Those We Honor
You'll find more than just fishing celebrities in this list. One can make a significant impact on the lives of many without ever being well known. It is important to honor all of those who had a great influence on the great sport of fishing, whether famous or not. Corporate advances tend to be much more visible to us. For it's their products that shape the evolution of the sport of fishing.
| Inductees are listed in alphabetical order... | Jump to Corporate Inductees | ||
Nick Adams |
Joe Alexander |
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Talk tackle manufacturing in Brainerd and the conversation doesn't go far without mention of Nick Adams. The patriarch of Lindy/Little Joe, who... |
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Joseph N. Alexander took a 50 percent pay cut in 1957 to become a Minnesota conservation officer and served a record 12 years as commissioner of the... |
Randy Amenrud |
Steve Baumann |
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Randy Amenrud has been involved in many aspects of the fishing tackle and marine promotional business for over 45 years. He's been a part of many... |
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Steve Baumann was born in 1952. He was one of four kids living near a little farming community called Westbrook in Southwestern Minnesota... |
Larry Bollig |
Ted Capra |
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Larry Bollig grew up in Pierz and was introduced to fishing by his grandfather. After serving in the Marine Corps, he married his wife of 37 years, Jean Wilek, and they have raised a... |
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Joe Fellegy |
Jim Fladebo |
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Mille Lacs walleye wizard. Fishermen are inducted into the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame as guides, promoters, tournament anglers, manufacturers... |
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In 1937, Jim and Evelyn Fladebo started a small tackle production operation out of the basement of their home along the shore of Mille Lacs Lake in... |
Joe Fladebo |
Butch Furtman |
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In 1955, Joe and Evelyn’s son Jim was brought into the corporation. A nearby plating shop was established to meet the metal finishing requirements of... |
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Butch Furtman is one of the premier outdoorsmen in the Midwest. He is a well-recognized writer, an expert fisherman and hunter, and long-time... |
Dan Gapen |
Dave Genz |
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Many who know the author will call him fisherman. Some may make claim to his fight for running water and call him environmentalist. But, to those who really... |
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Rarely is a true pioneer fully appreciated in his time. But Dave Genz, because he so thoroughly changed the way all of us fish through the ice, has been... |
Ed Gerchy |
Dick 'Griz' Grzywinski |
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Dick “Griz” Grzwinski has a face you’ll remember and a personality you can’t forget. “Griz”, as he’s affectionately known, isn’t nearly as cantankerous... |
Gill Hamm |
Marv Koep |
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Gil Hamm, a 62-year-old building contractor from St Paul, Minnesota, founded Muskies, Inc. December 9, 1966. Gil and thirteen others made up... |
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Marv Koep finally accepted what everybody else already knew -- that he is a fishing legend. "Last year I finally acknowledged that I was old enough to be... |
Bob Lessard |
Al Lindner |
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The radically different Bob Lessard, a Minnesota senator for 26 years, sat at a table here one morning last week in the Canadian wilderness cabin he calls... |
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During a long career spanning the most revolutionary years in sportfishing history, Al Lindner ranks among the most renowned... |
Ron Lindner |
Al Maas |
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Over the years, Ron Lindner has become a world reknown sportfishing leader. He continues to fish avidly for all freshwater fish, averaging about 200... |
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One of Minnesota's most noteworthy, trusted and skilled guides, Al Maas has been hosting guests aboard his boat for over 40 years as a Coast Guard... |
Ray Ostrom |
Jim Peterson |
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Jim Peterson grew up near Milaca and his family owned a cabin on Lake Mille Lacs for many years. Jim came to the Twin Cities in... |
John Peterson |
Gary Roach |
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John Peterson was born in Bemidji, Minnesota on February 6, 1949. He grew up on the banks of the Mississippi river and spent many of his... |
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Gary Roach was born and raised on the shores of Mission Lake, MN. He started fishing off the dock when he was three or four years old. Gary started... |
Ron Schara |
Frank Schneider Jr. |
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Ron Schara is a story teller. It's a skill Ron learned as a boy sitting on the lap of his Grandpa Clate Dickens. Today, Ron Schara is a writer and television... |
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Frank Schneider Jr. was an avid angler, hunter, conservationist and citizen-activist who, for more then 35 years, worked doggedly for Minnesota... |
Dick Sternberg |
Ron Weber |
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Dick Sternberg has been a die-hard angler since he was a kid, so it’s not surprising that his passion led him to pursue an education in the natural ... |
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Once a regional sales manager for Pflueger Fishing Tackle, Ron Weber left the position in the late 1950’s and R.W. Weber sales, his own tackle... |
Babe Winkelman |
Jeff Zernov |
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If you spend 30+ years on television, you can’t fake enthusiasm. That’s why, through all these years, a natural bond has developed between... |
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Aside from being an intense angler, Jeff Zernov is a tireless fishing innovator and inventor. He holds dozens of fishing-related patents, patent-pendings... |
Corporations of Distinction
Corporations can also be inducted into the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame. These companies have given us all products that have significantly improved our way of fishing. Whether it be what we tie on the end of our line, what we ride in to get to that hot spot, or the knowledge to find that spot in the first place, these companies have impacted the sport fishing industry greatly.
In-Fisherman |
Lindy Little Joe, Inc. |
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The Lindy Tackle Company was created in 1968 by members of the Nisswa Guides' League in the heart of... |
Lund Boats |
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