A TEEN has been threatened with daily fines after the council shut down his side hustle over an alleged violation.
Max McKinney, 15, had been selling fighting bait from a homemade shed for just two weeks when he was ordered to close it down.
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Located at the end of his farm driveway in Spooner, Wisconsin, The Spooner Lake Bait Shop stocked worms, sodas and candy.
However, the 15-year-old has now been threatened with daily fines after it was deemed a zoning violation.
It led Washburn County officials to shut the hut down as they issued McKinney with a cease-and-desist letter.
McKinney told AgWeb: “It’s hard to believe. I’m angry and sad at the same time.
“I thought I was working hard and doing the right thing. Instead they say I broke their regulations.”
He spent months raising worms in his parent’s garage ready to sell during peak fishing season in May 2025.
Max and his 14-year-old cousin Jax Foss, built a 6′ x 15′ shed from scratch to serve as a base for their sales.
As well as worms, they also stocked snacks, sodas and branded tees.
Just two weeks into opening, Max was ordered to close the store by Washburn County.
They cited that it was a “general merchandise store” and as such required residential recreation zoning.
The council gave him 14 days to “remove the structure”, otherwise they could issue further citations or daily fines.
Nobody from the council spoke to him about the site, instead he was issued a letter after a county official drove past and took photos.
According to agricultural zoning laws, roadside stands can only be used for fruit, vegetables or ag products.
The boy’s grandfather, Tom Foss, 65, said: “This story is about as un-American as it gets.”
McKinney was following in his grandfather’s footsteps, as Tom had sold crops and vegetables in the same spot when he was younger.
Angered by the council’s actions, Foss filed a formal complaint, requesting that officials visit the site.
He says that they refused.
Foss added: “The whole thing is beyond crazy.”
The site is part of an 80-acre farm that produces dairy, alfafa, grain and vegetables.
Alongside the fishing shop, McKinney has three other jobs: a canoe rental crew member, little league umpire and babysitter.
He had hoped to use the shop to make money over the weekends, proving his work ethic as he aims to pursue a career as a doctor in the future.
It comes as an increasing number of Americans pursue side hustles.
One TikToker shared how he made $2,400 a month simply by offering to take out other peoples’ trashcans.
Another man, Scott Goodfriend, makes over $140,000 a year from selling his food tours under his company Ultimate Food Tours.
The tours take foodies on a journey through different neighbourhoods, which he advertises on Airbnb.
His company currently offers six food tours throughout the week at $90 per person, including food.
Side hustles and tax implications
Extra income you make from side hustles may need to be reported to the IRS.
If you receive more than $600 in gross payouts from a selling platform like eBay, the site will issue you a Form 1099-K to use in your tax return.
Individuals should calculate their adjusted gross income, taxable earnings, and deductions for the year.
Once they have that, they can use the 1040-ES form to calculate estimated taxes.
