MARATHON MAN ON A MISSION
Canton, Ill. — Jeff Kolodzinski is a man on a mission — a Marathon Man out to break a record he already holds. On September 11 and 12, 2018, at Giant Goose Ranch in Canton, Illinois, he will attempt to catch more than 2,143 fish on hook and line to break his own world record set in 2011.
But Kolodzinski is not doing it for a spot in the record books. He’s doing it to introduce people and families to fishing and to increase awareness and financial support for the Fishing For Life, a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization whose Next GEN program finds mentors for children of families in need. A special focus within the program, serves families of our veterans who have lost loved ones while serving our nation. It’s important to me to remember those who have sacrificed for our nation and 9/11 is a day that we can honor those who have given all and shine a light on those still serving.
Not only is Kolodzinski the current world record holder for fish caught in a 24-hour period, but he also represented the United States seven times in international competition at the World Championship of Freshwater Fishing. He currently serves as the Fishing Brand Manager for Johnson Outdoors and is a longtime fishing industry professional with many awards and accolades.
“My true passion has always been to introduce people — especially families — to the sport of fishing,” Kolodzinski explains. “Partnering with Fishing For Life and Giant Goose Ranch is my way of giving back to the sport that’s given me so much while bringing awareness to a program that supports our military heroes. We hope to raise money — from inside and outside the fishing industry — to fund the Next GEN program for the many families of military personnel who will benefit from it. Along the way, I think we can show people how great the sport of fishing really is — how it promotes nature, family, camaraderie and fun in the outdoors. It’s been a huge part of my life, and I want to share it.”
The “Marathon Man” event will be hosted live online and on Facebook for all 24 hours on the Marathon Man Fishing Facebook page.
“The Facebook platform allows me to engage people from all levels of fishing interest all across the country — in real-time — to inspire them to go fishing by showing them exactly how to do it,” Kolodzinski says. “You don’t need a lot of expensive equipment to go fishing — just some basics and the desire to get started. Tune in and we’ll show you how!” The event will be broadcast LIVE on Facebook for all 24-hours. https://www.facebook.com/MarathonManFishing/
2,144 fish in a day
Kolodzinski set the record in Minnesota in 2010 — 2,143 fish in 24 hours —can be broken. To set that record, he averaged better than 89 fish per hour; that’s 1.48 per minute!
“I think I can average two per minute if conditions are right,” he says. “If I can just be more efficient with handling and unhooking the fish, I think I can get close to 3,000 in 24 hours. Insane, I know!”
For his fishing, Kolodzinski will use a 10-foot pole, 10 feet of fluorocarbon line, a small barbless hook, a small float and live bait. Most of the fish he’ll be catching will be panfish — bluegill, crappie, perch and the occasional largemouth bass.
There will be a significant social media push ahead of the event and throughout all 24 hours of the event. As part of the broadcast, Marathon Man will offer hourly product giveaways from supporting sponsors. Current sponsors include St. Croix Rods, Thill Floats, Suffix line, VMC hooks, Costa Del Mar sunglasses, Mr. Crappie Poles, Gerber fishing tools, Gemini apparel, Old Town Canoes & Kayaks, Humminbird Fish Finders, Talon shallow water anchors, Minn Kota trolling motors, and Fishing Tackle Retailer.
Companies and sponsors interested in making a tax-deductible donation or pledge, may sign up by contacting Kolodzinski at Marathonmanfishing@gmail.comor use his GoFundMe page.
About Giant Goose Ranch:
Giant Goose Ranch is an 840-acre ranch near Canton, Illinois, owned and operated by Herman Brothers Lake and Land Management. It consists of the finest lakefront campsites, trails, timber and fishing lakes in the Midwest. It is also the home base for the Herman Brothers, who travel the country consulting for land owners, speaking at various seminars and conferences, developing and building lakefront amenities and organizing missions work teams following natural disasters. Their experiences, work ethics, and desire to serve have created lots of opportunities for helping thousands of families worldwide. For more information, visit giantgooseranch.com.
About Fishing For Life:
Fishing For Life is a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization that has numerous programs and events through which it reaches out to youth and families. Each program — large or small — has been carefully designed to be a positive experience, and all are designed not only to introduce us to one another, but to deepen our relationships as well. The Next GEN program is designed to provide intentional, consistent, measurable one-on-one fishing and outdoor-related experiences, and meaningful spiritual guidance for youth from military families and from single-parent households. Youth in the program range in ages from 10-16 years old and are from military and/or single-parent families, with a special emphasis on those who have a parent on active duty, those who have lost a parent due to war, and those who have a parent who has become incapacitated due to their war wounds. For more information, visit fishingforlife.org.
This article first appeared in FishingTackle Retailer