Alright this is nuts.
One specific angler loves to keep a tally of how many fish they catch, and it’s Wisconsin fisherman Bill Schultz.
With that being said, Schultz, who resides in New Berlin, hit a milestone in his fishing career, reeling in his 30,000th smallmouth bass.
He told Outdoor News:
“Hitting the water that Monday and knowing my first fish was going to be 30K had me a little anxious as I was hoping it would be at least three-plus pounds.”
He reeled in his mind boggling 30,000th smallmouth back in November, so there’s really no telling what that number is at now.
Schultz recalled the moment the smallmouth hit an amber tube jig at 20 feet:
“When it hit and I began reeling I could tell it was a good sized one, which gave me a great feeling!”
Schultz has pretty much stuck to smallmouth bass fishing since his first catch back in 1994 on Delevan Lake.
He discussed how he regained his love for fishing after growing up fishing with his father:
“Like many after high school things I got busy and I didn’t fish much. I focused on my career and racquetball. The fishing bug bit again in 1991 and we got our first boat in 1992.
I would go to Madison to fish for perch and various places for largemouth bass. I caught my first smallmouth bass in May of 1994 on Delevan Lake and was intrigued with that great bronze look and how hard they fought, no matter the size.”
He told the outlet:
“I have not lost the excitement for these great fighters and love chasing them while wearing my waders in small Wisconsin Rivers, or from my boat on Sturgeon Bay, or from one of my fishing kayaks.”
Smallmouth bass can be found in nearly every state in the U.S., and southeastern Canada, and are one of the most popular fish species to catch.
You have to respect Schultz for committing to tracking each and every smallmouth he’s caught over the past 28 years.
