All right I guess let's start with give me give me how this all came to be like
the short thumbnail version of how you came to own a reservoir. Sure absolutely
yeah my colleagues at the time thought that I was nuts so I used to work for
UW Credit Union down in the Madison area was a banker for almost 10 years and
my parents and I we growing up our family vacation was always going to
fishing resorts in northern Minnesota and we just kept talking about the idea
would just come up we'd talk about it for a while we should think about buying a
resort and we're like no we're crazy but it just came up enough times that
finally we decided to start looking and we looked across northern Wisconsin and
northern Minnesota for a place I had a long list of criteria to make sure it
would work and we were super lucky that Deerfoot was available when we bought
and have you regretted that since then or no it's been an amazing adventure it
certainly had some ups and downs but yeah I but for running my own business I
never would have left my last company was a great company but yeah being an
entrepreneur and being up here on the Chippewa flowage has been a dream come true
so you said you grew up going to fishing camps yes specifically it wasn't just a
resort of the water what is it about fishing camps that makes that special or
different from oh it's a fun vacation yeah I mean it was definitely a
combination of the two but growing up my dad taught my sister and I to fish from
the time we were old enough to hold a fishing pole we were out fishing with
him my mom made sure that that happened and super fortunate for my parents in
that experience and teaching us both but I think just the memories that you make
at a fishing resort at a lake vacation it's just so special we saw those same
people just one week out of the year and I still spend time with some of those
people today I mean you just make great memories and have great experiences and
fishing is so much fun I mean anybody who loves to fish just that you know
so the set of the line and the tug on the end of the line pretty awesome so so
how how important is walleye specifically to this flowage yeah to the lifeblood of
resorts in the north wood absolutely it's definitely a fish that guests will
ask about they want to know what what the walleye are biting on what's the
latest walleye fishing report so it's definitely something that guests who
book they are targeting and I want to come fish and what's I mean do they
believe you or do they know by now that you know what you're talking about you
not just I'm not just the lady sure yeah I think so so my fish of that I
will target primarily is musky so sometimes I will defer to you know the
local guides or the local bait shops have great walleye reports that they put
out but yes they they know that I have a boat I fish I trailer my launch you know
back the boat all that good stuff so that makes a difference right I think
so them to come to a resort like this if you're one of them like you understand
what they're looking for yes and we try to be very well set up for anglers so
there's electrical at the docks we've got a boat launch right on site we sell
gas right at the right at the lakeside so we knew what we wanted in a fishing
vacation and we made sure that we offer that here at Deerfoot and we've seen
some resorts that have had to shift more to the family fun party atmosphere
especially in the middle of this summer is are there still like the fishing key
or is it just fishing like seasons or moments yeah I mean we certainly get
groups and families that want that party atmosphere I mean we do parties
events we do live music we've always got something going on but our focus here
at Deerfoot it seems to always be fishing related or fishing adjacent for sure
so tell me a little bit about how you got to know John and Brett absolutely
so a couple different ways but it's been fun they were guests of Deerfoot so met
them here at Deerfoot sparring grill Brenda's also a member of Wisconsin
women fish and I'm an active member of that fishing club as well and then up
at Boulder Lodge where they live close to Boulder Lodge another resort in the
area they would be there for dropping music nights my dad plays live music so
we would connect in that way as well so how many times have you been out with
them what you said with your dad yeah yeah we've taken two other river fishing
trips with John and Brenda my dad and I and it's just always phenomenal it's
so much fun the scenery is so beautiful and tons of action always what's the
difference between going down a river of that style versus just taking a boat
zooming out and finding the spot sure so now yeah I think so river fishing is
very new to me but the main difference that I observe having grown up lake
fishing is that the river fishing those fish know if prey floats by it's gone so
the aggression like just the aggressive nature of the bite in the river is fun
the spots where they will strike is often very predictable it's just it's a
very different experience and just floating down the river to even if the
fish aren't biting it's quite an experience and picking up a couple
while I was a new thing yeah yeah that we I don't think we caught walleye on
either trip before we were targeting musky and small mouth on those prior
trips but that was fun today what is it about I mean it's not your your number
one target but what is it about catching a wall how is it different from some of
the other species we know that's different that's a sure yeah I mean you
can definitely feel that head tug is different the fight is different sometimes
the bite is more finicky I would say I think that walleye definitely at times
requires anglers to up their game does that make it is that why it's unique I
mean is that I mean there's there's a cultural connection sure walleye being
up higher up on the pier yeah above pan fish maybe next to musky adjacent sure
I think too because people enjoy eating walleye so much it's like the you know
the trophy let's bring it home and cook it up for everybody but they're
there are a lot of delicious fish I I don't know exactly the answer to that
question but it's very common that belief is strongly held so talk to me a
little bit about what what someone like Brenda can offer especially your
connection to women fish yes making a space for women to learn and feel
comfortable it's very male dominated environment oh yeah yeah and that's a
very important to me as well to have a place where women feel comfortable they
can come by themselves they can come with just their kids they don't have to
have a man that comes with them necessarily and they can be comfortable
here fishing at deerfoot I think going with Brenda on the river one of the things
that I have heard her talk about that really seems relatable is that you don't
have to use huge tackle like it doesn't have it can be very small it can be
very easy to cast easy to throw you should be able to fish all day and be
comfortable and that's one thing that she really I think has changed a lot of
minds of women who thought oh maybe I can't do this they absolutely can and
catch big fish so one of the aspects that we're we're looking at and this is
all of the research that the it's going on universities and the DNR and
Glithwick and the tribes sure there's a lot of money there's a lot of time and
effort that goes into stocking and research is it worth it I mean
can it be justified for one species to put all those hours and all that money
into it I think in general yes and there are people who are so interested in
each species that I think the support is there as well but yeah I think that
did for people that come up there's such a an economic connection to it as well
I mean we have people who will book a trip just to chase walleye or just to
chase musky and if that particular species is not supported I mean all the
businesses feel that I mean there's a it's a it's interwoven into the rest of
the economy yes it sometimes gets lumped with tourism but it has its own place
sure yeah and directly connected to tourism I mean we're members of many of
the local organizations that help bring people to the area and if the fishing is
good the people come and they hear about it yeah oh yes yes and if the fishing
is bad they hear about it too all right anything else that you'd like to add
along the lines what we were talking about oh like about walleye or about
just no I mean there's no right you don't have to I just curious giving you a
chance if you like yeah I wanted to say this but you never asked about it I
don't think so totally fine yeah I get you to say and spell your name sure just
so I have a correct yes Amanda Wilson AM and DAW L S O N and owner yes soul
owner yes and they are still incredibly tied into all of this
obviously yeah wouldn't be able to do it without them great thank you so much
we really appreciate nice to meet you yeah you too thank