Montana Fishing & Broadcast Legend “Walleye Wayne” Passes Away
By Hookemharry

Posted: March 2, 2018

Walleye Wayne one of the founding fathers of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show died peacefully with family around him from complications from diabetes Friday March 2nd 2018 in Minnesota. He was 77 years old.

Wayne Knudson AKA Walleye Wayne was born and raised in the lake country of Northern Minnesota. The family lived on Middle Leaf Lake in Otter Tail county. Hunting and fishing, with his folks and grandpa, was much more than a hobby. It was a necessary way of life in Northern Minnesota in the 40’s and 50’s.

The family moved to suburban Minneapolis but maintained a summer home on Otter tail Lake. Walleye’s hunting and fishing territory expanded to include Iowa, South Dakota, and Ontario Province.

Walleye’s heroes were the guys who wrote the great outdoor stories found in Sports Afield, Field & Stream, and particularly Jack O’Connor, the shooting editor of Outdoor Life magazine. O’Connor wrote his stories of the great western outdoors from his home in Lewiston Idaho, and was a big influence on Walleye’s decision to move west.

In 1976 Walleye moved his wife Jackie, son Steve, and daughter Sandy to Missoula Montana. This area has a reputation for the finest hunting and fishing in the lower 48. Walleye and Captin Catchin’ started hunting and fishing together in 1987 and have done so across Montana and into Idaho, Washington, South Dakota, Oregon and the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Walleye and Jackie make their winter home at Florence Montana, in the Bitterroot Valley. As soon as the ice goes off Seeley Lake, at the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, they can be found at their log cabin, summer home, making things ready for the coming fishing and hunting seasons.

Walleye Wayne retired from the Montana Outdoor Radio Show in 2009. A few years back Walleye and Jackie moved back to Minnesota to root for the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves and Gophers.

Walleye was loved by many of the faithful listeners of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show. Even long after he retired on the show fans would reminisce about the trivia questions that he wrote and stories that Walleye would tell.

He will be missed by the Captain and is crew but the memories of the radio shows, the fishing trips, the hunting trips, and just hanging out with the man we simply called “Walleye” will be with us forever.

 

Walleye holding up a nice walleye, it was the last time that Walleye Wayne fished with the Captain on Fort Peck Reservoir

Walleye Wayne holding up a trout from Holter Reservoir

 

Walleye Wayne with Hookem Harry and a couple of fans

 

Walleye Wayne and Hookem Harry with  some nice whitefish

 

Walleye Wayne holding up a trout from Holter Reservoir

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