Makes you throw up in your mouth a little, the thought of the Japanese frankfurter phenom downing dogs like Campbell’s Chicken & Stars soup (that’s the one you can basically drink). Well our guy, Frabill VP of Marketing Jeff “Kolo” Kolodzinski won’t be chugging hotdogs, but he will once again attempt to best his World Record for the most fish caught in a 24 hour period. That would mean hooking and releasing over 1,680 fish.
Again live for spectators to gawk at (and heckle), Kolo will be operating from the pier at Maynard’s on Lake Minnetonka in Excelsior, Minnesota. His float – or bobber if you will – first touches the water at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 30th, concluding 1,440 minutes later at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 31st.
The purpose of the event isn’t to immortalize Kolo, but rather bring attention to the organization Fishing For Life and their altruistic goals of recruiting youth anglers and sharing the love of the sport. Fishing for Life’s mission is to serve youth, family and community through fishing and outdoor programs.
Speaking of those little rugrats, as an added attraction to this year’s spectacle, Fishing For Life has organized the 10K Kids Challenge. The 10K Kids will fish against one another for an hour before Kolo begins his quest. Kolo has agreed to be present on the docks with each participant during the hour in order to provide tips for the kids to improve their angling skills. The 10K reference, by the way, signifies Fishing For Life’s goal of raising $10,000 through corporate sponsorships, individual donations and partnering with other organizations in the Fish-A-Thon. (That was a not-so-subtle call to action.)
Public donations will be welcomed live during the event as well. Drop by after sipping a beverage at the tiki bar or wrapping up a family dinner overlooking the lake. Kolo will be right there in action and willing to talk smart about fishing and the greater cause.
A little bit on Kolo… He set the standing World Record in 2008, last year falling short chiefly due to lightening storms and downpours that shortened his fishing time. From a credentials standpoint, Kolo fished for Team United States in International Shore Fishing Competitions. His refined, European influenced match fishing techniques are worth the price of admission, which is FREE.
So we haven’t checked Maynard’s current menu to see if it includes Kobayashi Coney Island hotdogs, but Kolo won’t care, because his 24 hour diet will consist of freshwater fish. See you at the dock…
Fishing For Life (FFL) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving youth through organized fishing programs. In 2010, FFL was selected by the National Parks and Recreation Association to serve as one of 70 TakeMeFishing Agencies in the U.S. dedicated to promote and engage youth in fishing activities.
FFL offers three programs to serve this mission: The “Reel ‘Em In Kids” program collects unwanted rods, reels and tackle and distributes them to underserved youth at lake events and festivals. “Fish Fair” is an indoor winter fishing carnival. During Fish Fair, youth get to make jigs and lures; learn about the fish in our lakes and rivers, as well as timeless fishing techniques; and are taught sportsmanship. The event also gives attendees the opportunity to learn more about clubs, organizations, and camps that offer youth fishing programs. Over 1,500 anglers attended Fish Fair this year, including over 100 Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts who earned rank advancements for participating. Lastly, FFL organizes the “Fish?A?Thon,” a philanthropic program to raise money for organizations serving urban youth.
Go to www.fishingforlife.org to learn more about the organization and make a donation.
