THE HISTORY OF WALLEYE CENTRAL

[LCFISHERMAN]

Hello,
I have been a member for a little while and have seen a lot of discussions (SP) on a variety of subjects
I would like all of the (1st posters and moderators of Walleye Central) at this site to tell the rest of
the WC what it has been like and what it has become
This would interest me and maybe a few others
thanks

[ebijack]

i guess i'm not sure what your looking for, but a few years back, scott and zack put many many hours into walleyecentral. with the help of some folks who dedicated alot of time besides scott and zach, walleyecentral grew faster each year till today where it has 8 + million visitors every month. lots of suggestions from viewers helped increase the the main stay of walleyecentral. heck, there used to be only one message board here, after turning over a few times a day, scott and zach had to split the message boards into catagories. the chatroom became a nitely gathering of regulars with the hosted chats becoming what they are today. the whole walleyecentral experience is something that grew to more than any of us ever believed could happen. even the huron ohio get together has become so large, we can't fit everyone into one resturant for our morning get together. rick lacourse (bigfoot) started the get together and it has become a regular yearly event now held in other states and at different times of the year! the town of huron ohio looks forward to the walleyecentral free fishfry and the dollars brought into that community. walleyecentral has help most every aspect of walleye fishing. the friendships developed thru walleyecentral will never be matched. i have more friends in many many states than i would ever imagine.....you can't beat it!!!!!!
thanks to all those who put forth the time to make walleyecentral and all it's benefits the success it is........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hope that helps explain a brief bit of how walleyecentral grew...scotts dream was exceded!!

[Den]

Ebi, how true it is, what you stated and more, much more. every one of us that read off of this board have benifited in many ways, the vast amount of knowledge that is on here each and veery day and night would boggle any one persons mind. this is the best site i have found on the puter this is my opinion. i too have found many friends that i would have never met through this site. i enjoy it immensly. good luck and good fishin. Thanks Scott and all.
Den

[LCFISHERMAN]

Thank you for the reply
A few more ???
When did the site start and what was the reason to get it going
and keep it where it is
It has to be a lot of hard work!
Stay around for awhile till I get the last kid in college (2 more yrs) and I'll be able to contribute more often
IT IS THE BEST SITE OUT THERE
THANKS
DEAN

[vetspet(ind)]

like ebjack...he's a class act and helps lots of dummies like me fix our boats....thanks for guys like him also..steve

[Melonbob_ON]

The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be :) I started hanging out here three, maybe four? years ago, and I've learned more since then than I have anytime previous. I make sure I check the boards daily, there are so many people here that know so much......(:

My only beef is that my Charter membership got lost...now everytime I look at a post and see since 2002, I feel like I'm a new guy again.....lol

[Cangl]

Technical, through, goodwilling, and sharing fisher people somewhere out west, down the street and across all borders. It's only been a year for me online, and this site and you guy's have been everything a angler could wan't or expect of another angler in my boat. With sound professional information and advice, with a good mix of old fishing with the high tech, and local information, small wonder it's been so successful! Thank you everybody ;)

Russ Kelley

[Tim FRick]

I started coming here at the end of 1996. Not sure how long it started before me, but I've sure seen allot of different message boards here. Great place to get up-to-date info on all the lakes and products. I've seen allot of products make or break on this board. It's a good test bed for allot of different products. I think if I were in the business with a fishing product I would test it here first. You'll get honest feedback, sometimes a little harsh feedback too but you'll have that.
Good Luck!!
Tim FRick

[Reels]

I got here what I think was the around the beginning. I am #4 on the 10lb club and first went by the alias of mr fish.

At first, it was a hand full of guys just shooting the breeze, sharing stories, and giving advice. I remember REW was the king of knowledge, and still is but he seems to lay in the weeds more. My guess would be as the board became bigger, there were more people that flamed his opinions.

I still have my first copy of WC Central Magazine, and remember waiting for the second... and third... :-)

The board and sight now is by far the most information packed fishing web site I have ever seen. Heck, I dont know any web site at all that offers all this info for free.

The guys have also done a great job of keeping the riff raff out.

I know I am a better fisherman due to Scott Golden, and the gang that keeps this site running.

Sincerely,

Reels
Ron Schaefer





<{{}}><

[Schnauzer]

I've discovered a lot of things I have been doing wrong by reading threads here on WC. My wife rolls her eyes now when I quote stuff I've learned here... I've been driving in overdrive while towing too much, I didn't realize bounce sheets keep the rodents away during boat storage, learned the brightly colored fireline is best for jigging, vinigar takes out water spots on the hull, etc. etc. etc.!

I love the site and the great people who contribute to it every day. I better quit typing before I break down in sentimental emotion. I need a hug. :-) :+ }>

[Fish_on]

Back in '96 I was doing an article onthe growth of walleye tournaments for Walleye Insider Magazine. Dave Csanda suggested I check with Walleye Central on the internet for references. I didn't want to tell him that I didn't have the internet yet, so I did some checking and came up with Scott Golden's phone number and Scott put a post on the message board (there was only one) for me and several people sent scedules for tournamnet circutis which I used in the magazine article. In 1997 when I finally got hooked up to the internet, Walleye Central was one of the first places I vistited and I've been hooked ever since.

It has changed a lot over the years. Back then, the message board was a lot different, plus there was only one board and it took a day or two for a topic to go to the second page. Now a topic is often on the second or third page within a few hours. Amazing how this thing has grown. It's a testament to Scott's vision and knowledge about the internet and walleye fishing.

Great post, thanks for giving me the opportunity to think back on it.

[ebijack]

come on guys and gals, is this the best any of us can remember? heck, we've all become the largest group that i know of who help/get together/and chat most every day. if walleyecentral isn't an addiction....i sure hope other sites don't grab me like this :)
no where else have i been able to meet such great folks...even in my own back yard i have met folks who i expect to be life long friends. you can't put a price on it.
thanks to everyone who visits walleyecentral and supports walleyecentral regularly!!!!!!!

[Fish_on]

I'm with you, I thought this thread would go bonkers.

[River_eye]

I remember you used to be able to leave the board for a few days and read all the unread messages in 20 minutes.

I remember one of the first great debates I had on this board was about Ontario making people stay there at lake of the woods before they could harvest any fish. Curt sure let me have it on that one.

[Adman]

Howdy Ebi, and the rest,

Just to let you know, Walleye Central received over 10 MILLION hits last month, boy how our little site has grown!!!

We try our very best, and spend many hours doing it, especially Scott, to keep this place as friendly and welcoming as it was from the start.


I'd like to thank the lot of you, Scott only put up the site,you quality people came here of your own free will. For that we thank you. And you keep coming back, for that we humbly thank you.

Have fun.........R

[dummie]

I got on the board a few years ago. There were times that I coudn't get on the board because so many were using this site. Bought "The way of the walleye" which is an exceptional cd for the money. I really wanted to say a thing or two about Scott and Rew. In reading a lot of the post I can't remember a time that Scott wasn't helpful and accommodating. I learned a lot because of his dedication to this board, and keeping it clean. Who can say enough about Rew. Always answering questions in an understanding way. Always helping us to with our problems be it fishing, tackle, boat and motor repair or whatever else there was. Many of the guys also chipped in with valuable information. What a board! Thanks to all of you from a dummie like me. God bless

[Fish_on]

Don't tell your advertisers, but nine million of them were mine.

[JustLookN]

Like Ebi and some of the others I have been here from the beginning or close to it, the chat room use to be the nightly hangout and probably still is for some people, the Huron get togethers started with just a few boats and people and gets bigger every year, I dont post much any more cause I am still reading and learning from the boards and there are lots of people with better answers than I could come up with, Scott and gang have done a great job at keeping this site the best fishing site there is, I know its a part of my daily routine and i am glad it is here, thanks to all who participate..Bob

[Jersey John]

I have been coming to this site for about 4 years now. I think I am addicted to WC! Every chance I get I am here to see what else is going on. Countless times every day I find myself asking questions, looking for answers, answering someone I feel I can help( which is not often because I am learning myself ). I never new a web site could do this to people. The people on this site are unreal! Free info and help when asked. To all of the people who answer us-THANKYOU!!!! you guys/gals are great people. I have learned so much about walleye fishing, boats and motors, and much more from here. I have had the chance to fish with some people and learn from them, hopefully I will be able to do the same for them soon. Once again Thankyou to all who answer. JJ
John M. Stroff Jr.

[Tom]

i to have been coming here for sometime now, if i would have registered when i first started coming here i would be 1 of the prized charter members but so what, i love the place i learned in weeks what it may have taken years to learn and i would like to think that i have helped some people put a bit more fish in the boat, its 1 of the best sites out there and is first class all the way, so to those of you running the show THANKS from 1 of your members that still visits here more than once daily




Tom}>
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[WAeyes]

Now stop it you old timers, I am getting all misty eyed.

FISH_ON, I will match you those 9 million and raise you 1 million!

I have not been here since the beginning but have been here several years now. It has definately become part of every day on the internet for me. Thanks to Scott and the entire staff for providing us this outlet...especially during cabin fever time.

[Hawgeye]

I have been coming here for upwards of 4 years. WHen I started, I remember as others have said, the board would not move very fast. I was a novice at the internet and was a little sheepish about even making my first post. In fact I think I had been visiting here for nearly 1 1/2 years before I dared make my first post. I was helped with so many things by asking questions as well as just reading everyone else's points of view and solutions.

REW and Miksup have really helped me not to mention tons of others that are very knowledgable and willing to help out. Juls always adds her positive, well mannered, intelligent replies and Aquaman is always good for some help too. Backwater eddy lives right in my backyard and I have yet to meet him but feel I already know him well from this board.

I sent Scott a big thank you email about 3 years ago and got some WC can huggies and a few decals. I became hooked and addicted. Now you can't shut me up! Guess I can't always follow the "Shut up and fish" slogan! :) I surely don't pretend to know tons but if I can ever be of assistance, I do my best since so many have helped me here.

A BIG THANKS TO SCOTT AND ALL YOUR SUPPORT PEOPLE!

[Gumbo]

I've been a regular here pretty much since the beginning and my moniker has changed many times. I started out as Gumby (since I was a gumby at walleye fishing), and it evolved to the current and very creative name I now use. The only name on this post I remember being here before me is ebijack, and he used to post regularly. REW also posted frequently. That was back when the board was using WWWBoard.

I knew next to nothing about walleye fishing, and found WalleyeCentral the best resource available--better than any magazine. Where else can a newby to walleye fishing learn from the pros, talk to the pros, and email the pros. My boat, rods, reels, lures, oil, tires, tow vehicle--everything I have is based on info learned on WalleyeCentral.

On the Juls/Scott video circulating by mail, Scott talks briefly about the site's beginnings. He said he was reading a fishing book and had just gotten a computer and Internet access. He had an idea that he could sell the book on the Internet. So he started contacting pros who were looking for a way to market their goods and WalleyeCentral was born.

[Peluso]

The first time I found Walleye Central was during my Rookie season up in Portland Maine. I had just bought my first computer, basically my signing bonus that year ;) but was excited to find some stuff on walleye fishing. I clicked into a search engine and found this site. Man, I have been hooked ever since! I read it everyday, though I used to post all the time I find myself reading more and more now. I have learned a lot here and I am not afraid to admit I don't know everything about walleye fishing and continue learning. I have also met so many wonderful people from this site. I can't begin to tell you how many of you have come up to me at a weigh-in or boat ramp and even hockey rinks to tell me they have talked to me over WC. Pretty cool stuff! That is my history on Walleye Central and I think the future looks very bright for WC. I hope we continue to grow the sport right along with growing this website! Good fishing and don't forget to shoot the puck. Mike Peluso #82

[SUPERTROLLER]

I haven't been here quite as long as Fish On, No Fish, Juls, or FJH1 but it's been a long time. Not sure when exactly. As someone else said though, we have been through several board updates and while we argued about everyone of them, I sure can't complain about where we've ended up now. This board is a picnic now compared to all the cheap shot and smart*ss reply's we used to endure. We do a lot more self-policing and don't tolerate too many ignorant replies. Only seldom does someone get "out-of-hand". Now I see so many more people registered and logged in as opposed to the anonymous flamers of old. Yes, I know all about those with problems because of your e-mail addresses, we will get to know you and you'll gain the respect for your posts you deserve. I welcome all you newcomers and typically will answer questions when I have actual experience with a product or knowledge of a tactic or style you wish to know about. I try to skip the arguement postings but sometimes I can't resist the temptation and get sucked in just like everyone else with an opinion. Love the way we all get along most of the time. Scott's got enough headaches without having to cyberdust nonsense off the board. Chat site is a great place to get quick answers if it's something urgent that can't wait or you want to "meet" other Walleye Central regulars. A lot of the Chat regulars don't post much on the Discussion board anymore. I wish they still did. Their knowledge was/is tremendous. Have a Great year, we waited through another winter for it to get here. Make it worth the wait.

[TK_551]

I have been visiting this site since I found about it (About 1998 I believe)but I never really participated with the message board. I am glad I started doing that because I am learning a lot of information (and hopefully providing it) plus I am meeting a lot of cool people. I visit and post every day and will continue to do so.

Tom
#551

[SdDoc]

Hi my name is Dan, and I am a walleye central junkie. I have been a WC junkie for over six years. I just cant seem to shake this addiction. It is a similar addiction to Bait shops, OLN, Cabelas. What weneed is a support group for people like us. Maybe we should have it meet at a local body of water? But seriously, WC has grown emensly over the past years. The one thing we dont see as much as we used to was the big time pros posting like they used to do. Whether it was from bashing or simply a lack of caring i dont know, but we just dont see the numbers like there was in its infancy. just an observation from my point of view.

[Dutchman]

I started visting here at Walleye Central in 95' when I first got hooked up to the net. I spent most of my time on the chat site with ebi, Lundman, Spanky, Blane, Vetspet, jigumup, LS, any many others. Scott used to chat frequently also. The feeling then as now, was good freinds enjoying conversations about their favorite hobby, or obsession. There where lots of laughs, I must say a good time was had by all. After a while PWT pro's started frequenting the chat site and before you knew it there where guest chats. I finally got to meet Scott at a MWC tourney on Big Stone, man what a mustache:)Hee Hee!! I still would like to meet the others that made those long winter nights bareable. Hey Ebi!! What happened to the Champion? When in doubt throw it out to the folks here a W.C. and you'll find immediate help......


" Fishing is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope "

[Eyez]

I don't remember exactly when I first started frequenting WC, probably spring or summer of 1998. It was much different then. That was about 3 or 4 message board formats ago, several chat formats ago, and a lot fewer visitors in them days. :) I still post frequently and chat occasionally, because I think that it's a great source of information. Not only for me, but it's nice to be able to help someone on the rare occasions that I can. ;)

Thanks Scott, Zach, and everyone else that made WC happen and kept it running.


Eyez

[Peanut]

I can't remember the exact day, but sometime in April I will celebrate my one year anniversary on WC.

I found the site by luck - it was a slow day at work, Napster was down, and so I did a search for walleye fishing. WC was one of the first to come up. The rest, as they say, is history.

Now, it is a part of my morning routine - I check my the results of my hockey pools, check my email, and then it's WC. Sometimes it takes nearly an hour to go through all the posts since the end of the last workday, but I try to read as many as I can.

I remember as a newbie, without a handle, tag line or anything, reading so many of the posts by the long-time regulars: (Ranger, Aquaman, REW, Backwater Eddy, Ebijack and so many more) and thinking, man, it would be neat to be as respected on here as they are, even if not as knowledgeable. I'm still tryin'....

And so much for all that. I have learned more about fishing this last year than I did in the previous 5 combined. For that I am grateful to everyone who posts, and everyone who makes WC happen. I hate to name anyone specifically, for I know I will miss someone important, but I will make one exception - Scott. Thank you.

Can't wait for soft water, and another great year on the lakes and WC.

All the best everyone.

derrek.

CANADIAN WALLEYE OPEN UP AND SAY "EH"!

[Sheila]

1996, Scott did a website for Ron Boggs - with a lot of whoppers from the Columbia River

Feb 8, 1997 - current 2002 (Walleye Central is a 5 years old!)

The beginning days -
I had this small website in 1996 on AOL called Walleye First. The site was a focal point to make fishing contacts for my friend Jeff Gibbs (who was fishing the am side of the PWT that year) and a place to post our little fishing stories/results. It worked wonders for our travel, prefish, and contacts as we received 100's of great emails every month. One day we get an email from Scott Golden (still 1996). In that email Scott told us about his entire vision and grand plans for his new website which he was ready to kick-off at the start of 1997. He was forthright and honest - and spilled his guts on the whole ball of wax! We became instant close "net" friends after that.

Finally, someone was going to produce the kind of walleye website we all so desperately wanted...

1997 - Birth of WalleyeCentral.com
A lot of people became "regulars" on the WC discussion boards and later became real people when the ChatSite was setup. I remember early chat room days (actually nights) with Golden (Scott Golden), Ebijack (Tom Ebi), Jigmup (Paul Folden), and Sheila (me) in there testing. Scott was like a big director hashing over plans for how to make the website bigger, better, and more popular. All he could think about was attracting more Pros, more information, more events, and much more fishing public. He always asked over and over "what do people want?" But I think he knew all along inside what we needed.

We needed to be very careful not to type a really private message in the chatroom - and then hit enter when the "public" button was on! Wow, that was a common boo-boo back then! ;)

I moved to Colorado in 1997 and went up to fish with Scott and Cindy on Scott's 40th birthday in Fort Collins, CO. If only you could have seen the WC HQ back then! It was squashed in a bedroom loaded with computer equipment surrounded by tons of hunting and fishing equipment. How appropriate! This room was a place that had probably REPLACED all the valuable fishing and hunting time Scott "used" to have. He must have spent 1000's of hours pecking away on the website in that room to the point of having no real life after he got home from his "day job". It was worth it (thanks again Scott for all your hard work). Zach Boudreau wrote a lot of good ASP code for you too. I hope the fruits of all those dedicated years of pain are finally starting to taste good. Maybe you are starting to live the dream and can fish/hunt more often now.

1998 - The community builds, the chat room and hosted chats become super popular, the pro web pages and articles increase, and the discussion boards grow so hot flames erupt! By now, I've met so many people through the website I actually start fishing (and partying) with a lot of people I'd met on the site. No one in their right mind would ever fish with wild Paul Folden - but I did - due to Scott hooking us up in the chatsite for a Wyoming tourney. Then one lonely day in November I see this announcement for "Rick LaCourse's Night Fishing Walleye Extravagaza and Walleye Central Get-Together". I promptly called Rick and he was delightfully convinced me that I should get my butt out there and that all the men would take care of me - and take me fishing too. I have partied down at a lot of tournaments before, but I must say I had the best time ever that week in November in Huron, OH and at all the Annual WC Get-Togethers after that - nasty weather and all. By the way, we never did any "night fishing", because the day fishing was fantastic.

1999-2002 - Walleye Central Magazine, Muskie Central, Fishing reports, Trade-a-trip, Pro Q&A, Walleye Store, WC Gear, New Management Co. in Minnesota, LiveLeaderBoard, Tourney Finder, more Get-Togethers, bigger computer server, 200 more new friends, and you know... I can barely keep up with it all, but it has grown to be the most comprehensive fishing site anywhere on the web.

It's so cool to see that 5 years later all the plans and dreams of Walleye Central have come true and a lot more...

Happy belated birthday, thank you, and cheers to a glorius new fishing season!

--Sheila Ryan

[Driftr]

Howdy folks,
I started to come here in late 1997. It was an addiction from the beginning, morning coffee & Walleye Central. Several of us had become friends on the chatroom. In April of 1998 we decided we would hold a Walleye Central chatroom get together at the PWT event at Port Clinton. That is where my involvment with WC started. Tom Ebi inlisted me as his assistant chatman. Back then we had to copy/paste to retrieve the chats to be posted. From there I became more active within the site. I still do the back up on the chatsite with Ralph Muccilli and a few other things. I am still addicted to this day :-)
Walleye Central & morning coffee.
Jim Hall aka Driftr

[ebijack]

sheila..your our historian! :)
i knew someone had to remember all that's happened!
i sure due remember walleyefirst!

[ebijack]

i finally broke down and sold that great champ and now have a 18-2 crestliner tournament series...alot nicer when making those long runs out into erie!

[curt quesnell]

Thank you Shiela.

Thats what I thought THE HISTORY OF WALLEYE CENTRAL was going to
to be about. I have been trying to remember what happened when.


Curt Quesnell

[stevefellegy]

Although I first clicked onto Walleye Central the first time in the fall of '01, my first Scott Golden/ Walleye Central concept connection goes back to the second week of May, 1996. I just looked back into old scheduling records to verify my dating. Scott came to Mille Lacs that week and met with me and Tom Bruno, to intro this "idea" he had to enhance our promotional fishing careers. Here I am, one that was scared to turn a GPS on, listening to Scott expound about this computer thing. When he left, I looked at Bruno and said "let's just go fishin'."
Of the 2,671,067 mistakes I've made in my life, not listening to Scott Golden inviting us to be a part of the ground floor of what this concept is today, is on the very top. WHY...Scott, didn't you hit us over the head with a fishing rod and hook a Rapala to our nostrils and drag us into this??!!!! lol

Better late than never I guess....

[RoyGPA]

Here is a picture of that get-together at the PWT in 1998:
http://home.adelphia.net/~rgriffit/images/WC1998PCPWT.jpg
I'm there somewhere in the back.

I've been around since 1997, mostly lurking but occasionally posting. Have received alot of motor advice from Ebijack in that time. I consider him and Drift'r to be great friends even though we've only met in person a couple times.

[curt quesnell]

It must have been in 1997 I had been on-line for only a few months
and had been hanging out at alloutdoors.com. It was during a
slow time on that site (24 hours with no new posts) I began following
links and found Walleye Central.

I loved it right away. It was busy and lots of information was flyin all over the place. What I remember most was the changes that came every few months to speed things up or improve the look of the site
and how fistfights would break out for days afterward. If I try to
remember the look of some of the earlier pages now I come up blank.
Anything new was immediately HATED by the masses.

I never frequented the chat room because I go to bed real early
and the place doesnt start hoppin till real late.

In the earlier days of Walleye Central, especially in the fall
and spring, huge bashfests would break out nearly every day. Keep
in mind this was all before the Lund vs Crestliner thing was finally
settled.

I have made friends here that have become fishin partners (I wish
there was more time to fish with more WC friends) and I have learned
tons.

The real big thing that I have learned is this....

"You wont change someones mind once it is made up. It does zero
good to argue with someone on line". (or in person for that matter)
It doesnt matter how wrong they are or how screwed up their facts
are.

When I have changed my mind about something I would read it here and for whatever reason go for it. Never because someone tried to shove it down my throat. I have been in some of the wars and there was never any satisfaction in it.

What I have been most amazed at...

"People have different opinions about EVERYTHING!!!!!"It doesnt
matter what the topic. There really is (at least) two sides to
every story.

I have spent many thousands of hours here (that's scarry)and my
only real beef has nothing to do with the site or the people who
work so hard to put it together. The cheap shot idiots who change
their names and hop on to rip someone bother me more every time
it happens. Its not the ripping that bothers me, sometimes someone
needs it. These creeps havent got the guts to use their name or
their "handle", they never contribute a thing and it just makes
the session less enjoyable for me and then shorter.

Talking Walleye fishing on the internet.......whoda thunk it?

There were lots of people around back then that are long gone now.
I try to remember some of the names and handles but I cant come up
with many. maybe that would make a good post someday.

This is how I remember THE HISTORY OF WALLEYE CENTRAL, what
it has done for me and what it has meant to me.

Thanks Scott

Curt Quesnell

(not that it's great but it has really helped my typing too.)

[Fish_on]

This can not be the real Curt Quesnell. There's capitalization and punctuation in this post. Must be an imposter.

[curt quesnell]

Like I said, it has helped my typing some. (My New Years resolution)

Curt Quesnell

[Dutchman]

Sheila, Thank you for the correct dates, you just made me 2 years younger :)


" Fishing is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope "

[AquaMan]

Wow, that was cool, Shiela! It's been a great ride, though. Cheers to all of you that started it and cheers to all those that made it great. This truely is a great site and I have learned, shared enjoyed it all here.

Hope you all enjoy another 5+ years WC.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just add water!

[Driftr]

Hi Roy,
Thanks for posting the picture. That brings back great memories. I think this was the first time anyone put a get together in motion. Thanks Ebi :-) Roy, do you remember how green 2OLD2 got in the 8 footers on BusyB's boat that day, hahaha.
Driftr

[LCFISHERMAN]

Thanks to everybody for sharing their stories and history of WC
This is the best site for everything related to life and walleyes

[tomcat]

You are not overcome ... you are just "in touch with your inner self and your feelings". You are in "the zone" and "one with your fishline" and would be AWESOME on the walleye hunt at this moment in your life. LOL

[tomcat]

Laughing... geat pic!!! Looks like that band ... what was the name of it ?????? .... oh yah, "Motley Crew" ... lol.

Good memory, I bet!!

[Sheila]

It felt like '95 to me too Dutchman. Then I cheated to recall dates after a "who is" lookup on netsol.com and it all came back to me...

I'm hoping SCOTT and many others post on this one!

[Walizz 1]

I guess I started visiting in '97 while at work. After that I really bugged friends and relatives to use their computers "just for a minute" to see what was going on here. Finally, last year we broke down and bought our own computer. (the last household in America to get one!!) I've gotten so much good information here and hopefully dispensed some too. In the last 5 or so years I've seen this site grow to be a valuable source for so many anglers. As a matter of fact, I sold my boat through the classifieds yesterday.
And now to quote Mark Dorn "Ladies and gentlemen, Let's Go Fishing!!"

Dale Frank

[ebijack]

that pic does bring back alot of memories. glad we all got to meet bull those few short years. (you have to watch out for boatnut...he's way to quite...just smiles alot):)
i'm sure all of us on BUSY B's boat (what a host!)that day remember 2OLD2.....what time we all had.
our first meeting at port clinton. (just lookin...always had the great food with him etc)
it wasn't easy but, finally my old buddy driftr conceded to be the backup chatman.....never could hook royg into it!(took many years till we found ralph, and he made the fatal mistake of accepting taking over the chatroom):) the early days in the chatroom, we all had problems not getting booted..server problems.
i wouldn't give up a second of it. way to many good friends thru WC!

[FJH1]

I think I first started visiting WC back in 1997 or 1998. After a couple of posts I received an e-mail from Zach...he somehow figured out who I was :-). Zach was great friends with the guy who I lived across the hall from my freshman year of college (we were later in the same fraternity). What a small world, to run into a guy on the internet who I met some 15+ years ago. Anyway, I've been visiting daily since. Last year my wife and I attended the Get-Together for the first time, lots of fun. In my opinion, this is the best site on the web. I can't believe the turnover of posts. Awesome site, thanks Scott!

Best Regards,

FJH

[April in WI]

I started checking out the site over a year or so ago. Just looking at what it was about, not really participating. I've heard about it through the grapevine and for the fact that my old fishing buddy, Juls has been a big part of it for a few years now. I haven't seen Juls for a while now, since shes moved away, but I keep in contact with her through e-mails. It's nice to see how far she's gotten with her fishing career. She's very smart at what she's doing, and she has even taugh me a few things.

I guess it doesn't only interest me because of all the things you can learn about walleye fishing, but I like looking at all the pictures from the get togethers, I like checking the schedules of upcoming events, and what is going on with the message board. If I was available to go into the chat rooms, I would. I think it would be fun to interact with people from the site. But because I work 2nd shift, its hard for me to participate.

I really enjoy this site and am glad I've heard about it.

NOW, HOW DO I BECOME A CHARTER MEMBER!?!

April :)

[Raybob]

I've been around WC since 98 .. I don't post often, as I'm a old retired Inland S-eye guy. I Luv WC info, as info is kinda my hobby :-)

I'm old, but not against change/improvements .. they have made WC grow into what it is!!!

Ray