On the Evening of January 1, 2018, I experienced a life changing event. At approximately 5 pm a fire originating in the kitchen quickly became out of control. After exhausting all efforts personally to the maximum of my abilities, I retreated from my home with a few belongings I could carry. Rounding the corner of my home, I could see the Onamia Fire Department moving in with great timing as it was their time to continue the battle. The Onamia Fire Department did a fantastic job! The boys were there quick, assembled and fighting the fire in the blink of the eye. I will never forget the heat, I will never forget the smell, I will never forget the sounds, and images are forever burned into my brain. The house, although still standing, was a total loss. My garage made it out of the ordeal just fine but my fishing room suffered major damages. The sheer volume of equipment lost was astronomical. I was the only person home and was uninjured in the fire.
Moving forward, I will be fully operational by spring on Mille Lacs Lake! Thanks to tremendous support and lots of hard work everything "fishing wise" will be completed and prepared. Matts Fishing will survive and flourish through this ordeal. The boat was away from the house and is ready to go! Those of you planning on fishing with me will notice a couple upgrades on the rig... Details coming soon!
House wise things may be a little different. Insurance was not as good as one would hope, but with a clean slate I have a lot of options. I have decided on a building/home sight that will take a few steps (a lot of time, work and money) to complete. I am thinking of starting a blog just with home updates for those of you that might be interested. Imagine the perfect "fishing guide dream home"... The plan for now is to get the building itself up, with running water and electricity. This will give me a place to stay and work out of for the summer. The "guts" of the structure slated for construction next winter.
I cannot wait to get back to fishing! The ice on big Mille Lacs will not come off soon enough for me this year. I am soooo excited! Phone has been ringing and people are thinking spring/summer already. I have enjoyed talking and getting excited with everyone. It’s going to be a fantastic season! I expect good bass action with lots of big fish and a walleye bite surely to be one of, if not the best, bite in the entire state of Minnesota! Don’t forget about our giant muskies and pike... Mille Lacs... Truly amazing!
Keep your rods bent,
Matt