I don't want to stir up a Bee's nest, but I have a question for all the Pro's and even you other guys. I'll skip discribing my own credentials and qualifications for asking this (pole like) question, as I feel it really don't matter. I'm just curious to know how others feel about this matter. About 5 years ago or so, I was fishing with my brother-in-law in a place we call the Hot-Ponds, on Saginaw Bay. I can leave my lazy boy at home and be in the Ponds in about 10 minutes. My brother-in-law being new to the walleye fishing game, was having a ball catching walleye in this hot water discharge. The action was steady and we had 6 nice eyes in the boat when a Known PWT Pro came roaring into the Ponds area. Soon after, another boat carrying a sports writer came into the ponds. I knew this (Detroit area) writer personally. He spotted me right away and asked how we were doing. I answered good and held up our biggest fish, about a 6 pounder. He said he was in the ponds to take a picture of this Pro holding up a nice walleye and do a story on him. Hey, great I answered. Well, about 1 hour went by and the pro seemed to be having a little problem catching a walleye. We had caught 3 more nice ones and was getting ready to head out after one more with our limit. Well, the writer pulls his boat over to us and asks me if the Pro can borrow our biggest walleye for a picture. My brother-in-law says "Is he serious". I think so, I answer. Can't he catch his own walleye, I ask. Ya, but he/we have to be someplace else soon, so we have to get going. I don't think so, I finally answer. Well, this writer looks at me like I slapped his mother. Ya know, you may need my services some day Dan, he says. Well, I hope I can catch my own walleye when I do, I answer. Just then, another boat comes into the ponds. This guy makes one drift and hooks a nice 4 pounder. He is immediatley approaced by the writer and the walleye is transfered to the Pro's waiting hands for the picture. My brother-in-law seems too be in shock. Ya know he says, I thought that pro was something special. I read and keep up with everything he writes, says and does. I don't believe this. It gets better. Not 5 weeks later this same pro and the same picture appears in a well know walleye mag, with attached article. My brother-in-law is so insensed, he calls the editor and tells the true story about the fish and the picture. The editor simply says that he has no control over pictures or the submitted context from contributing writers. My brother-in-law cancels his subscription right then and there. I swear this story is true. So what do you guys think. Capt: Dan.

I believe that integrity does count. A few years back I was at a lodge in Minnesota when a very famous Walleye Pro who has made a living off of selling Walleye equipment for years also streched the integrity issue. He and several of his buds went into a spawning bay and caught several large spawning Walleyes on mud puppies. He brought them back to the dock and got his picture taken with them and his buds. That winter at a sports show he had the picture up in his booth with a story about how he had caught them at his lodge on his lake with the lures that his company was selling. I wont read his articles or spend a dime on his fishing equipment. I wish he would never enjoy the thrill of catching eyes again. He better hope that St Peter doesent like to fish or "The Pro" will be fishing in some mighty hot water some day. Integrity is all we have left and it will make the Walleye resource be there for future generations.

Capt. Dan,
I do not think you will get any pro to respond to this, as it is apparent that this has had your shorts in a bunch for a while, and if if pro was to give a response you did not like you could label them unethical. First off you where dealing with two professionals doing their job, time is money. As a fishing professional I sure you know this. This is their work, you do not know what commitments they had that day and maybe the pro was having a bad day. You did not state so, but most pics in fishing magazines are window dressing. Did it say pro X caught the fish? Was the article about him getting the fish or more on general tactics ect? Was the pic miss leading? maybe. Was the writer wrong to be mad at you? yes. It was your fish. Does Integrity count, yes, you did what was right for you. Where the pro and the writer unethical? No. Misleading and sneaky, YES.

Walleye Express, thats pretty ridiculous! I would have done the same thing as you did..how is someone supposed to write an informative article on walleyes and cant catch one of his own? Not to say this pro wouldnt have caught a nicer eye....eventually he would have. Nobody does my job for me, even if I have somewhere to be. Keep catchin eyes, nice work!

Guess Not

I'm tore between saying, "welcome to the real world" and "Man, I know what you mean". To me a photo is a photo, I've helped make too many that are put together. Most all cover shots are created to capture the right content and the right light at the right angle etc. etc. You can just about always find something that shows it to be a simulation of an actual fishing situation.

Integrity does count but competition is intense, and the quality and usefullness of the content of the article would make or break my opinion of this situation.

Arrowhead.
You make some valid points in defense of thee undefensable. I'd like to examine some of your points (being there are no Pro's) if you don't mind. Yes my shorts have been in a knot about this for all these years. I still can't bring myself to even watch this Pro on TV. Rather he is selling products or fishing in tournaments. I'll always wonder who's fish he is holding up now when doing either. And the fact that no pro has bothered to respond to my query, also make me wonder a bit. Maybe my question was a bit baited, and I'm not saying I've walked the straight and narrow all my life. I may have added an inch or pound to a fishes weight. Might even have added a point or two, too the rack on that swamp bucks head I missed 4 years ago. But won't mislead you or anybody else if asked how I did fishing yesterday, or when it comes to what the expectations are from me if we do go fishing. I've personally canceld charters for no other reason than the fish were just not biting. And as you mentioned "this is their work". Well, this is my work and it only effects me and a very small circle around me. What the Pro's do is viewed by and sets the standards for how the young people coming up will conduct themselves if given the chance. Look how it effected my Brother-in-law and he is in his 40's. And the article did indeed suggest that this pro caught the fish in question, using his refined jigging techniques. You can act and do a lot of things personality wise and be my friend. And it sounds to me Arowhead, like you have some great qualities. But if you have no integrity, we probably won't stay friends long. Capt: Dan.

Walleye Express, well said. I'm by no means even close to being a "pro", but I would suppose that it's no different than any other profession. There are always people in any field that basically cheat and/or take the easy way out. I couldn't agree with you more about their responsibilty to the public and the people on which they make their living. I'm not asking you, but I wish I knew who this "pro" was so I could personally boycott his/her shows and products.

> Where the pro and the writer unethical? No. Misleading
> and sneaky, YES.

Wow! Since when are "misleading and sneaky" considered ethical??????

Walk softly and carry a big fish.

Hans/MN

>Integrity does count but competition is intense,

Integrity that is abandoned in the face of competition is simply cowardice.

I think it was Brian Tracy who said "The glue that holds all relationships together, including the relationship between the leader and the led, is trust, and trust is based on integrity." Clearly this "leader" needs trust to sell products, but it doesn't appear he deserves any.

Walk softly and carry a big fish.

Hans/MN

Blacksilver, You are the man! Well said.

Ohdaddy

If they said in the article the pro caught the fish then it's a lie otherwise what is the issue. He or She has undoubtedly caught many fish that nice . I can still remember when every add seemed to have a disclaimer tacked to it something like,(this is a re-creation),and maybe this one should have had one , too. But do we call the T.V.station and say why doesn't that beautiful model,(male or female), or famous actor come with the car that was on TV in the add??? The threat from the writer was uncalled for.
With regards to the Equipment manufacturer lieing about where , when and with what(in another post) , again if it happened that way a lie is a lie no matter who tells it.
If it's a question of the poster being better than the pro, heck on any given day 90% of the fishermen on the water may do better than the Pros(in my case probably more like 98%). None of them are God's and most of them don't think they are (LOL). Lawrence