By Steve Weisman

If you are like me, I spend at least some of my weekends watching outdoor shows on television. One that I run across quite often is “Keyes Outdoors.” Mike Keyes is host to this show, which is the largest nationally televised musky show in the country.

Guess what! Outdoors enthusiasts in this area will have the chance to see Keyes in person! The Upper Great Plains (Chapter 29) muskie club is hosting a Mike Keyes seminar on Saturday, March 21 at the Pelican Ridge Club House on the east side of Lower Gar. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the seminar starting at 7 p.m. A raffle will conclude the evening’s activities.

Larry Perry, President of the local club, shared his thoughts on the evening’s activities. “Mike is an avid muskie fisherman, and our club is excited to offer this opportunity. This event is open to the general public and free of charge. “

Keyes is a nationally renowned muskie expert, who has spent the last 15 years traveling the country hunting and filming the musky. His mission is ongoing: to explore new musky waters and new musky tactics that work on these waters.

Perry noted that there will be a wide range of raffle opportunities including muskie tackle and gift certificates.

About the chapter

Iowa’s first muskie club was started in 1968 and was called the Iowa Great Lakes Muskie Club. The club bought and stocked most of the original muskie fingerlings that were stocked in the Iowa Great Lakes for 3-4 years after the club began. In the mid-1970s, the Iowa DNR took over stocking in Iowa lakes. The club was chartered into Muskies Inc as a chapter in 1978.

Since that time, Chapter 29 has been active in the Iowa Great Lakes promoting not only the sport of muskie fishing but also many other conservation programs. For more information, check the club website at www.muskieclub.com.