Ken
Ken is my father-in-law. He got me back into fishing after a 15 year hiatus by buying me a Shimano combo rod and reel for Christmas in 2000. We’ve been fishing together ever since. We’re usually up at his cabin on the Gunflint Trail in the arrowhead of Minnesota fishing the various lakes in the area.
Mark
Mark has been my neighbor since 2001. I knew he was a big fisherman, because his wife would always tell us he’s gone fishing. But I always assumed it was outside the Twin Cities. I found out just recently that he often fishes the local lakes, and many times alone. I jumped on that wagon as fast as I could. We’ve only been out together a few times, but all indications are that we’ll be fishing together for years to come.
Vince
My brother lives in Boulder, CO, so we don’t get to fish together much. But we do whenever he is in town. In fall, 2010, I visited him in Boulder where we did some fun bass fishing and he took me trout fishing for the first time. He’s a much better fisherman than I am and I’ve been learning a lot from him. Maybe, some day, I’ll land fish as big as he does.
Dan
Dan is a big muskie fisherman, usually out at his in-law’s cabin near Hayward, WI. I’ve only been out with him once where I caught the biggest fish of my life. He lives in Montana now, but he plans to be back to visit. And when he does, I hope we get to go out a few more times.
George
George is my brother-in-law. He lives out of state, so I don’t fish with him unless he visits and then it’s usually with Ken. He doesn’t fish much, but he’s been picking up tips from me and is getting better. He still drives me crazy the way he sets his hook, though.
Greg
Greg is my George’s best friend. They’ve known each other for nearly 40 years. I would fish with Greg once a year or so when George was in town. But in 2012, we started fishing when George wasn’t in town. It’s been fun and I look forward to more adventures with him.
Matt
Matt is an ex-colleague. He’s probably as crazy, if not more, about fishing as I am. The funny thing is, we only fished together once when we were working together. But this summer, we’ve been making more of an effort to get out. He’s really good at finding the fish.
Steve and Rob
Steve and Rob are my neighbors. One lives on one side of me, the other on the other side. I don’t do much open water fishing with them except during our annual neighborhood camping trip each fall. However, in the winter of 2009-10, we started ice fishing together with Mark. It was a lot of fun and I hope the tradition continues in the coming years.
