Published: February 27, 2008 03:16 pm            

The Outdoors: Dairy farmer lands one large catch, nice set of wheels

Originally published in the February 22, 2008, print edition.

Walleye fillets are going for about 10 bucks a pound at the grocery store.

But that’s nothing compared to what the 5.34-pound walleye that Terry Schwichtenberg caught recently on Gull Lake near Brainerd was worth.

In nice round numbers, figure about $5,000 a pound.

Schwichtenberg, who operates a dairy farm a few miles northeast of Waterville, won a 2008 Ford F150 4X4 pickup in late January by catching the biggest fish during the 18th annual Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake near Brainerd.

Schwichtenberg, who customarily limits his ice angling to closer to home — dairy farming is an every day chore — participated in the Brainerd contest after hooking up with an old schoolmate who now lives in the Gull Lake area.

“I met an old high school buddy last summer at a school reunion and we began planning a fishing trip for this summer,” Schwichtenberg said.

“I called him a few weeks ago and he said ‘by the way, we have this big ice fishing contest coming up ....’” So Schwichtenberg lined someone up to take care of farm chores and he and his wife drove up in the family sedan to Brainerd.

The event, which attracts upward of 10,000 participants and runs from noon to 3 p.m, was held on Hole-In-The-Day Bay of Gull Lake.

“For all the people out there, there really didn’t seem to be that many fish caught,” Schwichtenberg said. “My buddy and his wife both had bites but missed them.”

With about an hour left, Schwichtenberg tied on a Daredevle spoon that had sat in his tackle box unused for nearly 20 years and tipped it with a shiner.

“The fish hit pretty hard and the drag slipped a bit so I knew it was a nice fish — it was pretty exciting,” he said.

Eventually, he had the fish flopping on the ice.

The rumor mill had it that a two-pound walleye was at the top of the leader board and his fish clearly was much bigger.

While he was weaving his way through all of the other contestants to the weigh-in area several hundred yards away, anglers offered their congratulations. “That’s going to be the winner,” several told him.

Turns out they were right.

While Schwichtenberg was registering his catch, another nice walleye weighing 4.46 pounds was caught, a full pound lighter than his, which was good for a second-place finish.

But when the last lines had been pulled from the water and the final fish registered, his walleye was still at the top, good for the new Ford pickup. Ironically, Schwichtenberg just bought a different set of wheels to replace an aging truck last summer. “Milk prices were pretty good so I thought I ought to upgrade,” he said. He bought a used 2000 Chevy to replace the early ’70s vintage Chevy.

Of course, before driving his newest set of wheels home, he had to pony up enough cash to cover the sales tax and license. “And I imagine the IRS will be hitting me up for the gift tax,” he said, estimating that to be around 25 percent of the $25,000 value of the truck.

With his wife following him back to their Waterville farm in the family car, Schwichtenberg said it was kind of neat driving the his new set of wheels home.

“Driving down Highway 371, other guys recognized the truck from the contest and tooted their horns when they went by.”

Finally, Schwichtenberg has never really considered himself a Ford man.

“But I guess I am now.”

        

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