Lake Commandos’ Steve Pennaz Visits Lake of the Woods
It’s not often I have the chance to fish with a hall of fame angler. That opportunity presented itself this past week when Steve Pennaz with the TV show Lake Commandos which airs on the Sportsman’s Channel visited Lake of the Woods. The theme of the show is man vs fish vs man. Basically, two anglers work together to figure out what it takes to hone in and really catch the fish targeted. At the same time, the anglers are fishing against each other. Two techniques are used in the show. Typically, one anglers gains control of the boat for two hours using their desired technique. The other angler gets the same opportunity for the next two hour block with their chosen technique that has to be different. The third two hour block the two anglers use the technique that proved to be the most effective.
Pennaz, a resident of Independence, MN, has spent 30 years in the sportfishing industry where he has inspired, educated and entertained millions in people through print, social media, and the airwaves.
Pennaz got his start in 1988 as the executive director of of the North American Fishing Club. He served more than 15 years as an editor for the North American Fisherman magazine, served as a board member of conservation groups like Wildlife Forever and has been a freelance writer contributing to some of the most prestigious outdoor lifestyle industry magazines including In-Fisherman, Bassmaster and Outdoor Life, as well an award-winning television host.
Steve Pennaz started his adventure up at the NW Angle, fishing with long time NW Angle guide, Dan Schmidt. They targeted pike and muskies trolling big cranks tight to shorelines. In four hours, they boated two nice muskies on the MN side of the lake. They then shifted their efforts to walleyes, also successful with many fish boated.
The next segment found the host of Lake Commandos fishing on the south end of the lake with myself. We fished the south end, ran up to the north end, battled big waves, and found some nice fish. Nothing big on this outing which was frustrating to me, but we caught good numbers. We were targeting walleyes / saugers. I chose the Lake of the Woods staple, jigging. Steve had to choose another method and went with three way rigs with a crankbait. Both techniques caught fish. We did the best jigging.
It was a treat to watch Steve Pennaz in action. Not only is he a down to earth good communicator, he is an all around nice guy. He constantly considered aspects of what we were doing, camera angles and tips that were good for anglers who view the show. In addition, he is a heck of a stick. Thinking outside the box in many occasions, he wasn’t afraid to try lures or techniques that were out of the norm based on what he was observing with the conditions around him and mood of the fish.
The two segments will air on Sportsman Channel (Q1 & Q2) and World Fishing Network (Q3 & Q4).
Incidentally, the fish are biting!
To learn more about Lake of the Woods, check out the Lake of the Woods Tourism website.
To find a guide, charter boat or lodging, check out our lodging page.
