It’s a hoot to get body work done or whack walleyes

Whether you’re looking for someone who can do body work on your car or show you where the best fishing spots are, Paul “Hootie” Hodowanic offers a one-shop stop. Having grown up alongside his dad, Fred Hodowanic, in his repair shop, Paul has worked on cars since he was 12 years old, then went on to tech school, for auto body. After that, Paul worked at the Collision Center, but after that business was sold to the son, Paul decided it was time to strike out on his own. He constructed a building at his home, at 21101 245th Ave., Cornell, naming the place Hootie’s Sales & Service. At first, Paul wasn’t going to do body work and would instead focus on boat rigging. “But...everybody knows me as doing body work,” he said. “So, here I am, doing body work.” The shop features brake work and oil changes, in addition to the body work, while Paul also helps restore older model cars to their former glory. As a one-man operation, Paul doesn’t keep set hours in the shop, but takes work by phone, at 715-827-0591, or can be reached at lakehol@gmail.com. One of the body work aspects, is making sure that the paint touch-up matches the original color, which can involve a long process of dealing with vibrant colors, that are then tinted over multiple coats. “It’s challenging, some of these colors,” said Paul. While he does insurance work, Paul does not offer loaners, nor does he sell tires, because his father recommended against it. “My dad said not to, so I don’t do it,” said Paul. In addition to his body work business, Paul also owns Walleye Wacker, a fish guiding service, where everything you need to fish is provided. Mostly, Paul takes people around Lake Holcombe, but he has been known to venture to the Hayward area. Paul is also a certified Minn Kota dealer and repair center, with boat detailing and repair work, while selling sonars, trolling motors and custom fishing rods, made in Westbend. “I stay pretty busy with everything I do,” he said.