Fishing Has No Boundaries

media release: This year’s event will be one-day only on Saturday July 12, 2025 with two separate fishing opportunities:

• Morning session from 8:30am – 12:00pm
• Afternoon session from 1:00pm - 4:30pm

 Participants may register for one or both sessions. The cost to participate is $50 for either the morning session or afternoon session. OR $75 to attend both morning and afternoon sessions.

Your fee covers one personal attendant/family member to join the participant. $25 of each participant’s fee goes to the national organization to promote the development of the new FHNB chapters.

Day-Of Information

Parking at Governor Nelson State Park is free for everyone participating in the FHNB event. Stop at the main gate as you enter and let them know you are part of FHNB to receive your event parking pass. If there is no one at the main gate, proceed to parking and get a sticker from one of the golf cart drivers. *You must have a sticker in your windshield or park rangers may ticket you!

Fishing license fees are waived (FREE) for participants for the day of the event. Everyone else (volunteers, caregivers, participant assistants, boaters, etc) should get your fishing license before coming... if you plan to fish! Catch and release is our plan, but you can keep and clean your own fish as long as you follow Lake Mendota fishing regulations.

When you arrive, go to the shelter builder to sign in! All participants must register at the shelter building before getting on a boat.

Lunch will be in the main tent

• Afternoon Anglers are served lunch at 11:30 AM, prior to boarding the boats to begin their fishing trip.
• Morning Anglers are served lunch at 12:15 PM, after coming off the watercome off the water at the end of their fishing trip.

We encourage friendly competition and keepsakes

Bring a camera and snap as many pictures as you can! We rely on you - participants and volunteers - to capture memories and share them with us!

Awards for the longest fish in a category will be posted on our web page, and we'll mail the lucky winners their certificates! Winners will also be announced in the enewsletter after the event!

Dress appropriately!

Event volunteers and particiapnts are given a free event baseball hat and t-shirt as an annual keepsake!

Remember to bring rain gear if showers are expected, and bring what you need to protect you from the heat and sun. We will fish unless there is thunder and lightning or the rain and wind is too severe.

7:00 AM Boat owners and fishing assistants check-in at the registration table to obtain boat numbers, shirts & radios. Coffee and donuts will be served. 7:30 AM Boat owners and fishing assistants’ orientation. FIRST TRIP 8:00 AM Participant registration for first trip. 8:30 AM Boat loading begins. 12:00 PM All participants must be on shore. 12:15 PM Lunch SECOND TRIP 11:00 AM Participant registration for second trip. 11:30 AM Lunch served before fishing. 1:00 PM Boat loading begins. 4:30 PM All participants must be on shore.

SPECIAL INFORMATION FOR BOAT OWNERS

First and foremost, we cannot do this without you! In order to put anglers with disabilities on the water for 3+ hours of fun, we need you and your boat.

This year’s event has two sessions. Boaters and fishing assistants may sign up for either or both of the sessions. Remember to bring rain gear if showers are expected; we will fish unless there is thunder and lightning or the rain and wind is too severe.

Day-Of Things to Know

Parking at Governor Nelson State Park is free for everyone participating in the FHNB event. Stop at the main gate as you enter and let them know you are part of FHNB to receive your event parking pass. If there is no one at the main gate, proceed to parking and get a sticker from one of the golf cart drivers. *You must have a sticker in your windshield or park rangers may ticket you!

Checking In

Boat owners and fishing assistants can check in at the registration table at the main tent, where you'll receive your boat number, radio, and commemorative event shirts and hats!  Join us by 7:30am for orientation in the main tent.

Shuttle boat services will be provided for boat-to-shore transportation for the orientation meeting and lunch break. If you're staying for both fishing sessions, you'll still get a lunch break! 

All loading and unloading will take place at the main dock.

For everyone's enjoyment, we aim to have an experienced angler on every boat, and each participant is encouraged to bring a personal attendant who knows their needs. 

Capture the memories and competition!

When someone on your boat catches a fish, please take pictures and measure the fish for competition!  An accurate length of each species caught will be submitted to the main tent for the event competition.

As always, we encourage you to share successful fishing spots over the radio so everyone has a fishing tale to tell.

Once again, thank you for helping this summer event to capture lasting memories!