So I guess let's start back
that you have a long history of
being in this area, right?
Yeah, yeah.
So, well, like I said,
my great grandpa and grandpa started
coming to visit here shortly after
the Great Depression.
That's what grandpa would tell you
when we were driving around the
lake, and that's when they came up.
And this was, if you look back at
the history, there is dozens
of different resorts on Big Cedar
Lake, and they would come up, and
this was the up north for Milwaukee,
you know, back then.
And then in the early 50s, they
purchased the family cottage,
and then eventually my family moved
into that when I was younger.
Um, and then after college was
able to move on the,
would it be the south end of the
lake on the other side of the Lake?
We didn't have Lake frontage at the
time.
And then about 12 years ago, we were
fortunate enough to purchase this
place and be on the water full
time. So, you know, we can go
fishing whenever we want.
So I mean, your girls have grown up
on the watch.
Yes.
That's got to be an experience
that you had that you want to pass
on.
Absolutely.
I mean, I don't know, it's very,
very fortunate, very fortunate, and
they love it. And just being able to
get up, you know, you look at the
water, it is very soothing, you come
out, you go swimming.
In the winter, you can go for hikes
and walks.
And yeah, there's just, I know you
can't beat it. Some people want a
bunch of land, which I get that
too. I don't t need a lot of land.
I just want to have the water.
That's kind of our backyard then is
the water
So how would you describe this,
like, because most people, if
they've heard of it, would say, oh,
that's, you know, over by West Bend
and it's a little skinny.
It is a little skinny lake.
People ask me to describe it very
clear.
I would almost call it two lakes.
If we're talking about fishing, the
way it works is two lakes, right?
We're on the peninsula, and the
north side of the peninsula deepest
part's only about 30 feet.
It warms up really quick and gets
cold really fast.
And then the south end, you know, is
100 feet deep in the deepest spot.
So it takes a lot longer to warm
up and cool down.
So there'll be fish on the north end
of the lake who are done spawning.
And on the south into the lake, they
haven't even started.
Spawn yet so if you're looking to
fish it you have to treat it almost
as two different lakes
and especially in those beginning
and end of the season times a year
because it'll change quickly.
So the other thing I would say
which is a good part of it is
it's so deep fish can hide
in it and there's always that chance
for those trophy fish because
they're hiding in that deep just
locating them in that deep waters is
really tough because I mean it's big
wide and just as big
huge expanse of water that they can
hide in and not necessarily relate
to the structure that you're used to
fishing.
When your grandparents or
even beyond that were coming up, was
this fishing part of the resort
experience or was it kind of a
recreational resort?
Um, so my grandparents,
my grandpa Welch fished.
He was a big fisherman, but then
my grandpa Haldeman, so some
of the fish we have on the wall, he
was even bigger fisherman.
So I kind of got it on both ends.
Grandpa Haldemen was a really big
fisherman.
Grandpa Welch, who he fished quite a
bit and would tell me stories of
fishing too.
I think grandpa Welts just showed me
to like the whole part of whether
it's just driving around and hanging
out on the boat and talking, whether
it is fishing or swimming.
He really showed me that.
Part of how great it is to be on the
water, not just fishing, but the
whole experience of it.
So, was this a walleye lake
at that time, or was walleye,
how does that species history kind
of go?
So there's always been walleye
in this lake.
However, the DNR would say it's not
a naturally sustaining population of
walleye because of the pressure it
gets.
There's gonna be more taken out than
they can naturally sustain.
So that's why the Thursday Night
Fishing Club has been helping to
stock walleye. We do it in the fall
where we put extended length
fingerlings in and then where
we met at the
walleye wagon where we've been
putting the wall eye fry in to
try to help with that just so
there's more more walleye.
Um, currently we are
looking, currently there are no
Cisco in their lake.
There was Cisco in this lake,
if you go back.
And then I think it was the early
2000s.
There was a, one of those really hot
drought years, there was a Cisco
die-off.
Since then we have not netted any
Cisco and no one's been able to find
any.
Um, I'm currently working
to try and
work with the sewer pack and
the DNR.
And we're doing studies right now to
see if we could restock Cisco, if
they'd be able to.
Maintain and live again or if this
lake has changed to the point where
they can no longer survive.
So we'll see, fingers crossed that
we could restock. If that's the case
then we'd work to maybe see
about stocking a Cisco too to really
help those fish you know become
bigger and better fishery, more fun
to fish.
Now, when you were a kid learning to
fish, what were you going for?
Boy,
anything that would bite.
I think mainly though, a lot
of bass. Me and my buddies would
always come out, we'd go bass
fishing, we'd fish the shoreline,
we'd fishing inner tubes, you know,
and then we got a boat and we'd be
out bass fishing.
Probably just because, and I still
like bass fishing because you know
you're gonna catch them and
you know that, you go
out and you're going to be able to
catch a handful of bass generally
and have some fun.
And then you know as you get older
you start fishing more for the
northern pike and then you start
fishing for the walleye and you see
the challenge of fishing the wall
eye just like there's challenge you
know fear it's musky there's no
musky in this lake but you go to
other that's the challenge and
that's why it's really fun to catch
those also.
But yeah started out bass fishing I
would say.
Is that kind of a regular evolution,
like pan fish to bass, and then, you
know, some people work their way up,
or do some people get caught in
that, either the muskie or the
walleye thing early?
That's a great question.
I think that is a bit of a natural
progression, right? You set it on
the pier, you start on the shore
just catching little panfish and
then you catch a big bass, you're a
lot of fun.
Some people stay there and then
people really like to, you know,
what's that next challenge and
that's the walleye and then some
people stay their, next challenge
musky and it seems
like really most people I talk
to, right, you are targeting bass,
walleye or musky depending on who
you are, but.
I guess really all the fishermen,
it's like, what are you targeting
now? And you go by season.
I mean, later in the fall, I'll head
up north and try to catch some
musky.
I do that once or twice a year, but
usually I'm gonna be staying here,
looking for bass, walleye, and then,
well, big northern, and there are
big northern around too.
And those can be a lot of fun to
catch when you find those also.
So how much has the lake changed
just in terms of the
shoreline and the housing and all
the things from when you were a kid
to what it looks like today?
I would say from when
I was a kid, there'd be a lot
of small cottages and it's
definitely becoming more of an urban
lake, a lot more, you know, big
houses, two or three cottages get
tore down, one big house gets put
up.
I mean, that's a southeast Wisconsin
thing, I think they're becoming more
and more urban.
As we work through sewer pack, you
see more and less structure
for the fish along the shorelines,
more of them are getting called
what's armored, which would be all
or riprap going around or
seawalls.
Which can be tough on the
fish population.
I think there's a lot more fishing
in general too, and as electronics
get better, there's lot more fish in
too. So right, there's always that
influx of more people fishing,
people becoming better at fishing.
Heck, when I was a kid, if you saw
someone with a fish locator and a
trolley motor, you're like, whoa,
this guy must be a professional.
Now it's, you know, all of us have
that, everyone does, who
goes out fishing regularly.
So I think, you get a lot pressure
on the fishing.
As long as we're doing a good job,
you know, the way we harvest them
with the rules of DNR put in
place, and then like the fishing
club, like I'm a part of and
restocking them, it's not a problem.
I mean, just everyone's responsible.
Has the lake use changed
in terms of the number of skiers,
or tubers, or jet skis,
or the enjoyment, the recreational
aspect?
Um, I don't know.
You know, I, when I was a kid,
right. And I'm, I'm 47 now single
back, you know, 20, 25 years ago.
I can remember people complaining
about the jet skis on the lake.
Now that's a normal thing.
Um, you.
The big question now would
be, you, know, talking about wake
surfing.
Um, and that's, that's big
question that we could talk forever
about that I'm not sure I really
want to dig into right now.
Because that probably is a
legitimate problem, at least with
the bottom of the lake, if you're
following some of the studies that
just came through.
Lakes like Big Cedar though, they do
have areas that can handle
that. Some lakes cannot, depending
upon the size of them, or really the
depth of them and the size.
But when it comes to actual, just
regular boating, sailing,
skiing, I
personally don't see that big of a
change. Fourth of July weekend, it's
really busy. It's always been
really busy, You come out on a day
like today, on a Monday?
It's not gonna be bad and you know
those certain days that are gonna be
really, really busy and
you plan accordingly.
So for you, getting back to the
water, there's a lot of reasons why
the water is a part of your life
and why you wanted to be here.
Yeah, yeah. And you obviously tried
to pass a lot on to your girls.
When did you first start introducing
fishing into that little
aspect with them?
Day one I think you know I mean I
got pictures or videos
of the of the oldest one who
is you know about to turn 15
when she was I don't know two
you know playing in the middle
bucket when I was about to go ice
fishing and talking about it I got
picture of the other one Reyna when
she probably was four or five out
ice fishing with me so that's been
something since day one that you
know it's a big part of my life and
it's something and you want to share
and.
So you share it with them and they
just learn to grow up with it and
enjoy it.
And there's different aspects of
enjoying it, which we
talk about all the time.
You know, it's not always about
catching fish. It's being on the
water.
And what I say is catching
the fish is the icing on the cake
when you're out fishing. Just being
out there, being with your friends,
being with your family, enjoying the
outdoors.
That's what it's about.
And then if you catch fish, all the
better.
I mean, just hearing them talk, it
seems like they've taken a lot of
that message to heart.
It's not just how I'm bored,
put my pole down, nothing's biting
kind of thing.
Yeah, I think so, I mean, you
know, they'll come, they bring a
book out and just sit out there or
you know that's your time to really
talk too. Sometimes I've had some
really good conversations and not
just them, my friends, my family.
When you're out in that boat and
you're hanging out, you
now a lot of times that's where you
have some fantastic conversations.
There's no getting away.
You're right there, you're together.
So you're either, you gonna talk
things out or you're not or you
gonna have a good conversation and
you know if I want to be quiet I go
fishing by myself quite a bit too.
I don't mind fishing by my self and
that can be my quiet time also.
When did you notice that they
were actively engaged
in fishing?
Like this was more than just, oh
it's fun to be out or I get some
time with dad.
They're like, I'm doing this to be
with Mexta, my dad because he likes
it, but it's like they like it.
Um probably when they start picking
up the pole and fishing by
themselves or asking to go and
setting up their own things
um I remember the younger one
You know We were just hanging out
and she was just sitting there
fishing by herself and one of those
bluegills that are on the wall Was
from her and she's catching them and
you know She's probably four years
old baiting her own hook I was still
taking the fish off but she'd bait
the hook put it down catch a fish
bring it to me And I was just in
there talking with the rest of the
family and that's when she caught
like and she brought in like an
eight inch bluegill.
I'm like, well, you catch a 10
incher, we'll put it on the wall.
And then she caught a nine and a
half incher. I'm, like, all right,
that's close. You're doing this all
on your own, you're four, we'll it
on a wall, good enough.
So, I mean, I think that's when you
see them starting to do it on their
own or asking to go.
Or like, you know, we do the, we go
with our friends and they'll ask to
come with, you know.
Hey, can I go out fishing?
I'm, like, okay, yep.
And I get part of it's, you, know,
cause they just want to be part of
hanging out, but then they're out
there fishing too and having a good
time pulling them in, so.
And they're aware of what they're
doing. It's not just, oh, dad told
me to do this.
Like, you can see that they have a
perception of how to feel.
When I go fishing with them, I want
to go fishing also.
And if you want to teach them how to
go fishing, then all I'm doing
is taking them fishing.
And I don't, I don't get to go
fishing. So yes, I've been training
them for a long time so they know
how.
Um, but that's really changed too,
though, in the last probably two,
three years, cause it was still for
a long time, like they knew what
to do, but I was still helping a
ton.
Lately the last couple years it's
been great because I'm like, all
right, you know, they get a tough
one hooked deep Yep, I'll take it
out for you or something like that.
But for the most part right there,
I'm, like, cast over there They're
casting over there put it on you
know They can take most of the fish
off on their own the northern I'm
still gonna help with but they're
getting there
they do have some mounted here like
what is the the element of mounting
what does that do
All right. So I think, you
know, a lot of people don't, you
know, you don't always want to kill
fish, right?
I think it's okay to have one of
your biggest real fish on the wall,
because it's a story.
Every time you look at that fish on
the wall. It's a storey.
And I have bigger fish on the wall
now and I'll get a replica made of
them that I've caught. I've caught
bigger fish than the ones that are
up there. But from now on, they're
replicas.
But that's a story and you can tell
it when you look at it.
Some of the ones that are my
grandpas that are on the walls, my
uncles. Or my grandpa told me
the one, and the other one, the
musky, but the walleye and the
largemouth, those are my uncles
telling me when they caught that
with their dad, and they could
tell the story up and down.
We were on what lake they were on,
how it was caught, what they were
doing, and that's really what those
fish on the wall become, it's just a
story, and a way to pinpoint that
story in time, remember that
story, and go back through it.
And we start looking at them that
way, it's a lot of fun.
One of the fish on my wall was the
first fish I've caught here.
My buddy said, hey, just give me
that fish.
I didn't know why at the time.
And he took it and he mounted it.
He's like, dude, this is the first
fish you ever caught when you moved
into your house. I'm like, that's
a great story. And every time I look
at it now, I remember that.
I'd probably have forgotten about
that fish in that moment in
time, if he hadn't done that for
me. That bluegill I just told you
about, that rain I caught, that
moment and time will be captured
forever because of that fish,
one of the Northern over there was
the first Northern I ever
caught.
It was the first time I ever caught
ice fishing all by myself.
Drilled my own hole, put my own tip
up out, and I caught it.
And then my parents are like, it was
a nice northern. It's not a
classic mount there, but my parents
mounted it because they thought it'd
be nice. And now I remember that
forever.
So it's a way to remember time.
It's a to capture those moments.
It looks like Sage has the
northern right there.
That was the first time she
set everything herself up and she
won a fishery.
It's not the biggest northern ever
that you normally mount, but she won
the fishery on this lake,
against all the other adults.
She drilled a hole, she picked a
hole. She put the tip up down, did
everything herself, pulled it out,
and then she was able to win.
I'm like, and she asked, hey, can I
put that on the wall?
Because they understand now when you
tell those stories of those fish,
she's like, I want my story up on
that wall, too. And that's what
that's become for her.
Do you think people who don't
fish understand the emotional
connections and the bonds that are
created in a boat or in
that activity?
Probably not because just I have
this I have this conversation with
other people and they'll ask me
about that. You know, what do you
think? And when I explain it to
them, they get it.
But they don't, you know, they're
just imagining you're just out there
just fishing to catch the fish.
But for me personally, it's a way
more than catching the fish is just
being out in nature like like we
just said about just being with
people or being with your friends or
being with family and
remembering those things.
And like even as I talk about that
fish and that just, you know, brings
a smile to your face because you
remember in those those points and
times and then you're.
And there's times like, I wish I
would have kept that fish.
But like I said, now we can get
replicas. I caught a great bass last
year and I
can remember everything about it.
I'm gonna get that replica maids.
So now I have another one on the
wall.
I mean, it's kind of a fascinating
link, too, of your grandpa,
his walleye, and your daughters have
fish on the wall, all in the same
space.
Well, no, right, the hope is they're
gonna keep those fish, you know,
when I pass, they're gonna keep
these fish and then maybe get them
to my grandkids and then they'll
always have those memories.
Because you can't have a ton of
fish, but if you can
have those memories and then you
remember, you, know, like, they know
Grandpa Marvin because of that fish
more than they know him.
He was, you now,
Rayna wasn't even alive before he
passed. So she hears about him and
knows that story from that and
that's just a way.
With fishing and all of this that
people can kind of keep those
memories alive.
So what is it about walleye
that's different from other species?
Walleye I think is the challenge.
They're tough.
I can come out here, you know, and I
can catch bass.
I don't want to say every time it's
fishing, but most of the time I can
catch Northern most of time.
I can, I can catch
bluegill almost
all the time. If not all the time,
but a walleye, you know, it's
different on each lake, but on this
lake to catch a wall eye, you have
to really have it dialed in, really
know where they're at.
June earlier in the season it can be
easier and then they change and you
have to follow their patterns and
it's it can, be really difficult.
And I think another
part of that is we this is
it might be a silly conversation but
we'll talk sometimes like what's the
prettiest fish?
Well I often come up when I'm
talking other fishermen as one of
the prettier fish they're a
beautiful fish if you like fish
they can be a really awesome looking
fish and well they
delicious too, right?
I can, I have to go catch myself,
you know. Ten bluegill to make a
meal for a couple people.
I can catch one walleye and have
that meal also for eating.
Do you keep the walleye to come out
of here at times of year to have a
fish fry?
I generally don't.
I have sometimes, usually I'll go
bluegill fishing if we want to have
a fish fry a couple times a year.
I'll keep one or two or ice fishing.
We'll keep on or two to eat.
Like for the walleye and a lot
of fishing, I'm putting them back.
I'm just looking to, you know, to
have that experience for someone
else to hopefully catch that trophy
fish that they can either put on the
wall for themselves or something
back.
It's really easy to go up to the
local place and get a really good
fish fry too.
Nothing better than a fresh made
fish fry of your own.
But yeah, the walleye.
And maybe partially because I do
such so much work stocking them also
that I'm like, all right, I'm just
going to throw that one back.
It almost feels counterproductive.
A little bit.
I know other people are taking them
and keeping them, but I'm like,
that's alright, that's why we do it,
and so I write so people can take
and keep them. I'm almost like,
yeah, we'll put that one back.
So tell me a little how you got
involved with Walleyes for Tomorrow
and the Fish and Grove.
So.
10, 12 years ago after college when
we moved down on the north end
of the lake, I got my first fishing
boat and I had heard there was
a Thursday night fishing club out
here, so me and my buddy started,
you know, we'd come out on Thursdays
and we'd fish and we do the bass
portion of it.
And then after getting to know the
guys for a while, we started talking
to someone, we're like, okay, well,
what's really going on here?
And they said how they started
donating, how we donate the money to
stock walleye.
And then, you know if you care about
something, right, I care about this
lake, you should give back, right?
I'm part of the PRD because I want
to give back.
No other reason.
I do the walleye stocking because I
want to give back because you care
about something.
And so then, you know, just being,
getting to know all the guys,
they're a great group of guys.
They started hanging out.
So we just started giving, that's
how they started it.
And I've just helped to contribute
since is like, all right, let's
stock walleye in the lake.
So then we've been doing
the fall stocking of the
extended lake fingerlings.
We had the walleye wagon here,
I don't know, maybe 10 years
ago, and then the last two or three
years we brought it back again.
I mean, it's a lot of work, and you
have to have a lot guys willing to
step up and help and pull the nets
and put the fry in and check it,
and now we have a good group of guys
again who really want to kind of put
that time in, so we brought the
wagon back and hopefully we'll have
it here to the foreseeable
future, or until, you know,
clubs kind of grow and,
you know, as people get older and
things change.
But your daughters have gotten
involved as well.
Was that just them following you
along, or what are you gonna do?
Um, yes.
And now they asked to go.
I'm like, you know what, I think you
kids think this is pretty cool and
they love going out and catching the
walleye and looking and then
watching them grow in the jar.
And then, you know, they didn't get
to come with this season to let them
go. But they you know, they'll come
and you have to check the jars and
make sure the levels are right and
everything's moving. They'll come
with me in that and just watching
that whole process.
They really enjoy it more so than I
thought.
They'll even sometimes they'll say,
you know what I like, I like doing
that part more than even catching
them, which surprised me, but they
love just going there.
When you pull the nets, it is a
lot of fun because you never know
what's going to be in there.
You see all these fish, all the fish
that are in there, and it's
like opening a present every time
because you don't know.
You go up to one net and it is
empty, and then you go to the next
one and it is packed full of fish.
You're like, oh my gosh, look at how
big that one is.
Look at that one, it's huge.
You bring them back and then, you
know, you get the eggs and everything
else and go through that process and
it' s pretty cool.
And there's got to be a charge
that comes with it.
It's a bunch of crusty old guys,
but then you bring two young girls
along in there.
I mean that's the difference that
you can see, like the energy pick up
for every book.
Yeah, no, they really enjoy
it when the kids come.
When they come, they're always like,
all right, and they really, what's
fun is they just let them do as much
as they can and everyone steps back.
I know there's a couple other kids
that'll show up too. There's one who
lives right down the road and he'll
show on his bicycle every time, be
like, what time are you guys gonna be
back? What time are guys gonna pull
in those nets? And he just wants to
come hang out and watch it happen.
So it's really neat.
And it's, I mean, it's just, you
know, you got like two weeks where
we do it. So everyone gets together
as much they can.
The girls are always asking to miss
whatever other extracurricular
activity they have going on so they
can come do that instead and
generally we oblige because right
it's just a short window that you
get every what
every spring to do it.
Well, I mean, it really fits in with
the title of the group.
I mean it could not be a more
accurate title than the
idea. It's not just for the old guys
who caught a million walleyes.
It's for everybody else.
Yeah, right.
It's for tomorrow, right?
And it's for all the kids, all
the people who can do it,
and, you know, I don't know, enjoy
fishing in the future and make those
memories and, you know.
Just take their kids out and have
that chance.
If we weren't, I don't, if the club
wasn't doing the things they're
doing, there would not
be very many walleye in here to
catch. And now, I do believe,
now I know for the last few years
you can see the difference being
made and it's great.
Talk to me a little bit about family
dynamics and you talked a lot about
fishing yourself or with the girls.
You are married.
Yep. How do those dynamics
work when it comes to getting time
to fish and then keeping a family or
having a wife or a spouse and what's
the involvement there?
Well, you can think of family.
I mean, my dad was a big part of me
fishing, too. When I think about
that, like we'd go out, we'd always
go out. We'd have one night a week
that he would take me out fishing.
And usually, I mean I was young
enough. I was bobber fishing then
and my dad would be fishing for
walleye. You mean, and that's, you
know, over 20 years ago and now
growing up. I mean the wife will
come out, Jen will come out fishing
with us and she'll just sit and hang
out. She likes to fish, too, but
not as much as us.
But it's just a great time to have
everyone out and be a part of
it together, I guess, you
I'm sure you've heard of guys that
fish so much that their wives don't
go walleye widows.
What is the balance that needs to be
struck for people to
be able to pursue that passion?
Well, it's different for everyone.
I know some people go fishing a lot
more than me and I know
Really, I guess that ebbs
and flows too, right?
As your children get older and
they're in more sports, right And
you have to go to soccer you have,
to go, to swimming or you have To go
to football or whatever their sport
is you might not be able to my one
fishing partner I fish with a lot
there was a you know a part where he
was coaching his son in baseball and
then in Football and he didn't fish
with me watch and then as his kid
now has graduated high school and
he's fishing with Me a lot, more And
I think you just have to find what
fits for your family and what's
going on at that point in time.
When they were really little, like
babies, I fished less because you
had to be home to help more and it
was just more difficult.
And that's what's great now that
they fish is I can go even more and
more because they're with me now or
they can take care of themselves at
home if I'm out fishing.
There's a lot of research being
done across the state by a ton of
different outlets and agencies,
non-profit, for-profit that
are all dedicated to walleye
research, trying to figure out both
for the commercial market or
the tournament market or for the
recreational angler.
Do you think it's worth all of the
money and the effort that's being
put into that one species?
That's an interesting question.
I think,
I would say yes, because I think it,
you know, so many people go places
just to go walleye fishing, right?
So I mean, it can help an economy in
general. I mean you look at, for
instance, Lake Erie, the amount of
people that come out to Lake Ery to
go fishing, which I've done, and my
friends have done, and I was just, I
met a guy yesterday, or Saturday,
who I was talking about, he talks
about going out to lake Erie every
year. So if you have that many
people traveling to go
to fishing. On money they bring into
their economy and choose to spend
their money.
Yeah, it makes sense.
I think it probably bears itself out
that it's sustainable.
If it wasn't, the money wouldn't be
there to do it.
What would be lost if
there wasn't the effort put into
making sure there were walleye to
be caught?
I mean because obviously another
species would take its place in the
lakes as it's done in some lakes all
by itself Sure, but if there just
really weren't walleyes there
anymore
Well, you lose history.
I mean, you think about the history
of how walleye have been important
forever, and all of a sudden that
changes to something else.
You'd lose the history portion of
it. I think,
for whatever reason, different fish
catch other people's imagination,
right? And you're gonna lose a group
of people, probably, who like
doing that.
Or, I understand I'll probably never
catch a bigger fish than my walleye
than my grandpa did, but just having
that aspect of kids talking about
it forever.
And families talking about it and
grandkids talking about, I think
that would be lost if there's no
more walleye to be caught.
Not to mention delicious fish fries
and walleye cheeks and
every other part of it.
So, when we were out on the boat,
you had the northern on.
Yes. There was a moment where you
thought you might have a lie.
What's that feeling like when you
feel a bite and you feel the hit?
It's exciting and it's great.
I thought that was, because it was a
little northern, I'm like this feels
about the right size and it would
have been the right side.
Felt a little too aggressive for a
walleye.
He was pushing a little hard, but I
have had some of them fish.
Usually a wall eye is not
gonna give the big head
throws
and the runs that a northerner bass
are gonna do.
When the girls caught a couple of
their bass, I was like, oh, that's
probably a bass, just the way it was
taken off.
But just even that when you're
excited, especially if that's what
you're targeting, and you're
targetting a
species, and when you can actually
lock in and be like, all right, I'm
gonna throw it this way for this
fish at this time and this depth,
it's a feeling of accomplishment.
That's right, I did figure it out,
at least for that moment.
And then put them back?
Yeah. What's that feeling like?
Because for some people it is the
catch, it's the possession.
But for you it's...
No, we don't even eat,
really, we don't eat a lot of fish.
We'll go for fish fries here and
there.
But I mean, my whole life has just
been about catching and letting them
go. And I don't want that
excitement, like I've said, the
excitement of being out there, of
catching them, accomplishing what
you're looking for.
And, I don't know, I like letting
them going, knowing someone else is
going to catch that fish or maybe
I'm going to catch them again next
year and he's growing even bigger.
And I don't know if this
sounds right, but not wasteful.
You know what I mean?
Because sometimes I just feel like,
you know, it's like, unless you know
you're gonna eat that thing and it's
not gonna sit in your freezer, yeah,
let them go. Let them have another
day, have more fish so we can all
catch it and enjoy it.
For me, it's always been more of the
sport than eating.
I mean, by far.
I just like being out there and
catching the fish.
I don't necessarily like eating.
I enjoy eating them, but that's not
why I'm there.
Anything else that you want to add
along these lines that jump
to your mind?
Not this moment, but I'll think a
little bit maybe while they're
talking too if there's something
else. I think we covered a lot.
We did pretty good.
I hope I wasn't talking, I'm not
talking too fast.
Can I get you to say and
spell your name just so I have a
correct answer?
Sure, Matt, M-A-T-T,
Haldeman, H-A L-D-E-M-A
N-N.
Great. Thank you.
Thank you.