JASON FREED

Where do you spend most of your time fishing?

Lake Vermilion.

When did you first start fishing?

I started fishing probably before the age of 5. Growing up in Northwest Iowa, I spent my younger years fishing the Iowa Great Lakes in a pair of waders throwing shad raps or slip bobbers for walleyes from shore. If it wasn't that, it was jumping farm pods and catching whatever bit. I think my real passion for Lake Vermilion started when we started doing annual family vacations there and my parents would let me take the little 16-foot Lund with a 25HP motor out to the different bays near the cabin to cast for pike and bass. It was there I realized what fishing meant to me and how much I enjoyed it all.

What is your favorite species to fish?

Walleye and Smallmouth Bass.

What is your favorite Lund model and why?

I have ran a multitude of models from Pro Vs both aluminum and fiberglass, Pro Guide models, as well as now an Impact. For me, my favorite hands down is the Pro Guide. For what I do as a fishing guide, the floor space, my command center, all the storage, and the fact that each person has their own spot in the boat to fish is just amazing. As a multi species fishing guide, I carry a lot of rods and tackle, and the boat does all I need it to do, but also performs at such a high level. It creates for a comfortable and efficient fishing experience.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Don't fear failure. This applies to everything we do in life. We are going to fail way more than we ever succeed at whatever we do in life. Fishing relates because we are going to have good days and bad days. It's using it as a motivator to make things better the next day.

When you’re not fishing, what’s something you love to do?

Coach Football. I am also the Head Football Coach at Brainerd High School. Nothing beats Friday Night Lights.

What's the most underrated fishing technique that more people should be using?

I would say two things. Number one would be the jig. I think with all the lures on the market they sometimes catch more fisherman than fish. The jig whether lead or tungsten, with live bait or a plastic is so versatile as he can be used to cast and retrieve, drag, snap, vertical jig, and slowly swam through the water. It is the Swiss Army knife of fishing and will catch anything that swims. Second would be something like a husky jerk. It can be trolled and casted and its action is so life like that for the person that wants to power fish you are able to do but yet have an action that can fit the mood of a fish.

What is your go-to rod and reel setup?

Elliott Fishing Rod 6'9" Medium Fast Action Rod paired with a 2500 series Diawa Fuego reel.

What life lessons has fishing taught you that apply beyond the water?

Much like coaching, fishing has taught me a lot about perseverance and that you can't always force things. You have to read the day, the conditions, the fish, etc. and feel what is happening around you. As a coach, I have to do this every day and as a fisherman you learn to adapt on the fly and trust your gut. Lastly, you can't fish memories. Too many people fish those memories too often, and you just have to learn to go fishing some days because when you figure it out, it can be so rewarding.

What is it about Lund, whether it’s the team, the boats, or the legacy, that keeps you coming back year after year?

Lund is about FAMILY and LOYALTY. For me, these are two of my core values and things I lean on the most in life. When you are part of the Lund family, you know you are with a group of people who are loyal to the brand and what the company stands for. Boats made by fisherman for fisherman. This alone is why I will forever be a loyal member of the Lund family.