What Would You Do?

A Minnesota high school freshman was walleye fishing with family earlier this summer when he hooked and landed a wallet containing $2,000.

The story, as reported by ABC affiliate WDAY-TV, was a once in a lifetime catch for 14-year-old Connor Halsa. After finding a business card with a phone number in the wallet along with all that cash, Halsa did the right thing and tracked down the owner.

“We didn’t work hard for the money, he did, so it was his money,” Connor told WDAY-TV.
The owner, Jim Denney, of Iowa, had been fishing Lake of the Woods a year prior when his wallet slipped out of his pocket and into the water in some rough weather. According to the report, Denney didn’t realize he had lost his wallet and all that cash until he went to pay for his stay at the fishing resort.

Lake of the Woods is a massive 1,679-square-mile lake that straddles the Minnesota/Canada border. It is promoted as “The Walleye Capital of the World” and is a popular destination fishery. On a lake that size, it’s hard to fathom the odds of Halsa snagging the wallet while drifting spinners for walleye.

“The odds of ever finding or hooking a billfold in 20 feet of water—I don’t think there’s a number,” Denney told the outlet.

The Idaho farmer was just happy to have his money back. He offered Halsa a cash reward, which the teen declined. Denney ended up giving Halsa a custom cooler and taking the Halsa family to dinner to show his appreciation.