by Kurt Mazurek

So much of our future lies in preserving our past.~Peter Westbrook

Recently, Craig and I, motivated by our passion for fishing, have been donating our time and talents to preserve the history of the sport by making renovations to the landmark, giant musky building at the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, WI.

After 30 years since it opened, the Hall, which relies heavily on volunteers and donations, is in need of updating. Maintaining such a large collection of fishing memorabilia and historical records requires constant effort. It would seem there is always a lightbulb to change or replica to dust or display to update.

"I remember coming to the Hall when I was just a kid in the late 1970s. Our family would spend our summer vacations fishing in Hayward," says Craig, now a long-time Hayward resident.

As for me, I would look in amazement at all of the huge mounted fish, and read about the legends of the sport, and imagine myself setting a line class record. Those visits took the sport to a new level for me.

Craig has spent his career building custom cabinetry and woodworking. I'm a seasoned marketing and graphic design professional. Our experience, combined with a deep passion for our sport, make us a uniquely qualified team for the renovation of a fishing museum. While visiting the Hall last year, it just hit me that we could be of service here. I mentioned it to Craig, and he agreed. "Considering our skills and how the sport, and specifically this place, have influenced our lives, it just seemed like the right thing to do," said Craig.

Over the winter (while open-water fishing season has been closed) I contacted the Hall and met with Director Emmett Brown. Together, we toured the museum, and discussed possible projects for us. It was decided that updating a display case containing a series of collectible Jim Beam decanters was a good place to start. This is the first display visitors see upon entering the giant musky building, plus, the proceeds from these bottles were the first real source of income for the fledgling Fishing Hall of Fame. I presented design plans for approval, and construction took place over the first couple weeks of April. We are very proud of the results, but agree that there's plenty more where that came from. Several more projects will be attended to in the coming months and years.

Up to 100,000 visitors will walk past that display every year. If our efforts help to make a positive impression on those visitors, then perhaps more of them will make a return visit to the Fishing Hall (which is good for the city of Hayward and the Hall) and perhaps a greater percentage of them will become more deeply involved in the pursuit of fishing (which benefits the future of the sport). It feels good to be able to give back a little. Plus, I still haven't set any line class records, like I imagined I might as a kid, but now we will always be a part of the history of this place.

I also put together a little video of the renovation process. If you get a chance, check it out on the video section of our site.

I'm really looking forward to some new stories of open water fishing! Soon!

Keep Fishing Forward!

-Kurt