Raised in Madison, Wisconsin I grew up primarily chasing Bass and Pike on the "Mad-Chain" and the Wisconsin River every moment possible. First wade fishing, to canoe, to jon boat, then to my first v-hull guide boat in 1995… where I started "living the dream"… fishing for a living. Only after selling my first car, a 1969 Chevy Chevelle to buy that first guide boat by the way!
The years went fast while spent on the water and working at various sport shops. Increasing exposure through giving seminars, writing for Esox Angler Magazine, and being a featured guest on a few of the Midwest most acclaimed fishing programs such as Lindner’s Angling Edge, The Next Bite, and John Gillispie's Waters and Woods have added to my fishing carrier.
In addition, I also started Lee Lures Surface Baits. What I have strived to do is to make smaller numbers of higher quality wooden lures in classic muskie catching actions. Each is made one by one, and completely assembled by me only.
In 2005, I relocated my summer and fall business to the Muskie Mecca of Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota, which was certainly a milestone. The "Big Pond" is perhaps ones best chance of catching a forty pound plus fish. Capitalizing on this unique lake was a reputation making decision. As they say "timing is everything".
Some of the largest muskies taken in recent years have made their way into our boat including some seventy fish over fifty inches, with many over forty pounds, and several breaking the fifty pound mark. The largest specimen in the boat was a 55.5" x 27.5" fish, which flirted with the current Minnesota State record of 54 pounds. That fish was released to assure that a record fish would swim in those waters.
Fast forward to 2011, which marks the beginning of Big Fish 365 Television. Partnering up with Milwaukee, WI fishing guide Eric Haataja and producer Jim Steinmetz, we spent the year filming our first season of the show. Proving difficult with each of us having full-time jobs we managed to complete a seasons worth of shows.
January 8th 2012 marks the debut of my thirty-year dream of hosting a fishing show, Big Fish 365. Only time will tell where the show will take us from here. Hopefully we can take it to the next level of sharing our passion for the sport and taking the viewers on our adventures.
