As long as he can remember, Chad Maloy has been fishing.
Maloy has fond memories of growing up fishing with his father, Tom, and grandfather, Marx, on the Mississippi River in Lake City, MN. When Maloy moved to Fargo, ND, in 1997, he joined the fishing club, F-M Walleyes Unlimited, Inc. After attending his first meeting, he was hooked. He eventually found his way onto their board of directors where he served for over a decade and also served 3 terms as the club’s president.
“Walleyes are a very tough fish to pattern and figure out,” Maloy shares. “The chase and the thrill of putting together the complete puzzle is what drives me.”
Maloy’s favorite pastime has led to some friendly competition. He fishes the Master’s Walleye Circuit, the longest-running professional walleye circuit in the country. He teams up with Don Denning, whom he met at an F-M Walleyes meeting many years ago.
Maloy’s favorite lake year after year has been Devils Lake, ND. The lake offers the opportunity to catch fish using almost any method. Maloy has two favorite presentations. The first, casting a Northland Mimic Minnow to catch shallow-water walleyes. The lure’s paddle tail has a great thumping action and the bait rolls from side to side on the retrieve. The single hook design is also very snag-free. The second, jigging up deep-water walleyes using a darting minnow like the Northland Puppet Minnow. On the last day of the 2014 World Walleye Championship, Maloy and Denning brought in a 5-fish limit weighing over 36 lbs.
Maloy also enjoys sharing his passion for walleyes. Chad Maloy is often found doing seminars, promotions, and youth fishing clinics to help others become better anglers.