By Jeff Nedwick
Recovering from the emotional and physical wounds of combat can be a long and difficult journey for veterans. There’s reason for optimism however. Multiple studies have found that group outdoor recreation activities can have a significant, positive impact on veterans suffering from serious health concerns, and fortunately many organizations dedicate their time and resources to providing injured veterans with opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors.
South Lyon, Michigan – based Operation Injured Soldiers (OIS) is one such organization. OIS provides recreation opportunities for wounded military veterans and on September 14th – 16th they hosted a fishing trip on northern Michigan’s Burt Lake. Twenty-five veterans were treated to three days of walleye fishing with some of the best walleye anglers in the state, including Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame angler Mark Martin. Even Mother Nature chipped in by providing beautiful late-summer weather.
Martin makes time between his popular fishing schools to host several OIS fishing events on Burt Lake, including an ice-fishing trip in the winter. These events are quite popular with injured veterans and they don’t always get in the first time they apply. Priority is given to those who haven’t previously had an opportunity to fish so everyone who meets the qualifications – participants must be 30% disabled or have seen combat – is eventually accommodated.
Veterans fortunate enough to get in were encouraged to be active participants in the fishing. When they weren’t busy fighting walleye they helped set lines, change lures and pull lines when it was time to move to another spot. To maximize opportunities to interact with other veterans and different guides, they were paired with a different veteran and pro each day.
Too much of a good thing was the main story on the first two days of fishing. The weather proved to be too nice, at least for walleye fishing. No wind, cloudless skies and afternoon temperatures that soared into the mid-eighties made for a tough bite. Fortunately, a slight breeze and patchy clouds kicked in on the third day and the walleye turned from finicky to ferocious.
Jim Lindsay and Bob Freeman served in the Vietnam War between 1967 – 1969. They’re both avid anglers and outdoorsmen; Lindsay owns his own boat and walleye fishes regularly on Saginaw Bay and Freeman fishes with his two sons a couple of times each week. When the opportunity to fish with a walleye pro and the possibility they’d draw Martin himself became available, they applied. “I’m hoping to pick up some tips I can use on Saginaw Bay”, said Lindsay. Their wishes were granted when they were paired with Martin on the last day of the event.
Martin located a large school of walleye suspended over 40 feet of water in a small portion of the Burt Lake basin. Trolling shad raps behind planer boards at a steady 2.0 miles per hour generated many strikes and kept Lindsay and Freeman busy fighting fish the entire day.
It was a similar story all around. Most boats had better success on day three – including some teams who landed mixed bags of perch, walleye and brown trout – when trolling crankbaits in the upper half of the water column.
To make the event even more enjoyable for the veterans, OIS hosted them at their Brave Hearts Estate, an outdoor retreat for injured veterans located on 238 acres near Pellston, Michigan. The property – donated by former veteran Bob Considine in 2015 – offers excellent lodging, food, transportation and other amenities for injured veterans. The estate is managed by full-time caretakers Mike and Paula Brown. The Browns are both veterans themselves and have three children currently serving in the Army, Navy and Marines.
Each day on the water concluded with a spectacular dinner of freshly caught walleye at the Brave Hearts Estate and provided the opportunity for veterans to interact.