‘I Like this Record, but Now I Plan to Keep Moving Ahead’

   In the fishing world, records come from many different lakes and by many different anglers.  A pair of ladies set a record with their top-10 finish in the recent Cabela’s National Team Championship on Minnesota’s famous Mille Lacs.

 Theresa Meade and sister Janice DeWaal fish numerous tournaments in their home state of Illinois.  Theresa also has considerable regional and national walleye experience. At the NTC, they placed eighth, and were the first all-female team to earn a check in the prestigious NTC.

 Theresa said, “I like this record, but now I plan to keep moving ahead.”  There were 253 teams competing and Theresa said she felt proud of the sister’s success, but equally happy she could compete at all.  “I’ve been battling Lyme disease for six years, but it is finally under control and I can get back to doing what I love.”

 What drives her is a passion for the outdoors.  Theresa has been fishing competitive walleye tournaments for 11 years, including the Chain Walleye series, the World Walleye Assn., the NTC four times, the Professional Walleye Trail and AIM pro-am tournaments as a pro.  She’s been a member of a Team of the Year, qualified for seven Championships, has five wins and numerous top-10 finishes.

 Fishing begs confidence, and Theresa said it has grown within her slowly, but was really driven home at the NTC, which ran concurrently with the MWC.  “I wasn’t sure about Mille Lac and all those top teams, so did NOT enter the MWC.  That was a mistake I won’t make again.  Our weight after two days would have won the MWC,” she said. 

 Doing Mille Lacs homework meant talking to friends made over the years and listening to the advice.  That was followed with 10 to 12 hour pre-fishing days.  She said, “It has taken many years to learn to remain calm and have fun instead of running and gunning, especially on the third day of a tournament.  Janice and I sang every time we landed a walleye – it can’t get much calmer than that.”  Read More