When Dennis Walker was 12, he hooked into what felt like a very large fish.
From left, Charles Walker; his son, Ray Walker; and Dennis Walker smile aboard their green fishing boat.
Ray Walker displays a fish he caught out on Big Green Lake.
Forty-five minutes later, after battling with the fish, he and his father, lake trout fishing guide Ray Walker, got the fish in the net and knew that it was big. They took the boat in right away and it happened to be the inland lakes’ state-record lake trout, weighing in at 34.5 pounds.
After that, Dennis knew that he belonged on the water for the rest of his life.
Now, years later, he is passing down his family’s legacy to a distant cousin of his, Charles Walker.
Dennis noted the Walker family came to Green Lake in 1852 and about 100 years later, his dad had 17 different guides working for him. Maintaining that legacy is important to both Dennis and Charles.
Dennis and Charles have fished together for a long time, and Dennis knew that it was time for him to take a step away.
“I’m getting old, and I want to keep the business in the Walker name, so Charles has helped me do that,” Dennis said.
Charles fished with Dennis’s father, Ray Walker, for many years in high school.
“I used to drive his boat to the dock and get it in the water and then get it back on land afterwards all the time,” Charles said.
At a young age, Charles became a skilled fisherman, specifically for walleye. He picked up fishing for lake trout while he was fishing with Dennis.
Now, as the new owner of Walker’s Guide Service, he takes groups out fishing for lake trout specifically.
“I bought the business last spring and we are off to a great start; the phones have been ringing like crazy,” Charles said.
Fishing runs in the family, through all generations of Walkers. Charles’ two sons, Ray and Fred, love to fish.
“Ray can fly fish pretty well,” Charles said. “My brother-in-law is a skilled fly fisherman, and Ray took some instructions from him, but Ray really has picked up that skill.”
From family fishing outings to groups and parties, the Walkers have seen it all.
“I took out both of my son’s Little League teams last year and they had a lot of fun, but 12 kids on the boat was quite the crazy experience,” Charles said. “They had a whole box of Oreos gone in about 30 seconds.”
The experiences and stories are what make the fishing trips memorable.
Numerous times out on the boat have seen both Dennis and Charles snag something off the bottom of the lake.
“We have found fishing rods and so many things,” Dennis said. “Someone even found one of our rods that was dropped into the lake a few days earlier; it’s funny what you end up finding.”
With lake trout being its specialty, Walker’s Guide Service will remain the same as it changes hands.
Lake trout will be a main focus and the Walkers will continue to pass down their knowledge to the generations to come.
For more information or to book a fishing trip, call Charles Walker at 920-229-2102 or email charleswlkr84@gmail.com.
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