The Pewaukee Chapter should be proud of their first year efforts! We successfully released 4+ Million walleye fry into the lake on Mothers day and the day after, how fitting! I did fail to bring the cigars, as they would have been fitting for the situation. The crew felt like Dads and Moms as the coolers loaded with little swimming walleye fry were siphoned to their new home.

The coolers were full and the team raced out to beat the wild weather circumstances. The fry were released by siphoning them gently to the surface of the lake where the depths were 40-45 feet. This is where they will feed on zooplankton and work their way to the bottom.

The next crew followed the same deep water route and worked between the rainstorms to get the fry in the water before trying to battle another long night of filter problems and pump problems.

Maybe no cigars were being smoked but there were a lot of “high fives” and tall cans of beer that followed the stocking efforts that night!

The whole process leading up to this day was an incredible amount of team work and organization. From working with the Walleye’s for Tomorrow Chairman of the Board Mike Arrowood and getting the materials and parts into place, to understanding what needed to happen, to making it all happen. This group of Pewaukee Boys came together like a “band of brothers”. Call the group a bunch of hillbillys, rednecks and fishing fools, but what these guys and gals truly are is a group of people who want to improve the environment that we enjoy and are so passionate about. The groups conservation efforts, improvements to the fisheries and habitat utilizing teamwork is simply becoming contagious.

Go to the Walleye Wagon page and see the tremendous steps, obstical’s and results of this incredible conservation effort. Take the time to think and understand the effort that was made to accomplish the release of these fry, now try to see what the WDNR has to go through to try to do the same for all the lakes in Wisconsin. Think about it the next time you keep your catch and complain that the WDNR needs to stock more fish…Maybe you should “jump on the wagon” and help be part of the solution, not the problem…catch and release my friends and help give back to the waters you take from!

I think it’s also very important to note how many kids are involved in this Pewaukee Chapter of Walleyes for Tomorrow conservation efforts. Whether you look at the Fish Sticks project or the walleye wagon pictures there is as many kids involved doing the work as adults, very cool. It all starts with the kids, teach them what we are doing and why and that my friends will make the difference in our future.

Congratulations to another successful project Pewaukee Chapter!

Tom Koepp – WFT Pewaukee Chapter Chair