Gary Roach was born and raised on the shores of Mission Lake, MN. He started fishing off the dock when he was three or four years old. Gary started guiding at the age of ten and has made a career of fishing for over 50 years. Gary is now known as Mr. Walleye®. He has dedicated his life to guiding, promoting, and teaching anglers all over North America.

He was one of the original “Nisswa Guides” in northern Minnesota. Gary’s methods and angling skills have been used in numerous publications such as Fishing Facts, In-Fisherman, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Walleye Magazine, and many others. He currently writes articles for Outdoor News, Mid-West Outdoors Magazine, and North American Fisherman. He has done countless newspaper articles and radio interviews across the country as well as hundreds of TV shows with such notables as In-Fisherman television specials, Mid-West Outdoor television, Adventures North, Ron Schara’s “Legends Of Rod & Reel” show on the Outdoor Channel.

He has designed fishing tackle for Pradco, Northland Fishing Tackle, Pure Fishing, and others. Gary has been instrumental in cutting-edge boat design and enhancements for Lund Boats. One of Lund’s boats carries the name “Mr. Walleye® Edition”. He has designed a new series of fishing rods, called Mr. Walleye® Series Rods, Mr. Walleye® Signature Series Rods, And Mr. Walleye® RTR Rods. Also ten new Mr. Walleye® Series Ice Rods, from ultralight to walleye and trout rods. Watch for them at your favorite retailers. Also has his own batter mix “Mr. Walleye batter mix”.

Gary was inducted into the National Fishing Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame in 2000. In 1991, he won the coveted Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) “Angler of the Year” award as well as the PWT Top Gun Award. Gary is a two-time Cabela’s/In-Fisherman PWT winner, making him a leading money winner in professional fishing. He was a winner of the Manufacturers Walleye Council (MWC) Tournament and also named Angler of the Year in that circuit. In 1993, Pure Fishing (Berkley) presented him with the “All Pro Award” in Las Vegas for outstanding work in angling education and promotional efforts.

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  1. […] I first got serious about ice-fishing I had the good fortune to share a shelter for a day with Gary Roach on Lake of the Woods.  Gary is probably best known as an open water angler, but whether it’s […]