Northwoods Muskies, Inc. Launched
Chapter 61 Welcomes All Northwoods Communities
By Craig Turk – Lakeland Times
Northwoods Chapter 61 of Muskies, Inc. plans to support the mission and traditional objectives of Muskies, Inc. while developing its own style. “We’re only the second Muskies, Inc. … chapter that is actually multi-species,” vice president of the new chapter Dean Zaumseil said. “Most of the other ones are just muskie clubs and we’re actually going to be a muskie/walleye club and probably some other species of fish too.”
Muskies, Inc. announced that Chapter 61 received approval at its December executive committee meeting. So far, Zaumseil said, things are going well.
“We’ve got a great group of guys starting it and a lot of interest in it, so it’s off to a good start so far,” he said. “It’s moving along pretty good.”
The chapter has been making recruitment efforts and they’re seeing some interest.
“It’s a pretty good size club if we can get the people,” Zaumseil said. “So far we’ve got about … 50-some people signed up for it. That’s within probably a month of getting everything going.”
The chapter will be centered in Minocqua, but the plan is to have a wide circle.
“We decided that instead of just making it a Minocqua club, it would actually be a Northwoods (club),” Zaumseil said.
The club will use a rotating monthly meeting schedule to serve area members. Meetings will be held in varied locations such as Tomahawk, Boulder Junction, Park Falls, Rhinelander and others.
What does a Muskies, Inc. chapter do? There’s fun, promotion of high quality fisheries and fisheries research and something for the kids as well.
“We’re going to have some outings for fishing … walleye and muskie,” Zaumseil said. “We’re going to work with the youth fishing … we’ll get some outings for them. Hopefully some donated equipment.”
Zaumseil said they hope to directly improve the fishery and benefit the Northwoods community. The Northwoods Chapter will be working with the DNR and local lake associations to introduce their new “Extended Growth” fish stocking program that includes both muskie and walleye stocking in area lakes.
“We’re going to get a stocking program – and the reason for that is not just for us to catch more fish, it’s really to help tourism up here too,” he said. “It really is needed.
“The stocking, the outings, the youth program, having the meetings so people can … learn something about catching muskie and walleye. It’s really a little more open club, where people share ideas, where they’re catching fish. It’s also to meet people and be able go fishing with them. It should be a good thing.”
The new chapter is for all of the Northwoods and beyond and for anglers of varied ages, too.
“The club, when we put the board together, we kind of spread out the people, but we kind of spread out the age groups in it too,” Zaumseil said. “A lot of young guys in it and some guys like me who are in their 50s. The enthusiasm from both ends of the spectrum has been really good. You know, you don’t want a bunch of 50-year-olds planning everything.”
New membership will be open to muskie and walleye enthusiasts throughout northern Wisconsin and beyond.
The chapter’s Member Kick Off Meeting and Fundraiser will be held April 9 at Norwood Pines Supper Club on State highway 70 in Minocqua. All are welcome to attend. In exchange for a $5 admission fee, each attendee will receive a chapter logo sticker.
The event’s keynote speaker will be St. Germain professional muskie and walleye guide Rob Manthei. Merchandise sales, two different raffles, a “lake learn” session and more will be offered.
For more information on the Northwoods chapter, look Northwoods Muskies Inc. up on Facebook, go to www.northwoodsmuskies.com, or call Dean Zaumseil at 715-588-3248.
Applications for membership are also available at Rollie & Helen’s Musky Shop in Minocqua.
Craig Turk may be reached at cturk@lakelandtimes.com
