This
article made possible by:
By:
Tim Domaille
When
you think about an all around great guy and successful angler, one
name comes to mind, Rapala Pro Mark Fisher.
Mark
started fishing the natural
Minnesotan way, going on vacation with his family. Mark recalls the
“Classic Family Vacation”, going to the
Alexandria
area of
Minnesota
. Dad, Mom and the kids all packed up and headed for a relaxing
fishing adventure to
Lake
Ida
. Mark remembers his Dad always wanting to go for the toothy critters,
the Northern Pike and Walleye. Marks Mom was the person who started
him bass fishing by taking him to the lily pads throwing Hula Poppers
and Chugger’s.
As
Mark grew up and pursued his interest in bass fishing, I asked him who
he looked up to as heroes. Mark stated that Al and Ron Lindner were
big influences. He also
enjoyed reading Ron Schara’s articles.
 Mark
and I talked about how he got into tournament fishing. Mark said he
always played sports in school and loved the competition. In 1987,
Mark again fired up his competitive spirit by entering his first bass
tournament series. He chose to begin with the Midwest Open Bass
Classic Circuit managed by John Hesse. Mark’s partner for the
tournament circuit was Scott Hanson.
Mark enjoyed the series and finished the circuit by snagging
the “Angler of the Year” honor for 1987. As we all know this is
quite an accomplishment for a first year angler.
Following
up the great 1987 season was Mark winning the Don Shelby US
Invitational in 1994. This was an invitational only tournament held on
Lake
Minnetonka
. Mark had a 3 day winning weight of just under 47 pounds for 15 fish.
There were 135 anglers in this tournament.
In
1999, Mark fished the Silverado Tournament Trail in
Minnesota
. At the conclusion of the season, Mark won the prestigious title of
Angler of the Year! What a great accomplishment. Upon winning the
Angler of the Year title in 1999, Mark qualified for the exclusive
Ranger Boats Millennium Tournament in 2000. Only 200 anglers are
allowed to participate in this event. The winner of the Ranger Boats
Millennium Tournament would take home $1 million in cash!
The
Ranger Boats Millennium Tournament was held in
Cypress
Gardens
,
Winter Haven
Chain of Lakes,
Winter Haven
, FL. Mark did not fair well in the tournament but had a great time.
The Chain of Lakes seemed to fish very small for the number of boats
and he felt like there was a lack of fish in the system.
Mark
is currently employed with Rapala.
I asked him how he got started in the fishing industry. Mark
said he started with a radio show in 1993. The show aired on KSTP AM
1500. It was a two hour fishing show with Larry Bollig. Mark then
worked for a company called Shirts Plus. From there he went to Rapala
where he attributes his success to keeping a balance, networking, and
promoting companies within the industry.
Mark
is a very diverse fisherman. His favorite technique is deep water
cranking. I had talked with Mark after he had gotten back from fishing
Lake Okeechobee
with David Fritz. David as we all know is one of the best crank bait
fishermen in the world. Mark was talking about the changes they had to
make from day to day. The fish were in the general area, but they had
to adapt to catch the fish. Mark said he had to change the angle and
retrieve speed to get the fish to bite.
I
asked Mark about on the water decisions he makes when fishing gets
tough during tournaments. Mark stated that if he had fish going during
pre-fishing and went to the same spot during the tournament but could
not get them to bite, he would not leave and go somewhere else. He
knew the fish were there, he just needed to figure out how to make
them bite. Mark says over the years he has learned to slow down and
change the presentation and speed. The fish are usually there and it
just takes a little time to figure them out.
Marks
favorite tournament is the Fort Francis Canadian Bass Championship.
The fish for the most part are all smallmouth. Rainy Lake is a very
big body of water between the
United States
and
Canada
. The smallmouth are always moving. Mark states it is very taxing and
challenging on your skills to figure them out. Coming in a close
second to Mark’s tournaments favorites is the Dick Hiley/ St Jude
Children’s
Research
Hospital
spring tournament on the Mississippi River out of
Wabasha
MN
.
The
biggest reward for Mark in tournament fishing is the camaraderie of
the anglers and making new friends.
Feeling good about the event he is supporting, besides cashing
a check, is a very close second. Also keeping the sport alive through
the youth and helping maintain our resources is also important.
Mark
is definitely a first class individual and angler. If you get the
privilege to meet and talk with Mark, don’t hesitate to go up and
introduce yourself. Mark is always willing to take the time to talk
with you and share his knowledge and experience.
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