The 49th annual governor’s fishing opener takes place this weekend on Balsam Lake in Polk County. The opener was started by Governor Warren Knowles who was from the New Richmond area.
Sue Mathews, Polk County Tourism Center director, says the event is intended to promote tourism and fishing in Wisconsin. “It’s a media event. So, it’s a lot of media, a lot of dignitaries from the state. It starts Friday night going into Saturday,” she says, “right away fishing bright and early with breakfast and shore lunches, and big banquets on Friday and Saturday nights. And finishing up by early Sunday afternoon with awards and awards banquet.”
Mathews says the event is not at all political. She says it’s about promoting the opening of fishing season in Wisconsin. “There’s only one opener, and it just happens to be in Polk County. So, every time they’re talking about the opener any where in Minnesota or Wisconsin, they’ll be mentioning our area.”
The event is sponsored by Wisconsin Indianhead County Incorporated in Chetek and moves through northwest Wisconsin each year.
Kurt Mayer, WXCE