Pete, a true mentor.

The season is winding down here in the Midwest, and I knew that Pete, the Esox man would have some, if not many, big fish to show us. Pete fished a lot less this year than others, and his boat missed him a lot this year – which is now back in storage until spring. Here is Pete and his son with some nice sizes muskies… Pete (45inch/ 114.3cm) and Matt (47inch/ 119.4cm - his personal best). The moon photo is from one of Pete’s favorite spot on the Crow Lake.

Pete holds a special mentor in my fishing journey, as he was probably the one who provided me the most useful information as I started fishing. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that because of the advices Pete gave me, I started to catch fish. I remember when I had just bought my first few rods, sitting with Pete at lunch in Libertyville, asking him question after question on catching fish, many of them idiotic ones. He would answer them, but always leave me some room to learn on my own, which I am still grateful for. He handed me couple of small books, one called “calendar of fish activity” and the other called “ freshwater fishing”. Both books covered a range of topics, but mainly the seasonal rhythm and responses of fish species in their habitat. For a guy who just started fishing and eager to catch fish, there could have been nothing better. So that became my foundation to start catching fish. Over the years my conversations with Pete would change… to other fishing related but different topics. I will never forget the advice Pete gave me on fishing with kids… he said to me “when you go fishing with your kids and they hook their first fish, make sure to look at your child’s face (and not the fish) when they bring it in. You will see them catch many more fish in the future, but you will never see that wonderful expression on their face again, the moment that they’ve caught their first fish”. Pete is a true mentor, on and off the waters. Thanks Pete.