Fishing Loon-Safe with Chip Leer
By Baylee Bessingpas, Minnesota GreenCorps Member
To provide an expert perspective on fishing loon-safe, I interviewed Chip Leer – member of the National Loon Center’s Board of Directors and well-renowned member of the Minnesota sportfishing community. Chip’s experience in the fish industry spans decades, and he has been inducted into both the International Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame!
Q: In a nutshell, how would you describe your experience and expertise with fishing? What role does fishing play in your life?
A: Fishing has been an integral part of my life since a very young age. Growing up in Minneapolis, fishing was my introduction to the natural outdoors. From visiting relatives in northern Minnesota where I learned to fish, to riding my bike to Lake Harriet in Minneapolis and fishing from shore, to observing the ecosystem of Minnehaha Creek; I learned about aquatic natural resources with a fishing pole in my hand. When it comes to expertise, my resume includes over 30 years in the sportfishing industry. I’ve worked in areas of the sportfishing industry that include TV and print media, manufacturing, marketing, product development, and tournament organization. Two big accomplishments include inductions into the International Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and MN Fishing Hall of Fame.
Q: How did you first get involved in the world of fishing? Is there an experience that stands out as your “spark” for lifelong participation?
A: One of my favorite parts of fishing is the chance to step away from the energy of the city. Time outdoors has helped me re-center for most of my life. I’m not sure there was one single moment that sparked my lifelong connection to fishing. What I do know is that the memories and lifestyle from my youth—time spent in a boat or cabin, the distinct smell of a freshwater lake in the air, and waves lapping against the shore—bring me a sense of serenity. The act of fishing and catching appeals to my competitive side: the challenge of outwitting a species in its own environment. What continues to spark my passion is the pursuit of finding fish and getting them to take something I offer. I still laugh almost every time it happens.
Q: Which Minnesota fish is your favorite to catch? Which do you find most interesting?
A: Currently, Smallmouth Bass. That said, I have had periods of my life where I have become consumed with catching all species at all times of year. From muskies in summer to crappies through the ice. Every time I fish is interesting to me as there is something to be learned.
Photo by Timothy Knepp, USFWS
Q: When you think about the time you’ve spent outdoors, are there any experiences you recall that really stand out to you as defining moments? Any particularly notable encounters with wildlife?
A: Oh yes, and more than just fish. Having a moose walk out of the woods onto a trail and stand within 3 feet of me like I didn’t exist. Or wolves that walked under me as I sat in a tree. One of the most vivid is the first-time I had a loon chase my muskie bait as I reeled it back to the boat! I had never watched a loon swim underwater at that point in my life. Killer whales in Alaska playing with our anchor line, or closer to home, a large muskie I hooked on Leech Lake that tossed my lure so I never got close…but to this day I cannot tell you how large it was…. Because it’s impossible it was as large as I “think” it was, haha!
Q: What does being an outdoorsperson mean to you?
A: Being an outdoorsperson, to me, is when someone is personally passionate about the outdoors, spends a reasonable amount of time outdoors enjoying multiple activities, and ultimately has acquired skills from doing so. The activities could be anything: camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, birding, etc.
Q: What does stewardship mean to you? How does this influence you as a fisherman and outdoorsman?
A: As an angler and outdoorsperson, stewardship to me means I put the resource first. I know that without a healthy resource, we have nothing.
Q: In the community of outdoor enthusiasts, what common threads do you observe between community members (motivations, values, etc.)?
A: Interesting question because I see common desires between recreational anglers, tournament anglers, hunters, boaters and naturalists. Each user group desires a clean, healthy aquatic resource that they can experience in their own unique way. I see/hear fear of the others when each group speaks of the other. This fear is the barrier we need to work diligently to extinguish. Together we will succeed in protecting the resource; separately, groups may find individual triumphs, but ultimately the resource will pay a price.
Q: Over the course of your life, what changes have you observed in the outdoor landscapes you spend time in? What has stayed the same?
A: No question it’s harder to find solitude on a lake or river. It can still be done, it’s just harder to achieve. Much of the difference I see is clearer water, not necessarily cleaner. More vegetation in some lakes and less in others, as lakes age and evolve. That said, much of the influence in lake health is from outside sources such as aquatic invasive species. Zebra mussels clear up the water, although they sterilize it, rusty crawfish depose broadleaf cabbage beds, while milfoil growth chokes out a lake. All that said, fish management has navigated these challenges, and I do believe we have more opportunity to catch more and bigger fish now than even 20 years ago. How and where you catch fish has changed dramatically over this time. Despite the fishing industry’s desire to overcomplicate the process of catching fish, the process remains close to its roots. A hook with a worm under a bobber still catches a fish, only now you need fancy electronics to locate the fish and a specialized graphite casting bobber rod to reach the fish’s location along with a fine-wire stainless steel hook to capture that fish. Everything changes — nothing changes.
Q: How would you define ethical angling?
A: Understanding when you have advantages over the fish and not exploiting the fish when they are vulnerable.
Q: What inspired you to get involved with the National Loon Center as an advocate for loon-safe fishing?
A: #1 = I love LOONS! I was inspired to get involved with the National Loon Center because I have observed a gap between angling organizations and naturalist groups despite having similar desires for clean and healthy aquatic environments. I feel I can help bring groups together for the common good oops, I mean Common Loon.
Q: For those who may be resistant to change when it comes to their fishing traditions, how would you encourage them to consider safer practices?
A: Hard to say for sure without knowing why they are resistant. My guess is they are concerned their fishing success may change by using loon-friendly tackle. Should that be the reason, I would explain how I, along with many others, adjusted presentations for equal, if not better, success using non-toxic materials.
Q: What does your vision of an ideal future for fishing in Minnesota look like?
A: Aquatic resources being experienced and respected by anglers and non-anglers alike with all user groups working together, putting the resource first.
Q: For those who would not consider themselves to be outdoorspeople, what do you want them to understand about your world?
A: Despite how it may appear, most anglers are not there to take, take, take. The vast majority of anglers do not keep or kill the fish they pursue and have a genuine respect for the resource. It’s how they enjoy the resource that may be different from you.
Q: Any final notes or things you would like to mention related to outdoor recreation, loon-safe fishing, yourself, or your career?
A: Final thought would be – whether you’re an angler or not, next time you are in a social situation and find yourself with an opportunity to talk with someone who enjoys aquatic natural resources differently than you, ask questions about how and why they are spending time on the water. You may just learn you have more in common than you ever thought possible.
Learn more and get involved
Chip’s website:
https://chipleer.com/
MN-FISH Sportfishing Foundation
Nonprofit that “works to ensure healthy fish populations, clean lakes, and strong programs that improve fishing for today’s anglers and tomorrow’s.”
https://mn-fish.com/foundation/
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Nonprofit working “to improve the health and resilience of fish and wildlife habitat on public lands and waters and to maintain and improve access to these places for current and future generations to hunt, fish and recreate.”
https://www.backcountryhunters.org/