41st Annual
Treeland Challenge
WAS held MAY 6th - 7th - 8th -9th 2026
A Catch-n-Release Fishing Tournament
Hosted by Treeland Resorts and Pat's Landing Resort
Annual Treeland Challenge
A Walleye & Large Mouth Bass Fishing Contest for the Whole Family!
This tournament is all about the camaraderie of fishing, bringing old and new fishing buddies together, and of course the friendly banter between boats.
Did we mention you can win THOUSANDS of dollars in door prizes EVERY DAY of the tournament? That’s FOUR days of prizes! Single and family registrations accepted, as well as early entry fee price reduction!
Major Tournament Sponsors
PLEASE LET OUR SPONSORS KNOW HOW MUCH YOU APPRECIATE THEM!
Heartland Electric - 715-699-0695
Northern Sheet Metal - 715-462-9612
Slayton Plumbing - 715-558-2893 slaytonplumbing@outlook.com
Hayward Home Center
Hayward Bait and Bottle
Hayward Power Sports
Jenk's Bait & Tackle
Butterfield Drilling
Thorne Bros.
Shell Lake State Bank
Elk River Custom Rods
Chippewa River Custom Rods
Viking Coca-Cola
Simms
Park Ridge Distributing
Northern Sheet Metal
Thursday
29 degrees didn’t stop the 2026 Treeland Challengers this morning hosted! 🐟
Sure was fun measuring all these fish…below are Thursday AM results and a few pics to make y’all just a tad jealous!!
Door prizes at Treeland Resorts was a big hit with all the kiddos getting backpack tackle boxes, over $5k raised for musky restocking, and over 100 door prizes awarded while everyone enjoyed beer and bear feed.
THURSDAY AM RESULTS
West Side at Pat’s Landing Registered:
• 32 Walleye
• 60 Largemouth Bass
East Side at Treeland Resorts Registered:
• 17 Walleye
• 16 Largemouth Bass
THURSDAY AM TOTALS:
🎣 49 Walleye
🎣 76 Largemouth Bass
🎣 TOTAL FISH REGISTERED: 125
WALLEYE DIVISION
🥉 3RD PLACE — #114 Terry Monson, Clear Lake, WI
22.5” Walleye
🥈 2ND PLACE — #135 Chris Prochazka, West Bend, WI
22.5” & 22.0” Walleye
🥇 1ST PLACE — #97 Kris Nardi, Milwaukee, WI
25.5” Walleye
LARGEMOUTH BASS DIVISION
🥉 3RD PLACE — #162 Daisha Dearhamer, Park Falls, WI
17.75” & 17.25” Largemouth Bass
🥈 2ND PLACE — #253 Steven Hillman, Pardeeville, WI
18.0” Largemouth Bass
🥇 1ST PLACE — #161 Dave Dearhamer, Park Falls, WI
18.75” Largemouth Bass
300 anglers took a mid-day fishing break today to celebrate the 41st Annual Treeland Challenge at our annual Brat & Beer Feed! 🍻🎣
Complimentary beer was sponsored by Park Ridge Distributing and we also held our annual casting contest — and WOW was it a tight one! Huge thank you to Chippewa River Custom Rods for sponsoring the contest. Adult and kids division winners will officially be crowned after tomorrow’s Fish Fry Frenzy!
We also gave away over 100 door prizes throughout the event, including every registered child in the tournament receiving a specialized tackle bag filled with baits and tools to help continue growing the next generation of anglers. ❤️🎣
We also held a 50/50 raffle benefiting the 2026 Musky Stocking Initiative on the Chippewa Flowage… and things got a little crazy in the best way possible.
💰 The 50/50 raised a total of $2,770, meaning $1,385 went directly to the stocking initiative.
💰 BUT — the Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association is matching all donations up to $30,000… meaning that instantly became $2,770 raised!
💰 THEN the winner of the 50/50 donated $500 back to the initiative, which doubled with the match brought the total to $3,770!
💰 AND THEN Hayward Home Center stepped up and donated another $1,000 to the initiative!
Which means… after the Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association match… a ONE-DAY TOTAL OF $5,770 WAS RAISED FOR MUSKY STOCKING!!!!!
Now for the Grand Daily Door Prize… sponsored by Hayward Home Center… congratulations to Logan VanRemmen, whose ticket was drawn to win an Elk River Rods & Outfitters paired with a Shimano Vanford reel! WOWZA, THANK YOU HAYWARD HOME Hayward Home Center! 🔥🎣
Last night’s Grand Daily Door Prize was a Humminbird Helix 5 GPS sponsored by our dear friend Mike Piccorillo, owner of Jenk’s Bait & Jenk’s Bait and Tackle! 🎣 We are so sorry we missed getting a picture, but congratulations to lucky winner Jim Herlein on taking home the Helix 5 GPS! Huge thank you to Mike Piccorillo (Mr. Jenk’s) for the continued support of the Treeland Challenge — we appreciate you!
West Side at Pat’s Landing Registered:
30 Walleye; 90 Largemouth Bass
East Side at Treeland’s Registered:
35 Walleye; 39 Largemouth Bass
THURSDAY PM TOTAL: 65 WALLEYE
THURSDAY PM TOTAL: 129 LARGEMOUTH BASS
TOTAL PM FISH: 194
TOTAL FISH FOR THURSDAY: 319
WALLEYE DIVISION:
3RD PLACE #135 Chris Prochazka, West Bend, WI
22.5” & 22.0” Walleye
2ND PLACE #154 Bob Recob, Rio, WI
25.00” Walleye
1ST PLACE #97 Kris Nardi, Milwaukee, WI
25.5” Walleye
LARGEMOUTH BASS DIVISION:
3RD PLACE #192 Tony Burgess, Bloomer, WI
18.25”, 17.5”, 15.25” Largemouth Bass
2ND PLACE #161 Dave Dearhamer, Park Falls, WI
18.75”, 12.5” Largemouth Bass
1ST PLACE #155 Alex Bement, Stone Lake, WI
18.75, 18.5” Largemouth Bass
Friday
What a great afternoon at the 41st Annual Treeland Challenge!
What a day, what a day!
Before we get too far into the excitement of the 41st Annual Treeland Challenge, we want to take a moment to thank the incredible sponsors who help make this tournament possible year after year. Your support means the world to us, our anglers, and this entire event.
A huge thank you to our sponsors:
Heartland Electric - 715-699-0695
Northern Sheet Metal - 715-462-9612
Slayton Plumbing - 715-558-2893 slaytonplumbing@outlook.com
Hayward Home Center
Hayward Bait and Bottle
Hayward Power Sports
Jenk's Bait & Tackle
Butterfield Drilling
Thorne Bros.
Shell Lake State Bank
Elk River Custom Rods
Chippewa River Custom Rods
Viking Coca-Cola
Simms
Park Ridge Distributing
Northern Sheet Metal
Town of Hunter Chairman, Jon LeBlanc, joined us today and helped raffle off an incredible @Thorne Bros. rod and reel combo valued at $860! Thanks to everyone who participated, we were able to raise an ADDITIONAL $1,360 for 2026 Musky Stocking on the Chippewa Flowage!
A huge thank you to @Thorne Bros. for donating the combo to help support such a great cause. With the @Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association match, that brings today’s total from the raffle to $2,720 raised!
Meanwhile over at Pat’s Landing, they held two 50/50 raffles – raising $395 Wednesday night and another $380 today, for a total of $775. With the LCFRA match, their total comes to $1,155!
When we put it all together, we have now raised an incredible $9,667 for 2026 Musky Stocking on the Chippewa Flowage!
Now onto the door prizes! It was another fun-filled afternoon with lots of happy winners. @Treeland Resorts sponsored today’s grand door prize – a YETI Tundra cooler!
Casting contest winners, sponsored by @Chippewa River Custom Rods, were thrilled to take home their custom winner rods:
– Kids Division Winner: Luke Sennett
– Adult Division Winner: Steven Hillman
Now back onto the water for tonight’s fishing!
UNOFFICIAL FRIDAY PM SESSION RESULTS:
FRIDAY PM RESULTS
West Side at Pat’s Landing Registered:
34 Walleye; 72 Largemouth Bass
East Side at Treeland’s Registered:
35 Walleye; 66 Largemouth Bass
FRIDAY PM TOTAL: 69 WALLEYE
FRIDAY PM TOTAL: 138 LARGEMOUTH BASS
TOTAL PM FISH: 204
TOTAL FISH IN THE TOURNAMENT: 608
WALLEYE DIVISION:
3RD PLACE #97 Kris Nardi, Milwaukee, WI
25.5” Walleye
2ND PLACE #200 Jesse Olin, Farmington, MN
26.25” Walleye
1ST PLACE #267, Daniel Hoesly, Blaine, MN
26.5” Walleye
LARGEMOUTH BASS DIVISION:
3RD PLACE #274 Brian Schmitt, Maquoketa, IA
19.25” Largemouth Bass
2ND PLACE #124 Russell Bloss, Trempealeau, WI
19.25”, 12.25” Largemouth Bass
1ST PLACE #227 Paul Prohaska, Wausau, WI
20.25” Largemouth Bass
Saturday
Final fishing results of the 41st Annual Treeland Challenge!
More to come tomorrow!
FINAL DAY RESULTS
West Side at Pat’s Landing Registered:
29 Walleye; 96 Largemouth Bass
East Side at Treeland’s Registered:
30 Walleye; 95 Largemouth Bass
SATURDAY TOTAL: 59 WALLEYE
SATURDAY TOTAL: 191 LARGEMOUTH BASS
TOTAL SATURDAY FISH: 250
TOTAL FISH IN THE TOURNAMENT: 858
LADY LUNKER WALLEYE: #42 Reagan Miller, Hayward, WI
19.5” & 18.75” Walleye
LADY LUNKER LARGEMOUTH: #85 Molly Boyle-Engedal, Eau Claire, WI
18.0” Largemouth Bass
WALLEYE DIVISION:
3RD PLACE #97 Kris Nardi, Milwaukee, WI
25.5” Walleye
2ND PLACE #200 Jesse Olin, Farmington, MN
26.25” Walleye
1ST PLACE #267, Daniel Hoesly, Blaine, MN
26.5” Walleye
LARGEMOUTH BASS DIVISION:
3RD PLACE #274 Brian Schmitt, Maquoketa, IA
19.25” & 16.75” Largemouth Bass
2ND PLACE #253 Steven Hillman, Pardeeville, WI
19.5” Largemouth Bass
1ST PLACE #227 Paul Prohaska, Wausau, WI
20.25” Largemouth Bass See less
Practicing catch-and-release fishing for walleye in Northern Wisconsin lakes is crucial for the long-term health and sustainability of the walleye population. These lakes are popular fishing destinations, and heavy fishing pressure can deplete walleye stocks, especially the larger, egg-bearing females essential for reproduction. By releasing the walleye you catch, particularly the trophy-sized individuals, you’re allowing them to contribute to future generations of the species. Catch-n-release helps ensure these lakes continue to offer excellent walleye fishing for years to come, benefiting both recreational anglers and the local economies that rely on tourism. Furthermore, releasing fish allows them to maintain the natural balance of the ecosystem and prevent overharvest which can lead to the deterioration of the fish population and the overall health of the lake.
