Enjoy a big supper inside a big fish at the Big Fish Supper Club
CASS COUNTY, Minn. – Well, it doesn't get any more Minnesotan than this. Did you know that once upon a time you could have had dinner inside the belly of a 65-foot muskie?
In this week's Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen takes us to the Big Fish Supper Club in Cass County, where he found one whopper of a fish tale.
On Lake Winnibigoshish, better known as "Lake Winnie," you can catch your fair share of fish. Or, you can drive just past the town of Bena, and let a monster fish catch you.
Al and Amy Hemme own the Big Fish Supper Club, which also means they own the giant muskie next door. It was built in 1957 by a man named Wayne Kumpula, and Al remembers seeing the fish on family vacations.
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"I was 2 months old my first trip up here, and been coming up ever since," said Al.
Back then, you could get ice cream out of a drive-up window located on the side of the muskie. Burgers and fries were also served inside the belly of the beast. The cooking happened in the fish's tail.
"Oh my God it had to be 200 degrees in here when it was real hot," said Al.
Despite the heat, business cooled. And after only a few years the muskie flopped. But that doesn't mean it failed. In fact, it's found success in other ways.
"It's in 'National Lampoon's Vacation,'" said Al.
The big fish makes an appearance early in the classic 1983 comedy, starring Chevy Chase.
"There are so many people that watch that movie now and then they'll quick take a picture of it and send it to our phones," said Amy. "'Did you know?' We're like, 'Yes, we did know that.'"
Before Al and Amy bought the supper club in 2010, this muskie was on an endangered list of its own. The building was on the verge of collapsing. But thanks to an anonymous donor, the fish was refurbished and saved.
But much of it is original. The eyes are actually painted-over Coca-Cola signs. Many of the teeth are authentic, though dental work is occasionally needed.
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"We ask that people do not hang on the teeth because the teeth are very old," said Amy.
Nowadays, people come from all over to stay at the resort or eat at the supper club. But they never miss a chance to grab a photo of the fish. Good thing, too, because Al isn't sure how he'd even begin to get rid of it.
"I love our place, I love our people, I love watching the kids grow through the years and they become like family. So it's very, very nice," said Amy.
Big Al's big muskie is considered one of the seven wonders of Minnesota. If you would like to have dinner at the supper club, they recommend calling ahead. They're open Wednesday through Saturday and they fill up fast.