairie Area Chapter of Let’s Go Fishing excursions last summer, fisher people caught, and released, an estimated 150 panfish. Needless to say, the fishing/catching was easy.
The Eden Prairie Area Chapter of Let’s Go Fishing, one of 20 such chapters in Minnesota and Wisconsin, got its start at the end of the 2012 season. Its vision is based on the notion that lives can be changed by experiencing the joy and freedom of being out on the water to fish or just enjoy the beauty of a Minnesota lake.
Last year alone, the Eden Prairie chapter guided a record 325 fishing excursions on Riley Lake. In August, it facilitated 450 pontoon rides as part of the city of Eden Prairie’s Riley Lake Park Grand Reopening.
Read the full story online at Eden Prairie News…