The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame has chosen Captain Steve Jones to be inducted into the 2022 class of Hall of Famers along with six other incredible individuals. Here is what they had to say about Steve and the dedication he has shown over his long career.

“Captain Steve Jones has been guiding clients for over 45 years on the Great Lakes from beginners to tournament anglers. He is known to readily share his knowledge and experience including techniques and hot spots, as doing so fulfills his true passion of helping others succeed in their fishing endeavors. Steve has been featured on many TV shows, magazine and newspaper articles and even hosted a “fishing hotline” all in an effort to promote the sport.

Always intrigued by fishing, Jones started at an early age teaching himself to become the most proficient angler he could. In 1973 he hosted a media trip in which multiple national articles were published. This was the start of countless additional articles and stories that Jones has either been featured in or written himself. With a dream of having a career in the angling industry, Jones received his USCG Captains license in 1976 in order to become a fishing guide on the Great Lakes. He quickly added additional charter boats and captains to his fleet to take even more people fishing as interest gained for his services and expertise.

Around the lakes, Jones has been known as the go-to expert for fishing information as he openly shares fishing reports and even his favorite fishing lures with all. With a large demand of anglers seeking his advice to catch fish, he catered to their needs by opening up a fishing tackle retail store which only stocked products that were hand selected by Jones himself including tackle from his own lure-manufacturing company. Having this retail store location allowed him to reach out to many anglers, often those brand new to the sport, by serving as a place to visit for fishing advice and gear to help them increase their angling knowledge and fishing enjoyment.

In addition to fishing, public speaking is another one of Jones’ strengths and using these skills he has been the headline seminar speaker at countless sport shows, fishing clubs and tournaments. Throughout his career Jones has been featured and even hosted many regional and national TV shows from In-Fisherman, Babe Winkleman and Michigan Out of Doors just to name a few. As a regional fishing ambassador, he served as an In-Fisherman staff advisor for the area. Always involved and looking to strengthen the fishing community, he was a charter member of Muskies Inc. and the Lake St. Clair Walleye Association.

Over the years, Jones has had the opportunity to guide tens of thousands of clients on the Great Lakes and has left a large footprint within the angling community. He has truly been a mentor to not only new anglers but even fishing guides who inspire to also have a career helping others enjoy fishing.”

For more information about his years inductees you can visit: https://www.freshwater-fishing.org/

BOOK