The walleye outside of Holiday in Rush City is getting a facelift.
The fish was taken to Ray’s Fishing Guide & Taxidermy near the East Rush Lake public access for repairs.
Owner Ray Abrizenski said he's been looking to restore the fish for seven or eight years, so when Circle K (owner of Holiday Gas Stations) reached out in July of last year, he was ready to go.
The walleye's paint had faded, and its body had sustained damage due to years of people climbing on it. To restore the fish, Abrizenski says he will be totally repainting the sculpture along with building a new lower fin at a different angle so people cannot step on it.
Abrizenski is excited to get to work on the finish because of the importance the statue has to the local community.
"I'm glad we are getting it done for Rush City," Abrizenski told WCMP. "It's a monumental thing. There are hundreds of people who stop by to take pictures every week."
He hopes to finish the work and have the Walleye returned to its place in front of Holiday by mid-March so hundreds more travelers can have their picture taken next to the "World’s Largest Walleye."
