2018 Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame Inductees

One of the many programs of the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, based in Hayward, Wisconsin, consists of recognizing individuals, organizations and institutions who have made significant and lasting contributions to the sport and heritage of freshwater fishing. The Hall of Fame Awards Committee meets annually in August to make their selections for the following year and after much deliberation there were 12 individuals and one organization inducted into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame’s 2018 year class. 

Dr. George Becker was a life-long resident of Wisconsin and is best known for his publication, The Fishes of Wisconsin, undoubtedly the most thoroughly researched account of the life history and ecological status of Wisconsin’s fish species. This monumental book was first published in 1983 by the University of Wisconsin Press. The 1,052-page volume covered 152 species and was the first of its kind for the state and one the first such comprehensive works in the nation. As a teacher for decades, Becker influenced hundreds of students, many who became professionally engaged in state and national careers, which promoted enhanced water quality throughout the United States, thereby leading to improved fish communities and fishing opportunities. 

Tony Burmek was a well-known guide in the Hayward, Wisconsin area as well as the maker of the popular “Tony Burmek Secret Bait” fishing lure. Born in 1912 Burmek began manufacturing lures in 1952 with his first creation called the Burmek Bucktail. It was in 1953 when he introduced his signature “Secret Bait” one of the first plastic muskie lures to hit the market. In 1955 Tony, with his brother Fred made national news for catching 42 muskies in 12 days. The total weight of their catch was just over 553 pounds. Burmek spent many hours at sport shows and in sporting goods stores promoting his guide business, his lures and the phenomenal musky fishing opportunities in the Hayward area. His classic lures are still occasionally used by anglers today, but many are now in the hands of collectors around the world.

Bill Cooper was born in 1949 along the banks of the Black Bayou in the Mississippi River Delta of southeast Missouri. Cooper has experienced fishing at its finest across much of the globe. In the process he has educated and entertained countless thousands of anglers and helped them dream of those far away fishing destinations. Above all, he taught them the personal values of fishing and how to preserve the resources. As an outdoor communicator Cooper has published over 1,500 fishing articles. He has hosted television programs and been a radio show host. In 2016 Cooper was recognized on the floor of the Missouri House of Representatives for a long and productive career of promoting hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation through his outdoor communication efforts.Gord Ellis is one of Canada’s top outdoor journalists. For over 30 years Ellis has developed a multi-faceted communication approach to introduce fishing to new, as well as veteran anglers, providing awareness for conservation. Ellis is the senior editor of Ontario Out-Of-Doors and has been with that magazine since 1993. He has a regular outdoor column in Thunder Bay, Ontario’s daily newspaper, the Chronicle Journal and is a regular contributor to Outdoor News. In addition to writing, Ellis is a reporter with CBC Radio in Thunder Bay and hosts segments on Midwest Outdoors Television. Ellis has won over 24 national writing and photography awards and has been recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for his work educating children and families about Canada’s outdoor pursuits.

Jim Grandt has served as president of Grandt Industries, an Illinois-based outdoors equipment manufacturing, engineering and marketing firm, for 34 years.  The company is best known for its American-made custom fishing rods and golf clubs.  Grandt is also a supporter of countless conservation causes, including Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Trout Unlimited, Salmon Unlimited, the Illinois Conservation Foundation, and Safari Club International, with an emphasis on programs for promoting youth involvement in conservation and the outdoors. Grandt was honored with admission to the Illinois Conservation Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Illinois Conservation Foundation presented Grandt with their Youth Conservation Award in 2015 as recognition for his leadership in youth activities. 

Arne Juul was a founding member of the Hayward, Wisconsin Area’s, Guide Service, Inc., who worked primarily at Ross’ Teal Lake Lodge and Scheer's Ghost Lake Lodge. He was one of the old-time guides who were experts at preparing shore lunches.  While Juul fished many of the areas lakes, he spent most of his time on Teal, Lost Land, Ghost and the West Fork of the Chippewa River. Juul was one of the few Hayward guides who occasionally fished Lake Superior and its Chequamegon Bay, if his guests wanted to venture further away.  Juul had guests who fished with him for many years. Loyal repeat clients are one of the hallmarks of a quality professional guide.  He was a fascinating story teller, who also had a reputation for being among the first to try new technologies and new fishing techniques.  

Pat Neu, of Wisconsin, is not only a championship tournament winner, he is a linchpin in the sport fishing world. Neu not only runs the National Professional Anglers Association, he is the originator of the Future Angler Foundation, a non-profit corporation formed to support other non-profit organization’s efforts to grow the sport of fishing through education and outreach. Neu has been a strategic part of the success of Anglers Insight Marketing, an angler owned tournament organization that introduced Catch-Record-Release scoring to the tournament world by leveraging technology to help protect the resource and create a level playing field for tournament anglers. From media and marketing, seminars to in-store promotions, as well as speaking to fishing clubs and competing on a professional level, Neu has remained faithful to his goals of promoting fishing to all levels of anglers and educating anglers to respect the resources.Annie Orth, based in Minnesota, joined the Gapen Tackle Company 30 years ago as a sales assistant at sport shows to promote the company’s European-style floats and earned the trademark name, Bobber Anne. Today she can still be found at major sport shows pitching not only the floats, but all of the products Gapen’s manufactures. She also knows how to use this equipment having achieved a world record for Cubera Snapper, having landed a 243-pound tarpon as well as several 50-pound plus lake trout. There isn’t a North American freshwater species she hasn’t caught, from the alligator gar to the mighty chinook salmon. In all she has taken in excess of 50 species of North American fish. Over the years Bobber Anne has given countless seminars, has appeared on numerous television segments, has been featured in DVD’s, books and articles and has published her own books and written for many publications across the United States. 

Dave Precht, of Florida, began his career as an outdoor journalist in high school when he won the Quill & Scroll national journalism award for writing a newspaper article on fishing. Shortly thereafter he began writing an outdoor column for the Houston Post and freelancing for Bassmaster and other magazines. After serving as editor for Southern Outdoors Magazine, Precht replaced Bob Cobb as editor of Bassmaster Magazine in 1984. During his 19 years as the Bassmaster editor Precht used the magazine to promote boating safety, youth fishing, conservation, sportfishing ethics and bass fishing as a family activity. Currently Precht serves as Editor-in Chief of Bassmaster as well as Senior Director of Bass Publications. He is on the Communications Committee of the American Sportfishing Association and is on the Board of Directors for the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. During his career Precht has covered every Bassmaster Classic since 1978.

Jerry Ross has been a Hayward, Wisconsin area fishing guide for more than 50 years without missing a single season. While he takes clients primarily on the Chippewa Flowage, he routinely fishes other area lakes as well. Ross began guiding in 1963 while still in high school in the era when resorts in the region were extremely busy and frequented by business executives who would entertain their major clients with several days of fishing. One of the best indicators of a guide’s quality and skills are in their repeat clientele. This is one area where Ross’s record is unsurpassed. He now guides second and third generation anglers, descendants of his original clients who come to the Hayward area just to fish with Ross. There are but a few who have attained the level of Ross as a guide, and while he could seek notoriety, he remains humble and continues to provide an outstanding experience for his clients.

Mike Schoonveld was more than just a little bit interested when salmon were first stocked in Lake Michigan (near his home state of Indiana) in the late 1960’s, so he learned everything he could about salmon fishing and bought a Great Lakes boat. In 1986 he started his freelance outdoor writing career and wrote for Great Lakes Fisherman, Midwest Outdoors, Great Lakes Angler, Outdoor Notebook and many more. Over the years Schoonveld has had credits in over 40 publications and has written thousands of articles that have helped millions of readers discover their own love of fishing. In 1998 Schoonveld became a licensed charter boat captain and started Brother Nature Fishing Adventures, guiding hundreds of anglers on Lake Michigan to some of the finest fishing they have ever experienced. Schoonveld has been active as a board member of the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers and has been President and Chairman of the Board of that organization.

Jim Thomas had one of the most popular outdoor television shows in the 1960’s called, Jim Thomas Outdoors. Thomas’s show was broadcast on WCPO in Cincinnati, Ohio and later on WGN in Chicago, Illinois. His programs, which covered both fishing and hunting, were filmed as feature-length productions and then later edited for television. These productions were unlike the educational style format of today’s television programs. Thomas created shows that were full of thrill-seeking excitement.  Jim Thomas Outdoors was the gold standard of outdoor television broadcasting throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s in the upper Midwest. 

National Fishing Lure Collector’s Club (NFLCC) is a non-profit, educational, international organization founded in 1976. The primary mission of the NFLCC is to promote the awareness of tackle collecting as a hobby; the preservation of vintage and collectible tackle information, history, and artifacts; to provide appropriate services, support information, and related activities to the NFLCC membership in pursuit of tackle collecting. The NFLCC encompasses every aspect of collecting fishing-related tackle and ephemera (i.e. Reels, rods, catalogs, advertising, minnow traps and buckets, creels, photos, etc.), not just fishing lures. Today’s NFLCC is committed to excellence in providing the tools and resources to enhance the overall quality of the collecting experience for their members. The NFLCC has established itself as the premier organization for the vintage fishing tackle collector.

Tech Ban

When we realized technology was a detraction from our relationship we decided to do something about it. Read on to find out more.

Rae’s Take:

In our next chapter, lets be vagabonds!

It’s soul satisfying to form new professional collaborations and in the process develop treasured friendships.

What about God? Is a church about deepening a relationship with God or is it more about community?

Listen to the killer lyrics that came to me last night - Throw caution to the wind you say, go ahead and take a chance…..

These snippets are reflective of early morning conversations between Tim and I since we decided to ban all things technology from our bedroom. 

Now instead of lying side by side, each with our iPads in hand, checking the daily news, Facebook posts from friends, and playing Words with Friends, we enjoy the quiet cadence of good conversation. The quiet cadence that only comes from knowing we are not just waiting for the person to finish their sentence before getting back to the allure of the latest CNN or Drudge report.  Before we fall asleep at night or awake to a new day, we talk and listen to one another in a relaxed way, enjoying the natural flow of a mutual exchange where we are both fully present. 

So rather than jumping out of bed after a technology fix to walk, I am seduced by the simple pleasure of connection and conversation with my mate.

Though our leisurely morning chats have had a negative impact on my physical fitness, my and our emotional fitness is shaping up quite nicely!

Tim’s Take:

Every morning I would caress her like she was a Greek goddess. I would slide my fingers along her creases and press her buttons to make her do the things I wanted. Even though she was just a hard piece of plastic, some steel and glass I couldn't resist her gravity-like pull on me. My iPad gave me my morning news and informed me of the paths my "friends" were taking and allowed me to see what was going on in the world.

Was I a tech junkie? Needing the fix every day? The signs were there when halfway through the morning I would open my web browser and surf the sites I bookmarked looking for some new tidbit to wrap my mind around. At lunch I buried my nose into the screen and I would swear at supper time it was my last foray into techno-land. But, I could never keep my promise. I would go to bed an hour earlier than I normally would just to dig back into the netherworld of news sites to sink into a world of mundane information.

My love affair with the info-world ended when Rae and I decided to take a break. Leave the iPads and iPhones on the chargers and just talk in the mornings. Look each other in the eyes and communicate. I still pop a photo onto Instagram each day and check my Facebook to see what "friends" are up to. The rules are no technology in bed, at meals or when someone has something to say to the other. Undivided attention. 

The result. A much more stimulated life. Mentally and physically. So, my advice to all of you tech addicts out there is to remedy the situation. The end result will bring you much satisfaction. 

A Tale of Two Tactics

The Twin Cities metro area is surrounded by phenomenal kayak fishing lakes. Bodies of water that are not over a few hundred acres in size and loaded with pike, bass and panfish. Most have well-maintained boat landings, great water quality and get marginal fishing pressure due to their size. Most big-boat anglers like big water. Kayak anglers appreciate the benefits of a small lake.

When the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers organization was in town recently they established base camp at the Double Tree Hilton hotel in Brooklyn Center. There were a lot of nearby lake options to take a half dozen Hobie kayak anglers to, but the local anglers I checked with prior to the conference said Weaver Lake was productive and showing no signs of slowing down. 

We hit the water early on a Thursday morning and had the lake all to ourselves. My local contacts told me the bass and pike were hugging the weedline and to use a jig tipped with a plastic scented trailer. Since I am a contrarian I chose a topwater lure to cast into the lily pads that rimmed the shoreline near the boat landing.

Fortunately for me one of the anglers, Barb Carey, chose to stick with what was supposed to be working and proved that listening to the local anglers is a formula for success. After watching her land two largemouth bass I slid up close to where she was fishing, worked her for information and quickly tied on what she was using from my supply. I hadn’t had a single attempt on the topwater lure I was casting so it was time to change my luck.

Two casts later I was reeling in a bass. I was just about to brag to Carey about my fishing prowess when she set the hook on a small northern pike. On light tackle even a hammer-handle, as small pike are commonly referred, can put up a good fight.

It wasn’t long before the entire Hobie crew of kayak anglers was changing to the trusty jig tipped with a plastic scented trailer. All except for “Griff.”  Steve Griffin is a prolific writer from Saginaw, Michigan that was bound and determined to catch a fish on one of the crankbaits he received from one of the conference attendees. He casted that lure, he trolled that lure and just when we were all convinced he would give up and join the rest of us catching fish, he hooked a nice bass.

Griff had discovered the secret to unlocking the crankbait code. He would troll the lure in deep water. While the rest of us were working the edge of the vegetation he was trolling his minnow imitator out in open water in search of suspended fish. And he found and caught them.

Which just proves that on any given day there may be multiple tactics and techniques that work. Never get stuck on one presentation. There may be others that are just as good or better.

On the way back to the boat landing both Carey and I realized we were dead even on the number of fish we landed. I immediately claimed the win, adding to my total a bass I lost as one-half, but she quickly countered with the only pike caught counting as two instead of one which beat me handily. All the others quickly jumped on her bandwagon and I conceded the bragging rights to her. It’s tough to be disappointed when you have had that much fun.

Calling all Coyotes

I used to be a predator call snob. I bad-mouthed all the electronic callers and took to the fields with only a few of my favorite manual calls attached to a lanyard around my neck. I could get the attention of coyotes and fox by blowing through the reeds of a quality call then bring them in close with the sound I made by squeaking through my lips. I whacked a lot of varmints doing this.

It took some time but I fell under the spell of the electronic callers of today just because they are so efficient and sound so good. You can mix different calls and I love that. Add a decoy to the program and you can now kill a lot of animals compared to those good-old-days.

I recently acquired a FoxPro Shockwave and the ability to put the dog into the perfect shooting situation is what I find so advantageous. Here’s how.

When I was manually calling I was bringing the varmints to me. There were many times I had animals sneak up on me from behind and did not know they were there until I heard something and twisted around to check out the sound. 

Now I bring the animal to the call and the decoy. This will be positioned in a spot where I have the best chance at a perfect shot. With remote control allowing modification of the sounds, as well as the volume, call options seem endless.

If there is one negative aspect to an electronic call setup it might have you making fewer sets. You’ll feel compelled to vary calls and volume and use up time where there may not be any hungry or curious animals nearby. The electronic calls are efficient and will bring in nearby coyote and fox quickly, so decide how long you are going to make a set and stick to that.

May through June are great months to be predator hunting in the north where I live. The landscape is changing and the animals are on the move. The young males will be curious when they hear the sound of an intruder in their zone and all of the coyotes and fox will be feeding after the long winter and cold-wet spring.

Even with all the call options at your disposal the game plan should be minimal. The calling should be limited to high percentage sounds. Limit your howling to nighttime hunts. Use your squeak only when you have spotted a predator coming to the call. If you get a howl back put some time between the calls to pressure the animal into a closer inspection.

I still use manual calls. With them I can add to the electronic call by barking back at it or adding another crazy squeal or two. It all adds to the fascination factor and gets coyotes and fox to commit to the spot where you have made a set. 

I’ll be honest; I’ve gotten to the point where I might believe those electronic predator calls actually sound better than I do. Well, almost.

Does Anyone Go Outdoors Anymore?

In 1988 I had a red-shouldered hawk make a nest in a tree on my property. I watched this bird for many hours through binoculars as I sat in the woods barely concealed by the trunk of an oak tree. I monitored the majestic bird as it reared it’s young, hunted and kept a constant lookout over it’s territory.

That same year in the fall I spent a dozen days scouting in the woods where I was going to hunt deer. I set up mock scrapes, searched for rubs and well-worn trails and used binoculars to focus tightly on the whitetails that were potential targets.

Since the advent of trail cams, nest cams, den cams and other portable cameras their use has grown exponentially to the point where we don’t really have to go into the wild to see animals and birds anymore. We can quickly snatch a data card from a camera we hung on a tree or load a live feed from a web site on our computer, iPad or even a cell phone.

I use trail cameras, a lot, today. I do a tremendous amount of “scouting” now without even leaving my office. But lately I’m beginning to think that trail cameras and all these web sites that promote eagle, hawk and falcon nesting video or bear den video streams are ruining my outdoor experience. Really; why would I want to watch hours of a bear sleeping? But truly; watching mama feed her chicks a perch she just caught is, well, engrossing and it can keep me glued to the computer screen for many minutes.

Not too long ago I had to set some guidelines on how much I use my electronic equipment. I am a news hound so I would wake up in the morning, slide my iPad onto my lap and spend a couple hours reading the latest headlines from all the news sources. Then I would eat breakfast in front of the computer while checking out BLOGS and opinion sites. It got to the point where I felt something was lacking in the day if I didn’t get my screen time. I was becoming a personal-computer junkie. 

As I began to regulate my time each day on news and social media sites I realized I had the same disease when it came to outdoor cameras. These tools are handy but they did put me in a position where I spent less time actually outside. So now I must vow to turn that program around. I won’t kill the urge altogether because I like seeing eagle chicks fighting over a rodent carcass, but I do plan on actively scouting more this fall for deer and I’ll need to clean the lenses on the binoculars to get out and physically find some birds on my own. We should be looking for more excuses to get outside rather than finding ways to be surrounded by walls.

How Will This Heavy Hitting Winter Affect the Fishing When the Ice Goes Away?

Do extreme winters affect the fishing once the warm winds return, the snow dissipates and the ice melts? I put this question to Freshwater Fishing Hall of Famer Mr. Walleye, Gary Roach. He compared this winter to the winter of 1956 and stated that there must have been some global warming back then as well because one is a carbon copy of the other.

Roach spoke of never-ending cold temperatures mixed with heavy snows and high winds. He said there was no escaping the raw extremes. There was no global warming to blame the weather on back then so the bitter feelings were directed at Mother Nature. 

Roach was putting a few bucks in his pocket by working for a logging operation making fifty dollars a week. Unless the temperature dropped to 20 below zero you were cutting trees. The snow was so deep in some places it was hard to find the tree after it hit the ground. Clothing wasn’t as developed as today’s options so staying warm meant starting a fire every couple of hours to warm the spots where the frostbite was taking hold.

Roach credits this extreme winter of 1956 as the catalyst that pushed him into the Navy. Trying to get some feeling back into his extremities he headed for California where he joined the armed forces on his arrival. 

According to Mr. Walleye the extreme winter the upper Midwest has experienced this year could create some difficult fishing conditions for anglers if temperatures rise too quickly. Roach is worried the winter will hold on like last year and then temperatures will rise quickly causing rapid snow melt and loads of runoff.

Rivers will rise rapidly and run fast which always makes boat control on moving water difficult. The spawning migration is also disrupted which can mean a weak year class and affect fishing for years down the road.

In lakes, water levels are also apt to rise and this will spread the fish out instead of concentrating them in tighter groups on the limited structure shallower water affords.

Roach says river anglers need to get out before the snow melts to take advantage of the upstream migration before water levels and current pushes anglers into backwater areas. 

On lakes where water levels have risen use techniques that allow more areas to be searched, The objective is to cover ground looking for smaller schools of fish that are spread out on deeper weedlines and larger flats. 

Roach is expecting a later than usual ice out this year because there is a lot of snow to melt off of most lakes before the ice begins to disappear. Late ice outs means later spawn and later post-spawn transitions. This means peak fishing periods, if they occur will be two to three weeks later than normal. Last year was a late peak period so the timing should be about the same.

One good thing to come from this winter is that anglers were limited in their spots during the ice fishing season so harvest levels are likely down on most lakes. That means more fish when the ice is gone.

Call It What It Is -- Pollution

The country has had a tough winter. Bitter cold in places that never get cold. Heavy snow in spots that seldom see the white stuff. It has been a tough winter all over. But, that hasn’t stopped those that are pushing the global warming agenda from digging out all their ammunition to get every shot they can through every media outlet they can find to let people know that the reason for this horrendous weather is due to, well, global warming.

Maybe it is, and maybe it’s not, but over six in 10 people in a March Gallup poll said they don't think global warming will seriously threaten them during their lifetimes and when weather like we’ve had happens that number might just rise. 

The problem is when it’s freezing cold outside and someone is telling you the planet is warming it’s kind of like someone telling you pheasant numbers are down but you just happen to be hunting some of the best cover in the state. It’s tough to fathom at the time.

So, if I were the scientists, politicians and global warming ambassadors trying to spread the climate change message, I would keep my mouth tightly shut during times like these. Here’s why.

I believe certain people are swarming onto the global warming bandwagon because they see this issue as one that will scare people into realizing how much pollution we’re pumping into our atmosphere each year. If we believe we’re destroying the planet and will damage “the children” then we’ll get to alternative energy sources faster.

The problem with this bandwagon is when it gets stuck in a ten foot snow drift in sub-zero weather no one wants to be on it.

We need to call global warming what it is. Air pollution. Few would argue we pump too much pollution into the air through the things we need to power. But this problem cannot be solved by trying to make everyone feel guilty about making the planet’s temperature rise a few degrees over the next millennium. When the argument is positioned for an end result that is generations away, most people won’t care. That’s not a good solution to the problem.

And I’m sorry to all you alternative energy promoters out there. If we cover the entire planet in solar and wind generators it’s not enough to power even a small amount of what we need as a planet. Some day we’ll be crying the blues when our water is polluted with mercury from those light bulbs we were forced to use.

What’s the solution? Good question. Nuclear would work but too many in political power bow to the lobbies that would never want nuclear being used. Less energy consumption? There are a bunch of other countries ramping up their usage so conserving might make us feel good but have little impact as a whole.

I guess we just keep demonizing oil and gas and coal and someday when we can’t produce enough because old power plants will become obsolete with no replacements then we will be forced to shut down our energy using appliances.

I just hope that doesn’t happen during another winter like this one.