After 10 years – That's a Wrap

Well, that’s a wrap!

Saturday evening was officially my last guide trip of my decade long guide service. I can’t describe the fun I’ve had over these years watching people catch their (in many cases) first flathead or sturgeon!

Many many thanks to the members and staff here at In-Depth Outdoors. Many in this forum answer tons of questions on how to catch, best practices and conservation of all fish in our waters.

You guys taught me the fishing skills needed to be successful!

Todd Schumacher was my guest Saturday and landed a nice 50″ sturgeon along with 8 others. One tagged fish as well. It was a down right fantastic night as far as the weather goes and even had some fireworks going off. Seemed fitting lol.

What am I going to do in the future?
A prairie dog trip next year is in the planning stages.
Spend more time with my Favorite Granddaughter.
and
December 3rd I’ll be headed to the worlds largest atoll, Christmas Island for 6 days of flyfishing for bone fish and other species while wading in the flats of white sand and turtle grass in the South Pacific.

I will be booking a couple trips next year just to get out of the house and I’ll still be fishing, but with friends I haven’t seen for 10 years or so and of course the Favorite Granddaughter.

Heck, you might even see me out walleye fishing on Pool 4! NOT!
Here’s some of Todd’s fish from tonight.

Again, thank you all for helping me live my dream!

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Your reports will be missed.
I hope you won’t forget it about us here on IDO. I have noticed a decline in your postings this summer and hope it was only because you were busy. There aren’t a lot of us old guys around here anymore.

Enjoy your trip. It sounds like a blast! Smuggle a 6 pack of Hamms and a few cans of Spam to that part of the world.

Thanks B. I’m not going anywhere and will have more time to stay tuned to Ido. Lots of things pulling at me over the last year and sure hope that settles down soon.

Spam is as common as fried chicken in that part of the world. Hamm’s on the other hand….

Congratulations on a career filled with integrity and new friendships formed.
Maybe now you’ll have time for us to get out. Golfing, not fishing!

Again, congrats Brian and have a great time battling those muscular Bonefish!

Golfing? Don’t even jest about that!!

We all have learned a lot from you too BK! I have never fished with you, however the writing you have done on IDO has made me feel like we fish often.

Enjoy the lighter side of fishing with the FG!

Thanks Cal!

Was it tough to give up guiding?

Agree, enjoy your posts. You keep things interesting vs just tackle talk. Characters are slim in these days of pc cookie cutter everything.

Brian you already now how I feel about your retirement and what you have for my FW in past years…I cant say enough about that part but my friend I am afraid you are now forcing me to buy a tad bit bigger boat to travel quicker and further to feed the hunger she has for those big dark side fish !

Enjoy that grand daughter and your upcoming trips !

See you at the camper…. You are still camping aren’t you ?

Congrats on the career man

Your fishing story is a cool one and looking forward to seeing the next chapters.

Congratulations BK!

You had a very nice & successful run which I’m sure you could have continued for many years to come. You’ve earned the respect of many along the way. Mostly for doing things the right way and treating others with respect.
We started our guiding businesses at roughly the same time and I sometimes took the time to review your website and/or look closely at how you were doing things.
I very much liked the way you ran your guide business. Professional in every way in my opinion.

Best wishes to you in retirement!

Joel “Boog” Ballweg

You should write a book!

best of luck to you BK!!

Congratulations on 10 years BK!

Basseyes, tough giving up? There is NOTHING like a Sturgeon Virgin holding on to a rod that’s bent over the side of the boat and if their first sturgeon happens to come flying out of the water, well, man what a rush! Same with a good size flat finally coming up beside the boat. More so if it’s a female that hasn’t seen an animal like the flathead.

On the other hand, there comes a time when a person needs or wants to focus on what’s really important. Ya know? It’s a lot easier watching Kerry Harvey starting a campfire then it is finding bait and getting the boat ready.

Jeff: Still have the camper at least for this year. I didn’t say I was going to quit fishing. I don’t think Mary would let me.

Thanks Boog! I’m sure we’ll be seeing you on the ‘sippi. Now I’ll have time to stop and chat! You guys always come off the river when I’m getting ready to go out!

Belletaine: I’m almost done with my first book. Golf 101. I might need some photos…you in?

Thanks to the rest of you guys as well.

Now you’ll have to excuse me, I need to find out what I did with that Jigging Rap.

Congrats!

Glad to hear we’ll still be able to enjoy sharing and reading your post here on IDO. When you make this special trip for bone fish and the others that will follow, please share. I as well as many others live through those writings to some extent….

Enjoy the change… get the most of every day, and may it be in the best of health and company.

Congrats BK! So what’s in the next chapter of life?

Christmas Island bone and other fish fishing on the fly rod is the only thing on my little mind right now. Although I did find a WW-15 for dog shooting next summer.

I’ll be spending a couple days in Hawaii paying my respect to men and women of Pearl Harbor. Ironically it will be the 75th anniversary of the action that put my Dad on the Disabled American Veteran list.

One day will be touring the volcanoes and lava fields, then on to the greatest bone fishing mecca of the world.

No cell phone service and a slow wifi might limit my posting while at CI, but we’ll see how it goes once I’m there.

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Great run bk!

BK for president 2020!

biggill wrote:

Great run bk!

BK for president 2020!

I was feeling pretty good.

Congrats BK! Keep all of us on IDO in the loop on what is going on with your next adventure in life. You my friend have a very insightful way of educating the rest of us here on IDO and always with the right amount of humor. Many of us make jokes about you and you always have a comeback! Usually a much better zinger returned. Please keep posting! This site needs BK!
Again I tip my hat to you sir.

Who and I say again, WHO makes jokes about me!

I try to wear one size larger undies then what’s needed.

Thanks MX!

And now, the Hamms is near;
And so I face the final slurpin.
My friend, I’ll say it clear,
I’ll state my case, I’m not certain.

I’ve lived a life my bellys full.
I’ve traveled each and every backway;
And more, much more than this,
I lost it my way.

Spam, I’ve had a few;
But then again, too many to mention.
I did what I had to do
And ate it all without exemption.

I planned each moon lit course;
Each careful step along the backway,
And more, much more than this,
I lost it my way.

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When IDO bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And lost it my way.

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried.

Best Of Luck in all your future Endeavors My Witty Fiend

And what would this thread be without a song (of Frank’s none the less) from my buddy Jeff Huberty? Jeff, the past President of the now defunked BK Fan Club.

We need to sit down and have a Hamm’s together ol’ boy! Soon!

PS Bring Jean along!
PSS Heck with it, you stay home and just send Jean!

ya know,it just dawned on me why BK is giving up guide service,they outlawed spam as bait!!!!
possibly for leaving a slick a mile long on the waters where he used it,that and the fish sh!t themselves to death after eating it,now combine that with the hamms er,uh,deposited over the side of the boat.

all in fun BK!! wished I could of gotten to fish with you.

You never know IB, stranger things have happened in my life!

Congrats bud, sounds like you’ll be living the DREAM !!!

Brian Klawitter wrote:

And what would this thread be without a song (of Frank’s none the less) from my buddy Jeff Huberty? Jeff, the past President of the now defunked BK Fan Club.

We need to sit down and have a Hamm’s together ol’ boy! Soon!

PS Bring Jean along!
PSS Heck with it, you stay home and just send Jean!

I have acquired a new luv in my life, her name is Ginger,
Jameson & Ginger

BK, if I was a man with an open teachable mind I would say that you have taught me all I know about Flathead and Strugeon fishing.

But since I am a young punk that knows everything already I haven’t seemed to learn much about your art despite our few trips out together.

You did however, give me many memorable moments, and many fishing firsts. You were my first jalapeno spam sandwich. My first smoked asain carp. My first overnight sturgeon ice fishing adventure. My first Dr Juice sex pheromone chumming. My first mud puppy ice fishing beat down. My first flathead swing and miss, along with my first 30″ walleye swing and miss However, and unfortunately, you were not my first Hamms

As another self proclaimed fishing goofball I have enjoyed our adventures. I look forward to you “having more time for me” in the future Congrats on doing things the right way for 10 years, you are an inspiration.

Now enough BK ego stroking, the guy isn’t that cool anyway

OHHH and who can forget…you taught me how to do this ===> @beachbrian