Q:  How much does it cost?
A:  FREE! The event is put together by volunteers and, because of the great outpouring of the support of our sponsors, we are able to keep it free. Please see the SPONSORS page for a list of them, and thank them when you can.

Q:  Why do you do this?
A:  Well, I must first say that "I" do not do this. There are several of us who are VERY involved, and others who get a few donations as well. To learn more about why "WE" do this, please go to the ABOUT page.

Q:  How do we sign-up?
A:  You can sign-up by going to the HOME page, and clicking on the sign-up link.

Q:  What if we can't make it after signing-up?
A:  No harm done. Sometimes things come up and we understand that. If you are able, please send an e-mail letting us know you will not be attending; we use the registrations for a head count.

Q:  If everything is free and there is not a limit on the number of contestants, why do we have to sign-up in advance?
A: In order to keep order, we need to have rules, and at some point, we will have to cut it off. Advertising is very heavy for this event, so there is a lot of advance notice. By signing-up their children and putting it on the calendar, it gives both parents and children something to look forward to.

Q:  Where is this held?
A:  Lake Mills, Wisconsin.

Q:  How do I get there?
A:  Please download DIRECTIONS here to get to us from any location.

Q:  If this is for children, why do I have to put the number of adults?
A:  This is simply for head count. Although adults are not able to get door prizes, we do try to have enough food for children and adults. 

Q:  Can I drop my kids off for the day and pick them up later?
A:  NO! This event is about spending time with your children. The smile on their faces when they receive their door prizes will brighten your day.

Q:  Do we have to be there to get door prizes?
A:  YES. Door prizes are a gift. We do not hold anything back and everything leaves that day.

Q:  What if my child registers a fish in the morning, and then we must leave for an emergency in the family. Can he still win?
A:  YES. Trophies are earned. This has only happened once, but we did have a girl win one year who had to leave early. If you have an emergency and have to end your day early, and you feel that your child may have won a trophy, please contact us the next day, or watch the website for the trophy-winners page. If your child's name is there, then we are holding the trophy for you.

Q:  What if my child is 2 years old and 11 months, can he/she still partake?
A:  NO. We have to stick to the rules.

Q:  Why do you start at age 3 and not birth?
A: We feel most children under 3 years do not understand fishing yet and do not have the skills needed to participate.

Q:  How late does it go?
A:  It varies. We try to keep things moving at a good pace. If children stay under the pavilion, things move faster, as we don’t have to call a child's name three times before counting the child out. In past years we have been done by 6:00 p.m.

Q:  Do you have to fish all day?
A:  NO. We know many people have younger children and they need naps. Please feel free to stop in early, register your fish, and get the little ones a nap. We start early because some people like to get up with the birds and believe the fishing is better then. Others choose to sleep in and take the rest of the day to spend together.

Q:  Can we register at any time of the day?
A:  YES. This is encouraged for several reasons. Since we use a ONE fish system, there can be ties. In the event of a tie, the person who registered their fish first wins. Also, if you happen to go home for a nap, if you waited to register, the fish will be dead. Registering early also means not standing in line at the very end to get registered and speeds up the process as everyone comes in.

Q:  If my child registers early, then catches a larger fish, can he/she register it?
A:  YES. This is encouraged. Again, in the event of a tie, the fish registered earliest will take the higher placing trophy. But if a child catches a bigger fish later, you can always have the child's point and time of registration updated.

Q:  Can we register a dead fish?
A:  Yes. Wisconsin state law now requires that fish leaving any body of water must be dead.

Q:  How does the one fish point system work?
A:  Please download the RULES, it is well defined there. There you will also find why we use this system.

Q:  When the event is over, you always pass around a donation jar. Why are you looking for money if the event is over?
A:  We spend EVERY penny donated to the event for the event. This means nothing is left for the cost of thank you cards and postage.  We spend HUNDREDS of dollars of our own money on gas getting donations, so we simply ask for help with the cost of the thank you cards. The more we collect, the nicer we can make our thank you cards. We can do a simple letter of thanks, or send a group picture with the thank you letter. It just depends on how much is donated that day.

Q:  Can we donate to the event?
A:  YES. We have a few people who just show up with things the day of the event. A surprise is always nice. So, if you are interested in donating to the door prize area of the event, please bring that with you. The day of the event, cash is only needed for thank you cards. If you would like to donate time prior to the event, please go in search of donations. E-mail me for information and I can get you flyers and tell you good places to stop.

Q:  I have been to other fisheries in the past and I have never seen one with so many door prizes – some have none.  How do you get them?
A:  They come in several ways. First we foot pedal to get most. We send out e-mails to certain companies as well. Some donate money, and we use it to go shopping for prizes at places that have donated physical gifts.

Q:  Is my child guaranteed a door prize?
A:  We wish we could say yes. Every year so far, we have gone through the hat no less than twice. But door prizes are governed by the support of our sponsors. The more we are given for the event, the more we have. We do make every effort to make sure every child leaves with something. It is fair to say that every year each child leaves with at least $20.00 in door prizes.

Q:  How much is donated in door prizes?
A:  Again, this varies from year to year.  Every year, donations reach an approximate value of well over $3,000.00. That includes food.  Door prizes have equaled well over $2,000.00 each year so far.

Q:  What do you have for door prizes?
A:  This again varies from year to year depending on our sponsors.  We get everything from pencils to hotel stays. We do grab bags for smaller things and, again, every year every child has gotten one of those along with stuff off the table. We try to be creative with the bigger prizes, yet keep it fair.

Q:  Are door prizes age-appropriate?
A:  Tough question. First off, there is nothing that I believe is morally wrong with any of the donations. But age is different.  Because they are door prizes, names are pulled from a hat and you get what you get. One year, we had a 16-year-old boy win a purse with make-up in it. That was a friend’s son and we still laugh about it to this day. We do however allow trading, and a lot of that goes on. One year, a boy won a hotel stay, but he really wanted a bike.  So he traded away his hotel stay for the bike. His parents were not happy about it, but it was his door prize so they allowed it.

Q:  What is included in the cookout?
A:  That as well can vary. Every year so far we have had all-beef hot dogs, brats, chips, soda, water and condiments. We get other things, but they vary. We do NOT provide alcohol. It is held in a public park, therefore you can bring your own if you choose, but it is not provided.

Q:  Can I bring some food for everyone?
A:  YES. We love when others bring stuff. We have had cookies, candy and other things. If you bring enough for everyone, great, If not, then it lasts till it’s gone; first come first serve. Please do not bring things that need refrigerating, as we do not have a way to keep them. Also, we typically do not have silverware, as we don't need it, so please don't bring dishes that require utensils.

Q:  How long does it take to put this together?
A:  Months. There are three of us who do a lot of foot pedaling along with my Internet donations. We have others who get a few things for us from out of the area.

Q:  What do you get paid for doing this?
A:  NOTHING! In fact, we spend a lot of our own money to put this together. The park is not free, we have to rent it. The price of gas is a killer with the running we do as well. I can honestly say that several of us spend hundreds of dollars just in gas. Gas money is NOT taken from the event’s cash donations – that is for the event.  Renting the park also means making sure it is cleaned up and well-preserved, or else a fine is issued covering the cost of repair or clean-up.

Q:  Do I need to bring any food?
A:  NO. Many do, and we sure appreciate that. If you choose to, use good sense in what to bring, as we cannot refrigerate things.

Q:  Why do you do a cookout with all the other work you have put into this event already?
A:  Several reasons. First off, it gets families to participate. Secondly, it gives my computer people time to get the names of trophy winners and set up door prize boxes. Thirdly, it gives time for people to make new friends. Fourthly... why not? It’s fun and keeps everyone busy while we get our last minute stuff done that can't be done until everyone is there.

Q:  Why does it take so long to go through the door prizes when you have a head count from sign-up and fish registration?
A:  Having them all organized by number for faster outgoing is tough. Some who sign-up don't make it. Others don't sign-up till 5:30 a.m. when they stop at the park and see me. We have found that it is easier to just start pulling names. It also takes time because we have a lot of stuff! If we gave away less, it would go faster... but we like giving away a lot of stuff.

Q:  Do I have to check in prior to 6:00 a.m. if I signed up via the website and/or by phone?
A:  NO. Check-in is required prior to 3:30 p.m. We do ask that if you can, check-in sometime during the day and let us know, just to make things easier later in the day. You must sign-up at some point in person to be in the door prize hat.

Q:  You used to let the winning child pick the next child's name. Why don't you do that anymore?
A:  We did that originally to make sure no one claimed that it was rigged. But with the growth of the event, it was found that the children are so excited about their new stuff that they forget to pick. Also, smaller children don't always understand everything that is going on. We stopped doing it just to speed things up.

Q:  What do your kids get out of this?
A:  My kids get no special treatment. Like me, they are unlucky at drawings! I had one child win a tackle box one year... maybe someday they will win a hotel stay, but they are getting older and time is running out!

Q:  What is a 5-year-old child going to do with a hotel stay?
A:  They will go stay there! Our hotel coupons clearly state that a child must be present at check-in. These stays are not for mom and dad to use as a second honeymoon, or a weekend getaway. We thought of this the first time I had a hotel donate an overnight stay. We made them put on it that, "child/children must be present at check-in," just to protect the child so that he/she can enjoy their winnings. Also, this is a good way for parents to get away from the house... but with the kids.

Q:  Have you ever considered making the start time later?
A:  YES. The Friday night prior, I have a houseful of people trying to get everything in vehicles, organize stuff, set up door prize games.  I get to bed around midnight and need to be back up at 4:00 a.m. in order to get to the park by 5:00 and start setting up. But I like the time and will probably not change it while I am still running it.

Q:  How do you stop cheating?
A:  We have implemented things that make it tough to cheat, but we can't stop everyone. It is said that 5% of the population will cheat or take advantage of something that is free. We can't stop that. If caught, we disqualify the offenders, but for us to do that, we must see the cheating. We have had several people who have had to be asked to leave.