The Reel Deal

The Anglers have an interesting history.

“Bob Ward our past president, and current Board member has been researching our club history,” said Randy Johnson. “He has a committee that has done considerable work in discovering our roots. Bob is a long-time resident of Dell Webb, and been involved with the Anglers for over a decade.”

While their history might have been unclear at the start, it’s anything but fishy.

The Angler’s charter states: “the Anglers work on preservation of Wildflower Lake and promote the sport of fishing by having informational meetings and guest speakers. The Anglers also have fishing tournaments and fishing outings at different locations during the year for Club members.”

What are the Anglers like now?

Bob Ward states, “Currently we have around 115 members. We are hoping to encourage more residents to join and we are having a membership drive. I retired at 55 and joined the club at 55. It opened the world to me,” Ward said.

The activities of the Anglers are varied.

“Besides encouraging the sport, we do ensure that the lake, its landscaping, and safety. The pier was replaced about 5 years ago. It has a lifetime warranty. What’s interesting is that the boards are made of carpet remnants.”

Ward also explained the role of the club.

“We enjoy coordinating with other groups and clubs to host an enjoyable day. We have planned events with the Parkinson’s group, planning a fun day out on the lake fishing. We help with bait and poles and just enjoy the fact that we are there to encourage them to fish and have fun,” he said.

“We also host a day of fishing for the grandchildren of the Grandma, Grandpa, and Me club. This is one of their most popular events. The grandparents, parents and of course the kids come out and the shores of Wildflower Lake are filled with excitement and screams. We help the kids bait the hooks, record their catches and have prizes for them,” Ward said.

The Anglers are also involved in service outside of Sun City.

“We also try to support the community and donate to the Grafton Food Pantry and the Vets,” Ward added.

The several hundred-acre Wildflower Park is in the center of the Sun City Community.It includes miles of walking and biking trails surrounding a 14-acre fishing lake. The Anglers Club works with the Department of Natural Resources to protect the fishing and wildlife on the Lake.

“We consult with the DNR on fish in the lake and we are careful that species are not introduced that would danger the life on the lake,” Ward said.

The daily sport of catch-and-release fishing has become an increasingly popular practice among many anglers throughout the country.

Ward provides, “You would be surprised at the size of some of the fish. Most are largemouth Bass. We have Northern Pike, Blue Gill, Sun Fish, and lots of fish that weigh over 35 pounds. There is always someone here enjoying the lake, walking or fishing or just enjoying the view. It’s no wonder people come here. Imaging having a lake just minutes from your home that you can fish in anytime you like. It’s beautiful in the

winter and summer. We do want to emphasize the lake is not a public lake and only residents are permitted to fish here. They can bring guests, but they must be with the guest.”

Safety is also a concern for the club.

“We also want to make sure that it is safe for our residents and guests. We have some residents that need a walker and we want to make sure that they also can access the lake. We worked with the board for three years on an issue we had with the rocks. We resolved what we thought was a safety issue by removing the rocks that had the potential for tripping or slipping and replaced it with crushed rock,” Ward explained.

The club goes on fishing excursions outside of Wildflower Lake as well.

“Newton Lake in Southern Lake is a favorite,” Ward said.

Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is an Illinois state park on 1,775 acres in southern Illinois. The sport fishery in Newton Lake is best known for the trophy bass.

“Boyd’s Lake in Wisconsin is another favorite,” Ward continued. How can residents join the Anglers?

At an annual membership fee of only $12. To land your membership, you can contact any of the club’s officers listed on the website.

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