Canada
Shane Wepruk
I grew up with a fishing rod in my hand and spent the early years primarily chasing walleye on several back lakes in the Fort Frances area.
In 1990, my parents purchased property on Rainy Lake and has been my home body of water ever since. I quickly fell in love with the structure that Rainy Lake has to offer and it's endless opportunities for a multitude of species.
In 1998, I began guiding part time for Tinkers and Tinkers Too resorts in Nestor Falls, Ontario. The part time position transitioned to a full time position for the next 3 summers until I finished college. The resort was very unique in that the main lodges were situated on Lake of the Woods and Crooked Pine Lake, however we had access to approximately 40 lakes which we flew to daily depending on the species that our guests were wanting to target. It was a fantastic experience!!
In 2009, I was bitten with the smallmouth bug in a major way. It was at that point that I discovered my current obsession...tournament fishing. I love everything about it...the friendships, the competition, the pressure, the morning take off, the anticipation and most of all, that first bite!!
I fish 4 tournaments a summer including the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship on Rainy Lake, Atikokan Bass Classic on Marmion Lake, Sioux Narrows Bassin for Bucks on Lake of the Woods, and a one day smallmouth tournament hosted by Labelle's Birchpoint Camp on Rainy Lake.
Of course, the learning curve with respect to the tournament game has been steep but my highlights to date include:
- 6th of 39 boats for division 2 in 2014 at Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship
- 28th of 125 boats in 2014 at Sioux Narrows Bass for Bucks
- 9th place of approximately 40 boats in 2014 at Labelle's
- 17th place tie of 90 boats in 2015 at Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship
- 4th place of approximately 40 boats in 2015 at Labelle's
Tom Batiuk
Fort Frances, Ontario Canada
Home Water: Rainy Lake
Favorite Lake: Manitou Watershed
Favorite Season: All 4 of them for different species specific bites
Favorite Species: Lake Trout, Panfish, Smallmouth bass, Walleye.
Favorite Presentations: Down Rigging, jigging, spinnerbaits, crankbaits
Tom's passion for fishing started at the early age of 4 years old. Fishing off the dock with a poplar stick and a piece of monofilament, a plain hook and a minnow. His first walleye was a gorgeous 6lb specimen. This ignited a fire in him that shines through in all seasons. This passion for spending time on the water drives him to pursue that next great bite.
That restless and never ending urge to chase down a multitude of fish species in all weather conditions, in all seasons drives his amazing success on the water. Tom is also an avid hunter and you find him in the woods as the seasons permit chasing the Canadian Moose or whitetail deer.
This success on the water has allowed Tom to partner with some of the biggest names in the business. Clam Outdoors, Vexilar, Salmo and Northland Tackle to name a few.
Pro Tip: Read!!!! I spend a lot of time reading about specific bites at specific times of the year. 90% of my success as a fisherman has come from reading articles about species specific bites at different times. I let the seasons guide me and apply these methods on different fisheries.
Tom's home water is beautiful Rainy Lake. This border water area is an outstanding fishery and allows some unprecedented success for the multi species fishing that Tom has become known for.
Massachusetts
Kevin Dahlke
City, State: Rowley, Massachusetts
"Home" Lake: Attitash Lake
Favorite Lake / River: Winnipesaukee
Favorite Season: Winter Ice Fishing
Favorite Species: Crappie
Favorite Technique: Finesse Jigging
One piece of advice for sportsman: Slow down while you are fishing and keep on the move looking for active fish
Individual Highlights (sponsors, etc): HSM Outdoors, Clam Outdoors, Vexilar, Cold Snap Outdoors, Northland Fishing Tackle, Dakota Lithium, Fillet Maker, Nautic-Sport, Salmo Fishing Lures
Social Media (FB, IG, Twitter Names):
FB: Kevin Dahlke
IG: kevindahlke
Twitter Name: @kevindahlke
Fishing is my passion and no matter what the season is, you will find me chasing a variety of species either on the open water or on the ice. When ice fishing here in New England, many anglers are very interested in the techniques that we use and is always a lot of fun showing and teaching these anglers these techniques.
Hunting:
Favorite Season: Spring
Favorite Species: Turkey
Favorite Technique: decoy set utilizing calling methods
Anything else you'd like to add: Coming from the Midwest, there are many tactics that are used here in New England and by hunting a spring turkey season, this gets you in tune when the fall deer season comes. Bow Hunting is my choice of deer hunting and really like the solitude of sitting in the stand in a location that I feel that the big buck of the area may be using.
Minnesota
Mike Ferrell
Home: Apple Valley, MN
Favorite Lake: Basswood
Favorite Season: Autumn
Favorite Species: Panfish, Pike
Favorite Technique: Trolling
Mike Ferrell, born and raised in Minnesota has been an avid outdoorsman since he was young. Mike enjoys deer hunting in the fall with his friends and family at their hunting camp in northeastern Minnesota.
Mike owns and operates his own guide service called Memories Made Guide Service (www.memoriesmadeguides.com) in the twin cities. He also spends a significant amount of time with Veterans and Veteran organizations to help them get out fishing.
Mike prides himself of being an ambassador for the outdoor industry, teaching people about conservation and ethics. Mike has fished locally and throughout the midwest region. He loves trolling for giant pike in the summer months and chasing panfish through the ice.
Mike is blessed to promote for several of the industry leaders such as: Clam Outdoors, Vexilar, Rod Armor, NW Metro Tackle, Crestliner, Mercury, and Blackfish.
Mike Niedzielski
Home: Lakeville, MN
When not fishing out of town, you'll find me on the Fairbault Area Lakes.
Some of my favorite lakes to fish are Red Lake and Lake Mille Lacs. I also like to fish South Dakota lakes. I enjoy all types all seasons to fish, but nothing compares to ice fishing!
I can't just pick one species to fish which I would call,"my favorite". I enjoy catching everything from bluegills, pike, and everything in between!
My favorite technique for fishing is vertical jigging. Maybe that's why ice fishing is so awesome.
Advice: Don't just learn how to use your electronics, but learn how to use them effectively. Knowing how to differentiate between a soft bottom to a hard bottom can be key when looking for spot on spots. This applies to electronics in your boat as well as using a Vexilar in the winter. Having more than just basic knowledge of your electronics will help you be a more successful fisherman.
Mike is part of HSM Outdoors Pro Staff, Clam Outdoors Pro Staff, Northland Tackle Pro Staff and Fishing with Vets Pro Staff.
Rich Lemmer
City, State: Coon Rapids, MN
Favorite Lake: Big Marine
Favorite Season: All four seasons!
Favorite Species: Panfish
Favorite Technique: Jigging
Advice: Try to learn something new everytime your out on the lake, ice, or in the field.
Individual Highlights: Recycled Fish, Clam Outdoors, Vexilar, Sportdog.
Board Member for Land Of Lakes Hunter Retriever Club.
*Secretary
*Hunt Secretary
*Hunt Judge
*HRC Magazine Club Contributing Writer.
Nebraska
Robby Rhembrandt
Robby Rhembrandt is an accomplished all weather fisherman who is a native of Western Nebraska. Although, ice fishing is his expertise, he is rapidly becoming a well known open water walleye angler.
Over the last three years he has had four top 10 tournament finishes and continues to exceed expectations every year. He is a true sportsman who believes in conservation including catch and release and wildlife management.
Robby’s true inspiration is providing underprivileged children the opportunity to experience the serenity of the outdoors. You can find Robby fishing anywhere in the midwest, chasing trophy fish of all species.
South Dakota
Scott Olson
City,State:Rapid City, SD
"Home'' Lake:Shadehill Reservoir
Favorite Lake: Sylvan Lake
Favorite Season:Ice Fishing
Favorite Species:Rainbow Trout
Favorite Technigue: Vertical Jigging
One piece of advice for sportmen and sportswomen: Get everyone can out fishing. Sometimes you'll be surprised who you can turn into an angler.
Individual Highlights: Clam Pro Staff, HSM Outdoors Contributor Staff, J and S Custom Jigs Pro Staff.