Oneida County is surrounding by water, over 1,000 lakes to be exact. And what’s a big draw to those lakes-fishing. Our area is a fisherman’s dream. On any given weekend in the Rhinelander area if you drive past one of our hundreds of lakes, you’ll see boats full of fisherman looking to reel in that prize.

One of the great things about the sport of fishing is the opportunity it allows for family bonding. Fishing is truly a generational activity. I’m guessing most of you have a story that starts out with, “One day when Grandpa and I were on the water…”

While fishing is full of fun for the whole family, there is still the lure of the catch. Nothing beats the excitement of reeling in the new addition for your trophy wall. One fish that most people are on the lookout for is the elusive muskie.

Did you know that the muskie was officially named Wisconsin’s state fish in 1955? And did you also know that more world record muskie have been caught in Wisconsin than anywhere else?

If those sound like the kinds of stats that bring you to the water, do I have an event for you! It’s the annual Hodag Musky Challenge. This year’s tournament is being held Friday, Sept. 9 through Sunday, Sept. 11.

The great thing about this catch and release tournament is that it takes advantage of a variety of great lakes in the area. Teams can fish Boom Lake and the Wisconsin River, Crescent Lake and Lake Julia, the Moen Chain, Oneida Lake and Lake Hancock or Lake George and Lake Thompson-which means you could fish a lake you know, or try out a new lake.

We’re still accepting team registrations for the tournament, and you can get the forms from the Chamber’s website, rhinelanderchamber.com, or you can call us at (715) 365-7464, and we’ll get you the information.

If you’re not interested in fishing in the tournament, but still want to get in on the action, volunteer to help us that weekend! We’re looking for a few more registration station volunteers for the weekend. Give us a call if you are interested.

Of course, the winner of the tournament will take home a nice pile of cash, but we also have a ton of other prizes and raffles you could win. The first 50-inch muskie caught wins a boat, trailer and truck package, and each day the fisherman with the largest muskie takes home a prize, plus the largest northern caught during the tournament takes home a prize.

So why not try your luck and test your skills to see if you can stack up to the Hodag Musky Challenge!

Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lara Reed is available at (715) 365-7464.