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WALLEYES FOR WARRIORS CELEBRATES 2025!
We are proud to say 2025 will be our 13th year. The Bay City Elks Lodge #88 and Walleyes for Warriors are dedicated to continuing this event each year.
Walleyes for Warriors’ mission is to show appreciation to our veterans and thank them for all they have done for our country by providing them with a special day of recreational fishing on Saginaw Bay.
Our 2024 event was a success despite Mother Nature again deciding it would be a challenge. We had a very strong west wind which created serious waves about a mile or two out from shore. This limited our catch to 590 walleye. The walleye were in deeper water farther from the shore. We had 184 Boat Captains and First Mates and 187 veterans who participated. 61 volunteers made this event happen. The longest walleye was 27 and one quarter inches. It was caught by Roy Graham with Captain Kyle Yatsevich.
Our oldest veteran was Edward Bhirdo from World War II, who served in the Navy. Our youngest veteran was Daniel Harris, age 27, who served in the Marine Corps.
This year’s event will again be at Linwood Beach Marina, 135 S. Linwood Road, Linwood, Michigan. The dates are June 7th and 8th. This is a very meaningful event for our veterans. It is only possible with community donations and volunteers. We are thankful for our captains, who donate their fishing boats, gas, and time to make this event a success. Saginaw Bay is an outstanding walleye fishery. We want our veterans to experience it.
We start with registration and fellowship on Saturday afternoon. The veterans receive a tee shirt, a souvenir bag, meet their captain, and enjoy a late lunch. On Sunday launching starts at 5:00 a.m. with an opening ceremony at 7:00 a.m. The veterans receive a box lunch. Fishing continues until 2:00 p.m. Dinner is then served followed by a short program. Volunteers clean all the fish during dinner. Every veteran leaves with a personal cooler bag filled with walleye fillets.
Bay City Elks Lodge #88 sponsors this event in honor of the founder of Walleyes for Warriors, Nels Larsen, who passed away October 8, 2020. Nels was an avid Saginaw Bay fisherman.
THANK YOU for your involvement. We hope to hear from you soon. As we say in the Elks, so long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will NEVER forget them.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!