Future Anglers of Minnesota - "A Passion Project"
It's truly crazy where life takes you and how certain decisions in your life lead you down roads you'd never expect to travel. This will be a long read, so buckle up or bail out now!
10 years ago, I was a terrible fisherman but someone who loved it. Now, I've upgraded to somewhere in between below average to average, but someone who still loves it. I'm a gambler at heart, so I LOVE the chance that I could win and catch that fish of a lifetime - even if I go home skunked.
I've caught my fair share of "wall worthy fish", and still have a goal to get a mount (replica - for anyone wondering) of every game fish before I go to meet my maker. But, now that I have kids of my own - it's turned the tide a bit. I've had an unreal life up to this point and got to do so many cool things that I enjoy. I'm dang near at what many would consider the half way point of life.
Now it's time to help give a new group of kids something I didn't have the chance to experience. An avenue for a passion to grow. A light in a sometimes dark world. A couple hours of smiles and laughter and fun.
9 years ago we started Minnesota Made because we couldn't get into the UPL. We wanted to tournament fish and learn! When one door closes, build your own dang door could have been our motto. We legit started an ice fishing league within a month which consisted of about 8 teams. It was grassroots at it's finest. No fancy scales or sponsors or atv's rigged out for tournament fishing. Just a 10" jiffy and a portable fish house and a vexilar. Nine years seems to go by a lot faster now days then it did when we were kids.
Minnesota Made has turned into a 30 team pretty elite ice fishing circuit. We have some of the best anglers in the state. But at the end of the day, we have so many new friends and memories and experience - and that's what it's all about. We are extremely proud what we've built, but we can't take all the credit because we've had lots of help along the way. First and foremost, Matt Johnson with Clam Outdoors has been a friend, mentor, and champion of everything we've done. His support has meant to the world to us. The best way to explain how I view Matt Johnson is very similar to how I view my dad - when he puts his faith in you - you will do everything in your power not to let him down. And our MN Made family - from our buddies who volunteer their time to hang out with us and help out, to the fishermen and women who continue to show up when we need them most. Together, we are making a difference in the community and have created something much larger than just a fishing league.
Three years ago, we started hosting an event in partnership with Hometown Hero Outdoors. Something we still do and plan to continue to do. If you ask our members their favorite part of the year - the majority will say "Hometown Hero Day". It started out as a big ask - take off your entire Saturday of pre-fishing to give back to these military and law enforcement guys and gals. To show them our gratitude for their sacrifices and selflessness. We shower them with welcome gifts and prizes for where they finish and free raffle prizes like a turkey hunt and a bear hunt. Traeger cooks an unbelievable lunch. So many things that make the day special, but at the end of it - the number one thing that makes it special.....the people. We are so appreciative of what these people have sacrificed for us and they are appreciative of the effort we put in to give them a fun day out on the lake. The stories that we get to hear after would be must see "newsworthy" tv and leave the audience with goosebumps - I promise you! There's something about spending two days out on the lake working your butt off in -20 temps and waking up Monday morning sore, exhausted and still cold - but with a full heart and huge smile!
Did I mention we don't know when to quit?
Six months ago, we decided to start a nonprofit. I've started two companies from the ground up including MN Made - how hard could a nonprofit be?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Welcome to the grind of the century! Myself, Paul, and Tony have spent countless hours getting this thing built up. Dale, Dan, and Bubba have been there to lean on as well. From the initial research (thank God for google), the setup (thank God for lawyers), and then the actual build up of waivers, websites, trailers, forms, outlines, guidelines, sop's, insurance, background checks, and whatever else you could possibly think of. Long nights, zoom chats, group texts, board meetings, and little sleep. It was like having a newborn all over again! Oh wait - that's right, Tony did have a newborn - in fact between the two of us we have four kids under 4 years old and Paul has 3 girls at much more manageable ages.
Mount Everest was a beast, but we can see the top. We have had an awesome response to sponsorship requests - all this will be announced soon so I don't want to spoil the surprise. We've had a solid response for volunteers. Our website should be launching next week!!! Insurance and background checks are all set up. And the other 100 things have been checked off the ever changing and adding TO DO LIST.
The response has been overwhelming. In all honesty, (And I don't care what the other guys say - they'd be lying if they don't agree) - we are just a bunch of knuckleheads that want to do good things in the community and fishing happens to be a common love for all of us.
The thing that got me though, was 24 hours after our initial sign up post - we had the first event 75% full. To me....I'm glad I get to type this and not have to speak about it - I would have for sure choked up - that's what this is all about.
Don't get me wrong - we love the sponsors and volunteers, but that's just a means to an end - the real reason we are doing this is FOR THE KIDS!!! And that's who matters at the end of the day.
So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you to the parents that signed your kids up. Thank you to the kids who will show up and be a part of this journey. Thank you for showing a bunch of knuckleheads that their "good deed" didn't go unnoticed. Thank you for rewarding our hard work and passion.
This is a passion project. There's no way we would have made it this far without passion. And there's no way we could take this to where we are going to take it without passion.
"If you build it, they will come"
We have built it and you have came. Now the journey begins!!!!
"GET EM HOOKED"