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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
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Seniors hooked when they get an offer from Let's Go Fishing chapter
Staff Writer PIERZ - "The best time to go fishing is when you can."
"The best time to catch a fish is when the hook is in the water."
These were two light-fun fishing tips, fishing guide Dennis Seelen offered a group of seniors on one of the Let's Go Fishing with Seniors Little Falls/Morrison County Chapter outings. The group went on a 2 1/2-hour fishing excursion on Fish Lake on June 30, and they left with some fishing tales to tell.
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Within a minute or two after casting, 85-year-old Ann Wirth of Pierz caught the first fish of the Let's Go Fishing with Seniors Little Falls/Morrison County Chapter on Fish Lake in Pierz. Brainerd Dispatch/Jennifer Stockinger
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Seelen and Bruce Pederson, both volunteers and fishing guides with the Let's Go Fishing local chapter, not only took the five seniors fishing, they also toured the 170-acre lake, which Seelen and Pederson live on, telling seniors who lives in the homes and different stories.
The seniors were all excited for the fishing trip because they don't often get a chance to get out on the lake to go fishing. And this fishing trip was free.
The Let's Go Fishing Seniors, a non-profit organization is in it its fourth season. The program takes senior citizens 55 and older - who can be in nursing homes, assisted living centers church groups or adult day care centers or are veterans, widows, hospice patients, disabled adults - fishing at no cost. Outings are scheduled weekly and can last between one to three hours. For seniors who don't want to fish, the program also does pontoon rides.
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Bruce Pederson, a volunteer with Let's Go Fishing with Seniors, smiled as he netted a northern he caught during a fishing outing on Fish Lake in Pierz. Pederson had one of the seniors reel the fish in. Brainerd Dispatch/Jennifer Stockinger
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Let's Go Fishing with Seniors runs on volunteers and donations. Seelen said he volunteers to take seniors out on many of the lakes in Pierz like Fish Lake, Platte Lake and Sullivan Lake. Seelen said they do more than one outing a week if there are seniors interested.
"Any group who wants to go can," said Seelen. "There is no limit. It's fun to see the different groups come out. Many don't have fishing equipment and we provide everything from poles to bait to snacks for them. They have a blast. Even if they don't catch anything or if the fish are small, it's still a nice outing.
"People took me fishing in my life and now it's my turn to take others out."
Once Seelen and Pederson dropped the anchors on the pontoon at the first fishing stop on the lake they helped the seniors get their bait on their hook. There were worms, leeches and Berkley Gulp! Alive!
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Joe Block of Pierz got his fishing rod ready during a fishing excursion with the Let's Go Fishing with Seniors Little Falls/Morrison County Chapter. A group of five seniors went on the trip June 30 on Fish Lake in Pierz. Brainerd Dispatch/Jennifer Stockinger
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Within a minute or two after casting, 85-year-old Ann Wirth of Pierz caught the first fish of the excursion, a nice-sized sunfish.
"That's a keeper for sure on this lake," said Seelen.
And that fish was not her last. Wirth stood in the back corner of the pontoon by herself and she was in the zone to catch some fish.
"I used to fish everyday," said Wirth. "I used to live on Platte Lake. Now I don't go as often. I had a stroke so I didn't get to go fishing as much. This is my first time out this year."
Wirth said she enjoys eating fish, especially crappies, northern and bass.
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Madeline Moren, 67, Pierz, put a worm on her hook during a fishing trip with the Let's Go Fishing with Seniors Little Falls/Morrison County Chapter on Fish Lake in Pierz. Brainerd Dispatch/Jennifer Stockinger
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Jan Gartner, 67, Hillman, has not been able to do a lot of fishing since her husband died five years ago.
"We fished a lot together but now that he is gone I cannot physically handle our boat," said Gartner. "I only go with a group like this now. I do about four a year and I hope to do more this year. When I saw this one and it was free I was like 'Oh wow.'"
Gartner, who went out fishing with her father a lot as a child, said she has the best luck catching fish when she casts out her fishing rod and reels it in real slow.
Sally Meyer, 85, Pierz, she saw a sign-up sheet at the Hillman Leisure Club and she jumped at the chance to go fishing. Meyer lived on Mille Lacs Lake from 1967-89 and she did a lot of fishing.
"I've always enjoyed fishing," she said. "I'm an adventurous person and this is my first time on this lake. Fishing brings you so close to nature and I like begin with nature ... I like to fish anything that bites."
Meyer did get a bite and had Seelen take the fish off the hook, something she doesn't like to do.
Madeline Moren, 67, Pierz, who knows Wirth and Joe Block, 78, also of Pierz who went on the fishing trip, said she is always trying to get them to do different activities together and when the fishing trip came up they all decided to go.
"This (program) is such a great thing," said Moren. "Most of us here are able to be in a regular boat to go fishing but the seniors in the nursing homes can't and this program helps these seniors get out fishing."
Moren said her first husband had a resort and they fished a lot. Moren said she hasn't done a lot of fishing since her second husband died five years ago.
Block said he has no boat to go fishing on, but he does a lot of winter fishing.
"I didn't start to fish until after I retired 10 years ago," said Block. "I was a farmer so I didn't have much time to go fishing."
By the end of the fishing excursion there were eight fish caught and many more were released because they were too small.
Seelen drove the group back to the boat landing, while Pederson dropped his line to troll for the big one. Minutes before getting back, a northern took the bait and Pederson asked who wanted to reel it in and Gartner volunteered.
"Oh, this is a wild one," Gartner said as she reeled it in. "Oh this is so much fun."
Pederson got the fish in the net and put it in the live bait well.
The pontoon landed at the dock and Wirth was the first one out, who tried a few more casts off the dock. And she did catch one, a little fish.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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