ND Fishing Hall of Fame is seeking Nominations for 2023
The North Dakota Fishing Hall of Fame, located in Garrison, North Dakota, is seeking nominations for potential Hall of Fame inductees. Anyone may nominate an individual or organization they believe has made a significant and lasting contribution to sport fishing in North Dakota. Nominees will be chosen based upon consideration of the nominee’s ethics, leadership and commitment to improving sport fishing in North Dakota, unselfish contributions to the sport, scope of impact on fishing, and overall contribution to the sport or to fisheries management in North Dakota.
Nominations are due by May 1st for 2023 inductees. Nomination forms may be obtained at the Hall of Fame website at www.ndfishinghalloffame.org, by emailing a request to kjwitt78@restel.com, or by calling the Garrison CVB at 1-800-799-4242.
ND Fishing Hall of Fame inducts new member for 2022
The North Dakota Fishing Hall of Fame Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Kyle Agre of Fargo was inducted during a ceremony conducted in Garrison on July 14th, 2022 at the City Auditorium. The mission of the North Dakota Fishing Hall of Fame is to conduct and maintain a program to recognize and honor those persons, organizations, or institutions that have made significant and lasting contributions to sportfishing in North Dakota. This year’s inductee has made significant contributions that make him well qualified for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Kyle Agre
Kyle is a resident of Fargo and is dedicated to the promotion of sportfishing in North Dakota. Kyle has a true passion for fishing, the health of our fisheries, the importance of conservation and its impact on the future of fishing in North Dakota.
Kyle has been an involved member of FM Walleyes Unlimited for over 20 years and has served on its Board of Directors for 13 years, acting in the role of President for 4 of those years. He has also served FM Walleyes Unlimited through various programs and events including Youth Education Coordinator and Tournament Director of the Devils Lake Angler Young Angler Tournament. In 2019 Kyle founded and now serves as president of the Lake Agassiz High School Fishing League; a 9-school student angling league with teams throughout Fargo, West Fargo and Casselton. He is the Executive Director of the Student Angler Organization and serves as a board member on various fishing organizations to include the Lund Virtual Fishing League, and Men in Boats.
For more than a decade, Kyle has devoted thousands of hours educating others and promoting fishing, with a specific focus on educating youth. Through rolls as the Youth Education Coordinator for FM Walleyes Unlimited, Tournament Director for Devils Lake Angler Young Angler and in starting and growing Lake Agassiz High School Fishing League he has touched many North Dakota young and student anglers.
Kyle is a partner and co-founder of Brewer-Agre Outdoors, which collectively as a group focuses on sharing their knowledge of fishing and the outdoors with people from all walks of life. Through this group he has supported a number of charity and veteran’s fishing events.
Kyle has grown his career as an outdoor personality through his role as co-host of “Gone Outdoors” radio since 2015. The weekly outdoor radio show broadcasts in the Dakotas and the upper Midwest, frequently featuring guests and topics related to North Dakota fishing and the outdoors. He also hosts “Shack Talk”, a seasonal podcast dedicated to ice fishing. Kyle has been a guest on numerous other media outlets, a frequent seminar speaker, writer and photographer.
Kyle has had the opportunity to partner with leading brands in the fishing and outdoor industry in support of the mission of the organizations and events that he has worked in. Lund Boats, Mercury Marine, Scheels, Eskimo Ice Fishing Gear, ION Electric Augers and Tuned Up Custom Rods are a few. He has always believed in bringing industry and grass roots end users together to further promote the sport of fishing for everyone.
Kyle always displays a friendly, sincere, and passionate dedication to helping others enjoy and improve their fishing experiences. His talent, skill, and ability at fishing is matched by his motivation to do all he can to help others and improve and maintain sportfishing in North Dakota.
Five New Members inducted into the North Dakota Fishing Hall of Fame in 2021
Mike Anderson and Rob Holm of Riverdale, Rick Eagleson of Fargo, Ken Cumber of Jamestown, and the North Dakota Sportfishing Congress were inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in Garrison, North Dakota on July 15th, 2021.
Mike Anderson
Mike is a resident of Riverdale and has been a supporter of sportfishing and preservation of the fishing resources in North Dakota for over 50 years. He is a founding member of the Great Planers Trout and Salmon Club which has existed for almost 40 years and has served as president for multiple terms as well as holding other executive offices in the club. He has also been a dedicated member of the North Dakota Sportfishing Congress and has served in various officer rules with the Congress. Mike is also a member of or assists a number of other organizations that support sportfishing and related resources.
Mike has been a leader and played an instrumental role with the Great Planers Trout and Salmon Club throughout the years. During those years he has actively promoted the advancement of salmon fishing in North Dakota and created an environment where young anglers are provided an opportunity and recognition to encourage their continued involvement in fishing. He has been actively involved in annual fishing events that provide opportunity for those with disabilities as well as the elderly to participate in fun days of fishing. Mike has always unselfishly shared his knowledge and expertise with others, which was especially beneficial when salmon fishing was first introduced to North Dakota. He is well known for hosting “salmon boils” at various functions to support and promote salmon fishing. He has volunteered countless hours to unselfishly provide and improve fishing opportunities for others.
Mike has been an active member of the North Dakota Sportfishing Congress and has served many years in various executive offices with the Congress. He has been a tireless member of the Congress working to improve the organization and was instrumental in supporting the passage of various legislation to enhance sportfishing in North Dakota.
Mike is an ardent fisherman and while he is always competitive, he has always sought to learn and share his knowledge and techniques with others. Mike’s leadership and efforts have been invaluable to sportfishing in North Dakota. He has always displayed an unselfish dedication to help and educate others, positively promote sportfishing, and preserve and protect the fishery resource. Mike’s passion for fishing, volunteering, and improving the resource is evident to all and has provided a positive example to many, especially his family and friends.
Rob Holm
Rob is a resident of Riverdale and retired in June 2021 completing a 36-year career with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. For the most recent 25 years of his career, he has been the manager of the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery and Valley City National Fish Hatchery. As North Dakota does not have a state fish hatchery, the ND Game and Fish department partners with the federal hatcheries and Rob Holm has played a key role in developing and maintaining this effective partnership.
During Rob’s tenure as manager of the federal hatcheries in the North Dakota, literally hundreds of millions of fish have been raised for the benefit of the angling public. Walleye fingerling production has increased from approximately 7 million in 1986 to around 12 million in 2020. Rob has been a leader in various projects enhancing pallid sturgeon which is North Dakota’s only federally-listed endangered species) and is world renowned for his pallid sturgeon propagation efforts that have greatly improved their sub-populations in the Missouri River system.
In spite of the numerous policy and fiscal challenges during his tenure in North Dakota, Rob has struck the needed balance that addresses the federal priorities while enhancing recreational stocking through the state, to include tribal waters. Without Rob’s leadership, today’s productivity requirements would not be met, creating shortages in recreational fish production. Rob also led the project to develop a new visitor center at the Garrison Dam National Fish hatchery complete with five 400-gallon aquariums that display many of North Dakota’s fish species. The visitor center receives more than 10,000 visitors annually which increases the public knowledge of North Dakota’s aquatic resources.
Promoting fishing opportunities has been a mission of Rob’s and he has worked with various groups to promote fishing opportunities for youth and elderly as well as those with physical and mental challenges. Rob’s list of professional accomplishments and recognition is long and he was appointed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as one of a four-person team who developed a fish culture course that is now offered annually throughout the nation to train new fish hatchery staff.
Rob’s vast knowledge and application of scientific principles, his wide diversity of skills, his advocacy for the fish and the public, and his never-ending innovation has created a successful program for propagating fish for stocking waters and has been invaluable to supporting and improving sportfishing in North Dakota. Rob has always displayed an unselfish dedication to help and educate others, positively promote sportfishing, and preserve and protect the fishery resource.
Rick Eagleson
Rick is a resident of Fargo is a founding member of the Fargo Moorhead Chapter of Muskies Inc. He has been an active member since the chapter’s founding in 1972 and has served as chapter treasurer during his entire tenure. Rick is a dedicated member and has spearheaded the FM Muskies Inc Angler’s Night Fundraiser and has been instrumental in 40+ years of hosting successful fundraisers. The event provides the ability for the chapter to donate to youth organizations, North Dakota Game & Fish, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and various other entities. Rick was awarded the FM Muskies Inc Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
Rick is also a founding member of the North Dakota Sportfishing Congress and served on the executive board as treasurer from 1998 until 2019. He is a dedicated member in all activities of the Congress, and has been instrumental in the success of the Sportfishing Congress’s annual fundraising event. This fundraiser provides the necessary funding to support the organization’s efforts in lobbying for legislation beneficial to sportfishing in North Dakota.
Rick has always unselfishly shared his fishing knowledge and expertise with others, with a focus on youth fishing and education. He has volunteered countless hours to unselfishly support sportfishing and the fishery resource in North Dakota. Rick’s leadership efforts, his advocacy for the future of sport fishing, and his volunteering of his time, knowledge, and talents have been invaluable to supporting and improving sportfishing in North Dakota.
Ken Cumber
Ken is a resident of Jamestown and has been a long serving supporter of sportfishing and preservation of the fishing resources in North Dakota. He has been a member of Dakota Anglers for over 30 years and has served as president for multiple terms as well as holding other executive offices. He has also been a dedicated member of the North Dakota Sportfishing Congress for over 30 years and has served in various officer rules with the Congress. Ken is also a member of a number of other organizations that support sportfishing and related resources.
Ken has been a leader and played an instrumental role with the Dakota Anglers throughout the years. He has been involved in projects that established boat docks, improved the habitat and fishing resource, provided opportunities for youth fishing, and has conducted seminars to improve the fishing skills of youth and adults. He has volunteered countless hours to unselfishly provide and improve fishing opportunities for others.
Ken has been an active volunteer and avid supporter of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s research and management concerning the fishing resources. He has demonstrated an ongoing passion for fishing and the fisheries management, not just in the Jamestown area, but throughout North Dakota.
Ken has enjoyed a successful career as a tournament fisherman across the Midwest. While he is always competitive, he has always sought to learn and share techniques with others. He always demonstrates ethical conduct and concern for the resource. He has a passion for teaching others how to be successful at fishing, especially youth.
Ken’s leadership and efforts have been invaluable to sportfishing in North Dakota. He has always displayed an unselfish dedication to help and educate others, positively promote sportfishing, and preserve and protect the fishery resource. He is a true ambassador for fishing in North Dakota.
North Dakota Sportfishing Congress
The North Dakota Sportfishing Congress was formed in 1986 to provide a unified voice for anglers in North Dakota concerning issues important to sportfishing and the accompanying fishing resources. The original mission of the Sportfishing Congress was simply stated: To preserve, promote, and improve the quality of sportfishing in North Dakota. The Sportfishing Congress membership is composed of representatives from the fishing clubs and related organizations in North Dakota. The role of the organization is not to replace or infringe on existing clubs but to provide a mechanism for the clubs and their members to discuss issues and develop common positions related to sportfishing and the state fisheries resources.
A primary goal of the Sportfishing Congress is to provide a coordinated and unified voice for anglers in the North Dakota legislative session concerning issues related to sportfishing and the quality of the state fisheries and related resources. The Sportfishing Congress retains a lobbyist to monitor and testify on pertinent legislation. Most recently, the Sportfishing Congress represented its membership in taking a lead role in supporting legislation to advance and improve efforts to combat aquatic nuisance species (ANS) in North Dakota.
The Sportfishing Congress has been proactive in establishing a positive relationship with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department as well as the US Fish and Wildlife Hatcheries in North Dakota. This relationship allows for the beneficial exchange of information that is of concern to anglers throughout the state. The Sportfishing Congress also has addressed various other important issues, such as the US Army Corps of Engineers management of the Missouri River system in North Dakota.
The North Dakota Sportfishing Congress is dedicated to conserving and improving North Dakota’s excellent fisheries resource and recreational angling opportunities. Its continuing commitment to serving North Dakota anglers has truly provided improved opportunities for sportfishing across the state.